Discovering Buddhism: How to Develop Bodhicitta - The Heart of the Buddhist Path (16 September 2010)

0:02 And then I was like, I really can't bring these, and we were sitting there a couple weeks ago, and I was like, what can you do that if there's a chick to eat in this one? And it was just like, you know, so you can get a cart and then bring it in. A little wheelbarrow. Report an error in the passage at 0:02 Highlight the passage at 0:02

0:25 least where I was. Report an error in the passage at 0:25 Highlight the passage at 0:25

0:37 Oh, just on that table. Report an error in the passage at 0:37 Highlight the passage at 0:37

0:55 are you? Good. How's your day? Report an error in the passage at 0:55 Highlight the passage at 0:55

1:03 haven't made one of my final battle visits. I'm a little bit in pain, but I'm just going I Report an error in the passage at 1:03 Highlight the passage at 1:03

1:11 had a GoPro in the back, and it came off, and then I had to have another one for two, and then I had two rick nails. Oh, I thought that was fun. Oh, and I apparently had my nose, Report an error in the passage at 1:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11

1:38 so they took their impressions. I Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

2:07 mean, I had really good teeth, but it came off, and then I didn't go back to it for a couple years. It's super erupted, and then I knew the one next to it needed some attention, but it's a way to tune along. There's no easy way to go about it. And it's really, they said it's really difficult, especially because I had two. Report an error in the passage at 2:07 Highlight the passage at 2:07

2:34 So I learned my lesson. Report an error in the passage at 2:34 Highlight the passage at 2:34

2:39 Yeah, they do. and get all of, like, all the different steps. Report an error in the passage at 2:39 Highlight the passage at 2:39

2:42 Yeah, they do have to go in and do Yeah, it's a whole piece of scratch, dude. I could check in, it might have to take a lot of minutes. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

2:58 I have always, I was almost like that. The last time I was like I'm going Report an error in the passage at 2:58 Highlight the passage at 2:58

3:23 to start with three frustrations. If people want to, they can join in, otherwise you can just twiddle your thumbs until we take our seats. We'll talk a little bit about frustrations in the classroom. Report an error in the passage at 3:23 Highlight the passage at 3:23

3:39 But it's good to remember when you're prostrating, it's a way of honoring, especially the teachings and the Dharma itself, the actual realizations in the minds. There's Report an error in the passage at 3:39 Highlight the passage at 3:39

3:55 that extra little aspiration of wanting those same realizations yourself. So it's not just like it's outside of you, you want to bring it inside of you. I want what you have. Report an error in the passage at 3:55 Highlight the passage at 3:55

4:13 And I'll do the meditation mantra if people want to join me, otherwise I can't think about it. the moment you shri, namah su shri, namah su shri, namah su shri. Report an error in the passage at 4:13 Highlight the passage at 4:13

4:32 Namo Manjushri, Namo Sushri, Namo Vatama Srinayi. Report an error in the passage at 4:32 Highlight the passage at 4:32

4:44 Namajushriye, namo sushriye, namo katama shriye. Report an error in the passage at 4:44 Highlight the passage at 4:44

· · · silence, 1 minute

5:30 Start with a little meditation, Report an error in the passage at 5:30 Highlight the passage at 5:30

5:37 let yourself get comfortable, either on a chair or on a cushion. Just take a few moments, checking in with your body, letting go of the tension of the day, the tension of finding a parking space, tension of the 22, whatever bus you came on. Report an error in the passage at 5:37 Highlight the passage at 5:37

5:59 If you need to roll your shoulders or shrug them up and down and let them fall. Stretch your neck from side to side. Report an error in the passage at 5:59 Highlight the passage at 5:59

6:11 Take some nice deep belly breaths. Report an error in the passage at 6:11 Highlight the passage at 6:11

6:28 Use your breathing in to bring in whatever you need for this class. Your concentration, your focus, your curiosity. And breathing out whatever you don't need. Your sluggishness, your distraction, whatever else. Report an error in the passage at 6:28 Highlight the passage at 6:28

6:52 Worries, conversations you were just having. Just let them go. You can imagine them just disappearing like smoke out of a chimney. Report an error in the passage at 6:52 Highlight the passage at 6:52

7:14 Just gradually find your posture, especially bringing your spine up straight, shoulders back. Report an error in the passage at 7:14 Highlight the passage at 7:14

7:47 Start with just trying your homework, trying to think about what it would be like to have this mind of bodhicitta that we're beginning to talk about. Report an error in the passage at 7:47 Highlight the passage at 7:47

8:01 Imagine what it would be like to wake up with it every morning. This single-pointed desire to help all living beings attain enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 8:01 Highlight the passage at 8:01

8:17 They say it's like water running under ice. They are all the time, Report an error in the passage at 8:17 Highlight the passage at 8:17

8:25 whatever else you're doing or thinking or feeling. This mind of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 8:25 Highlight the passage at 8:25

· · · silence, 1 minute

9:22 Imagine this mind that just takes complete delight in helping others. Report an error in the passage at 9:22 Highlight the passage at 9:22

9:32 As one of my teachers used to say, if you were bodhisattva, you'd get off on helping others. Nothing would make you happier. Report an error in the passage at 9:32 Highlight the passage at 9:32

10:10 May whatever we learn tonight, whatever seeds are planted in this class, whatever ideas or beginnings come into your heart and mind, may they become this mind of bodhicitta in each one of us. This is how karma works. May Report an error in the passage at 10:10 Highlight the passage at 10:10

10:40 whatever we gain from this class take us all the way to enlightenment for the benefit of every living being, including ourself. And Report an error in the passage at 10:40 Highlight the passage at 10:40

11:10 as you're ready, you can end. Report an error in the passage at 11:10 Highlight the passage at 11:10

11:15 we'll start with an opening prayer. Report an error in the passage at 11:15 Highlight the passage at 11:15

11:25 page 8 in the white prayer book. With the wish Report an error in the passage at 11:25 Highlight the passage at 11:25

11:40 to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening. For the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 11:40 Highlight the passage at 11:40

12:19 So let's start with a check-in, see if people had anything come up with the homework or anything else this week or just anything that might have. Report an error in the passage at 12:19 Highlight the passage at 12:19

12:37 Come to you, you know, after we started talking about it and then, oh, thank you. Our microphone guy. Report an error in the passage at 12:37 Highlight the passage at 12:37

12:49 There you go. That's great. Come on down. Report an error in the passage at 12:49 Highlight the passage at 12:49

12:59 Anything at all or any questions or comments or experiences this week that people want to share? guy Report an error in the passage at 12:59 Highlight the passage at 12:59

13:07 Oh, come on, do it, David. I don't really have anything to say. But you just wanted to hear your voice. The thing that kind of kept coming up in my mind around bodhicitta was the profound necessity for renunciation. Report an error in the passage at 13:07 Highlight the passage at 13:07

13:23 And that you really have to sort of, in order to, you really have to sort of give everything up, but it's not like this, it's not a bad thing giving up. It's like you sort of realize that there's so many... Things within the samserk existence that sort of bind us and constrict us that without renunciation that you kind of can't be looking out completely because you're still sort of like looking out for yourself. Report an error in the passage at 13:23 Highlight the passage at 13:23

13:52 And so part of the process of bodhicitta seems to be working through renunciation. Yeah, we're going to talk a little bit about that tonight because bodhicitta is actually kind of far along the path. I mean, generating bodhicitta, we have to have some things under our belt. So we'll talk about that, actually, this first part of the class. Report an error in the passage at 13:52 Highlight the passage at 13:52

14:15 But yeah, to develop renunciation, which I think, unfortunately, that word sort of has bad rap in the West. But all renunciation really is renouncing suffering. But we start with ourselves, right? So we have to first see that we're suffering, because a lot of people are like, I have a pretty good life. Report an error in the passage at 14:15 Highlight the passage at 14:15

14:34 know, and so they don't even want to They don't even want to think about the fact that they're suffering. That was the first thing that the Buddha taught. There is suffering. But that's a huge, dukkha is actually a huge word. It doesn't just mean headaches or broken arms. There's that underlying dissatisfaction that's just there all the time. Report an error in the passage at 14:34 Highlight the passage at 14:34

15:01 And so you get this, you lose that, you want that, you don't want that. It's all because of this little mind and it's a nasty little bugger. So it keeps us circling in saṃsāra, this phrase that you use, saṃsāra. But that's just a state of mind too. So we'll talk about that sort of more as we're in this class. Report an error in the passage at 15:01 Highlight the passage at 15:01

15:29 But yeah, you realize... If you can see your own suffering and you can understand how karma works and you can understand how you've created the suffering and how you've kept yourself in suffering by grasping at these things, lifetime after lifetime as real, then we start getting it that we want to get out. Report an error in the passage at 15:29 Highlight the passage at 15:29

15:53 Renunciation is just that. And then bodhicitta is when we start looking around at other people and we start going, oh yeah, they're suffering too. you know. Report an error in the passage at 15:53 Highlight the passage at 15:53

16:03 They're in pain just like I am and they're doing the same things that I'm doing and I don't want to leave them behind. So yeah, absolutely. You have to see your own state. You have to start with compassion for yourself. I think a lot of times people are drawn to Tibetan Buddhism because of the compassion, because of the bodhicitta, but we actually can't get to it until we can recognize all that other stuff first because we won't really... Report an error in the passage at 16:03 Highlight the passage at 16:03

16:32 It's just kind of... The unwise bodhicitta. It's like the unwise compassion of wanting to help others but not really having the tools. What was somebody saying? Report an error in the passage at 16:32 Highlight the passage at 16:32

16:44 What was I just reading? Anyway, if you read about, you know... Types of blindness in Nepal and you just go over there and start trying to fix people's eyes. It's really not going to be good if you take the time to understand how to do it and you learn the skills and then you do it, then it's going to have more effect. Report an error in the passage at 16:44 Highlight the passage at 16:44

17:09 And actually spiritual practice is very much the same way. We have to do the leg work first or the butt work maybe. That's how it is. Anybody else? So we're just, Karen, we're just checking in just to see if there's any questions or any insights that maybe came up during the week for anybody. Report an error in the passage at 17:09 Highlight the passage at 17:09

17:30 Wait. Got to have the talking stick. For me, as I was meditating, I thought about what I want to do with my life's work, which I think has to do with compassion, working with dying. And I thought about... What compassion would mean in that. Report an error in the passage at 17:30 Highlight the passage at 17:30

17:57 It came to me that it would be helping others accept things as they are. Report an error in the passage at 17:57 Highlight the passage at 17:57

18:12 When they describe the qualities of a Buddha, they say that one of those qualities is accepting things as they are. And that Shantideva... And, um... Report an error in the passage at 18:12 Highlight the passage at 18:12

18:09 know, the... Report an error in the passage at 18:09 Highlight the passage at 18:09

18:24 Quote two has been going through my mind. But I think of it more as the 12 steps, so it's not an exact quote, but you know, changing what you can change. All right, yeah. Yeah, why worry? Change what you can change or don't change or accept things as they are. So for me, that seems to be what compassion is. Report an error in the passage at 18:24 Highlight the passage at 18:24

18:46 We'll get back to you in the last class and see if anything shifts. I see some new faces, too, actually, so maybe we should go around and introduce ourselves because I see about four new faces. Anybody else have any other questions or any other comments or any other feelings? Report an error in the passage at 18:46 Highlight the passage at 18:46

19:09 I'm Steve, and one of the things I noticed and it kind of surprised me was that I'm really thinking about being pure and good and honest and compassionate all the time, and that kind of surprised me. Report an error in the passage at 19:09 Highlight the passage at 19:09

19:25 For me to become that or to aim for that is kind of too much. I've never really thought of myself as I'm good in this volunteer work or I'm good at my job. But to wake up and have that attitude 100 % of the time, it kind of, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 19:25 Highlight the passage at 19:25

19:51 Yeah, no, isn't it? It's interesting, isn't it? Yeah. No, I actually, I had a similar experience when I was in a, I did a three-month retreat fairly early on. I went to India and did this Bashar Safra retreat. And there were sort of two groups of us. And I realized that I, within a group, we had a group of 17. Report an error in the passage at 19:51 Highlight the passage at 19:51

20:14 it was written in 10. Karmically an interesting group to be in. Rather challenging a part and still has quite a reputation if you ask people who were on staff there. Report an error in the passage at 20:14 Highlight the passage at 20:14

