A Brief Commentary on the Bodhisattva Vows - Guidelines for Awakening Compassion and the Altruistic Mind (1 April 2011)

0:00 You know, we offer our food and she's like, yeah mom, do mine too. Aw, that's cute, that's funny. So cute. Wow. Yeah, she sounds like a really focused... She's like 10 minutes and then... Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

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1:19 Yeah, but what is it? Oh, it's Report an error in the passage at 1:19 Highlight the passage at 1:19

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2:05 the only one I have to learn last week. It's like with this. I mean, like, Charles gave this out last week. Oh, really? And I've just been going and just going through it once, maybe twice a day. Usually once a day. It's Report an error in the passage at 2:05 Highlight the passage at 2:05

2:24 working. It's working. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get through it. So I was like, you're just, just one day, you know, and I was like, oh, so today, it's easier, Report an error in the passage at 2:24 Highlight the passage at 2:24

2:49 Oh, Chucky said we didn't eat gold Oh, she did? Yeah. Oh, because we did the bunny clap-up prayer at home, so I thought she was great. Well, because I asked her, do you just want me to do the gold ones? And she's like, no, just go wear them. And I was like, okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:49 Highlight the passage at 2:49

3:02 yeah, you missed us. We couldn't understand how to do the bats. So we, this is like the fourth arrangement. Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 3:02 Highlight the passage at 3:02

3:16 I've been at this center for a year. Report an error in the passage at 3:16 Highlight the passage at 3:16

3:22 Oh, do the ones out there need to be left? I need to be closed. Oh. Yeah, yeah. That's why I remember. Oh, my gosh. I need to look at that. It's crazy that the lighter keeps on moving and hiding. Yes, and I put smoke in, so I don't have one on me anymore. I got all these dicks. I'm in Carolina. You did? Yes, ma 'am. Go, girl. Woo. Report an error in the passage at 3:22 Highlight the passage at 3:22

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5:42 Hi, Dawn. Hi, how are you? Welcome. Report an error in the passage at 5:42 Highlight the passage at 5:42

5:56 Book two. Report an error in the passage at 5:56 Highlight the passage at 5:56

6:20 Let's start with a little meditation on our breath, just to bring our minds down or to neutral or up or wherever they need to go. Report an error in the passage at 6:20 Highlight the passage at 6:20

6:37 I don't need this here either. Report an error in the passage at 6:37 Highlight the passage at 6:37

6:44 So just kind of check your posture and take some nice deep breaths, let go of your day. Woo! Report an error in the passage at 6:44 Highlight the passage at 6:44

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6:50 Sometimes it also helps to just imagine breathing in white light and breathing out, you know, whatever negative thoughts, negative actions, whatever negativities at all you've done today. Report an error in the passage at 6:50 Highlight the passage at 6:50

7:05 Or just anything that you need to get rid of, like your sluggishness and your distraction. Report an error in the passage at 7:05 Highlight the passage at 7:05

7:13 Anything that keeps you from being fully aware and present. Report an error in the passage at 7:13 Highlight the passage at 7:13

7:40 And then after you do that, just find, just watch your breath for a few rounds. 10, Report an error in the passage at 7:40 Highlight the passage at 7:40

7:51 either at the tip of your nostril or at your belly, level your belly, whatever works for you, just to focus on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 7:51 Highlight the passage at 7:51

8:18 Just Report an error in the passage at 8:18 Highlight the passage at 8:18

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9:08 set a motivation for tonight's class, Report an error in the passage at 9:08 Highlight the passage at 9:08

9:14 thinking about all the living beings surrounding us, including ourselves, who have suffering, pain, illness, depression, fear, worry, Report an error in the passage at 9:14 Highlight the passage at 9:14

9:37 those who don't have enough money to eat, Report an error in the passage at 9:37 Highlight the passage at 9:37

9:44 those without a home. Report an error in the passage at 9:44 Highlight the passage at 9:44

9:49 Those who have a lot of material wealth, but they're lacking in other ways. They have a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, a lot of sadness. Report an error in the passage at 9:49 Highlight the passage at 9:49

10:03 We do this class for them, just as we take those vows, the bodhisattva vows for them, with the intention to help them, to lead them to enlightenment, to Report an error in the passage at 10:03 Highlight the passage at 10:03

10:24 take away all their suffering and the imprints of that suffering forever. Report an error in the passage at 10:24 Highlight the passage at 10:24

10:31 And to bring them happiness and all the causes of happiness forever. Report an error in the passage at 10:31 Highlight the passage at 10:31

10:39 So if you know anyone personally who needs something, is sad, is suffering right now, you can think of that person and do this class for them. Report an error in the passage at 10:39 Highlight the passage at 10:39

10:56 Or you can do it for as many other living beings as you can imagine. Report an error in the passage at 10:56 Highlight the passage at 10:56

11:10 So may whatever class the class brings tonight, whatever understandings we may gain, whatever insights or inspirations come out of this class. Report an error in the passage at 11:10 Highlight the passage at 11:10

11:25 The seeds that are planted come to fruition as our own enlightenment so that we can perfectly benefit all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 11:25 Highlight the passage at 11:25

11:44 Time, as you're ready, you can end your meditation and open your eyes. Report an error in the passage at 11:44 Highlight the passage at 11:44

11:52 And we'll start with the opening prayer, which is on page 8. Report an error in the passage at 11:52 Highlight the passage at 11:52

12:10 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge. To Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha. Until I reach full enlightenment, inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 12:10 Highlight the passage at 12:10

12:50 So tonight we're going to cover a few things and then we're going to... Go right into talking about the root vowels. But first I wanted to just check in and see if anybody had any questions about anything that happened last week or any little hits during the week that you wanted to share. Report an error in the passage at 12:50 Highlight the passage at 12:50

13:17 This is our senior seminar set up so nobody can hide in this class. Report an error in the passage at 13:17 Highlight the passage at 13:17

13:31 Yeah, yeah. I know, now we're going to have to put you right in the middle. In the chair, you know. Report an error in the passage at 13:31 Highlight the passage at 13:31

13:41 Anything for anybody? Thank Report an error in the passage at 13:41 Highlight the passage at 13:41

13:50 you everyone for making me feel welcome here. I always feel a warmth when I come here. Particularly, I'm from St. Louis and I practice at a Chan monastery there. And this last week we had our annual bodhisattva retreat for those who have taken vows. And some of us are residential and some are commuters. Report an error in the passage at 13:50 Highlight the passage at 13:50

14:17 And as it turned out, this particular period of time on Saturday I was commuting and we woke up and around noon it started snowing pretty severely. And by 2 o 'clock... It was snow covered, so the master said, those of you commuting, we should leave. Well, we got out on, because it's pretty remote where we are, we got out on the main road and went about a mile, and the entire road was closed down. Report an error in the passage at 14:17 Highlight the passage at 14:17

14:50 So we had to go back after waiting two and a half hours to be rescued by the Department of Transportation and the fireman. Report an error in the passage at 14:50 Highlight the passage at 14:50

14:58 It turned out to be quite nice because we really bonded that evening, you know, and of course everybody was comfortable, had a good night stay and woke up the next day and, you know, really felt wonderful about the snow, which was all melted. We had seven inches of snow and it was all gone. So that's St. Louis for you. So thank you for allowing me to come tonight and to sit in. Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:28 Absolutely. Welcome. Report an error in the passage at 15:28 Highlight the passage at 15:28

15:34 So I thought I would talk a little bit about, because not everybody in the class has already taken the vows. I don't think anymore. Not true. Kara, you haven't, and Henry, you haven't. I don't remember if Anne has or not. Okay. So I thought I'd also talk about when it's a good time to take the vows. For those of you that have already taken, too late. Report an error in the passage at 15:34 Highlight the passage at 15:34

16:06 And also who we take the vows from, you know, the qualities of the master that we take the vows from. And then something about what our intention should be, I bet you can guess, and how to prepare for it. And again, for those of you that have already taken the vows, it's still good for you to know this stuff, especially if you are counseling a student who's thinking about taking the vows or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 16:06 Highlight the passage at 16:06

16:31 So it's good for you to also know it. I think it's also in your reading too, but we'll just go over it. So who can take the vows? They mention three points in the text. Report an error in the passage at 16:31 Highlight the passage at 16:31

16:44 The person can be either a layperson or ordained. In other words, everybody can take the vows from that standpoint. They should feel a wish from the bottom of their hearts to practice the training for the bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 16:44 Highlight the passage at 16:44

17:03 That is the three kinds of morality, and we'll talk about that as the class goes on. And they must also have raised up in their hearts the prayer for the wish for enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 17:03 Highlight the passage at 17:03

17:15 They should have this wish in the form of a prayer. To attain total Buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings. And it actually says one should not grant the vows to somebody who has no interest in practicing the bodhisattva path and who hasn't raised up this wish, this prayer in their heart. Report an error in the passage at 17:15 Highlight the passage at 17:15

17:36 So obviously from the master's point of view, then they should also check up on what you're like. But this is written from the point of view of us as the students. Report an error in the passage at 17:36 Highlight the passage at 17:36

17:46 And then there's sort of like an extra one. So it's those three. I don't know, for those of you that were writing that down, did you get all three? The second one is they should feel a wish from the bottom of their hearts to practice the training for the bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 17:46 Highlight the passage at 17:46

18:03 Yeah, and that says that is the three kinds of morality. Report an error in the passage at 18:03 Highlight the passage at 18:03

18:13 And then the third one was they should have this prayer for the wish. Then there's like an extra one, and it says that it's a really good candidate would learn the vows of the bodhisattva training first. Report an error in the passage at 18:13 Highlight the passage at 18:13

18:27 So those of you who haven't taken the vows, now you can be really proud of yourselves. And the reason is so that you can look deep into your heart and decide whether or not you are able to keep the vows, whether this is something that you want to do. So it is a really good thing to do. It's one of the rare... Report an error in the passage at 18:27 Highlight the passage at 18:27

18:53 Sets of vows in Buddhism, in at least Tibetan Buddhism, that you can study first. You can study the lay vows, but a lot of the ordination vows we can't study in advance, and definitely when we start getting into tantra we can't study those vows first. Report an error in the passage at 18:53 Highlight the passage at 18:53

19:11 Yeah, so this is totally fine to do, to study these vows and to get to know when you're ready, when you feel ready, then you'll be ready. So, um... Report an error in the passage at 19:11 Highlight the passage at 19:11

19:20 So the points about the master, there are five points about who we can take the vows from. They get more. It should be somebody with those three points, right? So somebody who has made the bodhisattva, the wish in the form of a prayer inside of themselves to follow the bodhisattva path. I thought I heard the cat. Report an error in the passage at 19:20 Highlight the passage at 19:20

19:42 I was like, no, I locked the door. Wait, how did she get out? don't know. Report an error in the passage at 19:42 Highlight the passage at 19:42

19:51 He or she should also be somebody keeping the vows. Well, how can we tell that? I guess we would just study them for a while and try to figure out if it seems like they're living according to the vows. Report an error in the passage at 19:51 Highlight the passage at 19:51

20:04 They should be a master of the Mahāyāna teachings in general. Report an error in the passage at 20:04 Highlight the passage at 20:04

20:13 And these next two are kind of cute. They're sort of technical. They should be able to memorize the words of the ceremony and communicate them clearly in speech. Report an error in the passage at 20:13 Highlight the passage at 20:13

20:25 That's all one. So they should be able to memorize the words of the ceremony. This comes up in ordination, too. If you can't memorize, you can't do these things in the Tibetan tradition. Not allowed to bring texts in, I guess. Report an error in the passage at 20:25 Highlight the passage at 20:25

