Discovering Buddhism: How to Develop Bodhicitta - The Heart of the Buddhist Path (21 October 2010)

· · · silence, 9 minutes

8:43 Wait, John, do I press open? Oh, here we go. Report an error in the passage at 8:43 Highlight the passage at 8:43

8:56 It's going. Report an error in the passage at 8:56 Highlight the passage at 8:56

9:15 I'll just do a little motivation, actually, first, and then we'll check in a little bit, and I'm going to mention some stuff about the retreat day, and then also the Report an error in the passage at 9:15 Highlight the passage at 9:15

9:33 steps to the meditation that we've done so far, so you remember how they all fit together. And hopefully I don't lose you completely, so she's going to be being brand new on this. But you just take it as seeds, that's all. Just take it as imprints, imprints in the mind, somehow, somehow. Report an error in the passage at 9:33 Highlight the passage at 9:33

9:57 Just get comfy in your seats and just take some nice deep belly breaths and Report an error in the passage at 9:57 Highlight the passage at 9:57

10:05 activities that you've been doing today, any running around you might have just been doing, Report an error in the passage at 10:05 Highlight the passage at 10:05

10:14 any looking for carriages, any looking for parking that you might have, running for the bus, and just let yourself find your posture, have a few breaths and watch your breath with Report an error in the passage at 10:14 Highlight the passage at 10:14

· · · silence, 2 minutes

12:54 the Report an error in the passage at 12:54 Highlight the passage at 12:54

· · · silence, 1 minute

13:42 wish to create all beings. I shall always go to refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in 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 mysteries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 13:42 Highlight the passage at 13:42

14:23 before I just check in with you guys, you a little bit of announcements, some logistics. Report an error in the passage at 14:23 Highlight the passage at 14:23

14:34 Oh, we did. We texted. Okay, good. Report an error in the passage at 14:34 Highlight the passage at 14:34

14:38 think it's because I might have an obsession at this So this Saturday, for those of you who can do it, actually I mentioned about next week too. This Saturday, for those of you who can do it, we're going to have a retreat day that goes with this class. Report an error in the passage at 14:38 Highlight the passage at 14:38

14:55 It'll start after the morning meditation ends. So we usually start at about 10.30. And then this one will go sometime like 3 or 3.30. Come on in, girl. Report an error in the passage at 14:55 Highlight the passage at 14:55

15:10 Better late than never. Report an error in the passage at 15:10 Highlight the passage at 15:10

15:17 Yay! She's a dance volunteer, so she usually gets here at 6. That's why I give her a hard time. Granted, the Giants are on our winning streak. I know, I know. Report an error in the passage at 15:17 Highlight the passage at 15:17

15:39 So we'll go, the way that they usually work, for those of you who haven't ever done a practice, I am doing this one slightly differently, but the morning will be the same. We're going to just spend the morning in silence and in meditation, and I'm going to lead you through all 11 steps together, and then I'll kind of keep an eye on how the time is going, and you will get little breaks, so if you need, you know, like you need a stretch break, I'll say this, but try to keep the silence in the way. Report an error in the passage at 15:39 Highlight the passage at 15:39

16:13 We'll start up again. And then after that, we're actually going to do another little meditation, a guided meditation on the six perfections, because we're going to uncover the six perfections, Report an error in the passage at 16:13 Highlight the passage at 16:13

16:26 which is a visualization meditation. And then I usually just open it up if people have things that came up for them during the meditation or things they want to talk about. Report an error in the passage at 16:26 Highlight the passage at 16:26

16:39 It's hard keeping that silence for a full hour and a half. So then we'll talk a little bit, and then we'll break for lunch. Oh, she comes in for lunch. Report an error in the passage at 16:39 Highlight the passage at 16:39

16:55 And we do the lunches of that. Report an error in the passage at 16:55 Highlight the passage at 16:55

17:02 So we do that as a potluck. So we do it as a potluck. People are coming that day. If you can just bring something, we don't need to necessarily discuss it or plan it. It always seems to work out all right somehow. Report an error in the passage at 17:02 Highlight the passage at 17:02

17:26 I would just request that it is vegetarian, should be vegetarian. But don't worry about it. If you are not a cook, it's fine to just bring bread. You know what I mean? Just keep it easy for yourself. But if you like to cook, we've definitely had some amazing food. I'm going to attempt to Report an error in the passage at 17:26 Highlight the passage at 17:26

17:48 usually just lay back and I'm fed. Like the Queen of Shilas. So, and then afterwards, what I normally do is show the FPMT Discovering Buddhism video for the class, but we're going to bounce that to next week instead, so everybody, or whoever's left, can watch it. And so what we're going to do after lunch, while you guys are all digesting, is we're going to purify. So we're going to do a session about Shantideva. You know, why waste time? Report an error in the passage at 17:48 Highlight the passage at 17:48

18:18 So we're going to learn how to put those four component powers together that we talked about in one of the earlier classes. For those of you who don't know, and even if you do know, maybe you might pick up some exciting technique. Report an error in the passage at 18:18 Highlight the passage at 18:18

18:33 So we're going to just do that, a very brief session of purification, and then whoever wants to can do that. Report an error in the passage at 18:33 Highlight the passage at 18:33

18:51 Although maybe, because Karen may do a big presentation of glitter and everything. I wonder, did you have time limits? Yes. Definitely do. Ten minutes. I have had to do that, you know, with people that are going on. I was like, okay, try to bring it to a close. Usually people are like, two senses. And I was like, maybe expand on that a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 18:51 Highlight the passage at 18:51

19:16 But some people you're like, no, no. Yeah, I'm thinking more along the lines of five to ten minutes, you know, math. So don't be thinking, you know, PowerPoint and stuff like that. It doesn't have to be a big deal. We're just sharing something with the class. And that's really the way it is. You don't have to stand up. You're just sitting in a circle. It's just a nice way to kind of take one more aspect of the class. Report an error in the passage at 19:16 Highlight the passage at 19:16

19:46 So then, as a result, we are taking next week as the final class. And so I'm going to also do... Try to do the meditation, bringing it all together on 11 points. So if you have to miss the practice day, and I know some of you do, or parts of it, and you're also welcome, by the way, to come to parts of the practice day if you want. Report an error in the passage at 19:46 Highlight the passage at 19:46

20:12 Then next week I'm going to start with that and then talk about a few final ways to sort of integrate this information into your daily life. And then we're going to watch the video together and then we're going to end with some sort of early. So if people want to bring something... like sparkling cider or something treaty to share again make a vegetarian um then um then please do Any Report an error in the passage at 20:12 Highlight the passage at 20:12

20:46 questions about that? Actually, Henry, did you have any more questions about the retreat day? Yeah, where's the retreat? Oh, here. We're just doing it here at the center. It's just a city retreat. We're calling it a retreat day because people don't... We often really know what a retreat is. And the morning is done very much like a retreat in that we're trying to keep silence and trying to meditate and go a little deeper into this particular. Report an error in the passage at 20:46 Highlight the passage at 20:46

21:12 Karen, did you? Wait, let's use the mic. Report an error in the passage at 21:12 Highlight the passage at 21:12

21:18 I'm sorry, I was late. So what time are we starting? 10.30. 10.30. And what are your particular food restrictions? Oh, no, you don't need to worry about mine. Yeah, don't worry about mine. Talk again. Oh, it's not on, is it? She's testing this. Can you just test it? Because it didn't sound like it was on. Testing? No. Now it's not. Yeah, that's what I'm doing. Report an error in the passage at 21:18 Highlight the passage at 21:18

21:42 Testing. Testing. Testing? Is that better? Or no? Testing. I'm getting testing. Okay. Never mind. I can't tell from a minute. No, I can't hear it either. Look at that. Look at Jessica. Yeah, I should look at the image. Oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's coming in. It's not loud. Yeah, it's not very loud. It's, it's in. That's better. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 21:42 Highlight the passage at 21:42

22:12 Okay. While you're doing that, I'll just be sorry. Sorry. Any other questions about the retreat day? This Saturday. This? This Saturday. I was just looking. I didn't know I kept it. I know. If you come to Demisifying Chantra, it's a full day. Yeah. Okay. definitely. Report an error in the passage at 22:12 Highlight the passage at 22:12

22:38 So then the other thing, I wanted to just mention a couple things coming up. Next Friday, because if I wait on these, then they end up being missed. And next Friday, it's like literally the next day after our next class. It's called, there's a holy day. There's one of the four main holy days in the Buddhist calendar. Report an error in the passage at 22:38 Highlight the passage at 22:38

22:57 It's called Mabab Duchen in Tibetan. And it's celebrating when the Itakimuni Buddha descended from the heaven of 33 back to the human realm again. So it's considered a high holy day and it's a karma multiplying day. So we sometimes call it a merit multiplying day because we of course would hope that you're doing positive karma and not negative karma that's being multiplied. Report an error in the passage at 22:57 Highlight the passage at 22:57

23:23 So we try to give you lots of things to do that are positive so that you're not just at home screaming at your boyfriend or whatever and getting that multiplied a billion times. So one of the cool things that's happening is that Geshe is offering the eight Mahāyāna precepts for the first time in a really long time. Report an error in the passage at 23:23 Highlight the passage at 23:23

23:43 I actually can't remember when he last offered them because we've had such a hard time with translation. I think it's been about two years. Since we lost our last... Report an error in the passage at 23:43 Highlight the passage at 23:43

23:55 regular translator, which is, I think, Tezolama is the last one who would have been willing to have it done. And that's the other thing, we take these eight Mahāyāna precepts before dawn. So it's actually supposed to be when you can just barely see the lines in your hands. So we try to take them, which this time of year is fortunately a wee bit later, so it's 6am rather than 5am. Report an error in the passage at 23:55 Highlight the passage at 23:55

24:19 and, um... Yeah, so Geshe will offer those. And if people are interested and want to know more about those, I can talk about them with you on the break or after classes. But they're just for 24 hours, so you're not getting in too deep. Report an error in the passage at 24:19 Highlight the passage at 24:19

24:37 And we will also be doing a sense of offering ceremony at 5.30, so there'll be some setup needed for that if anybody wants to help. And then you can probably talk to Charles about that. And then Geshe will be leading Apuja that night. So that's next Friday. And then also Geshe-la is teaching some Sunday morning classes that I thought would be interesting to the students of this class, and that is he's doing a series of four on Atisha's Lamp on the Path, which is the first long run. Report an error in the passage at 24:37 Highlight the passage at 24:37

25:08 If any of you guys were in the first class, I talked about how when Atisha brought the Dharma back into Tibet, the second time, the second flourishing of the Dharma, he's the first one who sort of pulled, These teachings together in what was called a lamrim, the path, or steps in the path to enlightenment. And so he wrote this text called The Lamp on the Path, and actually was going to teach about it on Sunday morning starting Halloween. Report an error in the passage at 25:08 Highlight the passage at 25:08

25:39 So that's next Sunday, not this Sunday. And he'll do that before Sundays. And then he'll end with a little talk about Lama Tsongkhapa's life, and that's on Thanksgiving weekend. And there's other things on the web you can check, but I just thought those things were especially appropriate for those different Buddhism classes. Our last class is October 28th, the Thursday before the... Report an error in the passage at 25:39 Highlight the passage at 25:39

26:04 Next week. Next Thursday is our last class. And then just to end that, well actually two things, Lama Tsongkhapa Day is also coming up, which is why I guess I was going to talk about this live. There's a reason. Lama Tsongkhapa is the... little guy over here who is the founder of our tradition, the Galutva tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 26:04 Highlight the passage at 26:04