20:28 Due to one particular person on the group. But anyway, there was definitely a feeling of some of us wanted to do sort of everything. Just go all out and do all the prayers and do all the stuff like that. And then some just wanted to go and do the mantras. So there was that. But I remember waking up one morning going, isn't it odd that I'm in the renegade group that wants to do the prayers? Like what happened between my past and this moment to bring me to the place where I want to do the extra prayers? Report an error in the passage at 20:28 Highlight the passage at 20:28

21:00 So much so that we went in early before the session and we would do like, you know, praises of Tara and things like that. So it was just interesting. I know also that's happened on holy days when we're doing like lots and lots of virtu and you're like, isn't that interesting that this is fun? Report an error in the passage at 21:00 Highlight the passage at 21:00

21:20 I mean, you just remember kind of what you used to be like and, you know, it's just interesting that that shift begins to happen in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 21:20 Highlight the passage at 21:20

21:30 Yeah, that's good. Thanks. Why don't we take a minute and just go around, and I know that no one will remember anybody's names, but that's okay. You don't have to say anything about yourself, but just say your name and welcome to anybody who has popped in tonight, who wasn't here last week. David, I'm going to make you start. Because you were over here and you started, right? So you get to start no matter where you are in the room. He's going to keep it going. Report an error in the passage at 21:30 Highlight the passage at 21:30

22:00 That's how I try to memorize names, and you messed me up. It always has to start with you. Report an error in the passage at 22:00 Highlight the passage at 22:00

22:03 Hi, my name is David for those who are new and for those who are here from last week. And thanks for working. There you go. Anna can be. Oh, there you go. They go back? Yeah. My name is Anna. Nice to see you all. Even though she can't see you because she's your best. Report an error in the passage at 22:03 Highlight the passage at 22:03

22:24 Yeah. She's a mom. She already has eyes in the back of her head. I'm Jessica. Nice to meet you new people. she... I think she'll hear her. Yeah, she... Report an error in the passage at 22:24 Highlight the passage at 22:24

22:35 Hi, I'm Christine. My name's Henry. I'm glad that I'm with you guys. Welcome, Henry. I'm Karen. Nice to see you all. I'm Sandra. Report an error in the passage at 22:35 Highlight the passage at 22:35

22:52 I'm Steve. I'm Gina. I'm sorry I was late. No, welcome. I'm Sue Ann. Hi. Fred, my first night here. Nice to see you all. Hi, Fred. Welcome. I'm Leslie. Report an error in the passage at 22:52 Highlight the passage at 22:52

23:11 Yeah, really. I'm Kara. Hi Kara. This is Kara. That's Kara. I'm John. Hello. And Kara and John both have volunteered on Thursday nights, right? So Kara is the regular one for this class. If people have questions or whatever about the center or things like that, you can ask Kara. But John, do you still do the, for the meditation? Report an error in the passage at 23:11 Highlight the passage at 23:11

23:36 You're still a volunteer on the desk for the meditation? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

23:42 Okay. I'm Eileen. Welcome, Eileen. I'm Jen. Report an error in the passage at 23:42 Highlight the passage at 23:42

23:52 I live here too and I do like a work study so I'm around sometimes. Yeah, so if people have questions about the house or want to tell her something to clean up. Report an error in the passage at 23:52 Highlight the passage at 23:52

24:04 Thanks, welcome. So I wanted to start a little bit about meditation just so that people are kind of on the same page in terms of meditation. Meditation means a lot of things to a lot of people. Report an error in the passage at 24:04 Highlight the passage at 24:04

24:22 I think it's very widely taught now in all sorts of ways. You can go to meditation classes at Kaiser. You can go to meditation classes in your office sometimes, definitely at the Y. And then, of course, different Buddhist traditions and different other religious traditions also have meditation. And meditation means different things to different people. So I always think it's useful. Report an error in the passage at 24:22 Highlight the passage at 24:22

24:47 To talk about what we mean by meditation and why we meditate. But to go into more detail, and I highly recommend this, there is a drop-in meditation every Thursday before this class, 5.30 to 6.30. We're also trying to reinstate the Saturday, so if people really want the Saturday one reinstated, they should pop an email to Charles at... Report an error in the passage at 24:47 Highlight the passage at 24:47

25:13 I think the more emails he gets, the more he'll realize that people really do want that back and he'll make that happen. I think he is aiming to have it start again in October. Report an error in the passage at 25:13 Highlight the passage at 25:13

25:24 But in that drop in meditation, we talk about starting meditation practice, the posture, why we meditate. And then we also do a silent meditation on the breath and you're even guided into that. Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:43 Also talk about the types of meditation and then we also do a guided lamrim meditation and it's a different one each time. So all of that is covered. There's always time for Q &A so it's a great place to start if you haven't meditated in this tradition before or if your practice has taken a beating and you want to get it started again. Report an error in the passage at 25:43 Highlight the passage at 25:43

26:07 It's a good place to come. So that being said. I usually ask how many people have some sort of meditation practice, but it's mostly for my knowledge, so if you want to just give me some sort of a hint without admitting it in front of the class, that's okay too. you can kind of, you know. Report an error in the passage at 26:07 Highlight the passage at 26:07

26:26 And it doesn't mean that you're good at it. It could just mean that you do something every day that you might call meditation or not even every day. Let's not even make it that broad. Let's just say at least on a regular basis, whatever that means to you, you do something that you consider to be meditation. Can I have a show of hands just so I know kind of what I'm up against? Report an error in the passage at 26:26 Highlight the passage at 26:26

26:49 Yeah? No, it's all right. It's all right. If you sit on the cushion and you're quiet for a minute, that could count. Now Ana's hand goes up. Report an error in the passage at 26:49 Highlight the passage at 26:49

27:02 Okay, that's good. So that just gives me an idea. I think it's really important to think about why we meditate because I think a lot of people think of meditation as a way to calm down. And it is. I mean, there is definitely that nice perk. right? Report an error in the passage at 27:02 Highlight the passage at 27:02

27:26 But in our tradition, that is a perk. That is what it's called. It's almost like a byproduct of our meditation. The main reason that we meditate is to get enlightened, really, ultimately, but is to get happy. Report an error in the passage at 27:26 Highlight the passage at 27:26

27:43 And there are other ways to get happy, too. Maybe popping that thing into your mouth, whatever that was. A cookie, yeah, definitely a great way to get happy. But we'll talk about that. It may not be the kind of happiness we're seeking in here. And meditation is considered a proven method for finding happiness because in the course of our meditation practice, we actually start understanding how the mind works. Report an error in the passage at 27:43 Highlight the passage at 27:43

28:11 And our mind is what gets enlightened. It's not somebody else's mind doing it for us, and it's not a different mind. It's not like some... some mind out there it's actually this current mind it just so we have to get into that mind we have to understand that mind and we have to how to penetrate that mind so we have to develop The Buddha didn't actually teach meditation to relax and those of you who have heard me do the drop-in spiel, this is my drop-in spiel. Report an error in the passage at 28:11 Highlight the passage at 28:11

28:45 He didn't want us to just be relaxed and calm while we can stay. But he actually taught meditation. As a tool to get happy, to find happiness. And the main reason is that happiness is within. It's inside of us. And so even though we keep looking outside, and even those of us who might consider ourselves Buddhists, and maybe we've considered ourselves to be Buddhists for a long time, we still do that thing of looking outside for happiness. Report an error in the passage at 28:45 Highlight the passage at 28:45

29:43 And if we're depressed, we go outside, you know, and we call people, we go do something, we distract from looking at the mind. Report an error in the passage at 29:43 Highlight the passage at 29:43

29:56 Actually, what we're trying to do when we meditate is to get to know our own mind and in the course of getting to know our own mind, getting to know reality as well, the way the Buddha perceived reality to be. Report an error in the passage at 29:56 Highlight the passage at 29:56

30:09 In Tibetan, the word for meditation is gom, to familiarize oneself with something. So what we're familiarizing ourselves with is our mind and with reality, the way the Buddha... observed reality to be so we become more and more and more familiar so we learn these meditations and we'll learn a series of meditation It's not enough to just learn it and do it once or twice. Report an error in the passage at 30:09 Highlight the passage at 30:09

30:39 We have to just keep doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it. And only then does it sort of become one with our mind. Otherwise, it's still something I learned in class. And eventually, as we do these meditations, our experiences come into them, especially I'm thinking now about the analytical meditations. Report an error in the passage at 30:39 Highlight the passage at 30:39

31:00 When we learn to do, for example, the meditation on death, and we're thinking about that death is certain, but its timing is uncertain. At first, we use examples maybe given in class, but then... We start using examples from our own life and experiences that we've known of people that have died suddenly without knowledge of it, which is most people actually. Report an error in the passage at 31:00 Highlight the passage at 31:00

31:27 Even people who are on their deathbed, they say, are clinging so strongly to this life that they don't really think it will happen today. It's pretty rare for someone to really get it. I mean, in the scheme of things. And even people who are 95. A hundred, you know, they still think they have more time. So the rest of us definitely think we do. Report an error in the passage at 31:27 Highlight the passage at 31:27

31:54 In this tradition, emptying our mind of all thoughts isn't really what we mean by meditation either. So it's not that we have to just keep fighting desperately every thought that pops up like popcorn, that we're not pushing it down. And then if we, you know... Ten minutes goes by and we've actually had thoughts. We're not a failure. Our mind thinks. Minds think very well. As Tenzin Shoki always says, that's their MO. Report an error in the passage at 31:54 Highlight the passage at 31:54

32:23 Minds do very well at thinking. And so that's actually why Lama Tsongkhapa came up. With this type of meditation called analytical, using the mind. Well, if the mind's going to think anyway, what if we train it to think and to analyze these different teachings on the lamrim instead of just fighting with it? Report an error in the passage at 32:23 Highlight the passage at 32:23

32:46 But even when we're doing concentration meditation, where the mind is trying to stay focused on a single object, not waver, the fact that our mind continues to think and these thoughts pop up. It shows us how our mind works. So even though that isn't the main focus of the mind during that type of meditation, it gives us an idea of how mind works and how it has worked since beginningless time, they say, because we're going to talk a little bit about the mind in here. Report an error in the passage at 32:46 Highlight the passage at 32:46

33:20 So as we focus our mind on an object, whether that object is an analysis or whether that object is... Report an error in the passage at 33:20 Highlight the passage at 33:20

33:32 image of the Buddha or whether that object is our breath know it could be our breath What we're trying to do is develop concentration so strong that we aren't distracted every two and a half seconds or more often by thoughts because our mind is quite happy that we've taken a seat. And that we don't seem to be doing anything, so why not have these great overwhelming ideas to save the planet or just do something next Friday? So the mind starts sort of pouring out these thoughts, and what we normally do is shoot after them. Report an error in the passage at 33:32 Highlight the passage at 33:32

34:10 And we can see that we do that. And this may be the first time we've ever seen that this is what we're doing all the time. And this is really, really useful to see. Report an error in the passage at 34:10 Highlight the passage at 34:10

34:22 That we don't have to do that. We give power to those thoughts, but we don't have to be dragged. I know one teacher, I think it was George Chernoff said, when you're doing a meditation on the mind itself, it's sort of like you're sitting in a sidewalk cafe and you're watching the people go by, but you don't have to get up and run after every one of them that goes by. Report an error in the passage at 34:22 Highlight the passage at 34:22

34:46 And I think that's an apt thing. These thoughts can arise, but we can stop giving them so much power over us. And we can start, we just continually extract and return to the object, extract and return to the object, extract and return to the object. And believe me, most of the things that these thoughts are coming up with are not so amazing and world shattering. Report an error in the passage at 34:46 Highlight the passage at 34:46

35:11 They're just... And you really see this when you go into retreat, any length of retreat. It's amazing what your mind will come up with. Report an error in the passage at 35:11 Highlight the passage at 35:11

35:22 That's much more exciting than what it's supposed to be focusing on. So meditation is a way to see what the mind is currently, which is distracted, and that's okay. That's what it is. And to realize that we have given all of this sort of popcorn of... Report an error in the passage at 35:22 Highlight the passage at 35:22