20:46 Communicate them clearly. So if you're just like me, where you may not be able to communicate it clearly. If you just kind of la, la, la, la, then you're not allowed to do it. And the last one is, this is really technical, they have to be able to hear and comprehend the responses of the candidate. So if the person is like saying, yes, I do, I will, and then the person's like not able to hear or understand what you're saying, then you can't be a master. Report an error in the passage at 20:46 Highlight the passage at 20:46

21:15 Not a good master for you, I should say. I suppose if the master is deaf and you're able to do sign language, then no problem. There has to be communication between the two. Report an error in the passage at 21:15 Highlight the passage at 21:15

21:29 And there's a section also on who we shouldn't take the bodhisattva vows from, and it says bodhisattvas should not accept the bodhisattva vows from just any old bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 21:29 Highlight the passage at 21:29

21:42 So even if they seem really learned and so forth, it's not enough. You have to make sure that it's somebody who... um um Report an error in the passage at 21:42 Highlight the passage at 21:42

21:52 That their intentions and their practice haven't degenerated. So again, watch the Master before you take the vows from them. So they might sound really good on the outside, but they aren't really keeping up their practice and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 21:52 Highlight the passage at 21:52

22:09 And that's the main thing that they mentioned about that. Or they've lost faith or something like that. Our intention for taking the bodhisattva vows. Obviously it should be for the sake of others. That should be the number one reason for taking the bodhisattva bells, that we should be doing it for the sake of others, for the benefit of others. Report an error in the passage at 22:09 Highlight the passage at 22:09

22:32 Not just for one more thing that you can kind of put on your wall, you know, that looks good or something underneath your name when you teach somewhere or something like that. It's scary these days, actually, the way people use things like that. Report an error in the passage at 22:32 Highlight the passage at 22:32

22:47 And the preparation. Taking the bodhisattva vows should be that we should know how to develop bodhicitta itself, and we should be trying to practice that, at least sometimes. In other words, the seven-point cause and effect that results in bodhicitta or equalizing self and others, the two different methods that are taught, or the combined method of Lama Tsongkhapa that puts the two together. Report an error in the passage at 22:47 Highlight the passage at 22:47

23:18 so we should be So even before we take the vows, we should practice that enough so that we can contrive some bodhicitta in our heart so that we have some sense of what it is that bodhicitta even means. And then once we reach this point where it feels really strong, that's when we take the vows. They say technically speaking, we actually need aspirational bodhicitta before we even take the vows. Report an error in the passage at 23:18 Highlight the passage at 23:18

23:49 These days, that's what they say, these days, they're often given as part of the tantric initiations. And the teacher that I ended up taking bodhisattva vows from sort of used them in this idea that they helped us train our minds in bodhicitta. So even if we don't have bodhicitta... Strictly speaking, at the time that we take the vows, that they help train our mind in bodhicitta as well as forming the bodhicitta to begin with. Report an error in the passage at 23:49 Highlight the passage at 23:49

24:24 So if we have a little bit of bodhicitta in our hearts and our minds at the time that we take it, then it continues to get stronger and stronger. Geshe-la does say that actually we should already have aspirational bodhicitta at the time that we take the vows. Report an error in the passage at 24:24 Highlight the passage at 24:24

24:45 But some teachers say that would take eons and eons before we'd have a chance to ever take the vows. So I think out of the kindness of their heart, then they let us take the bodhisattva vows earlier these days than they did in traditional times in Tibet. Report an error in the passage at 24:45 Highlight the passage at 24:45

25:07 We've talked about this in other classes, but it comes up here too. There are two mental factors that contribute to us holding the vows and two mental factors that contribute to us breaking the vows. They're obviously related to each other. I don't remember who of you have done different classes with me, but this has come up definitely in the karma class. Report an error in the passage at 25:07 Highlight the passage at 25:07

25:29 So those of you that did the karma class, I know we talked about it. Shame and shamelessness. And consideration and lack of consideration. So shame, I think, can also be translated as integrity. A lot of Westerners get freaked out by the word shame. Report an error in the passage at 25:29 Highlight the passage at 25:29

25:47 I think it's actually a good word. I like it, so I keep it, but I do like to give people other options for translation purposes. It's basically shame in this context because shame and consideration are considered... Report an error in the passage at 25:47 Highlight the passage at 25:47

26:04 Positive mental factors. So they're mental factors that we want to develop because they keep us from breaking our vows, basically. And so shame in this instance is talking about when you don't break a vow or do any misconduct with an idea of how you see yourself. So I'm on the bodhisattva path. I'm a nun. Whatever it is that works for you, I'm a Dharma student, so I'm not going to... Report an error in the passage at 26:04 Highlight the passage at 26:04

26:34 Steal that money that's lying there or whatever it is that you're about to do or even tempted to do for an instant. You keep yourself from doing it because of this view of yourself. Report an error in the passage at 26:34 Highlight the passage at 26:34

26:46 So shame has more to do with that. Being shameless means lacking in that. And I think our grandmothers had their own right when they were like, shameless, you know. That's what they really meant. I think, unfortunately, a lot of people have sort of had that attitude crammed down their throat in our culture, and so they rejected that. Report an error in the passage at 26:46 Highlight the passage at 26:46

27:05 But I actually really like that shame and shameless terms like that. But you can also think integrity and lack of integrity. Consideration is when you use that same kind of mind but with an idea of what would I do if Lama Zopa were in the room or if my parents, if that works for you, or somebody else that means a lot to you. Report an error in the passage at 27:05 Highlight the passage at 27:05

27:30 For me, my students. Would I do that if my students could see me? So I would use that consideration for others to keep myself... Moral, basically, to live according to my vows. And then having a lack of that is when I would just gladly go and take all of John's food or something like that. I wouldn't have any consideration. I wouldn't even think about, oh wow, what if Maria saw me doing that? What would she think? Report an error in the passage at 27:30 Highlight the passage at 27:30

28:06 I know. Shameless, isn't it? See, it works, doesn't it? I know, it's true. So in this case, these are mental factors that we actually want to develop is this sense of who I am and what I wouldn't do and what I would do on this path and then also who works for me to keep me moral, you know, whether it's His Holiness or whether it's Lama Zopa or whether it's Geshe-la, whether it's my parents, whether it's... Report an error in the passage at 28:06 Highlight the passage at 28:06

28:40 Any of my teachers, you know, you can kind of imagine, you know, what would Lama Zopa do? We could have that on the little bracelet, you know. Report an error in the passage at 28:40 Highlight the passage at 28:40

28:51 Like that. So they're really important mental factors to develop. There are three ways of practicing the bodhisattva vows. Report an error in the passage at 28:51 Highlight the passage at 28:51

29:04 Excuse me. The first one is actually also done with the Pratimoksha vows, the vows of individual liberation, like the lay vows. The first is restraining oneself from harmful actions. Report an error in the passage at 29:04 Highlight the passage at 29:04

29:26 These are the three types of morality, too. Sorry. Restraining oneself from harmful actions, accumulating wholesome deeds, and working for the benefit of others. Report an error in the passage at 29:26 Highlight the passage at 29:26

29:40 Restraining oneself from harmful actions, accumulating wholesome deeds. And working for the benefit of others. Report an error in the passage at 29:40 Highlight the passage at 29:40

29:59 And a lot of what the pradhimoksha vows does is keep us from restraining from harmful actions. That and avoiding the ten non-virtues. Report an error in the passage at 29:59 Highlight the passage at 29:59

30:11 Some of the vows do as well. Some of the bodhisattva vows do as well. But a lot of what the bodhisattva vows do are help us to accumulate wholesome deeds and help us to work for the benefit of others. And even tiny ways, even little ways. Report an error in the passage at 30:11 Highlight the passage at 30:11

30:29 But we can also obviously do all of these three as something just in our everyday life. These are really practical. Restraining ourselves from harmful actions can be as little as, like it doesn't have to be restraining yourself from killing or stealing. It can be as little as cutting somebody off when they're... Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:51 Trying to tell you something important or something, you know, or sad or upsetting or something like that. It can be accumulating wholesome deeds, could be just being kind, giving up your seat on the bus or something like that. Working for the benefit of others, obviously that one has a larger context, but you could still just remember somebody that you saw on the street today in your motivation for class tonight, you know, and that's the way you can kind of bring it in. Report an error in the passage at 30:51 Highlight the passage at 30:51

31:20 So it doesn't always have to be these huge... Things that we feel like are kind of bigger than our everyday lives. They're totally part of our everyday life. Report an error in the passage at 31:20 Highlight the passage at 31:20

31:32 The first step is this restraining ourselves from harmful deeds. Obviously, if we can't do that, then the other two steps get harder. Report an error in the passage at 31:32 Highlight the passage at 31:32

31:42 If we're spending a lot of our time hitting people or stealing their things or whatever, we're not going to be getting to the other ones. We're going to talk about this in the last class. We're going to talk about this idea of sort of co-centric. Report an error in the passage at 31:42 Highlight the passage at 31:42

31:58 If we are not breaking our vows in the widest possible interpretation of them, we talked about this a little bit in the karma class too, then we definitely won't be hitting the target at the root, so we'll never worry about breaking our vows. So if we're really being careful in the widest interpretation, then we won't. And this is actually what this one's kind of about too. If we're not restraining ourselves from, you know, stealing things and... Report an error in the passage at 31:58 Highlight the passage at 31:58

32:28 Speaking really badly about others and lying and things like that, then we're never going to even think about accumulating positive deeds and working for others. Report an error in the passage at 32:28 Highlight the passage at 32:28

32:40 Lama Tsongkhapa said that one of the most important things that we can do as bodhisattvas is subduing our own negative emotions. Rinpoche kept mentioning this in the last month when he taught all over the Bay Area. He said, The most important thing, the most important thing is working on our own mind. And then he paused, and then he said, even more important than working for others. Report an error in the passage at 32:40 Highlight the passage at 32:40

33:04 And that really hit my heart. I was like, wow. And obviously, if we don't work on our mind, we're not going to be able to work very effectively for others. So I found that very, very striking, and also that it really echoes what Lama Tsongkhapa said, that it's... Without subduing our own negative emotions, there's no way for us to be able to work for the benefit of others very effectively. Report an error in the passage at 33:04 Highlight the passage at 33:04

33:31 I mean, we can do our little bits here and there, but we screw up a lot more if we haven't worked on our own minds. These vows help us work on our own minds. Report an error in the passage at 33:31 Highlight the passage at 33:31

33:41 Any questions about any of that before we get started on the root vows? But you have to use the talking stick. No, no, it's not a question. I just need to put it in a question and bring more. Shh, shh, She's recording you anyway. Three types of morality. Report an error in the passage at 33:41 Highlight the passage at 33:41

34:06 I know, I miss Kara. We're going to have Jessica next week too. She's missed the first two weeks, but she is coming. Report an error in the passage at 34:06 Highlight the passage at 34:06

34:17 Anyway, Report an error in the passage at 34:17 Highlight the passage at 34:17

34:21 so root vows. There are 18 root vows. Those of you that took the little preview course that we did before the... The empowerment, some of this will be review, but we can get into them a little bit more maybe. Report an error in the passage at 34:21 Highlight the passage at 34:21

34:46 I'm trying to think if it would help. I think I'll just go over it at this point because there's different translations. Report an error in the passage at 34:46 Highlight the passage at 34:46

34:57 I did make, well actually I had Charles make binders for you guys of various readings and I'll probably keep sort of coming up with articles to put in there too. Report an error in the passage at 34:57 Highlight the passage at 34:57