26:32 So there's a day that we celebrate his life and that's November 30th this year, which is early. Usually it falls in December. And we do lots and lots of light offerings because it's wisdom. Light probably represents wisdom. So it's kind of cool that it falls at the dark time of the year. So we do lots and lots of light offerings. Report an error in the passage at 26:32 Highlight the passage at 26:32

26:51 we're a tank top, it's a cart. And that's funny. That's just what he flashed. And then the last thing is that Charles and I are talking now about specifics, but I'm going to do another DB class. I was trying to get the date before this class. I will have the date by next class and by the practice day, but I think probably what we're going to do is a series. Report an error in the passage at 26:51 Highlight the passage at 26:51

27:20 We're going to do things slightly out of order because the holidays sort of funk things up, as they often do. Transforming Problems is the next DB class, which is the Lojong, for those of you who are familiar with the Lojong teachings and thought Report an error in the passage at 27:20 Highlight the passage at 27:20

27:41 transformation teachings, which those of you who went to see His Holiness, that teaching on the eight verses comes from that John Act. That will start in January. Actually, because I need at least eight weeks for that. And so we'll do eight or nine weeks again. And that'll be the next full Discovering Buddhism class. Report an error in the passage at 27:41 Highlight the passage at 27:41

28:01 But what we're going to do this fall, we don't know when, but I'll know soon. The final module of the Discovering Buddhism program is not a class. It's actually the experiential practices. So there are some certain practices of prostration, Thajusattva, Nunez. Report an error in the passage at 28:01 Highlight the passage at 28:01

28:23 And a retreat component. And so what I had done in the past and what I'm going to do, and I'm just not sure how many weeks, it will be four or five weeks, we're going to go through those practices, how to do them, and those individual sessions, outsiders can come and then also DB people who want to do, you know, who are actually wanting to do the certificate and want to know how to do these. Report an error in the passage at 28:23 Highlight the passage at 28:23

28:49 Can come. So it's kind of, it's a nice one to have this time of year because it could be either stand alone, you know, prostration, how to do prostrations, or it could be a series for some of you who really actively kind of think of a certificate. So we're going to do something like that, experiential logic. Yeah. More to come. Thanks. Report an error in the passage at 28:49 Highlight the passage at 28:49

29:12 All right. Check in. How are people doing with the meditation and the reading? Stuff like that. Did anybody have anything they needed to bring up? Also, David sends his love. He wasn't feeling very well tonight, and he said he really missed coming to the company. He's coming on Saturday. Nah, you don't. Report an error in the passage at 29:12 Highlight the passage at 29:12

29:41 No check-in, Nina? Okay. We had more check-in during the announcements than we had during that show. Did you? Yeah, you. know. Report an error in the passage at 29:41 Highlight the passage at 29:41

29:50 It's falling on you, Jessica, if it's without David, you know. You go ahead. If only Peter were here, then we could share. Please follow, I know. Peter, you got any questions? Report an error in the passage at 29:50 Highlight the passage at 29:50

30:09 I just wanted to share, I felt that I had a lot of resistance to this week. To the week or to the assignment? To the assignment of this week. No, not this week. To Tom when? To exchanging cell phones for others, to the particular things that we were talking about last week. And so I realized if I had, well I think, I say I realized, but I think you told me. Report an error in the passage at 30:09 Highlight the passage at 30:09

30:45 And then it was, no, yes. A realization that if I'm having resistance, perhaps it's something I need to do. So I focused on it a little more because I really haven't had a lot of time because we're moving and I have like construction going on and I'm moving out, you know, washing machines, moving new washing machines. Report an error in the passage at 30:45 Highlight the passage at 30:45

31:14 So anyway, in doing it, First, I started out with a loved one, but I realized some people I have more of an attachment to. So, you know, what I want for them isn't necessarily what's best for them. It's what I think they should have. So I tried to use someone I love that I'm not as graspy at. Mostly my sister-in-law. Report an error in the passage at 31:14 Highlight the passage at 31:14

31:46 And I tried it with somebody that I feel like I know well, but I'm having a difficulty. So not necessarily... So you took the stuff, but a little more difficult. Yeah, not necessarily that love, but someone I felt unfamiliar with. I'm familiar enough to know what they're suffering with. Report an error in the passage at 31:46 Highlight the passage at 31:46

32:10 That was very powerful with Report an error in the passage at 32:10 Highlight the passage at 32:10

32:20 my self-cherishing thoughts regarding this person. I realized when you told us to look at our self-cherishing thoughts, I don't know if I have a thought that is not self-cherishing. So then it becomes... Overwhelming. Yeah, overwhelming. Just pick one. Yeah. Well, I think you mean for the visualization when you're... Report an error in the passage at 32:20 Highlight the passage at 32:20

32:44 But even for that exercise beforehand. Right. No, I know. That's what that exercise kind of does. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 32:44 Highlight the passage at 32:44

32:56 No, it's true. It's very true. For the visualization, I think it's good to just keep it simple and just pick one. It was good. It was good. Yeah. Good. Report an error in the passage at 32:56 Highlight the passage at 32:56

33:05 You know, that you then visualize as it becomes sort of that hard rock in your heart. But I think it is good to pick out one specific rather than, oh, you know, you know, like being just really vague about it. I think it kind of makes it a little bit more real so that then when you do an act like that again, you may not be able to stop yourself from doing that act again, but at least you might be able to hear, I mean, what I end up because I have to be teaching. Report an error in the passage at 33:05 Highlight the passage at 33:05

33:35 is hearing my own voice going, blah, blah, blah, self-chair as your mind, I'm like, oh. It's a step. It's a step. Because self-cherishing acts don't pop up saying, hi, I'm a self-cherishing act. This is self-cherishing mine. Hi. Hi, John. It's more that it just... In fact, the water has been going so quickly that we haven't seen the individual drops and now we're starting to slow it down and see something new. There's a lot of work to be done, but it's simply mind training. Report an error in the passage at 33:35 Highlight the passage at 33:35

34:12 It's just mind training. It's like stopping smoking. It just feels like... Stopping any habit at all. It feels overwhelming. So that's why you gotta slow it down and just be drop by drop again, because otherwise, yeah, you just... It's like that laziness of discouragement that you're spending quite a bit of time on on the Wednesday night class. The mind that gets despondent and discouraged and thinks, I could never do all that, is a form of laziness in Tibetan Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 34:12 Highlight the passage at 34:12

34:44 I've always found the discussion and the detail and the precision of investigating laziness is so intriguing in Tibetan Buddhism. It's so different from in the West. I mean, Lalo, which is, I absolutely love the fact that, just like the main kind of laziness that just revels in rolling around in bed. Report an error in the passage at 34:44 Highlight the passage at 34:44

35:08 And watching TV. I love how it's called Lalo in Tibetan, which sounds like Lazy Boy, right? It sounds like a kind of chair, you know. Report an error in the passage at 35:08 Highlight the passage at 35:08

35:19 That's Lalo. But, yeah, but then they go on from there, so. Yeah, I think the more specific we can get, it becomes more like, less of like, I'm a horrible person and I'm overwhelmed, but more like Margaret Mead in a notebook. It's just like, oh, how interesting. Because your mind is no different from all of our minds. That's the thing. You're just looking at it deeply. You have a lot of attachment to your mind. Report an error in the passage at 35:19 Highlight the passage at 35:19

35:47 You've labeled it your mind. It seems like it's something more important. But in reality, it's just mind. It's just the way mind works. You're just starting to invest in it. It doesn't like that. The eye doesn't like that. Especially that self-cherishing eye doesn't like that. But in reality, it does. And so if we don't begin that analysis, we'll never be able to sort of, what do you call it, take it apart from the brick. Report an error in the passage at 35:47 Highlight the passage at 35:47

36:22 And then at the end you find out that all the bricks don't actually exist either. The whole thing just gets blown away. Good, good point. Report an error in the passage at 36:22 Highlight the passage at 36:22

36:35 Thank you. John, yeah. Yay! Tana, she looks great at me. I was looking at you too. I'm trying to be quiet. I'm trying to work on my quietness. Don't be dumb now. I feel like I've talked to you. Report an error in the passage at 36:35 Highlight the passage at 36:35

36:53 Well, I found like doing this one-on-tongue lens, for some reason I have large resistance to using a person. A Report an error in the passage at 36:53 Highlight the passage at 36:53

37:14 person that I'm giving. We could be an animal. Yeah, but I was about to say, but, you know, like, the animal kingdom. No problem. Just a living being is all. Yeah. I would say not to do somebody who's died. Although you could do somebody who just died, actually, because they're still going through experiences in the barbedroom, including that. Report an error in the passage at 37:14 Highlight the passage at 37:14

37:40 Like, don't go back and shoot. Yeah. But animals, no problem. And in fact, some of us, for some of us... An animal is an easier place to start, so no problem with that. Actually, Bodhi's a great one right now. She's going through a lot. Report an error in the passage at 37:40 Highlight the passage at 37:40

38:00 Remember again, and actually I was just discussing this with David by email, the whole point of the Tonglen meditation is two points. One is to get courageous big mind. We're getting braver and braver, so we're getting more and more willing to take on. Report an error in the passage at 38:00 Highlight the passage at 38:00

38:20 But then secondly, and I think actually... So yeah, yeah, no, I think, Report an error in the passage at 38:20 Highlight the passage at 38:20

38:22 in many ways, this well, I think they're both really they're equally We're using that suffering to destroy our self-cherishing mind. So don't forget that. Don't just breathe it in and let it stay there and then wonder why you don't feel good. Okay, so like breathe it in and immediately it's almost like a chemical reaction. Report an error in the passage at 38:22 Highlight the passage at 38:22

38:46 It's almost like the minute it touches up, it touches your mind. It changes. It's no longer that suffering stuff anymore. Okay? So it doesn't come in and stay. And if you've been having this as a problem, you are not alone. People get distracted by that aspect of it. The minute it touches that self-cherishing mind, boom! It becomes like this chemical thing happens and all this wonderful bliss cloud, compassion, love gets released. Report an error in the passage at 38:46 Highlight the passage at 38:46

39:19 But that old stuff isn't still in there. Which is why you don't want to just do the first part and then get out of the car. Because you want to, or get up from your seat. If you don't have time to do a long one, do it really short of both parts. But do both parts. Remember both parts. Because that's, otherwise you just get caught up with just breathing in the yucky stuff. And that's not the point at all of this one. Report an error in the passage at 39:19 Highlight the passage at 39:19

39:45 I mean, other people may, it almost, that one goes counter to our intuition. But what we want to do, we're going counter to our intuition so that we can be bodhisattvas. So don't forget that. And I'm sorry I interrupted you, I never thought. But I was just thinking about that because it came up with saying he had a heavy and then, you know, I think I can share that because I'm sure he would have been here. Report an error in the passage at 39:45 Highlight the passage at 39:45

40:18 So that's one. The other thing that I've noticed, it's hard for me to do Tom Lin on the cushion with a human, it's easier with an animal. But when I'm out walking out and about or on the bus, it's much easier to do it on a person. Just do it on an animal, like on a pigeon. It's very interesting how that happens. I love that pigeon. I'm just doing an example. And the other thing that I found out, too, that I hadn't been doing before, and I've been wondering, like, why? Report an error in the passage at 40:18 Highlight the passage at 40:18

40:56 Why is it so hard for me to meditate? I don't know. But, like, the past week I've started to keep. log of the meditations I'm doing, how it's going, all the about it and all that. It's interesting because I'll have good meditations when I sleep and I'm not stressed. Things that are blatantly obvious, but keeping that log, I'm like, oh, why is this happening? Report an error in the passage at 40:56 Highlight the passage at 40:56