35:42 This chaotic working of the mind, we've given it a lot of power over ourselves and we don't have to. So it's an opportunity to work with our mind. In this tradition there are two main types of meditation and then I've mentioned both of them. Analytical meditation where the mind moves, you're actually doing an analysis of something and the meditations that we do in this class are mostly of this type. Report an error in the passage at 35:42 Highlight the passage at 35:42

36:09 So we're analyzing, we're thinking about something. And this meditation I mentioned on death is like that. We're thinking about the fact that death is certain because this lifespan is finite and its timing is completely uncertain. Completely uncertain. And not to scare yourself, but simply to get an accurate, to accept, to have an accurate view of reality. Report an error in the passage at 36:09 Highlight the passage at 36:09

36:35 The second type of meditation is concentration or stabilization meditation, where you're literally trying to stabilize the mind on an object. And again, it can be any object at all. It can be an object. It has to be an object that is within the mind also. So in our tradition, we don't focus on like a flame or something external. Report an error in the passage at 36:35 Highlight the passage at 36:35

36:55 But it can be the breath. It can be... A visualization of a Buddha or a holy object, a dorji or something like that. Or it can be something, an experience of the mind like compassion, which is harder to do because first you have to know what compassion is and you have to generate it and then you try to keep your mind on that. Report an error in the passage at 36:55 Highlight the passage at 36:55

37:19 So it's actually kind of more difficult to do, but I have known people that have used that as an object. And when you're doing analytical meditation, what you're doing is your mind is analyzing to the point that you gain some little blip of an insight, like, wow, I could die at any moment, like whatever that insight is. Report an error in the passage at 37:19 Highlight the passage at 37:19

37:41 And then you stop and you apply whatever level of concentration you have, which might be not very much, to that insight to sort of fix it on your mind. And then the mind gets distracted again, you know, God, pizza, hmm, somebody got some pizza in the house, you know, and that's okay, then you just continue the analysis and then the next little blip of insight pops up and you stop and you try to focus and try to hold the mind there for even two seconds, five seconds. Report an error in the passage at 37:41 Highlight the passage at 37:41

38:12 You know, ten minutes, depending on how good your concentration is, and then the mind gets distracted and you analyze again. So it's like that. Analytical meditation is named for its analysis, but the analysis does stop and there is concentration involved in it. Report an error in the passage at 38:12 Highlight the passage at 38:12

38:29 A little bit about a daily practice. If you haven't set up a daily practice yet, this class is actually a good time to do it because you have... Homework every week. And that homework, I would really love it if you would do it every day. I know that's unrealistic. So I started saying like three times a week. But it is a useful time to try to create a practice. Report an error in the passage at 38:29 Highlight the passage at 38:29

38:51 It's good to do the same place and the same time every day. That place doesn't have to be a separate shrine room. Few of us have that in this, although I made my closet into one. You can create a shrine room anywhere. It can be part of your living room or part of your bedroom or even a windowsill. It can be completely simple or elaborate. Report an error in the passage at 38:51 Highlight the passage at 38:51

39:14 Depending on what you want. It should inspire your mind. It should be something that makes your mind happy when you sit down. And if it doesn't, then sort of jazz it up a little bit. Maybe add something. Put some Buddhas or images of teachers that inspire you, like the Dalai Lama or something like that, on the altar. Report an error in the passage at 39:14 Highlight the passage at 39:14

39:36 Spend some time trying out the different cushions until you find one that works. And also set up a time that you do it every day. It doesn't have to be exactly the same time, but usually they say the morning is better. There are different, you know, I do know of people that have an evening meditation practice because they're more nighttime people. Report an error in the passage at 39:36 Highlight the passage at 39:36

40:00 The problem with the evening is that for most of us that could change from day to day. Things happen. We take classes. We, you know, stay late. At work, we go out after work or something like that. And so then we get tired and then we don't feel like doing it and so forth. Whereas in the morning, if you can kind of work it into your morning routine, even if it's just 15 or 20 minutes, and those of us who have been practicing for a while, it starts getting longer and longer. Report an error in the passage at 40:00 Highlight the passage at 40:00

40:31 But just creating a time that you're going to do it every day. And then just deciding to do it. For me, that's really what does it. It's very much like deciding to go on a diet or deciding to start an exercise routine or deciding to run or something like that. You just decide I'm going to do it for three months, you know, at least the length of the class, right? Two months, six months, whatever, with no expectation that I'm going to be great by that time. Report an error in the passage at 40:31 Highlight the passage at 40:31

40:59 Don't do that for yourself. That's like I'm going to lose 70 pounds in the next week. Right. Don't do that. Just decide that you're going to sit and then evaluate at the end if you want to extend, you know, or not. That way it's a slight commitment but not a scary commitment, which is useful. But just making that decision to do it. And there are preliminaries, and we're not going to get into those in here. Report an error in the passage at 40:59 Highlight the passage at 40:59

41:27 We are going to spend some time in the preliminaries to bodhicitta instead. You don't have to spend a huge amount of time with the preliminaries. The main reason for doing the preliminaries is to make sure that your mind is open and ready to meditate and sort of has a blessing to meditate. They compare it a lot to preparing a field to plant. So that's why we do the opening prayer in here. It's just sort of a way of... Report an error in the passage at 41:27 Highlight the passage at 41:27

41:58 Connecting with the Buddhism bodhisattvas, that energy, and opening ourselves. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 41:58 Highlight the passage at 41:58

42:12 So we do that the same when we sit down to meditate. We sort of connect. One of my teachers and friends, Sarah Thresher, says it's like plugging in. You know, it's like that. Report an error in the passage at 42:12 Highlight the passage at 42:12

42:23 Plugging in to the energy of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas when we do any kind of little prayer. And some people I know choose after a while to do that prayer that we do at the beginning of class. It's a great, it kind of contains everything in it. It contains refuge, it contains bodhicitta, it contains a lot of things in it. Other people may choose something like the eight verses or some short little text to read to kind of just bring the mind to the same space rather than... Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:50 Running around brushing your teeth or whatever it is that you do in the morning that might have you distracted already pulling you into the day. Any questions about that? Meditation practice or anybody want to give a pitch on how it's changed their lives or anything like that? Report an error in the passage at 42:50 Highlight the passage at 42:50

43:10 Yeah, yeah. To the back row. Sure. Yeah, yeah. I'll make it never meditated before until my drop-in a month ago and then I've made it part of my... And to be honest, I've gotten better at making it daily. At first I wasn't so faithful. I'm a bit better. But it's really made me aware of my actions. And as I leave and go out into the world and get on the bus or go to the yoga practice or walk down the street and see all that there is to see out in the world. Report an error in the passage at 43:10 Highlight the passage at 43:10

43:51 And so it's really been magnificent. Magnificent, eye-opening experience. Wow, that's great. And this is a question I have. In analytical meditation, because it was Karen, I believe, that held a drop-in a few weeks ago, and that was my first experience with analytical. Report an error in the passage at 43:51 Highlight the passage at 43:51

44:15 How far am I supposed to go in analyzing and working through something? You were talking about something popping up in your brain, and maybe it's a... A relationship issue that you know you need to apply compassion to. And at that moment you start to analyze, maybe we can call it a problem or a challenge. Report an error in the passage at 44:15 Highlight the passage at 44:15

44:38 Yeah, and that's actually a really good point. I'm going to cut you off there really. Yeah, yeah. Because the idea of analytical meditation is actually it has a definite start, middle and end. And it usually is not analyzing that relationship. However, things will come up for you. And I think all of us here that have spent any amount of time meditating, things do come up if you can. Report an error in the passage at 44:38 Highlight the passage at 44:38

45:07 Set them aside and then afterwards bring whatever awareness has come up to that problem. That's totally fine. But I think otherwise, you're right, we'll be just sitting on that cushion. I mean, we'd lose our jobs, right? We'd all just be sitting there, you know, working out every problem that's ever come into our lives, our family's lives or our best friend's lives as well as our own. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

45:27 So, yeah. Analysis is talking about how the mind is working in that particular issue and there are particular topics of the lamrim that we are analyzing and there are definite meditations that are around those topics. There is some wiggle room in those. To bring in experiences that are relating and that's why I mentioned like with the death meditation that you might think about friends who died in a car accident or something like that and in that way make it your own experience rather than something that you don't relate to concerning a yak in Tibet or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 45:27 Highlight the passage at 45:27

46:05 So you want to liven it up so it means something to you but you don't want to spend the whole time just thinking about stuff. So thinking, just thinking, is an analytical meditation. So that's a really, really good point. Analysis is focused. And actually, that's actually an incredibly important point to make, period, is that meditation has a very sharp, focused, clear mind. Report an error in the passage at 46:05 Highlight the passage at 46:05

46:34 At least that's what we're aiming for, right? So a really sharp, clear, focused mind. It's not just getting spacey and dulled out. And I think there is that too, and I'm not saying that's what you're talking about, but I did want to make that point. There is that too where a lot of times people do go into this what's called subtle dullness, this sort of dulled out space, and they think it's a great meditation. Report an error in the passage at 46:34 Highlight the passage at 46:34

46:57 And actually they're just spacing out, so it's not really benefiting anything. And they say it's actually quite harmful because we think we're meditating and we're actually just spacing out. Report an error in the passage at 46:57 Highlight the passage at 46:57

47:08 So with an analytical meditation, our mind should be sharply going through the points, whatever it is. So in this class, I'll give you each week another meditation until you'll have 11. Actually, sometimes, some weeks, you'll do more than one. And in the end, you can do them either individually, spend 15 minutes on an individual one, or... Report an error in the passage at 47:08 Highlight the passage at 47:08

47:36 Once you get to know them and you string them together, the whole thing takes maybe about 30, 40 minutes. But it's definite. And each one, they say, you know, to try to spend a similar amount of time for each one so you're not like spending 700 years on Tonglen because you really like that one but not really giving much attention to the other ones. Report an error in the passage at 47:36 Highlight the passage at 47:36

47:57 Yeah, Tonglen's a great one. If you're going to spend 700 years on any of them, do that. Yeah, so it is, it does have a definite beginning, middle and end and you are reaching some sort of a conclusion by the end of it, you know, or attempting to, you know, and maybe in some of these, you know, you will relate to better than others for sure. Report an error in the passage at 47:57 Highlight the passage at 47:57

48:19 But thank you because that helped me remember too that that mind, that sort of sharp focused mind is true for both types of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 48:19 Highlight the passage at 48:19

48:29 Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as one of my teachers used to say, we should be just as alert as we are when we watch a really good film or reading a really good book. So you can check in every once in a while and be like, do I have that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kind of mind? Anybody else? Anything else about meditation? Okay. So we're going to talk a little bit about bodhicitta again and then also the preliminaries. Report an error in the passage at 48:29 Highlight the passage at 48:29

49:02 For developing bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 49:02 Highlight the passage at 49:02

49:07 Maitreya's definition of bodhicitta we talked about last week, which is the bodhicitta is the desire or the wish, you hear that term, the wish to reach total enlightenment for the benefit or sake of all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 49:07 Highlight the passage at 49:07

49:22 So bodhicitta is the wish to reach total enlightenment for the benefit of all living beings. Once you generate this mind, Report an error in the passage at 49:22 Highlight the passage at 49:22

49:34 You become what's called a bodhisattva. So bodhisattva, we talked a little bit about last week, bodhisattva is, bodhi is enlightenment, again, just like bodhicitta. And sattva is actually a warrior. So it's like an enlightenment warrior. So what does that mean? What are we fighting as a bodhisattva? We're actually fighting mental afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 49:34 Highlight the passage at 49:34

50:00 So anyone that has attended the Wednesday night class, which I strongly recommend if people have any time, even if you just pop in. It's so great that we have a great translator, finally, again. Report an error in the passage at 50:00 Highlight the passage at 50:00

50:15 But a lot of what Shantideva, who wrote The Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, is talking about, it gets quite strong with those warrior terms, you know, slice them, chop them, you know, and they're really, and you're like, what? Wow, I thought we were supposed to be kind and fuzzy, you know? But what he's talking about are your mental afflictions. So it's these minds, and we'll talk about why in a moment, but these minds of anger and hatred and jealousy and depression and grasping attachment, these are the minds that get us into trouble. Report an error in the passage at 50:15 Highlight the passage at 50:15

50:51 So what we're trying to do is create, seek and destroy missions within our own minds. And we are the one, as the bodhisattva, who's like... Yeah, you know, going after them. So because these mental afflictions, it's klesha, which is the Sanskrit klesha, which just means to disturb or to bother or to harass the mind. Report an error in the passage at 50:51 Highlight the passage at 50:51