35:08 Because by mistake, I actually put, I'm going to fess up at the beginning of the class because of my shame. I put the wrong article in the front of the book. I intended to put an article about the Bodhisattva vows or about bodhicitta. And it is an interesting article. It's not that long an article. It's just one page. But it's Lama Zopa Rinpoche talking about... Report an error in the passage at 35:08 Highlight the passage at 35:08

35:35 How we can use illnesses and injuries on the path, basically, to develop our bodhicitta. So it doesn't have a really specific thing to do with the vows, so it's a little bit funny in that way, but I just decided to leave it because it was a good article and we all get sick, so why not? Report an error in the passage at 35:35 Highlight the passage at 35:35

35:54 So I will give you a couple of other articles next week by Lama Zopa, more specifically on vows and on bodhicitta. So you can cram them in there if they fit. But this also has some specific reading to do with what we are covering in class and about the vows themselves. And then it also has a different take, Geshitashi's version of the vows, you know, translation of the vows, and then his commentary on that, Geshitashi Tsering in London in the Jamyang Center. Report an error in the passage at 35:54 Highlight the passage at 35:54

36:31 And then there is... Report an error in the passage at 36:31 Highlight the passage at 36:31

36:38 The version that comes from the FPMT, and I'm trying to see where that is. Of course, they aren't like coordinated together. Sorry. So it's like each article has its own pagination. So, but anyway, I can't find that one. Report an error in the passage at 36:38 Highlight the passage at 36:38

37:07 That's interesting. I'm not seeing the one. Report an error in the passage at 37:07 Highlight the passage at 37:07

37:19 There is one article that I thought I gave to Charles to include in here that came from the little handout from the FBMT and it doesn't seem to be in here. So I'm going to make sure that you guys get that one too because I really intended for that one to be in here. Report an error in the passage at 37:19 Highlight the passage at 37:19

37:47 Here it is. It's right in the front. I found it. The bodhisattva vows. So you have within this little booklet three different translations of the bodhisattva vows. So that's kind of cool. So you can kind of work with the one that you like the best or you can just kind of switch out and work with a different set every month or something like that so that you get familiar with them. Report an error in the passage at 37:47 Highlight the passage at 37:47

38:11 Sometimes I work with the same set for a really long time and then I switch translations and it just opens up my eyes for... Kind of what the meaning of the vow might or the intention behind the vow or the spirit behind the vow, what it might have meant. And actually I might have been going off in some other direction entirely. Report an error in the passage at 38:11 Highlight the passage at 38:11

38:28 And really probably it's good to have both ideas behind it. Anyway, so the root vows. The very first one is the root downfall of praising yourself and criticizing others. Report an error in the passage at 38:28 Highlight the passage at 38:28

38:45 The motivation. So I'm going to mention the motivation for each of the vows because that's key in this case. It's not all praising of ourselves and criticizing others, although, again, outer concentric circle, we should think about that. But the motivation here is that we're after material gain in some way or the respect and admiration of others. Report an error in the passage at 38:45 Highlight the passage at 38:45

39:12 So those two specifically, we're... We're sort of doing it with that motivation. So it's not necessarily any time that we praise ourselves and criticize others that we break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 39:12 Highlight the passage at 39:12

39:27 The motivation here has to be material gain or respect and our admiration from others. If we correct somebody, we're supposed to do it with great love, joy and a wish to benefit them. So that should be what's behind our speaking up if we want to. help somebody in that sense. Report an error in the passage at 39:27 Highlight the passage at 39:27

39:50 And in this case it seems to be more applying to if a Mahāyāna practitioner is putting down another Mahāyāna practitioner. So it's actually more specific even than that. Which is another really good reason to be really careful about... What we say about our Dharma brothers and sisters, and it gets even more powerful when it's our Vajra brothers and sisters. Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

40:25 So those of us who have the same initiating Lama, once we enter Tantra, we become really, really close. I sometimes think that's why the Lamas come and give impairments at centers. So all the staff happily goes, and then it's like, ooh, uh-oh. And then you think about... You think about somebody like His Holiness who gives Kalachakra to 170,000 people at a go. Entire villages are now Dharma brothers and sisters. Report an error in the passage at 40:25 Highlight the passage at 40:25

40:54 It's actually very heavy but also very skillful. It's like, hmm. They can no longer fight. And also this has to be done with speech. Report an error in the passage at 40:54 Highlight the passage at 40:54

41:08 Yes, it's not a good thing for us to be dissing people in our heads, but it hasn't actually broken the vow if we haven't said it out loud. And, get this, this is what makes it very interesting, what we say has to be an actual lie. So if the person actually does possess good qualities and we say they don't, that's when we break it. Report an error in the passage at 41:08 Highlight the passage at 41:08

41:34 So if the person... Doesn't possess good qualities and we say they don't, it actually doesn't break the vow. It's probably not very nice, especially if you didn't do it in a really nice way. But what this specific technicality of this first vow is that you have to be, you're basically dissing somebody with an interest to gain material wealth or honor and you are lying. Report an error in the passage at 41:34 Highlight the passage at 41:34

42:03 You're lying about their good qualities in a verbal way. You're actually saying it out loud. So it actually is not as easy to break this vow as one would think. I remember when I first took the vow and I was like, wow, praising yourself and criticizing others, that one. I mean, especially criticizing others, I think it's a really easy one to break. Report an error in the passage at 42:03 Highlight the passage at 42:03

42:23 But when you think about all the variations of this, and then we're even going to get into more things that have to be in place for you to break this vow. It's not as easy for us to break these root vows as one would think. It's certainly not as easy to have it be a major break because there's a major, a medium and a minor way to break these vows. Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:47 The major is when we have to take them over again. There's nothing else that we've lost them. And we'll talk about that. So any questions on the first vow? This root downfall of praising yourself. You have to have the talking stick. Whoa! Report an error in the passage at 42:47 Highlight the passage at 42:47

43:12 Okay, next time we're definitely going to pull her forward. Report an error in the passage at 43:12 Highlight the passage at 43:12

43:24 Are you explaining to the same doctor that you've broken yet another bone in the lower part of your body? Report an error in the passage at 43:24 Highlight the passage at 43:24

43:40 So is it, I don't know if it... was reaching Report an error in the passage at 43:40 Highlight the passage at 43:40

43:47 I guess I'm guilty of, I Report an error in the passage at 43:47 Highlight the passage at 43:47

43:54 don't know how to phrase it, I guess I was more judging others. Report an error in the passage at 43:54 Highlight the passage at 43:54

44:06 People go into a meditation group, but I guess because I'm used to this, and this is what I identify with and think of, and going, oh, well, I guess they're now calling themselves Buddhist, and I'm just like, no, no, no, no, no. That kind of... Well, it's something that that would be a negative mindset. I would say that's probably a delusion, you know, but it's not breaking this particular vow because you're not doing it with an intention to gain honor or any kind of material gain. Report an error in the passage at 44:06 Highlight the passage at 44:06

44:44 It's just a negative habit of mind. I have that negative habit of mind, too. I was raised with a lot of criticism and I think I still... I still see it in myself. And it comes out, of course, towards myself. I was like, oh, I'm just being snarky. That's not very nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's a good thing to work on, but it's not specifically this vow that you are breaking. Report an error in the passage at 44:44 Highlight the passage at 44:44

45:07 I mean, you haven't taken it yet, but that you would be breaking. And again, it's more in your mind, right? Yeah. That would be really rude. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

45:19 So again, so see, it hasn't actually... I wasn't going to say to else. Report an error in the passage at 45:19 Highlight the passage at 45:19

45:24 We can stop some of this stuff. It doesn't mean we can ignore it. That's just a different activity of doing analytical meditation or working on our minds. But it doesn't mean that that's one of the vows. So technically speaking, it's not one of the vows. It doesn't mean that you can just let it run rampant and not do anything about it. Report an error in the passage at 45:24 Highlight the passage at 45:24

45:44 It's like anger. It's just another kind of negative mind that we just work on. I should be happy that they're doing this now. Even though it's not the path that I'm doing. Exactly. And the Buddha taught it all. I mean, the Buddha taught 84,000, they say, you know, different teachings because there's 84,000 different kinds of minds. Report an error in the passage at 45:44 Highlight the passage at 45:44

46:02 And so, yeah, there's 84,000 delusions. I should stop being snarky. Yeah, stop being snarky. And there are vows that really get into that sectarianism, you know. So stay tuned. It's coming. Report an error in the passage at 46:02 Highlight the passage at 46:02

46:22 The root downfall of failing to give the Dharma or material... Oh, so the other thing is with this first one, the root downfall of praising yourself and criticizing others, you don't have to have both of them to have broken the vow. Report an error in the passage at 46:22 Highlight the passage at 46:22

46:35 If you've done one or the other, but it's two parts, and a lot of them are like that. A lot of them are two-parted vows. So if you just criticize others with all those other things in place, then you've broken the vows. So you don't have to... Don't think that you're off the hook because you didn't bother to praise yourself. Or don't think you're off the hook because you didn't bother to criticize somebody else, but you did speak really highly of yourself. Report an error in the passage at 46:35 Highlight the passage at 46:35

47:00 And I guess it has to be a lie, right? So you don't actually have that quality that you said about yourself. You made yourself sound better than you. John, this is where we need a cordless mic. Report an error in the passage at 47:00 Highlight the passage at 47:00

47:18 I was like, wow, she's just going for it. Report an error in the passage at 47:18 Highlight the passage at 47:18

47:25 I know that there are different... You have the gross lie, which is obviously a lie, and you have the more subtle lies, like the white lies. But in this regard, where you're praising yourself out of a desire for other people to respect you or out of desire for honor or something like that, and you exaggerate to some degree those things that you're feeling. Report an error in the passage at 47:25 Highlight the passage at 47:25

47:53 Like, oh, I'm this. And it's true, but it's kind of an exaggeration. Well, in Buddhism, usually exaggeration counts as a lie. Okay. Yeah. That's what I was thinking. Yeah. That's kind of one of those heavy things with the lay vows is, you know, sometimes lying in a general rule is not a big problem for me. Report an error in the passage at 47:53 Highlight the passage at 47:53

48:13 But when you started bringing it into exaggeration, which... I do a thousand billion times a day. Or sarcasm is another one. And both of those I'm really guilty of a lot, whereas I'm less likely to just go in and do a bald-faced lie. But those other ones count. So, yeah, sarcasm. Report an error in the passage at 48:13 Highlight the passage at 48:13

48:38 That's kind of an exaggeration. Report an error in the passage at 48:38 Highlight the passage at 48:38

48:46 I know, then you're really screwed. it. I know. Okay, so then this next one also has two parts, the root downfall of failing to give Dharma or material assistance. Report an error in the passage at 48:46 Highlight the passage at 48:46

49:05 Okay, so it has some criteria. Let's go through the criteria. The other person involved should have, they say two, but I counted three qualities. They have to have a serious problem, like they're impoverished or... Sick or something like that. So I guess it's not just Joe Schmo who's like standing in front of you. So they have to have some serious need. Report an error in the passage at 49:05 Highlight the passage at 49:05

49:32 You are their only option. They don't have any other network of support like family, friends, etc. And C, they didn't mention this one as one of the two, but I see it as a C. You also have to be able to help. You have to have what it is that they need. Report an error in the passage at 49:32 Highlight the passage at 49:32

49:52 So those three, they have to have a serious problem, you are their only option, and you have to be able to help them. You have to have what they need. The limitations here would be that you wouldn't want to give somebody, even if they really need it or they think they really need it, you don't want to give them something that's going to harm somebody else or themselves, like weapons or poison or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

50:22 And your overriding mental affliction should be a feeling of stinginess and possessiveness. Like you don't want to part with whatever it is because you really love it. You don't want to give it up. This is a big one. So say that you've met all the other things. So John's sitting on the street corner. He doesn't have any network of support. Report an error in the passage at 50:22 Highlight the passage at 50:22