41:30 You need to see it. That's why that meditation log, and I think that meditation log, Ben, if you keep it for a while, it's actually kind of inspiring when a little down the line, we kind of get out of the habit, and then we kind of feel like, oh, we're all horrible, and then you see that log in the open, and you're like, wow, I kind of held this together for a few months. Report an error in the passage at 41:30 Highlight the passage at 41:30

41:51 That's good, and it's like inspiring you, inspiring for you to kind of get back on the horse again, because life happens. Report an error in the passage at 41:51 Highlight the passage at 41:51

42:02 One vote for the meditation. Anybody else? I saw you nodding for that. Suffering, breathing in that suffering. Actually, that part doesn't bother me. I have no problem with that part. But my question was, so I haven't had as much time on the cushion to do this as I wanted to, but I was doing it like out and about. Report an error in the passage at 42:02 Highlight the passage at 42:02

42:23 That's what's good about, yeah. Which was kind of fun. And actually what I found was when I was like at a concert on Tuesday night, and I was like with some friends that are having some serious health problems that I can't do anything about. And it just sort of like standing there listening to the music, I just did the practice and it made me feel much better to actually just try to take that on and give back. Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:49 It made me feel like I was, even though I wasn't actually doing anything to help them, it made me feel like I was doing something. I felt very helpless. And so I sort of felt like at least I was sending them sort of more concrete mental. Love or something. So I feel like it's really useful in those circumstances to help calm my own mind when I feel like I want to do something and there's energy around it but there's nothing really for me to do. Report an error in the passage at 42:49 Highlight the passage at 42:49

43:19 Exactly. It's perfect for those times. There are a lot of times like that. Yeah. And I feel like I'm also starting to notice those times more often. Sort of more opportunities. So that's been cool. And it allows you to stay with that suffering person or people rather than distracting or trying to get away. Yeah, so that was one observation and why I really appreciate it because I can kind of do it out and also it feels very useful. Report an error in the passage at 43:19 Highlight the passage at 43:19

43:48 But one question I had was about why I was nodding. So when I originally learned this meditation, I... Learned it a little differently and I learned it and probably I don't know if it's wrong or whatever but I learned it where that not like the black stone thing but like sort of just this glowing white light in the middle of you know of your being and that's sort of when the black smoke comes in and like kind of like a like a star like if things fall into the sun they are incinerated and they come out and the sun still is bringing out all this beautiful white light so I've always... You can do it however, yeah. There are loads of ways to do Tonglen. In fact, when I first started leading it, I was doing it the way I first learned it, which was with a flame at the heart, which was then put out. Report an error in the passage at 43:48 Highlight the passage at 43:48

44:40 Oh. And then the glowing light all happened after that. And that seemed like kind of actually confusing to me after a while, and I kind of liked the bursting of the... But you can use whatever works for you. I wanted to make sure that was okay. I mean, as long as you are still doing the basic steps of taking on, using it to transform and giving back. Report an error in the passage at 44:40 Highlight the passage at 44:40

45:05 Yeah, so that I get. But the thing that's bad about it is that I forget to remember to think about something bad that I did. So I got to take out the suffering and burn it up and then give good, okay? But then I forget the little part about, oh, what did I do wrong? Which, I mean, I think about that in other contexts, right? Report an error in the passage at 45:05 Highlight the passage at 45:05

45:31 Like if, you know, doing Petra Soppa or something, then I think about, so... Specifically something selfish. Right. Self-absorbed. Right. So that's where I feel like I need to somehow... Figure out a strategy to remember that. Yeah. I don't know. Maybe, maybe the minute, maybe like you can have some, you know, sometimes when we're trying to remember something, it's like the minute I see that I'm going to remember this, you know, things like that sometimes. Report an error in the passage at 45:31 Highlight the passage at 45:31

46:00 So maybe the minute the black smoke, yeah, comes, touches your nostril. Right, so some kind of part of the vision. Yeah, it could be like some kind of the visualization, yeah, and then suddenly you remember your own selfishness. Okay. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 46:00 Highlight the passage at 46:00

46:22 so Report an error in the passage at 46:22 Highlight the passage at 46:22

46:35 I'm going to just sort of go through what we've done so far, and then we're going to do the final two steps, and in theory we're also going to discuss. Then tell us what it is. Report an error in the passage at 46:35 Highlight the passage at 46:35

46:45 six perfections we'll see we may only get through some of them tonight and I'll finish just on next week one second I'm not going into them in detail obviously we could literally spend years Okay, Report an error in the passage at 46:45 Highlight the passage at 46:45

47:16 so... direction. We're going to just discuss some kind of like, Report an error in the passage at 47:16 Highlight the passage at 47:16

47:04 they relate to generating bodhicitta and we can practice them just like that it's like a simplified way Report an error in the passage at 47:04 Highlight the passage at 47:04

47:18 I'm going to review these steps and then this week you're going to have all 11 points in a really simplified way. So then you'll have them. Report an error in the passage at 47:18 Highlight the passage at 47:18

47:28 Obviously when you are doing the meditations, if anybody hasn't attended all the classes and you're missing some of the steps, just email me. This is always the case. If you ever miss, like if you enter the class late or you miss a class. And you're missing some steps. So you pull it all out and you're trying to figure out what's going on and number six is missing. Just email me and just say, you know, I must have missed a class and I need the notes from that class and I need the homework. Report an error in the passage at 47:28 Highlight the passage at 47:28

47:59 Because then you'll have all the steps. Because you're just going to have two pages tonight, which I forgot to staple. So then you can put them side by side. So it might be good. Report an error in the passage at 47:59 Highlight the passage at 47:59

48:14 Which is like really tiny versions of all of those separate days that we had more detailed versions. If you need more detail, you can lay it all out in front of you, all over the place. That's totally fine. But some of it you might have by this time have a little experience with and you don't need that much detail to have an experience and that's okay. Report an error in the passage at 48:14 Highlight the passage at 48:14

48:37 Because the idea of this is now we're pulling it all together as a whole. Report an error in the passage at 48:37 Highlight the passage at 48:37

48:45 The end point is generating bodhicitta. So it's kind of like, and I just had this insight, when you're doing visualization meditation, what we often do is our mind will focus on certain details of the image, like his crown or the color of the lotus that he's holding or what he's holding with his hand, sorry, with his right hand. Report an error in the passage at 48:45 Highlight the passage at 48:45

49:12 Or how his legs are or the color of his body or whatever. And then we stop and we put together the whole image. This is what we're doing with this meditation. So we've spent time with all the parts, hopefully. All your homeworks have all been about that. Whether you've been contemplating while you're running around or whether you've actually sat and done the meditation. And now we're going to pull it all together into a whole. Whatever you get is fine. Report an error in the passage at 49:12 Highlight the passage at 49:12

49:41 There's no wrong thing. You'll just have sort of deeper and deeper meditations with it. And obviously, to gain, to actually have a realization of genuine bodhicitta, we need to do these meditations over and over, right? You're not going to just like, boom, tomorrow morning you sit down and do it and it's just going to come. I mean, maybe. I hope, really. That would make me feel so happy. Report an error in the passage at 49:41 Highlight the passage at 49:41

50:03 But I don't think it's going to work that way. I think realistically, if you want to play... Concert piano, you're going to have to do some scales and some practicing, you know, and it's very much like that. So, step number one was equanimity. And we do this basically to level the field and to look at how we constantly label people. Report an error in the passage at 50:03 Highlight the passage at 50:03

50:31 I like that person, I don't like that person, that one I could care less about. And we do that all the time. And then how... In reality, we're doing that based on some sort of perceived benefit. Me. Me, myself and I. And so if we start examining it, actually human relationships and actually animal human relationships also are very fluid and changeable. Report an error in the passage at 50:31 Highlight the passage at 50:31

50:57 And even within a lifetime, you know, we go through billions of relationships. We go through many, many relationships that change. Somebody's a friend and suddenly they're an enemy, suddenly they're a stranger and you don't know anything about them anymore. Somebody that you were so intimate with at one point, it's really interesting. Report an error in the passage at 50:57 Highlight the passage at 50:57

51:16 And so that's what that step is all about. Contemplating it by looking at a friend, an enemy and a stranger and then contemplating why you think that that person is a friend, why you think that person is an enemy, why you think that person is a stranger. Report an error in the passage at 51:16 Highlight the passage at 51:16

51:32 The second step is remembering that all beings have been our mothers or could have been. A key phrase that I'd like to add. This step is based on the teaching of the Buddha that our mind is beginningless and endless, like a number line, stretching out limitlessly behind this life and in front of this life. Report an error in the passage at 51:32 Highlight the passage at 51:32

51:53 And if that's true, then we've had many, many, many lifetimes. And if that's true, then we've had many, many, many mothers. Whether you want to think infinite or not, just think many, many. Report an error in the passage at 51:53 Highlight the passage at 51:53

52:06 And if we've had many mothers, we've had mothers as animals, we've had mothers as all kinds of humans, we've had mothers in all different situations and conditions and countries. Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

52:18 We've even had mothers as predators, as spirits. And each of these mothers, including the mother of this lifetime, we've had many, many times as mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. So this stage of the meditation is... injuries. Report an error in the passage at 52:18 Highlight the passage at 52:18

52:23 so... Report an error in the passage at 52:23 Highlight the passage at 52:23

52:35 It's really just contemplating this, letting our minds sort of play with this. You might pick one or two lives, you know, just imagining a situation where you had a mother as an animal, for example, and what that would have been like. Just playing with that in your mind. Don't spend too long, you might create the causes. But contemplating that or contemplating just a whole different family situation than you had this time around. Report an error in the passage at 52:35 Highlight the passage at 52:35

53:03 to maybe, you know, incredibly wealthy or incredibly poor or, sitting around in the fire. Report an error in the passage at 53:03 Highlight the passage at 53:03

53:11 aboriginal bush, but just playing with it in your mind, knowing that. The third step is remembering the kindness of the mother and the kindness of all living beings. This one has two parts. One is remembering how kind mothers can be to their children. Report an error in the passage at 53:11 Highlight the passage at 53:11

53:37 Remembering and especially thinking about it in terms of animals. This is kind of an interesting one to contemplate if you're watching nature. Report an error in the passage at 53:37 Highlight the passage at 53:37

53:49 I remember thinking about this actually in India when I was watching the monkeys. Watching the monkey moms and the monkey kids and their relationship to each other. But yeah, you can watch it with... All sorts of animals, and even on those nature shows, you know, sometimes, and we talked about the chicken. Report an error in the passage at 53:49 Highlight the passage at 53:49

54:11 The history of the chicken, that one chicken mom, and I'm sure she's not unusual, who was willing to cover the baby chicks with her whole body and take it from the chicken hawk. But then he didn't actually kill her and she was able to get back up again. She lived nice lives. Report an error in the passage at 54:11 Highlight the passage at 54:11

54:33 So yeah, so you're just contemplating kindness of the mother. If you've had a good relationship with your mom in this life, then you can also contemplate really specifically kind things that your mom has done. But don't let it stop you if you haven't, because moms are nice sometimes. You can contemplate situations where that kindness is over the top, like the chicken. Report an error in the passage at 54:33 Highlight the passage at 54:33

55:04 She's telling me a story of this mom, and this happens all the time, but for some reason it stayed in my mind of a burning house and the mom ran in three times and two times saved the kids and a third time died. And just that the willingness to do that, that just came from birthing those children. Other people do great things, but there's something else there. Report an error in the passage at 55:04 Highlight the passage at 55:04

55:29 So just contemplate really incredible, kind things that moms do. And then the second aspect of that is contemplating the kindness of all living beings. And we talked a little bit about how even just, you know, the clothes that we wear come from the kindness of others. And the chairs or the cushions that we're sitting on come from the kindness of others. And the cup that I'm drinking out of comes from the kindness of others. And the tea that's in it comes from the kindness of others. Report an error in the passage at 55:29 Highlight the passage at 55:29