51:21 It gets translated in a lot of different ways. I think His Holiness the Dalai Lama usually says disturbing emotions. Report an error in the passage at 51:21 Highlight the passage at 51:21

51:30 I like mental afflictions. It just, it sounds like sort of a more technical term, but affliction is, you are afflicted when you're having a Kaleisha attack, you know. Your mind is afflicted and it kind of feels that way. But sometimes people call them, I mean what else have people heard? Disturbing thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 51:30 Highlight the passage at 51:30

51:51 Or even just bad thoughts, you know. I think with disturbing emotions, what I don't like is it sounds kind of like you're, you know, having one of those big gulping cries. And it's not that necessarily. You could just be slightly irritated at somebody or yourself, you know. And that's Ecclesia too, you know. Report an error in the passage at 51:51 Highlight the passage at 51:51

52:10 So it's basically anything that disturbs the mind. Anything, in any way that disturbs the mind. Yep, negative thoughts is another one, yeah. But again, until we really understand that almost all of them are negative, then we might just think it's anger or hatred or jealousy, which we can probably all get behind and agree that those might be negative thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 52:10 Highlight the passage at 52:10

52:34 But we might not think it's attachment. That one's a hard one to sell in the West, actually, that attachment is an afflicted state of mind. And of course, we are actually talking about afflicted attachment and that there are several kinds of attachment and not all of them are. Report an error in the passage at 52:34 Highlight the passage at 52:34

52:53 There are two kinds of bodhicitta, and we'll talk more about these in the final classes, but wishing bodhicitta, and that's just where you have this wish that you can become a bodhisattva and help all beings for all the rest of your lives and that you become a Buddha to help them, but you have sort of this wish. Report an error in the passage at 52:53 Highlight the passage at 52:53

53:15 It's like you have the idea to go to Paris, but you haven't done anything about it yet. But you have this wish and it begins to pervade your mind. And engaging bodhicitta. So the wish for enlightenment in the form of an aspiration and the wish for enlightenment in the form of action. And that's where all through the day you're constantly looking around and trying to see how you might be able to help others. It's not even a conscious thought, it's that undercurrent again, you know, like the water under ice. Report an error in the passage at 53:15 Highlight the passage at 53:15

53:51 Always looking around for opportunities to help others. You get off on helping others. And then you also begin engaging in the activities of a bodhisattva, which are the six perfections and the vows, bodhisattva vows and so forth. So one of them is like having the idea to go to Paris and the other one is actually getting the ticket, maybe your outfits, you know, starting to pack and starting to take the flight to get there. Report an error in the passage at 53:51 Highlight the passage at 53:51

53:55 there's, Report an error in the passage at 53:55 Highlight the passage at 53:55

54:22 So those are the two types of bodhicitta. Of course, there's also different levels of the bodhisattva. They talk about the ten boomies or the ten paths of the bodhisattva. It's not so simple as generating it one day and then it just sticks forever and we get to be bodhisattvas instantly. Unless, of course, we have lifetimes of meditating on this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 54:22 Highlight the passage at 54:22

54:42 And that's the cool thing about karma, right? We don't know. None of us know in this room. First of all, none of us know who actually is a bodhisattva who's trying to fake it and be a regular student. Report an error in the passage at 54:42 Highlight the passage at 54:42

54:56 But we also don't know of ourselves that we may have past life experience with these meditations. And when we are meditating on them, something could just click really fast. Whereas everyone else is like, God, that was a really hard one. It's taken me weeks and weeks. And you're just like, yeah. Yeah, you know, bring it on. Like something clicks because you've meditated on it before in another life. So that's kind of cool. I don't think you should ever give up on yourself and think, you know, or, you know, if you're the one person that's not getting a thing out of something and everyone else is like, yeah, it's wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 54:56 Highlight the passage at 54:56

55:30 It's the best thing we've ever done. And all the check-ins, they're all like chattering on and on and you're like. You know, it's the stupidest meditation I've ever heard. Don't give up on yourself or these meditations, like just keep trying them and try to do them in a different way. Maybe make sure that you, if you're just starting a meditation practice, maybe make sure that you don't heavily eat before you meditate or that you get a good night's sleep and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 55:30 Highlight the passage at 55:30

55:54 Like try to give it a fighting chance. To try these meditations. But yeah, we don't know what kind of experiences we've had with these meditations in past lives. So preliminary practices. We don't just wake up one morning and think, gosh, it'd be great to be a Buddha. You know, like there's other things that kind of happen first. Report an error in the passage at 55:54 Highlight the passage at 55:54

56:15 And so we're going to talk about the steps that we have to take to prepare our mind. Just like when we sit down to meditate, we do some preliminary practices. Report an error in the passage at 56:15 Highlight the passage at 56:15

56:26 When we begin trying to generate this mind of a bodhisattva, bodhicitta, this mind of bodhicitta, then we actually have to take some steps. We talked about how this is class 10 out of the 13 classes, 14 modules in the Discovering Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 56:26 Highlight the passage at 56:26

56:48 And that just basically means the lamrim because it's based on the lamrim. So what comes first? What do we need to have some understanding of before we can actually generate the mind of bodhicitta? We have to understand karma. So we're going to talk a little bit about karma tonight so everybody can have some understanding of karma. I think there's a lot of ideas out there about karma and that's another one that I like to dispel, especially urban myths about. Report an error in the passage at 56:48 Highlight the passage at 56:48

57:15 about karma. We really need to understand the mind, how the mind works. Beginningless and endless mind comes early in this meditation. So if you haven't even come into contact with it, it's a lot. I'm going to try to work in some discussion times to discuss this stuff, especially if you haven't really been doing the Discovering Buddhism classes or any lamrim anywhere. Report an error in the passage at 57:15 Highlight the passage at 57:15

57:41 It doesn't have to be in the Discovering Buddhism. A lot of this stuff is kind of overwhelming, so we need a place to work it out. Some of the places that we work it out is just getting our reading and our studying in. Some of it might be in discussing it with each other, and some of it's going to be on the cushion. So just getting comfortable, just exploring. Nobody says that you have to buy all of these meditations the first time through, or even the 79th time through. Report an error in the passage at 57:41 Highlight the passage at 57:41

58:13 But at least try to give them... Give them a shot. So karma, the mind, and karma is a working of the mind, so they're related. Understanding saṃsāra, you know, what makes saṃsāra? I do, I do. Who created that suffering, the stuff that I'm going through. I created it with my mind, with my actions, with the effects of those actions, with the karma that I created with those actions. Report an error in the passage at 58:13 Highlight the passage at 58:13

58:44 How that karma comes back to me is a pleasurable or suffering result. Nirvāṇa also comes from the mind and karma though. So it's important to know that karma is not fate. We are not stuck with the karma that we happen to have now. And the flip of that is we may not always have these conditions because karma doesn't stay solid. Report an error in the passage at 58:44 Highlight the passage at 58:44

59:09 I try to remind myself of that because I get to live in a Buddhist center. Lucky enough to live in a Buddhist environment for much of the last ten years, and that won't be forever. I'm currently sort of watching from a distance LPP folding and thinking, gosh, what if it were Seichen Ling? What would that be? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm sort of watching that and thinking, what if it were Seichen Ling ending after all of what we've been through? Report an error in the passage at 59:09 Highlight the passage at 59:09

59:41 So these conditions won't last forever. They won't last forever. So we might have incredible conditions now, but don't think that they're solid and permanent. Nothing is. And that's another one, death and impermanence. Really starting to understand, hang on one second, really starting to understand how impermanent things are. Report an error in the passage at 59:41 Highlight the passage at 59:41

1:00:03 Geshe-la talked a little bit about this last night in class as an antidote for laziness. Because we're starting the chapter on effort, on enthusiasm, joyful effort. And so, of course, the biggest obstacle to joyful effort is laziness, which I think we can all relate to. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:03 Highlight the passage at 1:00:03

1:00:24 And I love the Tibetan views towards laziness. They break it all out. They have all these guidelines, this kind of laziness and that kind of laziness. And it's like, wow. I just thought it was all laziness. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:24 Highlight the passage at 1:00:24

1:00:43 Yeah, and they like to talk about the causes of things, you know, so we have to understand how things are caused so that we can eradicate them, just like a disease. Laziness is like a disease. So we have to understand how saṃsāra is created with our karma and with our mind and with our mental afflictions and with... Report an error in the passage at 1:00:43 Highlight the passage at 1:00:43

1:01:05 And so forth and how that results in suffering. But then also that it's possible to create the mind of nirvāṇa, you know, a mind completely free of all afflicted states. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:05 Highlight the passage at 1:01:05

1:01:17 And that there's something beyond this state. So we're not stuck permanently in some sort of permanent hell realm or whatever it is that we're in right now. We just continually cycle through all the different... Levels of saṃsāra, the different realms and so forth, based mostly on ignorance, because we don't realize this is what's happening. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:17 Highlight the passage at 1:01:17

1:01:41 But then once we start getting the wisdom that this is what's happening, that we start being able to create the causes to get out. And then that's what sort of leads us to this point where we look around and we go, oh yeah, and if I can get out, then all these other people can come with me and I can get them out too. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:41 Highlight the passage at 1:01:41

1:01:58 Sue Ann, you had your hand up. Wait, wait, wait, talking stick. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:58 Highlight the passage at 1:01:58

1:02:08 I understood that karma didn't go away, that we could merely work on understanding our karma. I don't think I said that karma goes away, actually. No, you said it's not fate. Yes, I said it's not fate. So it's not set, it's not solid. I thought it was set. No. There is a certain result. If you do a certain action, you will get a certain result, but it isn't set in the idea of destiny or fate. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:08 Highlight the passage at 1:02:08

1:02:37 That's what I'm trying to differentiate it. So if I, for example, am having a string of bad luck... It's actually just negative karma ripening. That negative karma can be purified, which we'll talk about tonight too, and that negative karma can be changed or transformed. We can start creating positive karma and start then having the results of that positive karma. So that's what I mean. It's fluid. It's changeable. Okay, okay. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:37 Highlight the passage at 1:02:37

1:03:04 Okay, that clarifies it. Yeah, actually we don't lose karma. That's a good point. We don't lose karma. When we get enlightened, we're just so constantly creating the cause of bliss that there's nothing else we can experience. When we get enlightened. Yeah. Okay. But in saṃsāra, we continuously create more negative karma. Unless you're purifying. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:04 Highlight the passage at 1:03:04

1:03:25 No, unless you're purifying and unless you're also trying to create positive. Right. So working in a Dharma center is, you know, folding a nun's clothes, as someone in this room just did. You know, and especially if you remember to dedicate. That's what I remember. Steve is, Venerable Steve is always really good at that. He's like, but remember to dedicate, which is the thing I forget. Yeah, you made a good point when you were, last class, you were wiping your mirror and you were just dedicating. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:25 Highlight the passage at 1:03:25

1:03:50 That action to all sentient beings, that they have a clear view. Yeah, it can be little acts, but just remembering to dedicate. And remembering to dedicate at the end of the day, the end of the class. That's why we take a minute before we all go rushing out into our lives to dedicate any merit that we've created. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:50 Highlight the passage at 1:03:50

1:04:07 Then we're creating the merit that we need to get enlightened. And we will need quite a bit of it. Yeah, good point. The other point. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:07 Highlight the passage at 1:04:07

1:04:17 Yeah. So there are... There are obstacles to generating bodhicitta, and there are conditions that are conducive that we need to accumulate or gather together. And so that's what these preliminary practices touch on. The obstacles might be little tiny inner obstacles that we're not even aware of. And so part of the process of this class is you're going to be sort of seeing what your obstacles are with these different... Report an error in the passage at 1:04:17 Highlight the passage at 1:04:17

1:04:48 But first we start, we actually start with three steps that are helping us accumulate merit. So the first three are accumulating merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:48 Highlight the passage at 1:04:48

1:05:00 And these three steps are actually accumulating merit in order to purify. So it's like, just before we can even purify our negative karma, it's good to do these three. The first is doing prostrations. That's what we started the class with. It doesn't mean you have to do five hours of prostrations. It's just talking about any amount. Usually they say three before we sit down, right? To meditate, three. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:00 Highlight the passage at 1:05:00