50:49 He has some serious problem of some sort, and I am able to help him in some way with whatever it is. So he will say that he needs, because material assistance, I think we can think about material assistance more easily. So I have a $10 bill, but I... Out of this incredible feeling, because it's like this really overwhelmed by, it says. So it's not just like a tiny little blip of stinginess, but it's like I'm overwhelmed by stinginess. Report an error in the passage at 50:49 Highlight the passage at 50:49

51:20 I'm just like, no, I'm not going to help you, you know. Then you would break the bell. But, again, more criteria. They must specifically ask you for something. So if... I see that he's sitting on the corner and he has all these problems and I'm able to help him, but he hasn't said anything. I haven't broken it. He hasn't asked me yet. Report an error in the passage at 51:20 Highlight the passage at 51:20

51:46 And again, the main motivation to break this vow is this incredible possessiveness or stinginess. Again, there's two parts to this one and you don't need to break them both in order to break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 51:46 Highlight the passage at 51:46

51:59 You can give the Dharma. So giving the Dharma doesn't necessarily mean you break out all your... Your books and lead a class. It doesn't mean like that. You see John sitting on the corner, set up and get out the podium and set up the mic and do a class. It might mean that somebody has a serious problem. I am their only option for whatever reason. And this actually does come up, I think, for me now because people do turn to me for things like that. Report an error in the passage at 51:59 Highlight the passage at 51:59

52:34 And I might have what they need. It might just be a one-on-one conversation. That's giving the Dharma too. It doesn't mean you're pushing it down their throat. It just means that situation has arisen. It seems like they need some help and you happen to have that help. Don't give what you don't have. Like if you really don't know, it's actually better for you to send them to Geshe-la or somebody like that. Report an error in the passage at 52:34 Highlight the passage at 52:34

52:57 That's better. And I will definitely do that if I don't know something that I feel like is really crucial to that person. Report an error in the passage at 52:57 Highlight the passage at 52:57

53:06 You don't want to be offering them some piece of valuable information if they're that desperate and you don't know what you're talking about. Report an error in the passage at 53:06 Highlight the passage at 53:06

53:17 So, yeah, any questions about that one? Two, we got two. Go ahead, Don, and then Kara. Oh, you just had a clarification? Just a clarification on the second what? Which part? The second... Report an error in the passage at 53:17 Highlight the passage at 53:17

53:39 The root downfall of failing to give Dharma or material assistance. Failing to give Dharma or material assistance. So something from a person who doesn't live in San Francisco. I walked over here today and was approached by probably a dozen people. Report an error in the passage at 53:39 Highlight the passage at 53:39

54:04 And it was, you know, I wasn't. It's been a while since I've been to San Francisco walking around. And I've seen it before, but this time it just kind of touched me, maybe because I just came from retreat. So I was in a quandary as to really how to respond in the best way. There's no one answer, and I think you change it every time, you know, you go out. I do anyway. I think the number one thing that I would always, always, always say is look at every person like a person. Report an error in the passage at 54:04 Highlight the passage at 54:04

54:45 Whether you give them anything or not, look at them like a person and just, you know, say, I can't right now, I don't have it, you know, or something, but just don't look, don't ignore them. That one I would say is true for everybody. Otherwise, if I have it, sometimes I like to surprise people and give them like a ton and then just watch them cackle out of surprise. Report an error in the passage at 54:45 Highlight the passage at 54:45

55:11 Sometimes I just like to give them whatever I got in my pocket and just say, you know, that's all I have. I'm sorry. And it's the truth. Sometimes if I have money, but I know that if I gave it to them, I would be out of money. I don't think that breaks the vow because I don't have it. And so then I just say, I'm really sorry. I don't have it. Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:28 They're sometimes so happy just to have one-on-one for somebody to seem like a human because I think so many people get hardened and so they feel bad and so they turn within and they just don't even look people in the eye. So I just feel like it's really important. Yeah, especially in the financial district. I especially see that in the financial district. And I think people's response to that is to become more aggressive and to become more, you know, kind of outrageous. Report an error in the passage at 55:28 Highlight the passage at 55:28

55:58 Because I see that more in the financial district than I do just, you know, like on the other parts of the city that I'm walking on the streets. So that's, I would say, is just like, there but for karma go I, you know. I mean, how close are we to being on the streets at this point in this economy? Not that far away, you know. So I would just say, you know. Report an error in the passage at 55:58 Highlight the passage at 55:58

56:22 And also then the other thing to think about is what if they're a bodhisattva? They're manifesting in some form to just help you and to test you, you know. And sometimes I wonder because if I say, if I ever do say, Oh, I don't have it, and then I do have it, and I just am afraid to get out my wallet because somebody else, you know, and then I'm like, oh, I wonder who that really was. Maybe that was Lama Yeshe, and he's just posing as that guy, you know, because how do we really know? Report an error in the passage at 56:22 Highlight the passage at 56:22

56:49 How do we really know? I know Venmo Rubina used to always just say, just, you know, take some money out with you for that purpose. She would just purposefully, you know, make sure that she had the money. I'm not so organized. As John knows, I never have any money. I just never go to the bank and get money out and keep it in my wallet. But I do try to do that, just to have it for that purpose, just so it's in my wallet and I know it's ready and I can just hand it out to people. Report an error in the passage at 56:49 Highlight the passage at 56:49

57:17 Because I don't really know who they are and I don't have any judgment against them for being on the streets, especially in this world where... We've cut so much social services in this city that we used to have. And people come here because it's mild. So California gets more than our fair share of crazy folks because they've left the heavier winter places, you know. Report an error in the passage at 57:17 Highlight the passage at 57:17

57:41 And I would too. I'd hop a bus for Frisco, you know. Live in the park, you know. Yeah, exactly. Wisconsin or something like that, yeah. Yeah, I mean that's just one person's point of view. Report an error in the passage at 57:41 Highlight the passage at 57:41

57:58 Alright, the root downfall, number three, of failing to accept someone's apology and striking another. So again, both of them, either or, either or count. Obviously, hitting somebody isn't a good idea, no matter what. Now, I suppose there could be a reason that you hit somebody to keep them from doing something worse. Report an error in the passage at 57:58 Highlight the passage at 57:58

58:26 So that would be the only thing I could imagine. There's that story of the Buddha when he was on the Bodhisattva path killing the one captain that was going to kill everybody else and he saw his mind and realized that it was going to be horrible karma for this being. So not even for the benefit of the guys he was going to kill, he killed him. Report an error in the passage at 58:26 Highlight the passage at 58:26

58:48 To stop him from creating that negative karma that would have made him suffer for eons, the captain. So obviously on the bodhisattva path we aren't always nice. If there's a way to keep somebody from doing a lot of harm then we might strike them. But that's not what this one's talking about. This one's talking about someone comes to you and apologizes for something that they've done and you stay pissed off. Report an error in the passage at 58:48 Highlight the passage at 58:48

59:18 And, you know, even, and hit them, basically. You do a whole bunch of other things, but it, it, it, shut up, boom. I know, it sounds a little outrageous in the bodhisattva class, but that's what it's talking about. Maybe it's so outrageous that it makes us think about it, because I think the failing to accept someone's apology is a lot easier to break. Report an error in the passage at 59:18 Highlight the passage at 59:18

59:44 And maybe it's like those, you know, when they're trying to pass legislation in Washington and they hook those other ones on there to get it through. Because I think failing to accept someone's apology is huge. And we might put on a show of accepting it. Oh, that's fine, Kara, I know you didn't mean that, but you're like, oh, and you're still holding on to the grudge. If we catch ourselves doing that, we have to do something about it. Report an error in the passage at 59:44 Highlight the passage at 59:44

1:00:11 We're not allowed to anymore. It's kind of big. So we really have to know our minds and be aware of it and catch ourselves still holding on to that anger at somebody. And so that requires us to really look at what's going on in our minds and to be aware of what's going on in our minds. Otherwise, somebody else might point it out to you. Kara, are you still holding a grudge again? And for what she said to you last week? Report an error in the passage at 1:00:11 Highlight the passage at 1:00:11

1:00:40 You can have your bodhisattva buddies. No, we have to be careful of that. We don't want to be like, you know, the Dharma police. Unless somebody asks you to. Sometimes it's useful if somebody asks you to be their bodhisattva vow buddy. And I think that's actually a useful thing. If people have just taken vows to kind of make a date once a week to check in with each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:40 Highlight the passage at 1:00:40

1:01:05 How are you doing with them? Are you having problems with one? It just gives each other a little bit of support. And I've done that before and I think it's quite useful to do. But if you haven't given somebody else, if somebody hasn't asked you to help them, for you to step in and to say, Carrie, you're not keeping your vows very well. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:05 Highlight the passage at 1:01:05

1:01:27 It's inappropriate and don't even go there. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:27 Highlight the passage at 1:01:27

1:01:37 So the main mental affliction here is anger. It's holding on to anger, that kind of simmering resentment. And the motivation is that you want to hurt them. So it's got two really strong, yucky motivations. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:37 Highlight the passage at 1:01:37

1:01:54 Again, it can be divided, so you don't need to have done both. But, oh, and technically it has to be a person, not an animal. And I thought that was interesting because how would an animal come and ask you, I apologize. I guess a dog could. Dogs are actually kind of good at that. I know, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cats never own it. Yeah, they just pretend like it was all your problem anyway. But I thought that was interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:54 Highlight the passage at 1:01:54

1:02:25 It has to be a person and not an animal. And it says, this always makes me wonder about the Tibetans, spontaneous altercations and fights are not included. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:25 Highlight the passage at 1:02:25

1:02:43 So if we get into it over the ketchup in the kitchen or something, that doesn't count, you know. Wait, talking stick, talking stick. He has an inside inspiration. Well, I can kind of see that. It must be a guy thing. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And here's the way I'm seeing it. It's like, so suppose that, you know, you're out on the street and like you're at like. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:43 Highlight the passage at 1:02:43

1:03:09 Like a soccer game or something like this is a great example. Like a soccer game. And everybody starts going crazy and people are like punching you. And, you know, the only way to get out is to be like, maybe you hit somebody. And your motivation isn't anger. It's just to protect yourself. Right, right. Yeah. Maybe that. But this is spontaneous altercations. Oh. A spontaneous fight. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:09 Highlight the passage at 1:03:09

1:03:30 Actually, that doesn't, that seems like. Well, you know, technically speaking, actually, that makes sense because. The striking another, even though it's counted on its own, it can be counted on its own, it seems like it's really tied up with this fact of you remaining angry and wanting to harm the other. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:30 Highlight the passage at 1:03:30

1:03:52 So you're starting to do various things towards that other person. So a spontaneous fight, you know, that's my ketchup. No, it's not. It's my ketchup, you know. That's not the same thing as me holding on to resentment after he's apologized or after you've apologized. So it's a different state of mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:52 Highlight the passage at 1:03:52

1:04:11 And if we're training in bodhicitta, obviously we don't want to be getting into spontaneous fights, but the root of this vow is this slow simmering anger that we're not willing to let go of. So that actually kind of does make sense. Oh, yeah, Anne. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:11 Highlight the passage at 1:04:11

1:04:33 So I was looking at the Burzen archives printout. So the motivation for either of these must be anger. The first, referring to not listening to others' apologies, refers to an actual occasion when yelling at or beating someone and either that person pleads for forgiveness or someone else begs us to stop and we refuse. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:33 Highlight the passage at 1:04:33