56:02 and the with applesauce that I ate. Somebody grew those apples, you know, that came from the kindness of others, and, I started to say somebody had made it, and I remembered I did, but, um... You can just kind of go crazy with one or two things and just think about all the living beings that helped me have that thing. Report an error in the passage at 56:02 Highlight the passage at 56:02

56:25 And whatever we experience, you Report an error in the passage at 56:25 Highlight the passage at 56:25

56:36 can follow one or two things almost infinitely. Report an error in the passage at 56:36 Highlight the passage at 56:36

56:48 It really begins to build. Report an error in the passage at 56:48 Highlight the passage at 56:48

56:52 And that's step four, wanting to repay that kindness. So you're left with this feeling of gratitude and wanting to repay that kindness, all that kindness that you just wanted. Report an error in the passage at 56:52 Highlight the passage at 56:52

57:07 And so you might even just spend a moment thinking about, how would I repay this? So if you thought about some specific acts that your mom did or that some other moms are, Report an error in the passage at 57:07 Highlight the passage at 57:07

57:26 what would you possibly, how could you possibly give anything to those? Living beings that would help them in any long way. And it actually becomes harder than we think. You know, like what could you give them that would take away their suffering? What could you give them that would give them something? And so sometimes I remember when I've done this meditation, just like really thinking about like, you know, at the time that, at that time my mom was still living and just thinking about all the different things I'd give her every night. Report an error in the passage at 57:26 Highlight the passage at 57:26

58:04 There's not that many things somebody could use after we get to a certain age, you know. So that's when we realize, we're beginning to realize that we need to give them something. Report an error in the passage at 58:04 Highlight the passage at 58:04

58:20 Then the next step is where we shift into equalizing and exchanging self for others. So we begin with equalizing self. And that's when we just stop for a moment and think that all living beings are exactly the same as me. And why? I mean, there's lots of different reasons why. Report an error in the passage at 58:20 Highlight the passage at 58:20

58:43 But the most important is just they're wanting happiness and they're not wanting to suffer. There doesn't have to be any other reason than that, but there are. They all have minds, so then they are all plagued by afflicted states of mind, just like me. They all have food and nature. I know there's lots of other things you can say too, but the biggest one for this one is they just want to be happy and they just don't want to suffer. Report an error in the passage at 58:43 Highlight the passage at 58:43

59:14 And this is very true for animals as well as humans. You can actually watch humans and animals. Try to get away from suffering. Report an error in the passage at 59:14 Highlight the passage at 59:14

59:25 The next step is beginning to contemplate the disadvantages of self-cherishing mind. Because what keeps us from seeing that, that that's true about all other beings all the time, that's our self-cherishing mind. That's what blocks us. That's why we don't know that somebody else is suffering. Or we think it's always about us. Report an error in the passage at 59:25 Highlight the passage at 59:25

59:48 If somebody's rude or something, we're like, aww, you know. We can't see their pain and suffering because our self-cherishing mind blocks it. So then we have to start contemplating, oh, what has self-cherishing mind ever given to me? I act like this self-cherishing mind is my best buddy and I follow its whims from lifetime after lifetime. The Buddha actually taught that self-cherishing mind has kept us, kept giving us. Report an error in the passage at 59:48 Highlight the passage at 59:48

1:00:22 problems from lifetime after lifetime because it's sort of at the root of all of our afflicted states of mind, although it itself is not considered mental factor or an affliction, but it's like a root to those, faiths. It keeps me from getting up early, it keeps me from making time to meditate, it keeps me from making time to study, it keeps me from... Report an error in the passage at 1:00:22 Highlight the passage at 1:00:22

1:00:52 You know, it keeps me from coming to class, it keeps me, it's all those little things. It sounds like it's, you know, the sort of best friend, but it's actually kind of getting me into trouble, you know. I was mentioning in that, when I was talking about this section, that one friend of mine who, when we got off the freeway, we could have gone right and gone to Bajapani or left and into town in the health food store. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:52 Highlight the passage at 1:00:52

1:01:14 And unfortunately, so sure she might want it. So we were late for session. So it does that kind of stuff all the time, you know, when you roll over and hit the snooze button, and yeah, it suffers your mind. And they say that then, of course, because of that, then we can't really, so many lifetimes we've actually gotten close to generating actual bodhicitta or having the direct perception of emptiness or all the states of the, all the steps on the path to enlightenment, including full enlightenment itself, we've gotten really close. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:14 Highlight the passage at 1:01:14

1:01:51 Pesky, self-cherishing mind steps in and blocks us again. So that's the kind of stuff that you're contemplating. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:51 Highlight the passage at 1:01:51

1:02:02 Sometimes for this section, I just have sort of a key, it's almost like an outline, like I just have some key things that I don't have a number that, you know, keeps me from meditating, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:02 Highlight the passage at 1:02:02

1:02:15 Then the next one is contemplating, so number seven, that's what we're up to right now. Contemplating the advantages of cherishing others. If you have a different number for this, don't worry about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:15 Highlight the passage at 1:02:15

1:02:29 Contemplating the advantages of cherishing others. So then we just spend a moment thinking about how all good things come from cherishing others. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:29 Highlight the passage at 1:02:29

1:02:42 It's the juice. It's what keeps your practice juicy. It's what gets you up in the morning. It's what gets you to come to class. It's what gets you to do retreat. It's what gets you to do frustrations when you're When you're tired, you know, it's the fuel. Cherishing others is the fuel. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:42 Highlight the passage at 1:02:42

1:03:06 Ana, did you have a question? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:06 Highlight the passage at 1:03:06

1:03:14 I don't understand why this is here and not up above with remembering the kindness of all sentient beings. This is the 11 points. So what you're doing is the combined. So, the The eleven point method is combining the seven point cause and effect and exchange itself and others. And so this is the way that Lama Tsongkhapa sort of pulled them together, although I have seen it differently. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:14 Highlight the passage at 1:03:14

1:03:44 But this is based on Rinpoche's method, even slightly his changes, slightly different teachings. But yeah, so I don't think it matters so much as long as you sort of get to the same place. So I think it's probably alright if you want to do it at a slightly different place. But with equalizing self and others, the reason that self-cherishing, the contemplating self-cherishing mind comes right after is because what keeps us from equalizing self and others is that self-cherishing mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:44 Highlight the passage at 1:03:44

1:04:17 So it sort of is a kind of logical step. What I find a little bit clunky is going from wanting to repay that kindness to equalizing. But, you know, if you can get through that one, then you can get through anything. In the seven-point cause and effect, what happens is wanting to repay that kindness, you go immediately to generating affectionate love, which makes sense, and then great compassion, and then bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:17 Highlight the passage at 1:04:17

1:04:47 I mean, then, you know, the ultimate responsibility, and then bodhicitta. So for me, that method kind of makes more sense. And then for equalizing and exchanging self and others, you're just doing equanimity and then equalizing and then contemplating and then going straight at each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:47 Highlight the passage at 1:04:47

1:05:07 So this method is kind of combining the two. Number eight is when you do the actual exchange, which you can either do visually or just switch this. The obsession that we have that Karen was talking about. Almost every single thing that we do is motivated by this mind of self-concern and switch it for concern for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:07 Highlight the passage at 1:05:07

1:05:35 So you can either do this as some sort of visualization, whatever works for you. It can be sort of this expanding body that gradually includes all living beings or it can be just this kind of shift like I'm going to do this. This makes sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:35 Highlight the passage at 1:05:35

1:05:52 Focus on others with the same amount of concern that I've normally kept for myself. And then I'm going to ignore myself for a while with the same amount that I've been normally ignoring everybody else around me. So you're just switching. That's what we exchange with others. And then the second part of that step is generating the mind of love with, I'm sorry, the mind of compassion with, Tong Lan, then step nine is generating the line of love. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:52 Highlight the passage at 1:05:52

1:06:29 So when you come out of that meditation of Tonglen, so for example when I'm leading you in this meditation on Saturday, I'll just say, So this is where you would do Tomlin. So we're just going to take a moment and you just privately do it. So that way you can just do it on your own, you know, to have me doing the steps. And in fact, if Jessica wants to do a different visualization and have something different happening at her heart, that's fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:29 Highlight the passage at 1:06:29

1:07:09 You guys can all do that. You have the privacy of your own mind. Like I don't necessarily have to see. I'm just going to try to give you some time to do that, but obviously not forever. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:09 Highlight the passage at 1:07:09

1:07:22 So then you guys can just do it. And then when you do that, then you have this sense, you know, you've had this, hopefully you have some sort of a meaningful experience of taking on another suffering, you know, using it to destroy your own selfishness and then feeling this amazing sort of love and bubbling up inside of you and then giving that. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:22 Highlight the passage at 1:07:22

1:07:51 Everything you've always wanted to give them, all the way up to full enlightenment. You can imagine them turning into a Buddha right in front of you. So you actually, it should be somewhat blissful. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:51 Highlight the passage at 1:07:51

1:08:02 The compassion parts can be sad because you want to take away their suffering. But when you're giving them all that love, there should be some feeling of blissfulness. And that's when we then come, then we just take a moment and we realize... You know, have that moment of blissfulness. That's great. But then we take a moment and we're just like, but wait, this is just individualization. They're still suffering, you know, and I'm still suffering and, you know, all living beings are still suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:02 Highlight the passage at 1:08:02

1:08:33 So what can I do? There's almost like this sense of urgency. What can I really do for her and, you know, it? If it's pigeon, then you don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:33 Highlight the passage at 1:08:33

1:08:47 Although you shouldn't tell. Pigeon. Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:47 Highlight the passage at 1:08:47

1:08:51 So then you go right into step 10, which is what we're introducing tonight. And step 10 is this extraordinary attitude or the mind of, as Hesolianus calls it, the mind of universal responsibility. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:51 Highlight the passage at 1:08:51

1:09:09 And that's when we get to play with being big, strong bodhicitta. That's when we get to play with this feeling of, I will do something. I will help her. I will help him. I will help them. I have to. I have no choice. I will do this. It's my responsibility. I won't wait and see if anybody else is going to step in and help them. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:09 Highlight the passage at 1:09:09

1:09:34 If I don't do it, who will? It's like you're building this mind of, yeah, I'm going to do this. So it's like this incredibly confident, as Lama Tsongkhapa says, I myself alone. I myself alone will do this. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:34 Highlight the passage at 1:09:34

1:09:55 It's like that mom with that kid in the house. She didn't wait and go, well, you know, the fire department's coming, so, you know, she just ran in there, you know, and it's that same feeling, but we're not having it just for this one being, we're having it. We're trying to feel like what it would feel like to have this for all beings, you know, but they say it's like if you're, if somebody you absolutely love is like in a really dangerous situation, like a burning house or something, you wouldn't wait to see, oh, I want to care for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:55 Highlight the passage at 1:09:55

1:10:27 You know, I would just run in there, you know. So it's like that, but we're trying to have that feeling for more than one person or more than one man. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:27 Highlight the passage at 1:10:27

1:10:38 And this is basically this, this, this is like the whole point of the whole book's hat. So this is a huge kind of a mind to try to generate. So it's not just like, okay, let's bodhicitta, great, you can get up and go to lunch, you know, it's not like that. It's like we're really trying to cultivate this mind. What would that feel like? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:38 Highlight the passage at 1:10:38

1:11:00 To have this, to feel that it is my responsibility and I will do it. No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it is, no matter how difficult it is, as Venable Sarah, when she was leading this launch, you know, she said, no matter whether those sentient beings help me or harm me, no matter how Report an error in the passage at 1:11:00 Highlight the passage at 1:11:00