1:05:27 But even before we come in, you see Geshe-la will do three prostrations before he sits down. Prostrations are funny things that when we see them, especially as Westerners, especially in America, we're not really that into bowing. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:27 Highlight the passage at 1:05:27

1:05:45 It looks like some weird Tibetan trip and we're kind of like, hmm, I don't know. I remember when I first got involved in Buddhism, I was kind of like, hmm, I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:45 Highlight the passage at 1:05:45

1:05:54 It seemed odd. I wasn't so into it. One of my teachers actually said it like this. He said, if you were in the presence of a Buddha and you recognize that you are, because they say Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are everywhere. We just don't have the karma to see them yet. Yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:54 Highlight the passage at 1:05:54

1:06:13 You would fall on the ground, face down. If you think of that when you're prostrating, that's the kind of state of mind that we're actually trying to have. It's not just like, oh, I gotta do my prostrations now. I'm right. It's actually like, I'm in the presence of the Dharmakaya. Boom! It's like that kind of a gut instinct. And there's no other real... Report an error in the passage at 1:06:13 Highlight the passage at 1:06:13

1:06:43 There's no purpose for a prostration other than this mind of aspiration. It's not like, you know, it's not like we're going to have a pretty altar. It's like with offerings you might have other ulterior motives, you know. Somebody might look at my altar and think it's really pretty. Somebody might think, oh yeah, she's got these great, you know, this beautiful artwork right on her altar or something like that. Prostrations aren't like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:43 Highlight the passage at 1:06:43

1:07:13 I think in certain Dharma communities you might have people that grade people on how well they do their prostrations, the Dharma police, but otherwise it's just an act that has no purpose except for what it's doing hopefully in your mind. I mean, I guess there's also that thing of people are doing it to get fit, right? You're not really supposed to be doing it to get fit. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:13 Highlight the passage at 1:07:13

1:07:38 It's really supposed to be what's in your mind. mind. It's so sweet what's in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:38 Highlight the passage at 1:07:38

1:07:45 If you talk, you've got to talk in the stick. Even if you just visualize a perfect prostration, you create all this merit. And that's what I was going to say. The hands together is a prostration. So you don't have to do the whole thing of getting down on the floor, which is also good news for us who can't so well anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:45 Highlight the passage at 1:07:45

1:08:03 And now I am again, but I've had long periods where I've had a torn meniscus a couple different years in a row. You can visualize a prostration. You can have your hands together as a prostration. You can also do the half prostration that we did there. You can do the full prostration. Prostration is mostly what you do in your mind. The objects of our prostrations are the three jewels. And the three jewels, when we talk about the Buddha jewel, the Dharma jewel and the Saṅgha jewel, The Buddha jewel, the actual Buddha jewel is the Dharmakaya itself. You know, it's the Buddha's mind. That's really what the Buddha jewel. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:03 Highlight the passage at 1:08:03

1:08:47 But, you know, in the meantime, until we have that experience where we actually know that we're in the presence of the Dharmakaya, then it's tankas, it's statues, it's paintings, it's drawings, it's a picture of the Dalai Lama. It's whatever means the Buddha to you. That's fine. That works. And that's called the relative or the... Report an error in the passage at 1:08:47 Highlight the passage at 1:08:47

1:09:08 Nominal Buddha Jewel. The Dharma Jewel is actual, the actual Dharma Jewel is in the mind of an Arya being, it's that direct perception of emptiness itself, which is pretty cool. But who can bow down to that, right? It's kind of an odd thing to bow down to. So then we do texts, Dharma teachings, Dharma media, DVDs. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:08 Highlight the passage at 1:09:08

1:09:38 It can be anything that sort of represents that to you. But the actual Dharma jewel is that direct perception of emptiness. And you could even think my future direct perception of emptiness or any great realization. And the real Saṅgha jewel is anyone who has directly perceived emptiness, the nature of reality. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:38 Highlight the passage at 1:09:38

1:09:59 The nominal Saṅgha jewel is the ordained Saṅgha. But we just represent that. Any of you guys could be Arya beings. You don't change the way you appear when you have this direct perception of emptiness. You could just be posing as a student in this class and none of us would know that you were an Arya being. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:59 Highlight the passage at 1:09:59

1:10:22 So then they make some of us run around with these funny little outfits on and shave our heads and then we represent that. But that's not the capital S, Saṅgha Jewel. We're just monks and nuns, faking it. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:22 Highlight the passage at 1:10:22

1:10:37 So that's the first. Actually, that's the object of all of these three jewels. Taking refuge is the second one. You're taking refuge in the three jewels. The Tibetans actually call this becoming an inner being. Becoming an inner being. And what that means is we are learning to turn within when we have problems, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:37 Highlight the passage at 1:10:37

1:11:00 We're becoming an inner being. We're not turning to something outside. I think a lot of times in the West, taking refuge, it sounds like... You're turning to something outside of yourself. We have to keep catching ourselves because we do this with different practices too where the Buddha's out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:00 Highlight the passage at 1:11:00

1:11:20 Tantra ends up being a lot about is like, no, we actually are the Buddha. Then we have to rise as the Buddha and then that's a whole other head trip to actually begin to think of yourself even for a minute as a Buddha. But taking refuge, Geshe-la calls it, Relying on something with your whole heart. That's really what taking refuge is. In order to do that, of course, you have to understand the qualities of these three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:20 Highlight the passage at 1:11:20

1:11:48 Because it's not just enough to say, I take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and not really know what it means or what the qualities of those beings are to protect you from more suffering. Because that's the point of taking refuge. So we play with it until then, until we know that. And all of these things have classes. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:48 Highlight the passage at 1:11:48

1:12:07 Entire classes on it. I'm just touching on them as a preliminary practice. The third one is making offerings. Real offerings. Imagine offerings. Offerings of things that you own and I think are precious. Offerings of things that you get. Offerings that nobody owns. So you're at Yosemite and you're like, wow, this is great. Offer it up. You're on a plane. You look down at the lights of the city. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:07 Highlight the passage at 1:12:07

1:12:36 Offer, offer, offer. That's what Rinpoche used to always offer, offer, offer, walk around Lama Zopa Rinpoche. So, you know, you see a lot. I work a couple days a week over on Petro Hill, and when I get there, almost I walk, and you see this view of the bay, and I just offer it every morning if it's not fogged in. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:36 Highlight the passage at 1:12:36

1:12:43 appreciate it. Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:43 Highlight the passage at 1:12:43

1:13:02 It's just this incredible view of the bay. Anytime you see a beautiful view, offer it. Anytime you have a beautiful experience, you're getting a massage, you have a lovely meal, offer it up. It doesn't have to be a big practice, but it becomes a big practice because what you're doing, Buddhas and bodhisattvas don't need anything, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:02 Highlight the passage at 1:13:02

1:13:20 They're already in bliss all the time. It's simply about us opening our heart, developing this mind of giving, open, open, open. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:20 Highlight the passage at 1:13:20

1:13:30 When we do offering practice, it's completely about us, actually. We fake it and we offer it up to them, but they don't really need anything. It's not like Santa, you know, offering the cookies and the hot cocoa. They won't come and eat it in the middle of the night, you know. It's simply, we go through the process of offering to prepare our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:30 Highlight the passage at 1:13:30

1:13:59 In order to change our mind and to change the sort of predispositions of our mind, we have to start opening our mind. We do offering practice in order to open our mind, to make our minds more generous and to generate a lot of positive energy, merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:59 Highlight the passage at 1:13:59

1:14:20 So these three actually remove obstacles to just being able to purify. And purifying... So we talked a little bit about karma. Karma isn't fate. It's not set. It's not solid. But once we've created it, if we don't purify it, we will experience the result. Karma, just briefly, we engage in negative actions or negative speech or negative thoughts because they all create karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:20 Highlight the passage at 1:14:20

1:14:58 If they are negative, what causes them to be negative isn't some external person saying these are negative and these are positive. If the result of this particular action is displeasure or suffering, then it's considered a negative action. If the result is pleasure, then it's considered a positive action. So like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:58 Highlight the passage at 1:14:58

1:15:21 So we do this all the time. In every moment we are creating more and more and more karma. Unfortunately, Due to habit, most of it is negative. And every single thing that we experience from the tiniest, you know, pleasure at, you know, oh, I got a good seat tonight, or I got a good parking space when I arrived, you know, to the tiniest. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:21 Highlight the passage at 1:15:21

1:15:49 Suffering, you know, I have a slight headache, I wish you'd shut up, you know, I wish we'd get a break, I wonder if there's cookies, you know. So any kind of that, that's also a karmic result. All the way up to the big stuff. So we, you know, we get the job of our dreams, the person of our dreams, the house of our dreams. Or we lose it, or we have a diagnosis of something heavy. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:49 Highlight the passage at 1:15:49

1:16:11 We get hit by a bus. All of that is karma. It's all created by karma. We just are constantly creating at 64 moments per finger snap, we're creating more and more and more and more karma. Thankfully, there is not a karma that has been created that is not purifiable, if that's a word. There is nothing that we can do that can't be purified. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:11 Highlight the passage at 1:16:11

1:16:40 And even though in the course of the purification process we may turn to holy beings like Vajrasattva or Shakyamuni Buddha or something like that, the actual purification process happens in our mind. As Lama Yeshe said, it's like a psychological process. Our mind created the negative karma, our mind can purify the negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:40 Highlight the passage at 1:16:40

1:17:04 So it actually all happens within. Why do we want to purify? Well, not only do we not want to suffer in this life, but when we die, it's not like our mind just goes out. It's not like we snuff out like a candle at the time of death. The mind just goes into another body. And our rebirths are determined by our karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:04 Highlight the passage at 1:17:04

1:17:29 So if we have tons and tons and tons of negative karma, then we will have a negative rebirth. They say actually we've all been everything. We've gone everywhere. It's not like this sort of new age idea of karma where we're sort of constantly always going up. That's the kind my mom believed in, actually, which I actually was happy about when she passed away. She actually always believed she was going up. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:29 Highlight the passage at 1:17:29

1:17:55 In Buddhism, it's more like, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, you know, it's like all over the place, depending on what we've done in those lives, depending on how strong that karma was, because it's based on a lot of different things, like what takes off at the moment of your death, depending on the motivation as you did it, you know, so if you had a bodhicitta motivation, and even if you just cleaned the mirror with a bodhicitta motivation, that's going to be strong, strong karma, because bodhicitta... Report an error in the passage at 1:17:55 Highlight the passage at 1:17:55

1:18:24 It's thinking about every living being without exception, whereas getting that house might have just been thinking about one or two people or something like that. So there's lots of things that make, and there's an entire Discovering Buddhism course on karma that we just taught not that long ago. So there's tons of information about karma that you can get, but the most important thing is that it's all purifiable, and you need four steps in order to purify. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:24 Highlight the passage at 1:18:24

1:18:52 And this is something... I think that's very, very useful, even if you don't get anything else out of Buddhism, is to learn how to just do a really quick purification practice. And so you just write these four down on an index card and stick it in your wallet and then you do something at work and you're like, oh God, what was that again? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:52 Highlight the passage at 1:18:52

1:19:14 She said, okay. And then you just go into the bathroom and you go through your four steps and it's done and then it doesn't just... Don't plague your mind because what happens with all this negativity, which is why we have to purify it, it stops us. It literally keeps us from becoming what we want to be, which is Buddha's. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:14 Highlight the passage at 1:19:14

1:19:34 It does karmically by throwing obstacles into our way, but it also does energetically. We just feel heavy. And that's why also we do some sort of purification before we even start meditating. Because otherwise our mind is just completely distracted by all the crappy things we've done and said and thought. So we have to start cleaning it up. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:34 Highlight the passage at 1:19:34

1:20:00 So the four opponent powers or the four forces or whatever you want to call these four. The four arms. Four what? Ours. I was like horrors. Really? That's scary. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:00 Highlight the passage at 1:20:00

1:20:17 Regret is the first one. This was done from the idea of understanding a little bit about karma. So it's intelligent regret. So it's not guilt. It's not, oh, I'm horrible. It's more like, oh, crap, I just did it again. I know this is going to cause me suffering. I want to get rid of it. It's more like that. So I remember Venerable Urbina used to do things like she would just stop herself and she'd be like, oh, isn't that interesting? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:17 Highlight the passage at 1:20:17