1:04:54 Oh, God. Like, is this only like... Smackdown. You know what it sounds kind of like is that, you know, we could be have power or authority over that person, too. So it could have been like sort of a lord in a feudal system, which, of course, Tibet was. So it could have been a situation like, you know, the worker, you know, you know, they stole the silver to feed their family or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:54 Highlight the passage at 1:04:54

1:05:24 And I found out and I'm like beating him up and you're stepping in and going, no, no, dear. Don't do it. You know, yeah, he didn't mean to. So you're interceding. Yeah, yeah. So I could kind of see what that situation is. I suppose we could still have that situation in this, you know, culture. It could just be, even in a power over a situation, it could be like an employer, an employee or something like that too. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:24 Highlight the passage at 1:05:24

1:05:51 But I don't think, I think, I think again, let's get down to the root motivating. The mental affliction of refusing to accept someone's apology because you're still pissed at them. I think with all of these, if you keep getting back down to that motivating mind, then you'll see what it is that we're supposed to avoid. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:51 Highlight the passage at 1:05:51

1:06:14 Rather than thinking, well, that one won't happen to me because I didn't live a billion years ago and I don't get into fights at soccer stadiums. I can ignore that one. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:14 Highlight the passage at 1:06:14

1:06:27 People do that. Actually, I've been surprised when people do that. It's like, no, actually, we still have to look at it. Kara? Yeah, talking stick. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:27 Highlight the passage at 1:06:27

1:06:41 So with hate, because they're like anger, you're doing something, you're not, I don't know how to hear my words. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:41 Highlight the passage at 1:06:41

1:06:55 You don't realize you're angry? Does that make sense? Yeah, you don't realize you're angry. You don't realize you're angry and you do something, but you realize you actually were angry because you had some hate built up and you didn't. Just spontaneously comes out? Well, I think in this case, you are refusing to forgive them because you have this motivation of anger and this motivation to hurt them. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:55 Highlight the passage at 1:06:55

1:07:25 So if you are not aware of that, I think you're probably not observing your mind very well, but I think probably technically you didn't break it. Because this, again, sounds a little bit more malicious. You know, like you're refusing. It's like, no, I'm not going to let you, you know, apologize because you suck, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:25 Highlight the passage at 1:07:25

1:07:47 It's like I'm still holding on to that kind of, that mind, that ill will, basically. Yeah. I keep thinking in my mind, he's going like, oh, that's nothing to do with class. When the whole time he's taken over Tibet and the monks, the, oh, because I read the book, what was it? Chasing the Dragon. And it keeps popping in my head tonight all of a sudden. About how they had monks beating other monks. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:47 Highlight the passage at 1:07:47

1:08:20 So technically they weren't doing it in anger. Their hands were forced to do it. So they technically weren't breaking their place off of vows. Because it wasn't anger making them hurt another. But there's a lot of cases in Tibet where you hear about people giving up their vows. when they realized where it was going you know like for example if they were forced to have sex and they were monks and things like that they gave them up quickly to you know they visualized the Buddha and gave them up because otherwise they would be breaking their vows and if you give them up voluntarily you can retake them but if you don't and you break them then you can't oh nee i didn't know you of A couple Report an error in the passage at 1:08:20 Highlight the passage at 1:08:20

1:09:08 of thoughts come to mind first from the... Taravadan system, the cruelty is actually considered the far enemy of compassion. So that's kind of an important consideration. So when we're actually doing something out of cruelty, we're actually acting against the impulse of compassion. And the other thing that occurred to me was that when we take these vows, Report an error in the passage at 1:09:08 Highlight the passage at 1:09:08

1:09:41 In the Chinese tradition, we're called baby bodhisattvas. Right, yeah. I thought I'd made that up actually. I could get to the Chinese if you like. I don't have it in my mind at the moment. But in the baby bodhisattva, the idea is that there has to be some leeway to mess up so that you can get yourself back on track. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:41 Highlight the passage at 1:09:41

1:10:09 That if it was so strict to begin with, you would not be able to practice the baby level in order to be able to get to the first and second bhumi where these... Attitudes are actually perfected. Right. We talked about that last week because there was one woman who was present who was talking about how she was just terrified to even take the lay vows because she didn't feel like she could keep them. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:09 Highlight the passage at 1:10:09

1:10:33 And I said, well, there's the idea of sort of the training wheels. I think of them, all the vows I have as training wheels, and obviously I don't want to break them. But what I want to do is know them as well as I can and develop a mindfulness and awareness of what's happening in my mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:33 Highlight the passage at 1:10:33

1:10:49 So that I can use them to develop my bodhicitta. If I don't ever take them, I won't do that. So there's a way that that fear of taking that leap keeps us from ever growing. I think can keep us from ever growing. Whereas when we take the leap, then we're sort of forced to be in a class like this, learn the vows, talk about it with each other, get clear and grow. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:49 Highlight the passage at 1:10:49

1:11:17 grow into the vows but yeah we will screw up there's no way that we won't screw up that's not even the point the point is just starting to develop that mindfulness where we notice that we're screwing up we've been screwing up for years and years we've been screwing up for lifetimes you know so The root downfall of giving up the greater way and teaching false dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:17 Highlight the passage at 1:11:17

1:11:42 The greater way is talking about Mahāyāna. So giving up the greater way is talking about the two divisions of the Mahāyāna teachings, emptiness and the bodhisattva path. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:42 Highlight the passage at 1:11:42

1:11:57 And the way that you give it up or reject it is to say the Buddha never taught it. Let's say it's invalid, the Buddha never taught it. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:57 Highlight the passage at 1:11:57

1:12:10 Teaching false dharma is a little bit easier. Teaching false dharma, except not really when you think about all the criteria involved, teaching false dharma is making up your own interpretation of the dharma and teaching it as the actual dharma. Whenever we give our own interpretation, we should say this has been my experience, this is my understanding, this is how I understand it to be and not pass it off as the scriptures itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:10 Highlight the passage at 1:12:10

1:12:43 So the way that you break... The second half of this one, teaching false dharma, is you have to know that you made it up. Like if I say something and I really think it is the Buddhist teachings and then I go back and I read it and I'm like, oh, that must have been mine. I just put it in there, you know. That's different. But I have to know that I made it up. I have to like the idea that I've made it up and I think it's actually better than the Buddhist teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:43 Highlight the passage at 1:12:43

1:13:09 And then I have to teach it to others and represent it as Mahāyāna Buddhism. So I have to do those three things in order. And, oh, sorry, I have two C's. Sorry about that. D, others accept it. So if Don's in there, he's like, no, it's a bunch of crap. Then I haven't broken it, interestingly enough. So I haven't moved his mind. I haven't confused him by teaching that to him. So others have to actually accept it for it to be broken. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:09 Highlight the passage at 1:13:09

1:13:44 The main mental affliction here is ignorance, which I think is kind of interesting. So it's not a maliciousness like you have had in some of the other vows so far. It's just stupidity. It's just being really ignorant. So yeah, again, two parts. Giving up the Mahāyāna, in this case the teachings of emptiness and bodhicitta, by rejecting it and saying the Buddha never taught it. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:44 Highlight the passage at 1:13:44

1:14:13 And teaching false Dharma. In this case, knowing it, being fully aware that you're doing it, liking the idea and teaching it to others as though it were Mahāyāna and then also that others accept it. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:13 Highlight the passage at 1:14:13

1:14:31 Any comments on that? Okay, five, the root downfall of stealing what belongs to the three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:31 Highlight the passage at 1:14:31

1:14:42 This one has three in one because the three jewels, right? So stealing what belongs to the Dharma jewel, sorry, the Buddha jewel. Stealing what belongs to the Dharma jewel and stealing what belongs to the Saṅgha jewel. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:42 Highlight the passage at 1:14:42

1:15:00 This one actually doesn't say which mental affliction. It just says the motivation must be a mental affliction. It doesn't say which one. I think that's interesting. But it says basically the way you break this vow is although you have no right to do so, you intentionally take the thing for yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:00 Highlight the passage at 1:15:00

1:15:23 You do it either by doing it yourself, grabbing it yourself, or by having someone else go and do it for you. Now, Kara, go take that book out of the bookstore and bring it to me, you know, like that. I could do it actually by robbing it. I could sneak around and take it. Or I can actually be really clever in some way and kind of, you know, talk the center out of something that it owns or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:23 Highlight the passage at 1:15:23

1:15:47 So it doesn't have to be me sneaking around with a little mask on at night with a flashlight. I can also do it in some way of like tricking somebody out of something through cleverness. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:47 Highlight the passage at 1:15:47

1:15:59 No, this is talking about stealing what belongs to the three jewels, but there's lots of ways to do it. In other words, it doesn't have to be thievery. That's what I'm saying. It doesn't have to be, you know, you don't have to go burgle the house. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:59 Highlight the passage at 1:15:59

1:16:13 The downfall is complete when you actually have... Have the thing in your possession and you think, now it's mine. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:13 Highlight the passage at 1:16:13

1:16:23 And get this one. I think this is interesting. If you steal with the motivation to help others, it doesn't break the bow. But I think we have to be really, really careful about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:23 Highlight the passage at 1:16:23

1:16:36 Do we have the wisdom to know that it's more beneficial for me to take this thing from the three jewels and that it would benefit others more? in my possession than it would if the center or whoever has this thing. I think we have to be really, This comes up, there are times in the bodhisattva vows that we are given the permission to break the lower vows if there is greater benefit. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:36 Highlight the passage at 1:16:36

1:17:09 But again, we have to be really, really careful that we have the wisdom to know what the greater benefit is. So that kind of imagines that we've... We've gone up on the Bodhisattva boomies a bit. We've developed some clairvoyance. We have a certain amount of wisdom to make that kind of decision. Otherwise, you just end up breaking a frowny moksha vows with an ignorant motivation. Any questions on those two? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:09 Highlight the passage at 1:17:09

1:17:41 You look totally bewildered. About? Okay. Stealing what belongs to the three jewels. It could be anything at... So it can be anything like books, statues, offering things, tankas, images. It can be anything that belongs to any representation of the three jewels. It can be books from the cafe. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:41 Highlight the passage at 1:17:41

1:18:20 I think so. I think it has to be an object. Yeah, I think it has to be an object. I think the easiest way to break this one... is to borrow a book from the bookstore and mean to pay for it. This is one that happens a lot at Dharma centers, and they actually even have a note up about it at Vajrapani, and they have a completely self-serve thing, so it's not even like you're waiting for somebody to be there and they aren't there. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:20 Highlight the passage at 1:18:20

1:18:46 That person will never be there. It's just up to you to pay for it. Or keeping a book. We don't have a library anymore, but we used to have a library, and people would just keep books, never bring them back. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:46 Highlight the passage at 1:18:46

1:18:59 Or you borrow from Chokyi, because this one happens a lot too. From my personal library, people come in, either just come into my room, which is kind of disturbing, or ask me in class, can I borrow that? And they just never bring it back. And it is obviously up to me to remember, and it is clearly my karma, but it's also negative karma on that part of the person. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:59 Highlight the passage at 1:18:59

1:19:24 Even though they may never think, and Geshe-la says basically, if you don't, Borrowing becomes stealing when you have that moment of you start thinking of it as your own. So if I borrowed something and I don't give it back, but I never see it as my own, it's really still bad karma, but it's not as bad karma as when I go, well, this one's mine now, nine pence of the law and all that. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:24 Highlight the passage at 1:19:24

1:19:54 So I can make it worse. Does that make more sense? Yes. Okay. I think I missed that first. about what kind of objects it could be guess it could be money too i didn't mention that Report an error in the passage at 1:19:54 Highlight the passage at 1:19:54