1:11:27 big this is, I will do it. And that is what leads. Directly into the loving stuff, which is bodhicitta. This is like the mind that sparks bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:27 Highlight the passage at 1:11:27

1:11:48 And that's when you feel like, okay, how can I do this? How can I do this? Little old me. I'm still in saṃsāra too. I still have a messed up mind. I still stole the last cookie. I still have my own delusions. I still have my own obstacles. How on earth can I do this? And then you look around and think, who can do this? It's only qualified. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:48 Highlight the passage at 1:11:48

1:12:15 That's it. So that's the tool that I need to do this. So actually, the attitude that we need is number 10, but the way, the method is bodhicitta. The way we're going to accomplish that attitude, the way we're going to take that out into the field is by getting enlightened for the benefit of all beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:15 Highlight the passage at 1:12:15

1:12:37 Because only a fully enlightened Buddha can really help all beings without exception, no matter how long it takes. of how difficult it is and how many lifetimes, much less eons, it might take for us to get away. It's a limitless love, limitless compassion, limitless wisdom, and missions. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:37 Highlight the passage at 1:12:37

1:12:57 So in this Report an error in the passage at 1:12:57 Highlight the passage at 1:12:57

1:13:22 regard, step 11. is there going to be more engaging body cheetah as to... Not even bodhicitta quite yet. It's still that mind of what His Holiness calls the mind of universal responsibility. You're like cultivating the mind that wants to do it. But you're right, it is more aspiration at that point. You want to do it at that point, but you don't know how yet. But you haven't even figured out that you don't know how yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:22 Highlight the passage at 1:13:22

1:13:48 That's what leads you to step 11. I mean first at the beginning of it you're just cultivating that mind that even wants to do it. Or even wants to do it. Even aspires to wanting to do it. So the extraordinary attitude would be the aspirational mind. Yeah, but don't call a bodhicitta yet. I mean really when we're doing this meditation, when we do step 11 for us, it's actually an aspirational bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:48 Highlight the passage at 1:13:48

1:14:22 And Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:25 you wind yourself. But yeah, it is an aspiration. Unless you have the great good fortune to generate actual bodhicitta. At first it's contrived bodhicitta. They call it contrived bodhicitta. And that's okay. Like it feels a little bit fake. And that's okay. It's like that whole tantric thing of faking it until you make it. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:25 Highlight the passage at 1:14:25

1:14:46 You know? And we gotta just play with what it might feel like to have it. Even if we don't have it yet. The only way we're gonna ever have it, try cultivating it. Over and over and over and over. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:46 Highlight the passage at 1:14:46

1:15:09 And they say, you know, with lots of meditation and lots of effort, eventually it becomes non-contrived. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:09 Highlight the passage at 1:15:09

1:15:20 And it becomes as natural for us to have, you know, to have this mind wanting to work for others all the time as it is for us wanting to take care of ourselves. So as natural as the thought of like going into the kitchen and getting some food when I'm hungry arises, we don't have to tell ourselves to do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:20 Highlight the passage at 1:15:20

1:15:39 unless I keep eating disorder stopping when I have to returne your But for regular people, when we get hungry, we just go get something. They say it's exactly like that. It just arises that naturally. So, and as naturally as we would, you know, do anything for ourselves, you know, put something around us with fruit chili, you know, go to sleep if we're tired, get up when we're not. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:39 Highlight the passage at 1:15:39

1:16:12 It becomes that natural to work for the benefit. They also say, and one of my teachers talked about this one, I've heard this in several classes, the one I was talking about specifically this, it's almost like a pseudo bodhicitta that arises when things happen in our lives, especially like big things that happen, like somebody dies or some sort of big shift. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:12 Highlight the passage at 1:16:12

1:16:40 Where we start feeling sort of more patience and compassion and love for the people around us. I'm a little less upset on the 22 when things get out of hand. And then we think, oh wow, like I sort of evolved. They call this sugar cane bodhicitta. Because it's really sweet and then it's really hollow inside. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:40 Highlight the passage at 1:16:40

1:17:02 It doesn't last. So be aware of that. It can be a stepping stone though. Yeah. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:02 Highlight the passage at 1:17:02

1:17:10 To the real thing. And in fact, a lot of us actually come to a spiritual path because of things like that that happen. Big things like the death of God. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:10 Highlight the passage at 1:17:10

1:17:22 But just know that even after, even with genuine bodhicitta, it can be reversed for quite a while after you generate it. So when we talk about genuine bodhicitta, it's still reversible for a little bit. And there's a story actually of Sharaputra, who comes up in the heart, featured in the heart. Um, who, Who has generated bodhicitta and it's not the irreversible kind that happens at the 8th level, the 8th booming. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:22 Highlight the passage at 1:17:22

1:17:56 I just love that old booming. Although I've spelled it for many years. So I think it's this demon actually is the way the story goes. He manifests as this poor guy by the side of the road. And I remember that... Jarpu Jarrett in this story is quite a highly evolved being. He's not just your regular judgemo. He actually has bodhicitta and he has, I think he's actually, he has some level of understanding of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:56 Highlight the passage at 1:17:56

1:18:27 I can't remember if he's out of direct perception of emptiness. But this demon posing as a poor person asked him to give him his, I think it's, I can't remember if it's his eye. I can't remember if it's his eye or his hand. But at any point, Sharpe is happy to do this because he's so involved, it's not a big deal. And so he, I plucks it out. I can't remember if he invents his hand or whatever, but he does Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:27 Highlight the passage at 1:18:27

1:18:56 that's the hand that one takes care of business with. So, he does that in the... the demon just goes, how disgusting. I can't possibly accept this. And then, you know, gets all upset in the house and walks away. And Sharapooch is completely discouraged and just thinks, how can I work for us? I mean, being so pretty like this, I just gave him this organ for my body, my eye or my hand or whatever, and he threw it on the ground and walked away. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:56 Highlight the passage at 1:18:56

1:19:25 And in that moment, he loses his mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:25 Highlight the passage at 1:19:25

1:19:33 I remember at the beginning of the class I was talking about Rinpoche saying, don't let the fire in your bodhicitta ever go out. Keep fueling it with everything you've got. Because it can still reverse. And actually when we take the bodhisattva vows, there is a bodhisattva vow that talks about, you know, like when we hold on to anger at other sentient beings and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:33 Highlight the passage at 1:19:33

1:19:59 Because that's the stuff that will kill our bodhicitta, is that kind of resentment and vulnerable stuff. And I do that kind of crap. That's actually one of my worst things. And that's actually what destroys your bodhicitta. So you actually take vows that have not... do that, because, because it will destroy your body too, that's quite easily. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:59 Highlight the passage at 1:19:59

1:20:21 holding on to anger until, you know. Even if somebody has asked you to forgive them, we have vows, and we have to. If somebody asks me to forgive them, then I have to forgive them. You know, there's just, you can't not. Because it would destroy my body, she does. A Report an error in the passage at 1:20:21 Highlight the passage at 1:20:21

1:20:46 strange Report an error in the passage at 1:20:46 Highlight the passage at 1:20:46

1:20:51 story. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:51 Highlight the passage at 1:20:51

1:20:55 Yeah, so, you know, because he's a high level bodhicitta, right? By then, you have gone through... No, he's not an eighth bodhicitta. No, she was just saying that the eighth bodhicitta... By the eighth bodhicitta, then it's irreversible. Then it's irreversible. No, he's just the beginning of eighth bodhicitta. Of course, if you're at the point where you're going to give an organ like that, you know, I would have thought you'd have gone through so much mind training. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:55 Highlight the passage at 1:20:55

1:21:23 I think the point is that you can get discouraged. Sunniate beings are a mess, you know. And so it's sort of like when one of those messy Sunniate beings is right in front of you, throwing your eye on the ground or whatever, then you can get discouraged. And that discouragement can, you know, give you back. He did, the best part of that story is that he did regain his bodhicitta and get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:23 Highlight the passage at 1:21:23

1:21:49 He does, he is able to overcome. back. The eight verses, right? Training. One of them is, and if I do a favor for someone and they betray me. They're training wheels. Right. Then I should. Yeah, they are training wheels, though, you know. It doesn't mean we've realized them yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's what the next class is, the next Discovering Buddhism class is all about, is then taking this bodhicitta from mind and trying to, like, work with it. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:49 Highlight the passage at 1:21:49

1:22:24 And that's what those teachings and the Six Perfections are all about, our Bodhisattva activities. I'm a little confused. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:24 Highlight the passage at 1:22:24

1:22:37 What then would come first? Is it the mind training? No. And then bodhicitta? No. No. It's simultaneous because when you generate bodhicitta, you have to strengthen it and enhance it and grow it. You know what I mean? It's not just like... It's not like the direct perception of emptiness. With the direct perception of emptiness, it's like you get to do all the preparation and then you have that moment and that after that moment, which could only be 20 minutes of meditating deeply, which of course we need to be able to do common biting and special insight meditation, you are permanently and, you know... Report an error in the passage at 1:22:37 Highlight the passage at 1:22:37

1:23:18 Forever changed, you become an Arya being. You are no longer a Sosageyawa, you're no longer an ordinary being. You have to then spend time on the path of meditation getting used to it, but you don't have to keep generating it. You've done it. You have passed the big, you've crossed over the river, you've done it. You've become one gone beyond. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:18 Highlight the passage at 1:23:18

1:23:45 But... With bodhicitta, it's more like we just keep generating and generating and getting it stronger and stronger and then it kind of gets weaker and then we get stronger and stronger and we enhance it and then we do these bodhisattva activities that we're going to get into the six perfections and so forth and we take the bodhisattva vows and we try to strengthen it and according of course to the sūtra teachings that takes three countless great eons according to tantra and enter tantra. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:45 Highlight the passage at 1:23:45

1:24:14 Even a baby bodhicitta. I Report an error in the passage at 1:24:14 Highlight the passage at 1:24:14

1:24:21 have another point where I'm getting confused in that I thought you could not have the ultimate bodhicitta until you had a direct perception. We talked about this actually in one of the classes that there is debate about that, that you can, that some people say you can have a generation of bodhicitta first and some say that you have to have a direct perception of emptiness first. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:21 Highlight the passage at 1:24:21

1:24:45 We are sort of trying to have both simultaneous understandings because we don't know. If we have the direct perception of emptiness without any bodhicitta, then we're more likely to go for nirvāṇa and just forget about. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:45 Highlight the passage at 1:24:45

1:25:00 So we're kind of trying to have some generation of bodhicitta. That's what we motivate and dedicate for all somebody beings. So just start building that bodhicitta in our mind stream. Before we have that direct perception. So don't just get blissed out on that. Okay, because I wanted to ask, is that why you do go to Nirvāṇa? Because it's blissful? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:00 Highlight the passage at 1:25:00

1:25:22 No, because you don't have bodhicitta, so you're not working for others. You're just working for your own Nirvāṇa. Yeah, because I know Geshe-la said that that was a... You can get... No, you can get swayed. You can get sort of... It's sort of... Distraction almost, that you have a blissful experience in meditation, but that's another issue. Your ultimate motivation is what's the big problem. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:22 Highlight the passage at 1:25:22

1:25:49 If your ultimate motivation, even for it, say you're sitting down and just doing meditation on the breath, still do it for the benefit of all sentient beings, right? Even if it's, if it's, you're just doing five minutes meditating on the breath, make it for the benefit of all sentient beings so that ultimate bodhicitta motivation is what carries that. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:49 Highlight the passage at 1:25:49