1:20:43 Oh, I just did. So it would be almost like Margaret Mead or something with a notebook. It wasn't like, oh, God, I'm so horrible. It wasn't like that, which is of course my approach, which isn't so useful. It's just more like, oh, that's not interesting what my mind just did just then. And she would just kind of think that way, and that's really what we want to get to, where it's just like understanding how karma works and catching yourself when you do something that's negative, whether it's speaking it, whether it's thinking it, whether it's doing it, and feeling that lip of regret. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:43 Highlight the passage at 1:20:43

1:21:20 That immediately begins to act as an antidote. Just that blip of regret, even if you don't go through the other four. But they say for a complete purification, you have to do all four. And the more sincerely you can do it, the better you can purify. And obviously if you do something really, really horrible, you might want to do this for a long time. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:20 Highlight the passage at 1:21:20

1:21:40 Yeah, just do it over and over again. Even though each time you're supposed to really visualize yourself as completely clean and clear, as Lama Yeshi says. So regret is the first one. But I think the most important thing about regret is it is not guilt. Reliance or refuge in bodhicitta is a second R. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:40 Highlight the passage at 1:21:40

1:22:01 Do them all as R. And this is the foundation that you can kind of get yourself back up on. That's why it's kind of, it's important to do. And I have to admit, this is the one I leave out. I don't know if anybody else has that problem, but this is the one I tend to leave out. Of course I always do the remedy, and I always do the resolve, and I always had to do the regret or I wouldn't have done any of it to begin with. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:01 Highlight the passage at 1:22:01

1:22:23 So this is like the one you have to remember to come back to this. Some solid ground to stand on. You're reestablishing your correct motivation. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:23 Highlight the passage at 1:22:23

1:22:36 Remedy. Remedy. These are the antidotes. And the Buddha taught about many, many possible antidotes. We do different kinds of antidotes. We do Vajrasapha practice. You heard me mention Vajrasapha retreat. You also can just do Vajrasapha mantra. Studying any scripture that explains emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:36 Highlight the passage at 1:22:36

1:22:59 And the reason is because what's going to cut... um, uh... Report an error in the passage at 1:22:59 Highlight the passage at 1:22:59

1:23:02 Our negative states of mind more than anything else, we discussed it last week, is understanding the nature of reality. Meditating on emptiness, but you have to understand what you're doing. So just sitting there thinking, I'm meditating on emptiness, but you don't really, you haven't studied it, you don't really have an understanding of emptiness, then don't try that one yet. Reciting mantras, I mentioned, Vashya Sapa. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:02 Highlight the passage at 1:23:02

1:23:26 Making offerings, making offerings, but don't just try to buy off. Right? That works in the Catholic Church, but it doesn't work so much with us. Because, of course, it's what's in your mind. It's just in your mind. So you're not going to fool anyone because who's the ultimate judge? You are. You know, it's not like the Buddhas are like, isn't that great? You know, and you're not going to pull the wool over their eye because they're omniscient. So don't even try. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:26 Highlight the passage at 1:23:26

1:23:53 Well, yeah, no, no, no. It's totally great to give towards holy, wonderful things. Yeah, the Buddhist Center or Geshe-List Projects or... His Holiness is projects. Those are great, but do it with the right mind is my point. Don't just do it to... Blood money. Making representations of the Buddha's body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:53 Highlight the passage at 1:23:53

1:24:19 Satsas, good example. Tankas, if we have that ability. I actually got a beautiful gift today in the mail. That was a hand, it was a line drawing of the mandala of Chenrezig. So for my Nunye from Somo, who did it in Andy Weber's class in England. I was so impressed. I'll have to show it. I'll bring it. It'll be my show and tell next week. Because I'm going into another Nunye, another little retreat this weekend, and it's just like, wow. And she did it herself. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:19 Highlight the passage at 1:24:19

1:24:56 I mean, it's a copy of it. So you can do that kind of thing to purify. And then... Reciting the names of the Buddhists, so learning the Buddhists. So, for example, this tanka by John, by my lovely assistant in the back, John, this is depicting the 35 Buddhists, the 35 confessional Buddhists. There's a practice where you actually recite the names. Whether you prostrate or not, the actual purification is saying the names. And a lot of people are just like happily prostrating away, but they aren't even saying it. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:56 Highlight the passage at 1:24:56

1:25:29 And you're like, say it, say it out loud. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:29 Highlight the passage at 1:25:29

1:25:34 Now that's not true. But it is, you know, until you learn them, there are ways to do that. You can have, you know, somebody else read it or have a recording or something like that. But you have to, at some point, say it yourself because it's the actual saying of their names that does the purifying. So there's lots of other ones, but those are like the main ones. And the fourth is restraint or resolve. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:34 Highlight the passage at 1:25:34

1:26:02 Either one is correct because what you're doing is you're making this resolution not to repeat the act again for some amount of time. But be realistic. So if you always get pissed off at the guy who sits next to you and you're trying to work on that, don't say, I never will again in all my life. Get mad at Harry. Because then you compound it because you're lying on top of everything else. You want to do something like... Report an error in the passage at 1:26:02 Highlight the passage at 1:26:02

1:26:30 Ten minutes, five minutes even. The first hour that he's in in the morning, no matter what he does, no matter what he's wearing, no matter what his voice sounds like, I will not get angry at him. Because what you're doing actually in this process of resolve is you're proving it to your mind that you cannot do that act. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:30 Highlight the passage at 1:26:30

1:26:54 You're sort of giving yourself that experience and then you can stretch it and stretch it. Because you probably will have to purify that one a few times if it's something that is that difficult. Again since we create so much negative karma this is a really good one to do at the end of every day. Just, you know, obviously if you do something during the day and you have these four in your back pocket, then you can just whip it out and purify them. There's stories about Lama Atisha. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:54 Highlight the passage at 1:26:54

1:27:24 When he would travel around Tibet, he would stop. He'd be like, wait, wait, stop the whole wagon train, you know, and he'd get out of his little carriage and like wander around his stupa because he was having a negative. thought towards somebody or had said something or whatever that he regretted. So stop during the day and do it for sure. But at the end of your day, think about the big stuff and purify. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:24 Highlight the passage at 1:27:24

1:27:45 So they say, actually, Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, you would be insane not to do this every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:45 Highlight the passage at 1:27:45

1:28:00 And it is really important to remember that this purification process, you don't have to be sitting in formal meditation to do it. You can do it anywhere. You can do it on the bus. You can do it walking. I actually asked Rinpoche that one time. I said, is it okay if I do bodhicitta when I'm walking? Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:00 Highlight the passage at 1:28:00

1:28:20 So, yeah, do it anywhere, everywhere. So then we add, then I'll take your question. Then we add to these, so we've done, you know, the first three. yes, yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:20 Highlight the passage at 1:28:20

1:28:31 Then we add to that the purification and then finally we end with these five practices. Rejoicing, which is just basically feeling deeply happy about the good things that you do and that other people do, especially virtue. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:31 Highlight the passage at 1:28:31

1:28:52 It's not so great to feel happy about somebody robbing a bank. Actually, that's a big one. We have to be really careful when we rejoice of negative stuff. I remember when 9-1-1 happened and Rinpoche said, be really careful with your mind that you're not happy like when we invaded, you know, oddly Afghanistan and stuff like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:52 Highlight the passage at 1:28:52

1:29:14 He was like, you know, because he could see that a lot of Americans were like cheering and he was like, no, no, no. It's bad enough that this happened, but like, and even in movies, we have to be really careful. If the good guy is killing a bunch of people, even if it's just a movie, it still creates that imprint. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:14 Highlight the passage at 1:29:14

1:29:31 So rejoicing, asking the holy beings to teach. I'm hoping this is starting to sound a little familiar to somebody. We actually have to ask. They have to teach when we ask. Yeah, traditionally three times we have to ask. So if we ask and they say no, we go, okay, well then, all right, I'm off the hook. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:31 Highlight the passage at 1:29:31

1:29:57 I don't have to get that one. No, you just have to come up with another way and ask. And a lot of times we try to do that at the end of a teaching. When somebody finishes a text or a weekend or something like that, we'll ask, please come back, please come back, please come back. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:57 Highlight the passage at 1:29:57

1:30:12 Because we have to create the causes for them to come back. We can't just assume that we will always have teachers teaching. Requesting your teachers to stay. And this is also true for all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Not to pass away. Actually request them. I think it was Sharaputra, right? At the time of the Buddha, he's the one who didn't. Out of all the disciples, he's the one who didn't ask the Buddha. How would you like to go down for history for that one? Report an error in the passage at 1:30:12 Highlight the passage at 1:30:12

1:30:42 He's the one who didn't ask the Buddha to stay, and the Buddha actually said, if he had, then I would. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:42 Highlight the passage at 1:30:42

1:30:51 Don't be, Sharaputra. Ask your teachers to stay. It doesn't mean that you go and glom onto them and just keep, please stay, please stay, don't do that. That just makes you be sort of annoying. But in your mind, you're doing this in your mind, you're doing this in the form of a prayer. You're asking them not to leave. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:51 Highlight the passage at 1:30:51

1:31:13 And then dedication, and we talked about that, dedicating your good work, either as you're doing it or at the end of the day. They sort of call it like putting your merit in the bank or enlightenment, you know. Not just for good pleasurable things like a good meal or a good, you know, nice set of clothes, which is, that's a mundane happiness, but for the big stuff, actually, for enlightenment itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:13 Highlight the passage at 1:31:13

1:31:37 So what are those adding up to so far? But what seven? What have we come up with? So seven limbs. Yeah, seven limbs. So there's just a simple prayer that we can do all of this in. And it's the actual prayer that we usually do before we meditate. And it does the same thing. So it takes it all into account. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:37 Highlight the passage at 1:31:37

1:32:01 So what's the eighth? What's the final one? This is developing this mind of generosity or like a total surrender to... Give up what we have for all beings, to give whatever is needed to make them happy. It's not the perfection of generosity, but it's like a warm-up. It's like a warm-up to it. It's almost like faking it until we make it, where we sort of end with just giving up all that I have. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:01 Highlight the passage at 1:32:01

1:32:33 And there are some beautiful prayers, actually, in Shantideva's guide. I think mostly in Chapter 3, actually. May I be... The bridge for beings to walk upon and all that stuff. There is a series of verses that Lama Zopa Rinpoche said at the North Carolina retreats that's going on right now, but last year he was talking about, he said at the very least 11 and 12, so I always read those now every morning, but it goes through I think like 22, it's like about 10 or... Report an error in the passage at 1:32:33 Highlight the passage at 1:32:33

1:33:07 15 verses. And they're just all about may I be this for all the beings. May I be a cooling rain for the beings in the hells. May I be food for those that are hungry. May I be. And it's an aspiration in our minds to be able to be all things to all beings. Will we become that by the end of the prayer? No. But it's like a warm up. It's a warm up exercise. So why we have to do these purifications. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:07 Highlight the passage at 1:33:07

1:33:39 And we sort of touched on it a little bit. All of saṃsāra, all of our suffering, all of the problems that happen to us are caused by two main things, karma and kleshas. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:39 Highlight the passage at 1:33:39

1:33:55 Of those, kleshas are, you know, these mental afflictions, these negative states of mind are the root cause because they're the ones that cause us to act to create the karma. And then once the karma is created, it's got a life of its own. So the mental affliction, that thing, that thought, that feeling that ruins your peace of mind, the klesha, is the root cause of all of our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:55 Highlight the passage at 1:33:55

1:34:27 So we have to purify, we have to keep purifying, we have to keep creating the causes so that we can then... and overcome those negative states of mind so that we can then generate this mind of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:27 Highlight the passage at 1:34:27

1:34:41 So Master Shantideva, when he wrote the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, he said basically these mental afflictions are the scourge of humanity. They are our mortal enemy. Nothing else. There's no external... mortal enemy that ever can harm us the way that these afflicted states of mind can harm us so that we should develop seek and destroy missions you know we should um Report an error in the passage at 1:34:41 Highlight the passage at 1:34:41

1:35:11 So every negative thing of our life comes from them, ultimately. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:11 Highlight the passage at 1:35:11

1:35:24 So... So... This is where we're going with this. This is the kind of warriorhood that we're aiming for to become a bodhisattva or an enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:24 Highlight the passage at 1:35:24