1:20:09 The root downfall of giving up the highest dharma. And this one also is talking about the Mahāyāna, the Mahāyāna path. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:09 Highlight the passage at 1:20:09

1:20:23 This, well, this one sounds really similar in some ways. It says, you give it up by saying that this isn't the teaching of the Buddha. Oh, wait a second. What is that? What is your say for that, for number six? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:23 Highlight the passage at 1:20:23

1:20:42 That spares in? Because this one actually sounds like it's really talking about the listener's path, Report an error in the passage at 1:20:42 Highlight the passage at 1:20:42

1:20:58 which is from that text. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:58 Highlight the passage at 1:20:58

1:21:06 No, I didn't do that one. I actually didn't even, I'm not even going to, that's 14B. Let's see what it says in this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:06 Highlight the passage at 1:21:06

1:21:23 Okay. Okay, this one makes more sense. Abandoning or despising the holy Dharma by criticizing the scriptures or practices of any of the three vehicles of the Shravakas, the Pratyabuddhas or the Bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:23 Highlight the passage at 1:21:23

1:21:37 Because I was thinking, wait, it's missing the highest Dharma of the three vehicles, I think is what it's missing there. So it should be giving up the highest Dharma of the three vehicles. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:37 Highlight the passage at 1:21:37

1:21:52 And sometimes actually you hear that with different traditions saying that The Mahāyāna wasn't really taught by the Buddha or the self-made, you know, Pratika Buddhas are called the self-made Buddhas or the listeners or the hearers. Sometimes they're called the hearers saying that that's not a complete teaching or whatever. And they all were taught by the Buddha. And so for us to say that actually goes against what the Buddha taught. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:52 Highlight the passage at 1:21:52

1:22:22 So we have to be really, really careful about that one. I think we still do that one actually a lot in the West. Whatever school we end up in, whatever tradition of Buddhism, we tend to sort of think not so great about the other ones. I think it's different when you're talking about the different schools that come out of Tibet. I don't think there's so much, as much, the Tibetans I think might have a little bit of... Report an error in the passage at 1:22:22 Highlight the passage at 1:22:22

1:22:55 Competitive rivalry between the different schools, but I don't think we think so much as Westerners about Kagu versus Galupa and stuff. I think they have their own thing about that. And the monasteries is something completely different. That's more like one of my teachers said, it's kind of like Harvard and Yale. It's like sort of a good spirited, like, you know, let's win in the debates this year kind of a thing, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:55 Highlight the passage at 1:22:55

1:23:19 Yeah, so this one I think is more cautioning us about that sectarianism, but also with that mind of saying that it's not a path taught by the Buddha, which is really heavy. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:19 Highlight the passage at 1:23:19

1:23:32 Number seven is the root downfall of taking away the golden robes and the rest and removing someone from the status of an ordained person. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:32 Highlight the passage at 1:23:32

1:23:42 Again, this one's a little bit difficult for us to do because it's talking more about... Somebody who has the power to take the robes away from somebody or incarcerate somebody or removing somebody from the status of being an ordained person, which obviously is happening a lot in Tibet right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:42 Highlight the passage at 1:23:42

1:24:05 But I think we can kind of do this with our mind if we don't respect ordained people. So I think we need to do that. We need to just watch our mind, especially if we are in the situation where we live with people and maybe they... We live a little too closely with people. We see their faults, their humanness, and so then we have to be careful. Or in the situation where people that we have been friends with as a non-ordained person then becomes an ordained person, we have to be careful of that. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:05 Highlight the passage at 1:24:05

1:24:38 Obviously that just happened with Charles, but we've had, in the ten years that I've been at Sechenling, The first year when I got ordained, we had about half a dozen people got ordained overnight. I mean, it was like really fast, one summer, boom, boom, boom. And it was really hard for some people. It was hard for people to respect those people as ordained people. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:38 Highlight the passage at 1:24:38

1:25:02 And that's all you're respecting. You're respecting just the fact that somebody's decided to try to live in the vows and to take up this path that the Buddha... Taught was a really good path. You're not necessarily thinking that they are a high Lama or anything like that. You're simply respecting that they're attempting this path, and that's all it is, is a path. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:02 Highlight the passage at 1:25:02

1:25:21 But people did have problems with that because they were just a little bit too close with those people, and then it was hard for them to have this, you know, for whatever. It was hard for them to justify that new relationship. So it was interesting to watch. Sit back and watch the fun. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:21 Highlight the passage at 1:25:21

1:25:42 And the motivation in this case is this motivation to hurt them, removing their robes and so forth is to hurt them. Eight, the root downfall of committing an immediate misdeed. There are five immediate misdeeds. Killing your father, killing your mother, killing an arhat or enemy destroyer, creating a schism, I can never say that word, in the saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:42 Highlight the passage at 1:25:42

1:26:14 Or drawing blood from a Buddha with evil intent. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:14 Highlight the passage at 1:26:14

1:26:22 So I'm going to say it again. And they actually are going up in importance, you know. So the killing your father is sort of at the bottom of this set. It's pretty high up there. Killing your mother raises it a notch. Obviously she carried you in her body, you know, so she gets a little bit higher. Killing an Arhat. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:22 Highlight the passage at 1:26:22

1:26:46 Because this is somebody who has attained nirvāṇa, so this is somebody who could benefit others in huge, huge ways. The last two are two that they say actually had to have happened at the time of the actual historical Buddha. So we can't actually do them at this time. But I think we can get really close. And so I think, again, it's that concentric circle kind of thing. Creating a schism in the Saṅgha, especially if you live in a Dharma center. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:46 Highlight the passage at 1:26:46

1:27:19 Taking sides in disputes. Even if you don't live in a Dharma center, if you just hang out here a lot, you could still fall into that one. So we have to be really, really careful of that one. And it was really, especially really hard when we had a lot of... That's Saṅgha in a general sense, but at one point we did have... Report an error in the passage at 1:27:19 Highlight the passage at 1:27:19

1:27:37 Half the people that lived here were also monastic. And so you would really have to be careful that you didn't create these sort of sides on issues and so forth. Drawing blood from the Buddha is probably not a really good idea unless, see how it says with evil intent. So if you were drawing blood for a medical purpose, that would be different. Can you imagine drawing blood from His Holiness or something? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:37 Highlight the passage at 1:27:37

1:28:01 I know. But again, they say that... know. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:01 Highlight the passage at 1:28:01

1:28:05 Because that actually happened. Both of those things actually did happen at the time of the Buddha. There was a really dangerous schism started by the Buddha's cousin. And somebody did draw blood from the Buddha with evil intent. And so those were thrown in there for that reason. And number nine is the root downfall of holding wrong views. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:05 Highlight the passage at 1:28:05

1:28:34 Holding wrong views in this case is, wrong view can mean a couple of different things, but in this case it's talking about actually any of the teachings, but in this case the law of karma, that you can, you know, deny, denying the law of karma, basically saying you can do anything and it doesn't matter, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:34 Highlight the passage at 1:28:34

1:28:59 So saying karma doesn't work and it doesn't matter. Or denying, Past and future lives is another one. And you have to believe these 100 % from the bottom of your heart. So it doesn't just mean those of us that are on the path and we're not quite convinced yet, so we still have some doubt in our minds or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:59 Highlight the passage at 1:28:59

1:29:18 That's not what it's talking about. It's saying absolutely not. It doesn't exist like that. So it's coming up with this really strong feeling from the bottom of your heart that you feel this 100%. That's what it's talking about with wrong views. It's not talking about a passing thought of like, wow, I wonder if karma really does exist the way they teach it or something like that, like when you're studying, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:18 Highlight the passage at 1:29:18

1:29:43 Sort of sound like one of the Brady Bits or something. I wonder. But, you know, they talk about the doubt. There's all these different kinds of doubt when they're talking about the mental factor of doubt. There's the doubt of moving. Away from what is actual. So in other words, I doubt that karma exists in a way that I am less likely to believe it. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:43 Highlight the passage at 1:29:43

1:30:12 In other words, I wonder if it exists. I don't really think it does. So I already am leaning towards the wrong direction. Or equal doubt. Just don't know. Or I wonder if it exists. It seems like it does. That makes sense to me. That's the doubt leaning towards the positive. So it's like we can have all different kinds of doubt. But on the path, doubt serves us. We can ask questions to some degree. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:12 Highlight the passage at 1:30:12

1:30:39 It can serve us, especially in this tradition where we have this whole tradition of debate and really sussing things out in our own minds and with each other and so forth. But it can also, of course, hold us back, too, if we just keep... We don't ever resolve the questions. We just hold them in our minds. So there it can be a problem. In this case, they're not talking about the mind that's doubting. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:39 Highlight the passage at 1:30:39

1:31:03 They're saying that you've decided already that karma doesn't exist, past and future lives don't exist, that this is all a bunch of hogwash. If this happens in your mind, the moment that you have this really strong feeling from the bottom of your heart, you break that vow. This is one of the two that you don't need the four conditions for. We're going to talk about the four conditions at the end. So that's a good time for a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:03 Highlight the passage at 1:31:03

1:31:35 So you can go and ponder, what kind of doubting mind do I have? Report an error in the passage at 1:31:35 Highlight the passage at 1:31:35

1:31:48 I didn't think we were going to actually finish all 18 root vows tonight. Oh my gosh, you're right. Well, yeah, 8.30. It's 8.30. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:48 Highlight the passage at 1:31:48

1:31:58 I'm like, wait a second, 8.30. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:58 Highlight the passage at 1:31:58

1:32:05 This is water. I'll get, yeah, actually just regular water, not even hot because it's hot. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:05 Highlight the passage at 1:32:05

1:32:24 Three, four. Okay, now we have one more for Jessica. That's great. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:24 Highlight the passage at 1:32:24

1:32:35 It says it's 74 degrees in here. Wow. That's like palmy for this room. It's totally palmy for this room. When John and I come and sit every morning, I always just sort of check the temperature to see if it feels like what I think it feels like. It's just interesting to see. Sometimes I feel like, oh, it's not so bad, and it's like 61 degrees or something. How cold is it in the morning? It's usually in the 60s, actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:35 Highlight the passage at 1:32:35

1:33:03 Every once in a while in the coldest of the winter, it'll get down in the 50s, but it doesn't get below the 50s. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:03 Highlight the passage at 1:33:03

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:33:54 To doing a nunye together? up for aqua Report an error in the passage at 1:33:54 Highlight the passage at 1:33:54

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:34:06 Yeah, Rinpoche is having me do them. I haven't done them. The last one I did was in December because then we found that Rinpoche was coming. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:06 Highlight the passage at 1:34:06

1:34:16 Actually, I'm still on that tidal wave. I haven't quite come down, but I'm planning. I just, last night, was actually looking at my calendar to figure out when I could do them through the summer. So I'm going to do the next one at the end of this month and do one a month after that. That's kind of what I'm thinking. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:16 Highlight the passage at 1:34:16

1:34:38 But yeah, I had told Charles a couple times has mentioned or has asked me if I would like to lead it and I still feel a little shy to lead it because it's a newer. I've done, now I've done about 13 Nunez but I haven't done that many. I've done five by myself which sounds like a lot but it's not really because it's quite an intricate text and I don't really, it sort of depends on how we did it. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:38 Highlight the passage at 1:34:38

1:35:04 If we had a fairly easygoing group. And we could kind of sing along to another recording of somebody else, because that's kind of the way I do it. I just actually have recordings of Venable Rita and Venable Amy and different leaders leading it, and I just chant along with them. No, different parts of it. Yeah, different parts of it, because some of the tunes are beautiful, but I just don't have it memorized yet, you know, so it's like... Report an error in the passage at 1:35:04 Highlight the passage at 1:35:04