1:26:09 meditation for you. Otherwise it starts becoming, you might have some of those blissful experiences that Krishna has talked about and many of you may have experienced any meditations already and then we can get sidetracked and forget that ultimately when you do any meditation, whether it's two hours single pointed or whether it's going through the steps towards developing bodhicitta, these are just tools, they're just tools to get us enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:09 Highlight the passage at 1:26:09

1:26:39 And if we get sidetracked and we just think, wow, this is really, really blissful, you know, I'm raising up, my mind is going up to the formless realm and all this other exciting things are happening, then we get off track, you know, and really this is just, these are just tools to get us in life. I Report an error in the passage at 1:26:39 Highlight the passage at 1:26:39

1:27:01 was thinking of one of the stories of Tara's birth. Oh yeah, yeah. And the one out of Avila Katesh birth. It's here. Do you want to share that? No, you go ahead and share it. Oh, okay. So, Chin Raisi, Avila Kiteshra, depends on Gyatso, was getting discouraged because he was saving so many beings from, yeah, saving beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:01 Highlight the passage at 1:27:01

1:27:32 And so he started to cry a little. And from his tears, Tara was born. Green Tara, right? I think that's a pretty tarot. And then also, all his hands, remember, the thousand arms. I don't know his thumbs. Yeah, they happen at the same time. So that he had the hands to deal with all the sufferings. See, I can't teach those stories. And I actually have my own animated version, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:32 Highlight the passage at 1:27:32

1:28:03 that's awesome I will never forget it now you know what when There should be more of these kind of cartoons. Where are these cartoons? Even in meditation, I think we should get embodied. I notice if you take that smoke and crush it, it's easier to actually put it in a ball. Are you doing that? Yeah. No, the first time I ever felt like I really got rid of it. Well, it's supposed to be, meditation is supposed to be the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:03 Highlight the passage at 1:28:03

1:28:41 I know. It's not really supposed to be the hand. No, Report an error in the passage at 1:28:41 Highlight the passage at 1:28:41

1:28:55 I think actually you can. You can actually. Do damage. I know that I've heard His Holiness say that, you know, especially when you're doing visualization, meditation, if you're trying too hard to see it, like it's a mental exercise. We're doing a mental exercise, so you're not really trying really hard to see it, but if you do, you actually might hurt your eyes. Plus, I think you can do loam. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:55 Highlight the passage at 1:28:55

1:29:28 You can actually get into a wind disorder by just... Trying really hard, you know, and it's not a physical thing. I think it's fine that you did it this time, but I think ongoing it is a mental experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:28 Highlight the passage at 1:29:28

1:29:49 I'm going to give you a break, but I'm going to just start a little bit on this experience. So once you generate some form of bodhicitta, and it doesn't have to be the fully advanced eighth level version, it could be the Sharaputra version or whatever version, just generate it, then you become a bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:49 Highlight the passage at 1:29:49

1:30:06 Now it has to be actual bodhicitta in, you know, it's not just that sugar cane bodhicitta. But you still have a ways to go. There's actually ten levels, these buoys, during which you perfect the six perfections. But we can start practicing these six perfections now. I mean, the way they're taught, none of them are that difficult to understand, although, like I said, you could literally make a lifetime practice after studying the six perfections. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:06 Highlight the passage at 1:30:06

1:30:45 But these are what's called the bodhisattva activities. So once we become bodhisattvas, then we really go deeply. The six perfections, paramita, perfection is the translation of Sanskrit word parmi. It really refers to gone beyond, which is talking about where we want to go. This is what's going to get us there. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:45 Highlight the passage at 1:30:45

1:31:10 This is what's going to get us out of this gone beyond saṃsāra, gone beyond suffering and aging and death, gone to the state Report an error in the passage at 1:31:10 Highlight the passage at 1:31:10

1:31:25 of life. They say that we don't get to the fully perfected version of each perfection until we are in life, but we Report an error in the passage at 1:31:25 Highlight the passage at 1:31:25

1:31:36 just keep practicing them. And they strengthen and enhance this line of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:36 Highlight the passage at 1:31:36

1:31:47 So, at our level, these six perfections actually act as a perfect. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:47 Highlight the passage at 1:31:47

1:32:01 And again, every time we're trying to practice these perfections, even at the tiniest level, we're trying to deal with some sort of a bodhicitta motivation, even if it's contrived. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:01 Highlight the passage at 1:32:01

1:32:14 And without worldly concerns. That's the thing too. And the more we start understanding emptiness, the more we try to bring that into it too. And I'll explain that in a second because you can use that at every single level. So when we're doing giving, we try to remember that. When we're doing patience, we try to remember that. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:14 Highlight the passage at 1:32:14

1:32:37 And remember too that these are perfections of mind. These are states of mind. It doesn't mean that we are doing any of these practices with the expectation that anything around us changes. So it comes up sometimes, if all these beings have gotten enlightened and have practiced the perfection of giving, why are they so poor people? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:33:07 They've perfected their ability to give, their wish to give. Their desire to give all, but it doesn't mean that other people don't exist with their own karma. And, of course, who knows who those four people are? That's the other question to ask. They could be bodhisattvas popping up to try to help you work with your generosity. And if so, when you give a dollar, remember that little bit of emptiness and remember to dedicate it to the benefit of all that it needs. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:07 Highlight the passage at 1:33:07

1:33:38 I try to usually do Medi-Center, always have all that it needs. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:38 Highlight the passage at 1:33:38

1:33:47 So we give because we want to give, and we try to perfect this mind of giving. We're moral because we enjoy being moral, not because somebody's telling us to be patient in order to change our mind, to eliminate anger in our mind, not because Jesus said so. You know, so it's a completely different idea about this. We're trying to perfect our mind. It almost doesn't even matter who the other person is at this point. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:47 Highlight the passage at 1:33:47

1:34:18 You know, it's not like we're trying to not make somebody like us, which is often our motivation. That's the self-directing one. We're trying to develop concentration because then we can use it as a tool to Report an error in the passage at 1:34:18 Highlight the passage at 1:34:18

1:34:37 deal with that concentration. And obviously we need to understand emptiness, wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:37 Highlight the passage at 1:34:37

1:34:46 Okay, so also with these six perfections, they are taught in a certain order because we practice them. So the very first one is giving. That's what we start with. That's what we can start with now. If we get good at giving, then it sort of naturally leads to the next one because we become less concerned with our possessions, less attached to them, and that makes it a little easier to live an ethical way of life. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:46 Highlight the passage at 1:34:46

1:35:17 And then because if we're living an ethical way of life... If we're not so worried about keeping our things and so forth, then we stop harming people for our things or to get things, and that leads to patience. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:17 Highlight the passage at 1:35:17

1:35:37 And then if we're restraining ourselves and struggling with keeping our negativity in check, then that sets the stage for us to be joyful, to be doing good things, which is stressful. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:37 Highlight the passage at 1:35:37

1:35:53 And if we have joyful effort, then we're doing good things all the time, non-stop, day and night, like if we really perfect it, and then we're focusing constantly on having that, then that develops this concentration, this single-pointed mind, keeping us both in meditation and out of meditation on the objective, which is, of course, Report an error in the passage at 1:35:53 Highlight the passage at 1:35:53

1:36:20 to use that concentration in order to... To have a direct perception of emptiness, we have to be able to be in deep meditation. They say up to two hours at a time. And that leads naturally to wisdom. So that's why they're taught in that particular order. They actually sort of sequentially lead. So the first one is giving. And again, it's that developing the state of mind that wants to give. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:20 Highlight the passage at 1:36:20

1:36:48 Sometimes it's taught as generosity. And what are you giving? You're giving basically anything. You're giving money, possessions, wealth, energy. And then as Gashla talks about, then at some point you are able to give the body or parts of the body. But obviously you can't do that until it's as easy as giving carrots. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:48 Highlight the passage at 1:36:48

1:37:12 So don't worry about it if you're not ready to yet. We have to have a direct reception event. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:12 Highlight the passage at 1:37:12

1:37:20 So we start small actually. And actually one of my teachers changes that translation a little bit and says, start with vegetables. Start with something you don't care about that much. And just practice little bits. Give somebody carrots. Give somebody apples. Or just do a little thing every day. Like a little tiny giving every day. Because it's not how much you give. It's how you give. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:20 Highlight the passage at 1:37:20

1:37:49 You're trying to just open up your heart and be willing to give. And doing it again with that bodhicitta motivation. And if you're doing it with a bodhicitta motivation, they say even a few crumbs to a bird. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:49 Highlight the passage at 1:37:49

1:38:05 This bodhicitta activity, or even a spoonful of food for bodhi, becomes a bodhicitta activity because the motivation is most important. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:05 Highlight the passage at 1:38:05

1:38:16 Three kinds of giving. I'm going to give you a couple of lists. If you're interested, then great, but don't worry about it. It'll come at you a little bit. Three different kinds of giving, and actually tantra adds a fourth. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:16 Highlight the passage at 1:38:16

1:38:31 The first is giving material things. So that's not just things, but it could be food, it could be money, it could be medicine, it could be that. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:31 Highlight the passage at 1:38:31

1:38:44 Karmically results in wealth or having enough things in the next life. Giving the Dharma is the second. And that includes teaching, but it also includes just like if somebody's upset and you think is open, then you might be able to give them some Dharma information, but not like a, not like that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:44 Highlight the passage at 1:38:44

1:39:08 But it also is reciting mantras. Say you're reciting mantras with a sick cat or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:08 Highlight the passage at 1:39:08

1:39:19 And also acting in a way that becomes an example of the Dharma to others. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:19 Highlight the passage at 1:39:19

1:39:31 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. But I just meant, yeah, that's a way of giving the Dharma, yeah, that I don't always think of. I always think of, you know, teaching, but most of us aren't in a situation where we are getting teaching very often. But we are in situations where we're not able to just help others, suffering sentient beings around us. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:31 Highlight the passage at 1:39:31

1:39:50 The third is giving protection or fearlessness. And that can be, I mean, that could actually be in a lot of ways. You could actually save the life of a being, which could actually be as little as, you know, a little tiny, A spider or something that you find in the bathtub or something and move it outside. It doesn't have to be like running into the burning building. Because those are sandy beings too, just like humans. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:50 Highlight the passage at 1:39:50

1:40:34 Yes, instead of squishing them or if they would be killed. So say you're walking along the path and you see some big beetle going and you know that, I mean if nobody else uses that path, then let the thing just cross, you know. I mean, sometimes we're a little bit gung-ho and are trying to save its life and it's just terrifying because you keep picking them up. But if it's on a busy street, then maybe move it to the side. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:34 Highlight the passage at 1:40:34

1:40:59 And I usually try to take that opportunity to blow on it too. Even if it's just all money from your home, it just is. But that's giving protection. It might be giving a little fear. Giving protection. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:59 Highlight the passage at 1:40:59

1:41:16 Yes, and a lot of people have antagonistic relationships. The karmic result, but it also could be being with sick people, right? So like nurses, we have a couple of nurses in our community who spend a lot of time helping sick people. The karmic result of this is a long, healthy life. And the fourth one that Tantra adds is giving love, which I think is kind of funny that that comes in Tantra, but anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:16 Highlight the passage at 1:41:16

1:41:47 Basically just giving happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:47 Highlight the passage at 1:41:47

1:41:53 And the karmic result of that is having happiness. And having the ability to make others happy more useful. And again, you just start small and get used to it. I mean, they all kind of are like that. You start small and get used to it. Shantideva goes over that over and over again. Anything that you want to become a natural habit, you just start small and get used to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:53 Highlight the passage at 1:41:53

1:42:20 And every time you get sort of overwhelmed by it, you just start over and just start small. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:20 Highlight the passage at 1:42:20