1:35:39 The good thing to remember about bodhicitta and the reason that we're going to pull together this 11-point process is that our minds can ultimately be trained to do anything. Unfortunately, we've spent a lot of time training them. How to do negative things. But now we can train them to do very, very positive things like generate bodhicitta. It's not like certain people have a real propensity for compassion and those are the ones that are going to become bodhisattvas and the rest of us are just sunk. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:39 Highlight the passage at 1:35:39

1:36:11 It's not like that at all. These methods work for everybody. So it's just a matter of applying them methodically and gradually and our minds can get trained. And so that's why we want to learn the proper way to do this. So why don't we see if there's any questions, and then we'll do a break, and then we're going to start with the first step, which is developing equanimity. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:11 Highlight the passage at 1:36:11

1:36:40 And I'm going to do that in the form of a guided meditation. Any questions? Wait. Talking stick. Wait. Oh. Well, I think we had... I'll repeat the question. Yeah. What was your question? Say a little bit more about reliance. Say a little bit more about reliance. Thank you. You always have to remember to use the microphone because we record this and then if somebody's listening at home then they won't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:40 Highlight the passage at 1:36:40

1:37:10 That's why David did that. That being amazing. So reliance is that step of the four purification powers or the four opponent powers is returning again to Report an error in the passage at 1:37:10 Highlight the passage at 1:37:10

1:37:28 It's sort of like, how do I set my motivation for this? Often when you're doing a practice like Vajrasapha or something like that, you actually start with that one rather than regret. But before we start the practice, we actually have to regret something or we wouldn't even be sitting down to do it. So I always like to do regret first because it just happens that way logically. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:28 Highlight the passage at 1:37:28

1:37:51 To make something a Buddhist practice, we sort of have to take... We have to return to or plug into the main source. So we have to, I know one of my teachers said, everything that we do is either in relationship to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, i.e. refuge, or in relationship to all other beings or any other beings, which is bodhicitta. So we do, we take a moment to... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:51 Highlight the passage at 1:37:51

1:38:17 To remember our refuge and to generate this mind of bodhicitta even though we don't have real bodhicitta yet, at least I don't. We just say that we're doing this practice for the benefit of all living beings because it reminds us of our motivation isn't just to get myself out of suffering. Although I want to get out of suffering too. So we're not forgetting ourselves, but we are also adding all living beings. So when we go for refuge, it has a lot to do with us. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:17 Highlight the passage at 1:38:17

1:38:48 And then when we generate bodhicitta, it really has to do with wanting to gain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. So it's like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:48 Highlight the passage at 1:38:48

1:38:59 Any other questions? I know that's a lot of information. I was trying to just bring everybody into kind of... Instead of just leaping into the meditations, I thought it was good to give a little context, even though it's a lot of context. I know, overwhelming, huh? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:59 Highlight the passage at 1:38:59

1:39:20 Was it really? Oh, for God's sake. It seems like it was really recent. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:20 Highlight the passage at 1:39:20

1:39:31 All right, why don't we take a break here, and then you might think of a question on the break. Then we'll come back and talk about equanimity, and then we'll do a little closing meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:31 Highlight the passage at 1:39:31

1:39:58 Thank you, my friend was Report an error in the passage at 1:39:58 Highlight the passage at 1:39:58

1:40:18 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:18 Highlight the passage at 1:40:18

1:40:35 Maybe just water. You wanna dump it and just get me some water? Maybe hot water. Thank you. I just needed enough green tea to get over the hump, and then the journaling took over. So I can't blame the book. I know. I think it's my turn. Oh, thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:35 Highlight the passage at 1:40:35

1:41:01 I tried to find my terraforming book. That'd be a good time. Have you seen those with Shambhala? I have seen them, but I didn't know that's what they were called. Mountain, that's right. Isn't there that one picture of the cat on it? In the back of Shambhala, in the back of Shambhala San, I think. There's a picture of a cat on it. So did I completely overwhelm you with all that information? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:01 Highlight the passage at 1:41:01

1:41:29 It was chin raising, that's what we did, the mantra. For that meditation, it was on compassion. the play-by-play. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:29 Highlight the passage at 1:41:29

1:41:36 Thank you. deserve it, you know, I think that's why it's a continuing challenge. That's it. That's totally it, yeah. Yeah, no, and the more classes you come to, then you learn more, and the more meditations you do, you learn more. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:36 Highlight the passage at 1:41:36

1:42:06 Exactly, exactly. And then when you start thinking that you know something, then you go to some other class and you're like, oh, wow, I didn't really know anything. But that's okay. You know, that's why they call it practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:06 Highlight the passage at 1:42:06

1:42:18 Okay, okay. Did you have a question, Sandra? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:18 Highlight the passage at 1:42:18

1:42:34 Oh, yeah, I just mean that in general. Yeah. No, I meant, you know, I was watching the people of LPP going through the disassembly and, you know, selling things and just thinking, well, gosh, it could happen anywhere, you know, so it wasn't like, you know, don't worry. At least for the next moment we're still here. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:34 Highlight the passage at 1:42:34

1:43:04 Yeah, that's okay. I know you Report an error in the passage at 1:43:04 Highlight the passage at 1:43:04

1:43:16 do that face. That's your thinking face. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:16 Highlight the passage at 1:43:16

1:43:23 Oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:43:23 Highlight the passage at 1:43:23

1:43:31 the seven limbs. Because the numbers aren't adding up for me, but I'm feeling dense tonight. I didn't want to bother you with, like, a dense, literal question. Like, I'll think it through and look at my old notes over the weekend. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:31 Highlight the passage at 1:43:31

1:43:32 Well, no, I get the seven limbs, but started out talking then you went into three steps for a in America. And then I thought you said, Report an error in the passage at 1:43:32 Highlight the passage at 1:43:32

1:43:43 Yeah, well purification doesn't count as, isn't that funny? But purification doesn't have a number. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:43 Highlight the passage at 1:43:43

1:43:52 No, no, no, no, no, this is before. Yeah, this is before, yeah. I actually just decided to throw this in this week, I wasn't going to, because the last couple times I've taught this I just leapt right in with equanimity, but I felt like there's so many newer people here that it was probably useful to understand a little bit about karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:52 Highlight the passage at 1:43:52

1:44:13 And the mind and stuff like that. Although it does end up making it kind of a dense class. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:13 Highlight the passage at 1:44:13

1:44:29 No. That was where are we in the context of the Lamrim. Oh, okay. So it wasn't preliminary practices like capital P? No, those weren't actually even preliminary practices. Oh, okay. That's probably like... Yeah, that's just sort of like, well, okay, if this is class number 10, what came before class number 10? Report an error in the passage at 1:44:29 Highlight the passage at 1:44:29

1:44:50 It's like that. But you started. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:50 Highlight the passage at 1:44:50

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:45:01 Yes, and refuge. Refuge actually isn't one in seven limbs, but yeah. Doing prostrations, taking refuge, making offerings, rejoicing, but actually confessing, you know, so that's the purification is in confessing, because normally in seven limbs you have confession. Okay, that's how I threw myself off, and then like you said, purification is like snuck in. I know, I know, yeah. When's your birthday Report an error in the passage at 1:45:01 Highlight the passage at 1:45:01

1:45:34 again? Oh, I see. Because I'm a Libra. That kind of thing actually kind of bugs me, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:34 Highlight the passage at 1:45:34

1:45:59 Yes, we are. I'm sorry. I know. This isn't Emily's class, all right? She has those nice, long, roomy breaks. I don't know how she does it. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:59 Highlight the passage at 1:45:59

1:46:15 Wander around. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:15 Highlight the passage at 1:46:15

1:46:25 Worked for me. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:25 Highlight the passage at 1:46:25

1:46:33 Okay. That's just so much. Okay. Are we wandering back in again? Report an error in the passage at 1:46:33 Highlight the passage at 1:46:33

1:46:45 Maybe. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:45 Highlight the passage at 1:46:45

1:46:49 Unhappily. But coming. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:49 Highlight the passage at 1:46:49

1:47:03 So there are two main methods for developing bodhicitta, the seven point cause and effect, which was taught by Asanga, and the exchange of self and others, which was taught primarily by Shantideva. And then there's the one that we're going to do, which is actually something that pulled them together. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:03 Highlight the passage at 1:47:03

1:47:28 Threesome over here is the founder of the Galupa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, pulled together. Those two methods into one combined method that has 11 points. In those first two methods, this next step is considered a preliminary practice, equanimity. In the combined method, it's actually step number one. So we're actually on the first of our steps. Equanimity, we start with meditating on equanimity as a way of sort of leveling the ground. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:28 Highlight the passage at 1:47:28

1:47:56 Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:56 Highlight the passage at 1:47:56

1:48:05 We start by starting to see how our mind does this thing of labeling sort of good, bad, indifferent, good, bad, indifferent, friend, enemy, stranger to everything and everyone that we see. So we just start by looking because we need to recognize that we do this, not so that we throw away all of our friends, but rather so that we become open. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:05 Highlight the passage at 1:48:05

1:48:34 Developing this impartial mind that becomes more and more friends with everyone, like His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. He goes from person to person and it's just with pure delight, whether it's the busboy or whether it's the leader of some other country. He just has that sort of impartiality. So equanimity isn't an aloofness. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:34 Highlight the passage at 1:48:34

1:49:00 Like a coldness. I think sometimes people can misunderstand what equanimity is. Geshe-la taught it like this one time not so long ago in Shantideva. He said there are five types of feelings. Do you remember this? Five types of feelings. He said happiness, which refers to tactile or physical pleasure, which is interesting, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:49:00 Highlight the passage at 1:49:00

1:49:21 When he says happiness, that's what it's referring to. And then mental happiness. So he says differently, mental happiness. Suffering, which refers to tactile suffering, and mental suffering, and then equanimity. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:21 Highlight the passage at 1:49:21

1:49:40 So equanimity is neither happiness or pleasure or suffering or mental suffering. Happiness, which refers to tactile pleasure or physical pleasure. Mental happiness is the second one. Suffering, which refers to physical or tactile suffering. Mental unhappiness or mental suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:40 Highlight the passage at 1:49:40

1:50:16 And equanimity. So equanimity in this case, and equanimity is used in a lot of different ways. There's ways in meditation that it's used that's not the same here. But it's an even-mindedness. When we start looking at how we pigeonhole people. Basically is what we end up doing. What does that come from? That's an odd phrase. You have a pigeonhole. It's an odd. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:16 Highlight the passage at 1:50:16

1:50:49 No, Report an error in the passage at 1:50:49 Highlight the passage at 1:50:49

1:50:55 it's true. It just suddenly dawned on me, like, why on earth do we use that expression? It's an odd, it's an odd thing. Oh, I entered the mic. Uh, because we keep pigeons in holes and they use Report an error in the passage at 1:50:55 Highlight the passage at 1:50:55

1:50:53 You him in the... No. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:53 Highlight the passage at 1:50:53

1:51:06 She said, we used to keep pigeons in holes and then we used their excrement to fertilize. So they were pigeonholed for their crap. And we do the same, right? So if somebody gives us crap, we pigeonhole them. But we also do it if we perceive benefit. From that person. So it could be tiny benefit. It might just be a happiness of my mind if I go in and the person behind the counter gives me a smile, then I label them friend. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:06 Highlight the passage at 1:51:06

1:51:41 If that person's having a hard day for any reason that I might not know, then I might label them something else. The B word. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:41 Highlight the passage at 1:51:41

1:51:54 And we do that all the time without thinking about it. So part of the point of this meditation is just to begin to explore our own minds. Remember that, bringing out the little notebook and thinking about it. We're not going to get so attached to these stories. We're just using them to look at how we do this all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:54 Highlight the passage at 1:51:54

1:52:12 We can go into a room of 100 people not knowing any of them, and by the end of the evening we have formed strong opinions about almost all of them, if they've come into contact. There's either those that we perceive as friend, those that we perceive as non-friend and then all the billions of others that we're not interested in. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:12 Highlight the passage at 1:52:12

1:52:33 So in that case we might not have strong opinions about those that we haven't come into contact with but we might also be completely bored with them too. So we are doing something with our minds. So I'm going to lead this as a meditation. If the guided meditations drive you crazy, then this might be a good time to dedicate and leave. But if you can put up with it. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:33 Highlight the passage at 1:52:33