1:35:32 That's true. And I think actually it'll take me, I think it would take me doing a bunch in a row to get it down, and I haven't done that yet. I've just done them one at a time as I can, kind of like that. Because when I, the one time that I did, I've never done eight in a row, but I did five in a row. Oh, cool. And you do get into the practice, like you definitely get much more into the practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:32 Highlight the passage at 1:35:32

1:35:54 But it's also because it's hard, you know. It's a hard practice, too. We're talking about Nunez. Yeah. So just physically, it's a hard practice. But we have done Nunez here before. We've done, twice we've done Nunez. We did, Venerable Rita came up one time when she was visiting from India and led one in Venerable Chidron, not Tubjan Chidron, Lundra Chidron, who's a homegrown. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:54 Highlight the passage at 1:35:54

1:36:28 She's actually one of our girls, but she's now moved, she's on the East Coast right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:28 Highlight the passage at 1:36:28

1:36:37 Yeah, so I feel like, and you know Venable Steve? Yeah. Has been leading, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:37 Highlight the passage at 1:36:37

1:36:46 Oh good, well done. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I totally wish I had brought him. Yeah. Because some of, yeah, some of the, like the, there's one that's so stuck in my head. Oh, he's got a beautiful voice too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Venable Sarah too. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:46 Highlight the passage at 1:36:46

1:37:06 Yeah, I mean, Charles a couple times has thought about asking her to do one. I feel like if we can only have Venerable Sarah once in several years, I'd rather have her be something where more people would come, you know. But if we can have her for both, that would be great. But if we can only have her for one thing, then maybe to do like a weekend on bodhicitta or something like that, because she's just such an amazing teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:06 Highlight the passage at 1:37:06

1:37:32 And I think she can reach so many people, you know. So it's just kind of like, let's have it be as open as possible. Whereas every time we've done, both the times we did a Noonye, we had just not that many. Because it's kind of hard. And here it is in the city, it's not such a great place to do it in a lot of ways. Like on your breaks, you can't, there's not that many places. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:32 Highlight the passage at 1:37:32

1:37:55 I go to the little local parks and stuff. I walk to the park. But none of our people that did them here left the building. They just stayed to try to keep the... And then those of us not doing it have to hold the space for those who are doing it so that we protect them. In case someone comes to the door, we answer the door, we answer the phone, we cook for them on the days that they eat, we hide everything on the days that they fast. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:55 Highlight the passage at 1:37:55

1:38:19 I mean, it's really sweet, but we can't really leave the building ourselves because if anybody comes to the door, they can't talk to them. And at this point now, where we have half the people, residents aren't even Buddhist, it's also going to be a different feeling. It'll be, yeah, over the noon, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:19 Highlight the passage at 1:38:19

1:38:46 Yeah, definitely. I've had retreats. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:46 Highlight the passage at 1:38:46

1:38:53 such a different Yeah, yeah, yeah. And people are like, what? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:53 Highlight the passage at 1:38:53

1:39:03 So, you need the staff. No, it's true. No, the staff actually is really important. This is why this is here. It's such a great... It is, and you can hear it in the kitchen if you're not deaf. Yeah, well, yeah. What? Charles heard the bell, and me and John were like, what? What? How are you? I'm like, you're tripping. What? Report an error in the passage at 1:39:03 Highlight the passage at 1:39:03

1:39:27 But let's think about it because it could be something that it would have to also be at a time that I think it would probably be better to be at a time that when Geshe-la wasn't here. Because Geshe-la is here on Sundays and Wednesdays. So when would we have it? Like we'd have to, it makes sense for us to have it on a weekend, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:39:27 Highlight the passage at 1:39:27

1:39:59 Yeah, but I mean it takes over the center. So it would be odd to have Geshe-la still teaching class or something. But what it could be is something like over Thanksgiving. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:59 Highlight the passage at 1:39:59

1:40:10 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:40:10 Highlight the passage at 1:40:10

1:40:14 they'll take off work or something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it could be something like that, yeah. Or it could be just a Sunday that Geshe-la doesn't come. And that could be too, you know, so there's ways to work with it. We must get a move on. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:14 Highlight the passage at 1:40:14

1:40:36 Could some baby bodhisattvas help this poor? Report an error in the passage at 1:40:36 Highlight the passage at 1:40:36

1:40:46 That's right, take her plate away from her. All right, number 10, number 10, the root downfall of destroying towns and such. Yeah, destroying towns, cities, whole areas or entire countries. Geshele said about this one that you have to be in a position to be able to destroy towns, cities, whole areas or entire countries, which would be somebody like Obama, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:40:46 Highlight the passage at 1:40:46

1:41:19 I mean somebody who has actually, somebody who has a position of leadership or he has the means to destroy. When I'm trying to see whether or not I'm keeping this vow when I'm working with my vow book, then I usually think about it in terms of like recycling. We talked about in the last class like ant villages or, you know, insects, you know, so being mindful of how you are caring for an area that you're working on, whether it's outside or inside. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:19 Highlight the passage at 1:41:19

1:41:47 But that's kind of the way I'm thinking about it. Because I don't have the power to go and destroy an entire country. Last time I checked. And you can see how this might work against your bodhisattva pals too. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:47 Highlight the passage at 1:41:47

1:42:01 Probably not. And also why it would be really hard for any of us baby bodhisattvas to have a position of leadership in a country. You know, it actually gets harder to do that kind of thing. Like we all would hope that... Somebody in power would be a bodhisattva, but actually it would be really hard to be in politics as a bodhisattva with some of the things that you'd be forced to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:01 Highlight the passage at 1:42:01

1:42:28 It would be amazing. Maybe if they were already a bodhisattva. So they had clairvoyance and stuff like that too, and then they would know when it was more beneficial to do one thing or the other. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:28 Highlight the passage at 1:42:28

1:42:40 Number 11, the root downfall of teaching emptiness to a person who is not yet mentally prepared. This one's big in my mind and heart right now because I'm teaching emptiness at a beginning level. It's totally frightening and it's one of the things that I, that was why I stressed that I really only wanted people to come and do that class if they had already taken at least very minimum. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:40 Highlight the passage at 1:42:40

1:43:07 One, Discovering Buddhism class first. And it wasn't to be exclusive. It was so that people had some basis in the whole path. And then all these other people showed up, and I don't know their levels, and so that's why I decided on Thursday night to go through the entire Lamrim in an hour and 15 minutes, because I don't know what their background is, and I don't know if they understand how it all fits together. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:07 Highlight the passage at 1:43:07

1:43:32 I only know they have some sort of... Past life imprint with emptiness and so that's why they showed up. But we have past life imprints with everything. It doesn't necessarily mean we're special because we have past life imprints with emptiness. It could mean that we have in our past life completely freaked out about emptiness. It could have not necessarily been a positive thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:32 Highlight the passage at 1:43:32

1:43:53 We just have some pull. So having a past life imprint isn't enough reason. We don't know what we'd do with it. In this case... My teacher, when my teacher was teaching this vow, said that it has to be that they get freaked out the same way that birds would get freaked out if you throw a stone at them. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:53 Highlight the passage at 1:43:53

1:44:17 He even acted it out. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:17 Highlight the passage at 1:44:17

1:44:26 They become frightened in a way. And in this case, technically speaking, Like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:26 Highlight the passage at 1:44:26

1:44:30 They become frightened and they turn back from full enlightenment and they go to a lesser path. The qualities of the person you should not teach emptiness to. They have not studied emptiness carefully, which I think is odd because, of course, if you're teaching it, then how could they have studied it? Report an error in the passage at 1:44:30 Highlight the passage at 1:44:30

1:44:53 But anyway, I guess you watch them as a student to see. And that's what I actually am finding myself doing. I feel like I'm a bit of a mother bird at this point, and I'm kind of watching people. If I see confusion and if I see too much missing of classes, I'm going to be a little stern in this class. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:53 Highlight the passage at 1:44:53

1:45:14 Usually the classes, people can come in all the way along, and I think it's actually somewhat disruptive, but we live in the city, so what to do? I'm not going to allow that in the emptiness class because I can't keep slowing us back down. Going back over the same opening material. But I sent an email out today to someone because I was concerned because that person had missed the first class and will be missing another class and they're pretty brand new students. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:14 Highlight the passage at 1:45:14

1:45:41 So I'm a little bit concerned there. And it's sort of like, I know we all have busy lives, but maybe this isn't the class for you right now. Luckily, all the Discovering Buddhism classes happen on a cycle, so we have another opportunity to take it again. It really, it really... I have had the experience when I've taught it before where I felt like I sort of led us along very gradually. And at the practice day, somebody kind of freaked. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:41 Highlight the passage at 1:45:41

1:46:06 It took all that time. It was like two months of studying it. And the person suddenly kind of was like, what do you mean? Do you mean this? And it was kind of like, have you been in the class? Because I just assume. A certain level, because I'm not clairvoyant, so I'm just assuming a certain level of understanding. I'm assuming a certain level of people are going to actually do their readings and do some, you know, obviously maybe not seven days a week doing the homework, but some sitting down and thinking about it, even if you're just reading on the bus. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:06 Highlight the passage at 1:46:06

1:46:36 And I don't know. This person just had some completely different idea, and it was a bit of a freak out there. So luckily there was a group of us. We kind of talked it out for a while, and she seemed to be okay, but it was kind of uncomfortable to me, and I was scared to death to teach the class again. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:36 Highlight the passage at 1:46:36

1:46:55 So the qualities of the person that you should not teach emptiness to is, A, they have not studied emptiness carefully. I would say they have not studied, period. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:55 Highlight the passage at 1:46:55

1:47:06 You know, don't start with emptiness. You know, I mean, it makes sense. The past masters of our tradition were smart. They usually started further down the path. B, your description of emptiness would scare them. Don't just say, nothing exists, you know. Try to give them a little grounding and, you know, just, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:06 Highlight the passage at 1:47:06

1:47:31 C, they have wishing bodhicitta. If, as a result of your teaching, they would, so... Okay, this is confusing the way this is heard. They have wishing bodhicitta and if as a result of your teaching they would get scared and give up the Mahāyāna and take up the Hinayana. So like that. So it's actually, it's not in general that teaching emptiness to somebody and freaking them out would break the vow, but it's still not a good idea. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:31 Highlight the passage at 1:47:31

1:48:07 So I might not break my vow. My bodhisattva vow, if I continue teaching emptiness and somebody in that class is not mentally prepared, but I still would freak somebody out about emptiness, which is not good, because then they would maybe have some aversion in their mind to that teaching, and then they would never get further teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:07 Highlight the passage at 1:48:07

1:48:28 They might even leave the Buddhist tradition altogether. Right. Like, this is scary, you know, I don't want to go into this one. Yeah, so it may not technically break the vow, but it might, it wouldn't be a good idea. However, if you check the person out carefully and you think they're ready, and then they freak out and give up the Mahāyāna, then you haven't actually broken the vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:28 Highlight the passage at 1:48:28

1:48:53 You know, like you do your best. We do our best. And I remember actually Manlam asking Geshe-la about this one. He was like, we're not clairvoyant. We're like baby teachers, basically. How do we know if people are ready? And he's just said, do your best. You just try to know, you talk to the students, you try to watch them in the classes and do your best. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:53 Highlight the passage at 1:48:53

1:49:17 So that's all we can do, I think. Number 12, the root downfall of causing a person to turn back from total enlightenment. So you're seeing a common theme. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:17 Highlight the passage at 1:49:17

1:49:32 Committing this begins when you say, The following to this person who has already developed the wish to achieve total enlightenment. So somebody already has bodhicitta. You say, you'll never be able to carry out the six perfections and actually reach Buddhahood. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:32 Highlight the passage at 1:49:32