1:42:27 It's best to give with some kind of concern for others, respectful of the others. And give with your own hands rather than pay for other people to go and feed somebody or whatever. But you still get the karmic result if you have the idea. You still get nice karma out of that. But it is the sort of closer it is to you, like me actually giving something to Ana is more powerful. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:27 Highlight the passage at 1:42:27

1:42:52 And not giving things that are inappropriate, like guns or weapons or drugs or alcohol. Sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:52 Highlight the passage at 1:42:52

1:43:02 And we really should use our wisdom when we're giving. If you know somebody's suicidal, don't give them the means. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:02 Highlight the passage at 1:43:02

1:43:14 I don't think, well, we'll do this other list really quick and then we'll take a quick break. If you want to make something stronger karmically, this example I'll give it to you in terms of giving. Do it over and over again is the first one. Do it in a stream. So give all the time. Which is why, of course, all those little things that... Report an error in the passage at 1:43:14 Highlight the passage at 1:43:14

1:43:38 That we do are more, you know, like we're talking about the non-virtues, the speech ones get us into trouble much more than killing, right? Few of us are out there like killing people, right? Hopefully not. But we are gossiping and, you know, lying and doing other things with our speech. And why those become so powerful is because we're doing them over and over. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:38 Highlight the passage at 1:43:38

1:44:02 So the opposite is true, too. If we want our giving karma to increase, we do lots of little ones all the time. That gets bigger and bigger and bigger. So I can practice giving all the time with, you know, my food. Or something's burning. It could be just cooking. In this house, it's useful. Do it with a very strong motivation, especially compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:02 Highlight the passage at 1:44:02

1:44:34 Or having the strong intention to lead somebody to enlightenment. Sometimes I'll think about that when I give money on the street. I might think, may I personally lead you to enlightenment? Or having the thought, of course, that they could be bodhisattva trying to show me how to get enlightened. So whichever you need to work on. If you need to build your confidence, then think the one. If you want to deflate your pride, then think the other hand. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:34 Highlight the passage at 1:44:34

1:45:03 Use it as an antidote. Use your giving as an antidote for your three poisonous minds. Any of your delusions, but aversion, attachment, ignorance. For example, give away the stuff you're attached to. And that's hard. Don't start with this one. These are just ideas. And I see Mary, who's getting ready to come back. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:03 Highlight the passage at 1:45:03

1:45:27 She's going to come back and look forward. Who used to live here, but I see her doing this kind of stuff all the time. She would find something and she would decide, I'm too attached to her, I want it too badly, so I better give it away. And I'll hear her doing that and I'm really proud of her. Or somebody will say, well I've got these tickets, who do you think I should give them to? And she won't mention herself, even though she really wants to go. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:27 Highlight the passage at 1:45:27

1:45:51 She'll mention three other people. And then the person will come back to her and say, well none of them can do it. Don't you want to do it? And she'll be like, yes, but... So it's good. Use your giving as a way to kind of attack these minds. The more powerful the object. If you choose a more powerful object, like giving something to the Dalai Lama is really great. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:51 Highlight the passage at 1:45:51

1:46:14 Somebody who's benefited you, it also becomes a more powerful object. Any teacher or your current students because they give you bodies. we practice the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:14 Highlight the passage at 1:46:14

1:46:26 Give to people who have helped you. Oh, I mentioned that, sorry. Give to someone who is suffering. So if you give to somebody who's really in trouble or really tired or really stressed out or who needs your help in some way, they become a powerful object. Obviously more powerful than if I give it to somebody who doesn't need it and doesn't, isn't, you know, isn't. I'm just practicing, but I'm giving it to, you know, my rich daughter or something and that doesn't really help. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:26 Highlight the passage at 1:46:26

1:46:54 And the highest form of generosity is a completely contented mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:54 Highlight the passage at 1:46:54

1:47:06 So why don't you take a break? Just a short one. Potty break. Or should we skip it? Skip it. No, I think there's a... Let's go for... She needs it. Three minutes. Yeah, three minutes. Completely what? Contented mind. Completely contented mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:06 Highlight the passage at 1:47:06

1:47:28 I'm not spelling it anymore. Oh, I was making more toast. That's horrible. Did Report an error in the passage at 1:47:28 Highlight the passage at 1:47:28

1:47:42 you check that soon? Do Report an error in the passage at 1:47:42 Highlight the passage at 1:47:42

1:47:49 we need water? Yeah, they come. Do we need water in the thing? Is it burning? Is it a water boiler? Report an error in the passage at 1:47:49 Highlight the passage at 1:47:49

1:48:02 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:02 Highlight the passage at 1:48:02

1:48:07 Maybe there's a candle boiler. Is it a candle boiler? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's kind of why I made sure we did that right now. I saw the eyes getting smaller. But wait, Christine, how is the tarantula height? Yeah, there's water on there. There should be. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:07 Highlight the passage at 1:48:07

1:48:29 So you went with your own gut instinct. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:29 Highlight the passage at 1:48:29

1:48:36 too, yesterday, you had to dig up. fundraiser, yeah! You were out at night. What? It's tight. Can I do number two instead for the equanimity? Report an error in the passage at 1:48:36 Highlight the passage at 1:48:36

1:48:57 you don't have to tell me what you're doing only if you do something that's not on the list Report an error in the passage at 1:48:57 Highlight the passage at 1:48:57

1:49:07 just because I've had people do that and then it ends up being absolutely nothing to do with the class yeah I keep thinking it's somehow going to circle around and it's just kind of like Which Report an error in the passage at 1:49:07 Highlight the passage at 1:49:07

1:49:21 still could happen, but... Report an error in the passage at 1:49:21 Highlight the passage at 1:49:21

1:49:25 Yeah, because I'm not going to have time to do that. And I've already done a lot of work around my family, I feel personally. Yeah. And you're welcome to, the good thing is if you don't tell me, if you don't tell me, then you can also change your mind on that before. And people do that too. Because you don't tell you what? I just said you don't have to tell me what you're going to present on. I was off chart before, so I asked for permission, but now. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:25 Highlight the passage at 1:49:25

1:49:52 Yeah, so you don't, you just choose whatever. and the reason that's good, are you okay? That was a really loud crack. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:52 Highlight the passage at 1:49:52

1:50:02 Christy. That's me. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:02 Highlight the passage at 1:50:02

1:50:08 One of the reasons is I don't need to know, and then the second reason is you can change your mind at the last minute, which, you know, could be either you intend to. Okay, get back in here, Anna. Don't go to sleep. You run out of glitter. She just lay completely down on that couch. That's too dangerous. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:08 Highlight the passage at 1:50:08

1:50:28 Lee, go get that woman. She's asleep on the couch. Nice jacket. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:28 Highlight the passage at 1:50:28

1:50:38 Yeah, but you know sometimes people, you're all prepared to do one and all of a sudden you just get this kit and you just want to do something different and then that allows that. We have a couple times had people do the same thing and who cares? Because it ends up being different because it's... you know, individual personalities. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:38 Highlight the passage at 1:50:38

1:50:55 So you're just researching on your own? Yeah, just come up with whatever. So it could be based on whatever notes you've written. Other notes like from other names. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:55 Highlight the passage at 1:50:55

1:51:06 I mean, I actually have had people create their own meditations, which totally blew me out. I thought that was really cool, you know. And then Cindy Pong, I remember that one. It was great. Meditation was great. or Anna, or you. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:06 Highlight the passage at 1:51:06

1:51:21 So you can do whatever. Or you just take one, if you really like meditation, lead it. And then you don't have to do anything. So even the busiest people can come up with something because you can just read your homework and just lead as a meditation. I mean, it's kind of nice if you do a little feeling, but yeah. So it doesn't have to be a huge research project to the other scientists. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:21 Highlight the passage at 1:51:21

1:51:45 I know. I was like, what am I going to pencil this in? Just reading meditation. I really love that because then we get more meditation experience than I get to be good. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:45 Highlight the passage at 1:51:45

1:52:00 Okay, you guys, come on. Can I ask a question while we're waiting for them to come in? You have two and a half seconds. No, go ahead. But you should ask in the microphone. Well, I can ask you offline too. Is it? Okay. Yeah. never mind. No, go ahead. Go ahead. No, actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:00 Highlight the passage at 1:52:00

1:52:15 I don't want to derail if you're going to try to finish the section. Okay, let's do it after in that way if people need to leave. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:15 Highlight the passage at 1:52:15

1:52:28 So I'm going to do this one a little at the end. So the six perfections get sort of increasingly more difficult to practice. So we start with giving and then we move to number two, which is ethics. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:28 Highlight the passage at 1:52:28

1:52:50 And that is... The virtuous thought to abandon harming others, and even the thought. So, you know, first you stop beating them up and trying to kill them, and then you stop thinking, God, I wish it was, you know, because that's harming them with our thoughts. Even if they aren't aware of what your thoughts are, which of course not everybody is, but sometimes people are more aware of what we're thinking than we might think that they are. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:50 Highlight the passage at 1:52:50

1:53:22 it up the the thought. Yeah, yeah. And even the thought. So first we start with the actions, physical and verbal actions. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:22 Highlight the passage at 1:53:22

1:53:39 The perfection of ethics is doing this with a bodhicitta. And sometimes you do hear it too, is doing this with another. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:39 Highlight the passage at 1:53:39

1:53:55 Again, another list, sorry. Three types of morality, three types of ethics. People have different... Morality gets kind of a funky... I think the moral majority and all that stuff, so a lot of times people don't like that word, so then I choose ethics, but it doesn't matter. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:55 Highlight the passage at 1:53:55

1:54:15 Non-harm in this sense. The first is the morality of restraint, and that's when we're restraining from non-virtuous actions, not especially as including the 10 non-virtuous acts. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:15 Highlight the passage at 1:54:15

1:54:29 And then the second is the morality of practicing virtue. So first we're restraining from non-virtue, and then we're actually actively trying to do virtue. you, that... Report an error in the passage at 1:54:29 Highlight the passage at 1:54:29

1:54:47 We get into this a lot in karma, because of course, when we do all this stuff, who does it ultimately benefit the most? Report an error in the passage at 1:54:47 Highlight the passage at 1:54:47

1:55:02 Because how is karma created? It's our mind. It's not like somebody's up there with a clipboard. When we restrain ourselves from screaming back at somebody or hitting somebody or killing somebody or stealing a spouse or whatever, it actually benefits us first. Of course, we cause a lot less harm around us. And then if we actively try to be kind and generous and all that stuff, actively do virtuous things, it also benefits us the most. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:02 Highlight the passage at 1:55:02

1:55:34 But it does create a nice environment around us, right? People are not afraid that we're going to hit them. The third one is the morality of working for the benefit of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:34 Highlight the passage at 1:55:34

1:55:50 The highest form of morality is the mind not wanting to harm in any way. It's a peaceful mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:50 Highlight the passage at 1:55:50

1:55:59 The third perfection is patience, or as one of my teachers calls it, the art of not getting angry when there's good cause. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:59 Highlight the passage at 1:55:59

1:56:14 So you're literally not getting angry. At first, we're still getting angry, but we're trying not to act on it. Because that's a good first step, right? Because at first... Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:14 Highlight the passage at 1:56:14

1:56:28 Think of little kids in the playground. You're just all over the place. You're grabbing somebody else's stuff. You're not even attempting to restrain yourself. And many adults are that way too, unfortunately. So we're trying to first get to the point where we're seeing that anger and it's still coming up, but we're not necessarily acting on it. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:28 Highlight the passage at 1:56:28