1:52:57 Some of you, of course, are quite familiar with this. I would suggest if you've done this meditation before, choose different people. Spice it up a little bit. Do it with somebody different. So what you're going to need to do this meditation, so we're going to take a couple seconds for you to do that, is to think of somebody that you consider a friend, somebody who makes joy arise in your mind when you think about them. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:57 Highlight the passage at 1:52:57

1:53:23 Somebody that you consider an enemy, and that doesn't have to be a capital E. It just has to be somebody who slightly irritates you. So it doesn't have to be a huge, like, somebody that you hate. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:23 Highlight the passage at 1:53:23

1:53:36 And a stranger. And for the stranger, pick somebody that you know a little something about. So not a complete stranger, but somebody, maybe they ride the same bus as you, maybe they live in your building, but you don't know them. You haven't had a conversation with this person. So just take a moment to think about those three people and then place them kind of in front of you in the air, in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:36 Highlight the passage at 1:53:36

1:54:04 And we're not going to do the preliminaries for the meditation, so just... Just allow your mind to calm down and your body to come into connection with your cushion. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:04 Highlight the passage at 1:54:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:54:47 We're just starting with thinking about that friend, the person that you think of as friend. Just examine how that label seems to emanate from that person without you doing anything. It's almost like anybody in this room could look at that person and know that they are your friend. When obviously that's not the case. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:47 Highlight the passage at 1:54:47

1:55:24 And think about how easily... The wish for that person's happiness arises without any effort from your side. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:24 Highlight the passage at 1:55:24

1:55:46 And then think about the stranger. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:46 Highlight the passage at 1:55:46

1:55:53 You know a little something about this person, but you neither like them or dislike them. And notice your feeling of indifference for this person. As Venerabina said, it's almost embarrassing, but if there's no perceived benefit, we find them sort of boring. We can barely remember their face. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:53 Highlight the passage at 1:55:53

1:56:36 And now think about this so-called enemy. Maybe it's somebody who's harmed you in the past. Maybe it's somebody who just slightly annoys you. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:36 Highlight the passage at 1:56:36

1:56:49 Just look carefully at this person and note your feelings. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:49 Highlight the passage at 1:56:49

1:57:09 Again, whatever qualities you attribute to this person seems to just come from this person without any effort on your side. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:09 Highlight the passage at 1:57:09

1:57:35 And now go back to that friend. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:35 Highlight the passage at 1:57:35

1:57:41 And think about how much of your love for this person is actually attachment to them and Report an error in the passage at 1:57:41 Highlight the passage at 1:57:41

1:57:51 how much of that friendship might be based on benefit or perceived benefit to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:51 Highlight the passage at 1:57:51

1:58:13 Sometimes we might realize that our love for somebody isn't based on really wanting their happiness but wanting them to work for my happiness in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:13 Highlight the passage at 1:58:13

1:58:36 Sometimes it happens that a friend that we've had for years and years can suddenly turn into an enemy if they do one thing, harm us in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:36 Highlight the passage at 1:58:36

1:58:53 So imagine this person doing something that causes that friendship to end. Imagine you feeling hurt. Maybe they betray you in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:53 Highlight the passage at 1:58:53

1:59:14 Imagine not wanting this person's happiness anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:14 Highlight the passage at 1:59:14

1:59:28 Where is this thing? It's called friend. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:28 Highlight the passage at 1:59:28

1:59:44 Remember that this person wasn't always your friend and they could stop being your friend. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:44 Highlight the passage at 1:59:44

2:00:00 Relationships change during our lives. They change between lives. They continue to change. The friend of this moment could become tomorrow's enemy and the next day a stranger. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:00 Highlight the passage at 2:00:00

2:00:17 Maybe this has already happened in your life. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:17 Highlight the passage at 2:00:17

2:00:35 Go back to that enemy. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:35 Highlight the passage at 2:00:35

2:00:44 You can at least be grateful that they're showing you your own mind. Allowing you to practice patience. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:44 Highlight the passage at 2:00:44

2:00:55 And without aversion or hatred in our own mind, there can be no enemy. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:55 Highlight the passage at 2:00:55

2:01:06 And actually getting angry at somebody else only destroys our own peace of mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:06 Highlight the passage at 2:01:06

2:01:17 If that person is doing things or saying things that make you angry, they might be filled with suffering. So the only valid response would be compassion. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:17 Highlight the passage at 2:01:17

2:01:48 If this person maybe has harmed you for many, many years and then suddenly does something to benefit, Report an error in the passage at 2:01:48 Highlight the passage at 2:01:48

2:02:00 we can label them friend suddenly. So imagine this happening with this person. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:00 Highlight the passage at 2:02:00

2:02:11 Imagine them doing something nice for you. Imagine that softening in your heart. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:11 Highlight the passage at 2:02:11

2:02:38 And then finally, the stranger. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:38 Highlight the passage at 2:02:38

2:02:47 Every little bit that you know about this person begins to break down that label of stranger, that idea that they're nothing to you. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:47 Highlight the passage at 2:02:47

2:03:02 Maybe you know a little something about them, like they have a daughter somewhere, or they have a bad back. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:02 Highlight the passage at 2:03:02

2:03:17 Or maybe you can just imagine knowing this about them in meditation. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:17 Highlight the passage at 2:03:17

2:03:24 Maybe you can imagine a situation where they shifted and suddenly do something kind for you. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:24 Highlight the passage at 2:03:24

2:03:44 One example is if it's the person at the coffee shop. Imagine that you leave your wallet and then she runs after you. Make sure you get it. And suddenly... You become a friend. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:44 Highlight the passage at 2:03:44

2:04:16 It can happen just like that. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:16 Highlight the passage at 2:04:16

2:04:28 So whoever it is, if it's somebody that you've seen in the halls, maybe you don't know very much about them, imagine them even just turning to you and smiling. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:28 Highlight the passage at 2:04:28

2:04:40 Sometimes that's all it takes. Suddenly we start thinking of this person in a friendly way. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:40 Highlight the passage at 2:04:40

2:04:53 All of your friends and your enemies. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:53 Highlight the passage at 2:04:53

2:05:00 And all of her friends and enemies. We're one strangers. Everybody starts out this way and sometimes they rotate back to that place. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:00 Highlight the passage at 2:05:00

2:05:18 So just look again at these three people in your mind and think about how fragile human relationships are. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:18 Highlight the passage at 2:05:18

2:05:29 All of our interactions with people are based on these misconceptions that we create in our own mind and about ourselves as well. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:29 Highlight the passage at 2:05:29

2:05:47 So why hold so strongly to them? Report an error in the passage at 2:05:47 Highlight the passage at 2:05:47

2:05:54 Everyone is basically the same in that we all want happiness. We don't want to suffer. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:54 Highlight the passage at 2:05:54

2:06:11 And as long as we give in to these aversions and attachments to people, we can't see them or ourselves correctly. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:11 Highlight the passage at 2:06:11

2:06:28 My point of this meditation is simply to equalize, to develop this equal concern, whether they benefit us or not. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:28 Highlight the passage at 2:06:28

2:06:45 Otherwise, it's this very limited, limiting approach to life. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:45 Highlight the passage at 2:06:45

2:07:02 So we just take a moment to dedicate tonight's class and this meditation to Report an error in the passage at 2:07:02 Highlight the passage at 2:07:02

2:07:11 each of us getting to know how our own mind works, understanding all these points of the path all the way up to bodhicitta and full enlightenment itself, and becoming a bodhisattva so that we can get enlightened for the benefit of all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:11 Highlight the passage at 2:07:11

2:07:39 Thank you. So we went a little bit over and I did that fast, but at least you get the idea. So that's going to be your meditation this week. And it's fine, you know, with these analytical meditations, it's fine to just peek, you know. I used to think that meant I was cheating somehow, but we can't possibly have this whole thing memorized the first few times that you do it. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:39 Highlight the passage at 2:07:39

2:07:58 So as you're doing it, you're sort of meditating, and then you're peeking down, and then you're doing a little bit more, and then you're peeking down, and that's really okay. That's okay to do. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:58 Highlight the passage at 2:07:58

2:08:08 We have the binders, too, for people. Some of you wanted electronic binders, and I sent some to people. If there's anybody who's new this week who would also want an electronic binder, meaning I'll send it to you as an email attachment, I guess come and tell me afterwards, and I can do that. Otherwise, we have 12. How many people wanted hard copy binders? Hard copies? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:08 Highlight the passage at 2:08:08

2:08:36 It's okay to right now. Don't defer your want right now. Let's see if we have enough. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Well, we have 12, so there were more people, I think, who thought Jessica was going to keep her hand up forever. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:36 Highlight the passage at 2:08:36

2:09:03 She definitely does. yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:03 Highlight the passage at 2:09:03

2:09:05 But I noticed a couple of new people. Are you guys going to do the course? Are you here to do the course? I had to think about it. Yeah, yeah. You probably got overwhelmed by tonight. Are you going to? Okay, well we have extra hard copies. So if people want an electronic, there are extra hard copies made and you are welcome to take one. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:05 Highlight the passage at 2:09:05

2:09:27 Does somebody want to help me by handing this? Well, you both can. So people who definitely want a hard copy, raise your hand so that these fine women can. Know who you are. And if you've already got it, then that's fine. And then, actually, David, do you want to hand these out? These are the homeworks. There should be enough for everybody. And even if you don't come back, you can take a homework Report an error in the passage at 2:09:27 Highlight the passage at 2:09:27

2:09:54 somewhere. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:54 Highlight the passage at 2:09:54

2:10:05 Jessica, don't forget yourself. I know, because I kept my hand up so hard. I don't know why he didn't take off that little sticker, but the sticker actually comes off. all. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:05 Highlight the passage at 2:10:05

2:10:19 mean, it's nude. Right. Oh, sorry. Right. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:19 Highlight the passage at 2:10:19

2:10:27 There might be somebody that's not here tonight. That's what I would do too. It just bugs me. And that way everybody will know which one is Karen's. So Report an error in the passage at 2:10:27 Highlight the passage at 2:10:27

2:10:45 I want to make sure that I get your email information. Okay, I'm going to get it anyway and I'm going to... Yeah, because I want to send you the syllabus for the class and also the first week's homework just so you'll have it. Eileen? Eileen, I need to get your, actually on the same piece of paper I'm going to write down, even though I have your email address, I still want to write it down, and I'm going to send you a syllabus for the class. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:45 Highlight the passage at 2:10:45

2:11:13 It'll be slightly different. Oh, is it? Yeah, because it's eight weeks rather than seven. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:13 Highlight the passage at 2:11:13

2:11:28 This one? Oh, you didn't get one? No, I get one. Oh. Oh, no, not a binder. Because I can send one to you, though, too. I can send one to you. Jen, okay. Okay, yeah. And then I'll put you guys on the contact list. Yeah. Okay, great. Thank you. Would you mind if I just trade this one? Yes. Yeah, that's great. That's totally fine. Yeah, yeah. Is there anybody who didn't get a binder who wants a binder? Report an error in the passage at 2:11:28 Highlight the passage at 2:11:28

2:12:02 Speak now or forever hold. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:02 Highlight the passage at 2:12:02

2:12:07 Oh, I forgot to make me the announcements. Oh, the announcements. The announcements. The announcements. There's a soak tomorrow night at 7 o 'clock. Geshe was teaching Sunday morning Dharma talks now starting at 10 and he's on the heart sūtra and apparently it's amazing. I wasn't there. And I did mention the Bodhisattva's way of life commentary on Wednesday nights. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:07 Highlight the passage at 2:12:07

2:12:29 Everybody's welcome to come to that. And... Oh, Medicine Buddha Puja next Thursday the 23rd at 1pm if anybody wants to come. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:29 Highlight the passage at 2:12:29

2:12:43 See, I did it. Kara, I did it. Because Kara wouldn't do it. Okay, thank you. She was scared. She was a skeert. She was a skeert. Could you turn off the recording? So we won't have to listen to me saying a skeert. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:43 Highlight the passage at 2:12:43

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:13:37 Oh, Report an error in the passage at 2:13:37 Highlight the passage at 2:13:37

2:13:42 it's Report an error in the passage at 2:13:42 Highlight the passage at 2:13:42

2:13:51 different, you know, because you can do any clarification practice. very nice. Yeah, yeah. But listen to me, it's not like I Report an error in the passage at 2:13:51 Highlight the passage at 2:13:51