1:49:50 I know. But if you just stick with the lower path, then you'd be able to do it. So if you say that, then you break your vow. So don't do that because it would turn somebody back from this bigger wish. Especially if they do it. It actually completes the downfall if they then actually do it. They turn away from the Mahāyāna path and go for the Mahāyāna path. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:50 Highlight the passage at 1:49:50

1:50:28 Number 13, the root downfall of causing a person to give up the morality of freedom. This is talking about the Pratimoksha vows, the vows of individual liberation. Um... Report an error in the passage at 1:50:28 Highlight the passage at 1:50:28

1:50:39 any of the The eight types of vows, including all the ordination vows as well, so not just the lay vows. And in this case you say, and this one has to do with, there's a couple of them in here that have to do with thinking that the bodhisattva vows supersede the vows of individual liberation, which is true to a degree, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:50:39 Highlight the passage at 1:50:39

1:51:05 I said with a greater motivation you could do something like strike another or Steal something if you know that it's going to be a greater benefit and we have to be really, really careful about those times. To some degree it is true, but we can never get away from this. The vows of individual liberation are really strongly based on karma and it's this idea if we think... Report an error in the passage at 1:51:05 Highlight the passage at 1:51:05

1:51:34 Oh, well, I'm on the Bodhisattva path, so I don't have to worry about cause and effect anymore, or something like that. Like, we have this kind of hoity-toity view of ourselves, and it's like, oh, I no longer. Or I spread that as the Buddhist teachings to somebody else. So I say, you know, there's no reason for you to have to keep morality. We're on the Bodhisattva path, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:34 Highlight the passage at 1:51:34

1:51:55 As long as you have this bodhicitta in your heart, you don't have to be moral. And actually, this is what happened in Tibet. Tibet after the At least according to the Galupa school, not necessarily according to all of the schools, but according to the Galupa school, Buddhism came to Tibet in the 8th century with Padmasambhava and after several centuries of anti-Buddhist kings, it got really degenerate. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:55 Highlight the passage at 1:51:55

1:52:26 In Tibet, and in fact, this was one of the things, especially for people that were into Tantra, there was this idea that you didn't have to be really moral. You no longer had to be really moral. You were on this higher path, and you could basically do whatever you wanted. And so it got really degenerate, and that's why Lama Atisha was asked to come to Tibet and to clear things up. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:26 Highlight the passage at 1:52:26

1:52:49 And he's the one, of course, who created the lamrim, because he could see how... Things were going. So you would break this as a vow if you basically told somebody else who was keeping, already had the pradhimoksha vows, they were keeping them well, and you came up to them and said, what's the use of this? Report an error in the passage at 1:52:49 Highlight the passage at 1:52:49

1:53:13 You don't need to do this anymore. You're on the bodhisattva path. This is more important. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:13 Highlight the passage at 1:53:13

1:53:21 But it actually is considered complete if they do turn away. So I could still say that to Anne, and she's like, no, I know being moral is really important, and she doesn't do it. I would get eons of negative karma, but I wouldn't necessarily technically break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:21 Highlight the passage at 1:53:21

1:53:44 I'm glad that you brought this up, because in the Chan tradition, Done. Yeah. Did you? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:44 Highlight the passage at 1:53:44

1:53:51 The vows are organized slightly differently and the first five are the five precepts. So in order to, and there are 58 vows, and in order to be able to take the bodhicitta vows in our tradition, you have to first take refuge in the five precepts and then you redo the five precepts again as part of the... Report an error in the passage at 1:53:51 Highlight the passage at 1:53:51

1:54:17 part of the bodhisattva vows because that's so fundamental yeah actually feel I don't know if technically that's true, but I feel like it's taught as the best way that you have taken refuge first and then the lay vows and then the bodhisattva vows. It gives a stronger foundation to do that. And even some people take it all at once and they say that that's not quite as good. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:17 Highlight the passage at 1:54:17

1:54:45 It's better to have... One first and then the next and then the next because it's like building a house, you know, that's what they say. So, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:45 Highlight the passage at 1:54:45

1:54:56 Ann, did you have a question or did you? Okay. We're almost out of time, so I think let's do 14. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:56 Highlight the passage at 1:54:56

1:55:11 No, we'll do 14 and 15 and that's where we'll end. So 14 is the root downfall of holding that a person cannot eliminate desire and the rest by following the way of the learner. This is again, in this context, the way of the learner is talking about the Hinayana path, but it's really talking about studying the four noble truths as the main path, which of course is great. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:11 Highlight the passage at 1:55:11

1:55:39 So this is somebody who is dissing. Somebody who feels like they can take the teachings of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, and that's their whole path. And we're saying that basically you can't use those teachings to eliminate all your mental afflictions and attain nirvāṇa, which is a lie, because they can. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:39 Highlight the passage at 1:55:39

1:56:01 I mean, according to the Buddha, he can. These are just different paths. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:01 Highlight the passage at 1:56:01

1:56:12 The vow is broken when the other person hears and understands your statement. So if I'm just babbling on and John's ignoring me... Actually, that's not true. I guess if John is ignoring me, he has understood my statement and he's ignoring me. He's choosing to ignore me. But if he is... He has his headphones on and he can't hear me or he doesn't understand me. He's like, what? And I have to keep explaining it over and over then. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:12 Highlight the passage at 1:56:12

1:56:42 At the moment that he understands, that's when my vow has broken. And we are going to talk about the four conditions too in the next class. But number 15 is a big one. The root downfall of professing the complete opposite. This is one that... Basically, you are pretending that you've had a direct experience of emptiness and you haven't. So it's different if you have had a direct experience of emptiness, but somebody who has, if you're already an Arya being, if you have had a direct perception of emptiness, most people would never admit it. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:42 Highlight the passage at 1:56:42

1:57:29 So that should already be a tip-off. But if you have had it and you... If you insinuate or you say that you've had it, it doesn't break the vow. If you haven't had it and you insinuate or point blank say that you've had it, then you break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:29 Highlight the passage at 1:57:29

1:57:48 Again, the moment that they grasp the words, that's when you technically break the vow. Yeah, John. Don, do you want to pass the talking stick? Report an error in the passage at 1:57:48 Highlight the passage at 1:57:48

1:58:02 Does this one also hold in general for... Any sort of realization, any sort of spiritual realization. So if you realize something, if you're lying in essence about spiritual attainments that you've acquired in order to give like a false impression. Technically this vow is specifically talking about emptiness. And technically the worst, the root of the lying of the Prada Moksha vows is the same vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:02 Highlight the passage at 1:58:02

1:58:35 Is lying about your spiritual attainments, but especially lying about having a direct perception of emptiness. This must have come up a lot where people would insinuate or point blank lie about having a direct perception of emptiness. So that's why they put this one in. But it's also quite dangerous, right? If I follow, if I look, you know, looked online, gosh, I'm looking for somebody who's had a direct perception of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:35 Highlight the passage at 1:58:35

1:59:00 And there are a lot of people advertising and I go to them and then I... Follow their methods, then I could get myself into real trouble. And so that's why this one's really, really, really important. Because they say there must be another person with whom you're talking to. So if you're just sitting around your room going, I've had a direct question. I've had a direct question. But nobody else is there, then technically you haven't broken it yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:00 Highlight the passage at 1:59:00

1:59:25 So there has to be another person. You have to say that you've seen emptiness, which is not true. So if you've seen it, again, it doesn't count. And that if they do what you say, they can see emptiness too, and they have to understand what you're saying. So if they speak Swedish or something and they don't, and they're just like, why does he keep talking to me? I don't know. Then you haven't broken the vow. But if they understand your words, then... Report an error in the passage at 1:59:25 Highlight the passage at 1:59:25

1:59:53 Yes, yes, yes, yes, that's right. Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, then you've broken the vow. So we actually only have three more vowels. Should we just go for it? Yes, yes, yes. The root downfall, number 16, is the root downfall of accepting what belongs to the three jewels when someone else presents it to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:53 Highlight the passage at 1:59:53

2:00:18 So now it's no longer you going into the bookstore and grabbing something and sticking it in your bag. This could be somebody else who, for whatever their reason is, they... yes, yes, yes, okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:18 Highlight the passage at 2:00:18

2:00:31 Taken something and then they give it to you. Now this one I think comes up a lot when you think about all the stolen things from Tibet that are now in antique stores and things like that. I feel funny about those and especially feel odd about if people give them to you as a gift or something. Something just feels really uncomfortable about that whole situation. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:31 Highlight the passage at 2:00:31

2:00:56 I guess if somebody gives it to you as a gift it's better than if somebody sells it to you. Because then they're making money off of the fact that that was stolen too, so that's also odd. But anyway, and it can be anything. It can be anything dedicated to the use of the Three Jewels. So it could be food, books, money, religious objects, anything like that. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:56 Highlight the passage at 2:00:56

2:01:22 Here, young lady in the back. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:22 Highlight the passage at 2:01:22

2:01:30 Would it be breaking the vow? Like if I bought something from an antique store? The Tibetan artifact or whatever, and I was trying to return it to where it came from, even though I knew or thought maybe it had been stolen, but I want to return it back. Is that, even though I'm buying, stealing property and giving it to someone, would it be them breaking a vow? No, yeah, no. I think if you had a good motivation for doing it, I don't know how you'd ever be able to give it back, unfortunately. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:30 Highlight the passage at 2:01:30

2:02:02 That's the hard thing with the whole Tibetan situation is those monasteries are gone. Oh, like even like giving to like another monastery. You could do another monastery. I've actually seen people giving things to Geshe-la, for example. And Geshe-la probably gives them to Sarah. That's probably what he does, you know. So I guess, yeah, actually giving them to another monastery is not a bad thing. Because you're trying to at least get back to somewhere safe where it kind of starts from. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:02 Highlight the passage at 2:02:02

2:02:27 But I guess where it would get a little bit odd is, for example, what if you were in Tibet? And you saw a store there and you knew that that's where they got them from. And if they got a whole lot of money for them, they'd probably keep stealing them. So then it's like, am I contributing to this? Yeah. So I guess if I were there, I just wouldn't get anything. But now that the stuff that's come here is probably stuff from the fall of Tibet, like in the last. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:27 Highlight the passage at 2:02:27

2:02:58 I doubt if it's new stuff. I mean, it's probably stuff that's come out of Tibet over the last 50 years or something. You don't really know for sure. So it could do the same thing, yeah. You could end up buying it from this little storekeeper guy who's like, great, I've got to get some more of these, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:58 Highlight the passage at 2:02:58

2:03:18 Let me call my pal and, yeah. And they're pillaging sites. Oh, that's horrible. It's like sort of asking us to be moral on this other level. Consumer level. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's definitely like receiving stolen property. Or on the street. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:18 Highlight the passage at 2:03:18

2:03:42 Why is that bike only $5? You know? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:42 Highlight the passage at 2:03:42

2:03:54 That's right. Wait, you should be saying this until this talking stick. As I sit here listening, just holding the microphone. As John is saying, it's like receiving stolen property, even if you have the greatest intention. I have to try to remember it now. Yeah, here, for the person at home. As I was saying. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:54 Highlight the passage at 2:03:54

2:04:23 It's like receiving stolen property, basically. So if you go and... You know, say like the person on the street or you're the pawn shop owner and somebody brings you a computer or a bike or something. And, you know, it's like, oh, can you take this? And you buy it from them. If they stole it from somebody, that will go and that could go and, you know, cause them to go and steal more, which isn't good for them. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:23 Highlight the passage at 2:04:23

2:04:50 It's not good for anybody involved. So, you know, even though you even like. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:50 Highlight the passage at 2:04:50