1:56:50 And I've told this story before. I remember actually I was with one of my teachers the night before. He did an evening class. I think it was here actually. And then the next day he did a day long at Vajrapani or someplace. And he was talking about the night before and how he got so angry. And I thought, well, it must have been after class or something. But no, it was during the class and it was when this, basically heckler, there was this guy in the class that was like, oh, come on, you don't believe that, do you? Report an error in the passage at 1:56:50 Highlight the passage at 1:56:50

1:57:19 And he was completely calm and he was just answering it, but apparently he was angry. That was how anger looked in him. But he was so restrained that it just looked like he wasn't upset at the least. So it was very interesting for me to see because you realize it gets subtler and subtler. He knew that was anger for him. For me, it would have been like, hey, shut up! Report an error in the passage at 1:57:19 Highlight the passage at 1:57:19

1:57:49 But for him, it sounded like he was just kind of laughing and talking with the guy, but there was anger arising. amazing and it's mine, so interesting. The practice of patience, again, we're trying to do this with the bodhicitta motivation. The benefits is, they actually say the karmic benefits of practicing patience are beauty, you know, having an attractive personality, having peace of mind, being close to holy beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:49 Highlight the passage at 1:57:49

1:58:20 I went that one. And then, you know, they throw on getting enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:20 Highlight the passage at 1:58:20

1:58:27 And they say that this sort of peace or safety surrounds you too, which is, that makes sense, right? And I remember actually that was one of the first things that I felt about Lama Zopa Rinpoche is just feeling incredibly safe around him. I didn't feel like anything outlandish was going to happen. I mean, he's definitely over the top. His teachings may go on a long time. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:27 Highlight the passage at 1:58:27

1:58:51 He does things out of the ordinary. But there wasn't any kind of safety issue at all. I felt really safe in that environment. And I didn't even put my mind, I couldn't put that into words. I just thought of that when I was learning this. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:51 Highlight the passage at 1:58:51

1:59:07 The disadvantages of anger. This one comes up a lot. Anger is like one of the most, they say it's like fire in our mind. You know, it can burn up all the good stuff. And even just conventionally we can see that, right? Somebody can have a great personality, but if they're angry all the time, they just drive people away. Nobody wants to be around them. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:07 Highlight the passage at 1:59:07

1:59:27 It just kind of pervades everything. So, and they actually say it can create all these health problems, too. Like, you know, blood pressure raises and all that stuff. And I think that my dad had that a lot, actually. My dad had a really violent anger and died of an aneurysm, which is almost like a, what would you say, like a, it's almost like a metaphor of how a violent anger. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:27 Highlight the passage at 1:59:27

1:59:53 A pressure cooker. Yeah, it's like a pressure cooker inside his own veins. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:53 Highlight the passage at 1:59:53

2:00:01 And they say that whatever emotion we have in our mind, it pervades the mind. So if it's anger, then we can't even think thoroughly. We can't even help any... Like, it's impractical, too. Like, if we're in a bad situation and we get angry, it just compounds it. We can't figure out how to get out of that situation. We can't even figure out how to communicate. You know, so it's not... Report an error in the passage at 2:00:01 Highlight the passage at 2:00:01

2:00:19 It's actually not even a useful state of mind because we can't... We can't do anything useful with it. And so what counters... Anger is patience. And patience is not just the absence of anger, which I think it is in some traditions. It's actually learning not to get angry when we could. So something bad happens. We could get angry, but we figured it out through our study and our meditation and so forth that it's not so useful. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:19 Highlight the passage at 2:00:19

2:00:55 And that's mostly through studying karma. Because then we're realizing, well, why is this thing happening? It's not that person out there. It's not somebody's fault, you know, I'm not going to sue somebody. This is the American way of thinking. And so then this patience actually sort of arises more naturally when I understand. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:55 Highlight the passage at 2:00:55

2:01:20 The second type of patience is the patience, so that's the first type. The second is the patience of accepting any kind of difficulties or hardship, and sometimes that's called forbearance, you know, you're bearing up under something. Sickness, you know, anything that happens is actually a great opportunity to practice patience. You wake up and you feel like crap, you know. You wake up and it's raining. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:20 Highlight the passage at 2:01:20

2:01:44 You wake up and, it's always when you wake up, right? Any difficulty on a journey, you get lost. You know, anything that happens, you lose your job. It's an opportunity to practice patience because it's like we have a billion of these little things in our lives and they lead up to our death, you know. So it's like... Report an error in the passage at 2:01:44 Highlight the passage at 2:01:44

2:02:03 This is a good thing for me to work with. I can work with this. This is a good thing for me to practice. And the third is, sometimes it's described as the patience of dealing with the difficulties practicing Dharma. I have learned it, the patience from a firm conviction in the Dharma. So you're actually developing this belief in the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:03 Highlight the passage at 2:02:03

2:02:31 So the patience, and that sort of reflects a little bit on what we were talking about with karma. All of the teachings that we have learned over time basically can help us in difficulties arise. So the stronger our conviction is in those teachings, the more patience will naturally arise. It's not like we have to force ourselves to be patient. So remember, patience in this case is not talking about repressing anger. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:31 Highlight the passage at 2:02:31

2:02:57 It's not like smushing something down. It's not like what you were doing to that. Getting that ball so it can explode in there. That's right, that's right. There's a quality of wisdom and compassion to patience, actually. So you have to understand Dharma a little bit to practice patience. That's why it's third, right? We're not starting with patience. Patience is really hard. Patience, I think, is one of the hardest. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:57 Highlight the passage at 2:02:57

2:03:25 And the highest form of patience is humility, because it reduces, if we actually become incredibly humble. It's easy for us to speak. That's right. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:25 Highlight the passage at 2:03:25

2:03:44 And I think I will do the next three next week. Because we have joyful effort, concentration of wisdom. And then, of course, the most I did was joyful effort. Concentration of wisdom right here. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:44 Highlight the passage at 2:03:44

2:04:03 Yeah, so we'll start with those next week. But we're also going to... Go through all of the steps of the eleven point method to develop bodhicitta and then we'll also watch the Discovering Bodhicitta video and we'll also have a little celebration at the end of class. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:03 Highlight the passage at 2:04:03

2:04:22 So let's end with a dedication actually. Don't leap up quite yet. Remember, just like when you're meditating or studying at home, that you should remember to dedicate anything, any good that we got out of this class. Any insights, any... Anything we got in the discussions or the questions or anything. And even if we aren't aware yet what those are, because things just have to cook for a while. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:22 Highlight the passage at 2:04:22

2:04:54 So we just dedicate any good from this. Each of us, all of us, including Christina, I believe early. David wasn't here. Frank wasn't here. Steve wasn't here. They're all watching the game. Whoever's not here, that all of us are not able to generate. Genuine bodhicitta, all the way up to like the 8th, 9th, 10th levels, so that we can go all the way. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:54 Highlight the passage at 2:04:54

2:05:29 A little bit over, but not bad. That's okay. No, you can't, but that way people are free to go. Also, your third patience differs from what's in them. Oh, I'm sure. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:29 Highlight the passage at 2:05:29

2:05:46 That's the one, I think it's the most confusing one that changes with each time I've heard you presenting. So my question is around... Do you have to use the mic? Oh, I have to use the mic? Okay, I thought it was after hours, so I didn't... Well, if you say something like bad, we'll edit it out. So, step number six, the disadvantages of cherishing oneself and the whole thing, like the impediment... Report an error in the passage at 2:05:46 Highlight the passage at 2:05:46

2:06:18 you know, your practice and impediment to meditate. I kind of struggle with this one because I totally get it. I get that cherishing yourself and staying in bed and wanting to watch an extra half hour TV or doing whatever is keeping you from having the time to practice. But where I struggle with it and I don't know... Report an error in the passage at 2:06:18 Highlight the passage at 2:06:18

2:06:42 It's like finding the balance between actually because I'm not Lama Zopa and I need two hours of sleep or nothing. And I struggle with then feeling guilty if I feel like I need sleep, but then I'm like, do I need sleep? Or am I just cherishing myself? And you do, and it's never the same answer twice, and all of us could change day to day. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:42 Highlight the passage at 2:06:42

2:07:09 I mean, it's not like... get into that with joyful efforts. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:09 Highlight the passage at 2:07:09

2:07:10 I would say, yeah, you, me, in three hours, and she, in 17. You know, it's not like that. It's like, yeah, it's... Like, how do you know that you... I think only you will know. I think it's... Yeah, I think you can trick yourself. Kind of like if you're sick or something, and you feel like, well, if I'm sick, I should rest and take care of myself. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:10 Highlight the passage at 2:07:10

2:07:30 I shouldn't work out or whatever, right? Okay, you know how to take care... But there's a certain element of, like, using it as an excuse where maybe you... Yeah. And I think it's left to you to really examine it. You're the best. So be careful with that. Be careful with that. Karma always knows. You know what though? I think sometimes, especially with practice, you've got to push. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:30 Highlight the passage at 2:07:30

2:07:56 Sometimes you've got to rest. And we do talk about that. Because I've heard that if you push too much, then it's not good because you create a version. Can do. And then sometimes when you push, it's incredible. Right. And you reach the next level. Think about yoga. Think about exercise. I think you do know. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:56 Highlight the passage at 2:07:56

2:08:14 I think you know. I think we have to develop more and more of our own wisdom and figure that out. Right. Yeah, it's not like there's any one answer that's right for all. Okay. I think you know more than you know. But it's a good question. Yeah. Well, you know, you have days where you're working 12 hours a day and you're like, okay, I should meditate. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:14 Highlight the passage at 2:08:14

2:08:36 But I'm like so... And then you know what I do. Maybe it's the Libra thing. Sometimes I just think, okay, I'm going to meditate for five minutes. Yeah. Okay, so you kind of just... It's like a little compromise, you know, so I'm not going to let myself fully off the hook. Right, but I'm not going to aim, but then I've got to go and read the New York Times, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:36 Highlight the passage at 2:08:36

2:08:53 It's okay, you know. I think we can be too hard on ourselves, too, you know, and it's like, oh, you're horrible, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that's not going to help, you know. Right. It's just like... It's just watching your mind. But it's constantly balancing it. Then you end up with a whole weekend of reading New York Times and it gets a little old, you know, so then it's like... Report an error in the passage at 2:08:53 Highlight the passage at 2:08:53

2:09:11 Maybe you could have squeezed it. Okay. Because I do think sometimes we can go way off the other side, too. Absolutely. And I like the queen of that one, too, you know. Okay. So, yeah, it's just a constant. Mindful. You know how when you're driving, how you're constantly making little adjustments to stay in the lane? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:11 Highlight the passage at 2:09:11

2:09:29 That's just what you're doing. Okay. All right. Yeah. I'm good with that. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:29 Highlight the passage at 2:09:29

2:09:36 All right. Thanks, you guys. hang out. I was actually a great person. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:36 Highlight the passage at 2:09:36

2:09:45 Thank you. Wow, I have a new oven. Ooh, and it bakes evenly. I'm baking. I think we're baked on this today, actually. And the acorn squash. You like acorn squash? I love acorn squash. I do, too. Actually, I'm going to make some. It's a season. I was going to. We were going to make this cauliflower. No, not acorn. What is going on? I don't know. Sorry. No, I think it's all. You know, I don't really know how to use butter. I drew up with people. Isn't it a gourd? Report an error in the passage at 2:09:45 Highlight the passage at 2:09:45

2:10:15 Telomeres are getting shorter. Yes, they are. But I got the idea from this recipe. Actually, I got this idea. What you know? It's just the box. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:15 Highlight the passage at 2:10:15

2:10:32 Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you're doing something with little cubes recipe. That is so cool! And then she was like, you know, you can hear really good music and it's already done and it's easy and you're still eating nice and it's like... Report an error in the passage at 2:10:32 Highlight the passage at 2:10:32