A Brief Commentary on the Bodhisattva Vows - Guidelines for Awakening Compassion and the Altruistic Mind (8 April 2011)

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9:48 I'm like, whoa, what is that? No. Because this is the bodhisattva vase. Report an error in the passage at 9:48 Highlight the passage at 9:48

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10:53 Oh, you got this at the dinner? That's really nice. Report an error in the passage at 10:53 Highlight the passage at 10:53

11:04 Yeah. So I could order this one. This is really good. Report an error in the passage at 11:04 Highlight the passage at 11:04

11:13 Yeah. That's great. Thank you for showing me commentary. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, that was a good one. In fact, I was going to hold that one up. Did you just get that one tonight? No, I had this. Okay, we'll just talk about different texts. Should Report an error in the passage at 11:13 Highlight the passage at 11:13

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12:15 be. Report an error in the passage at 12:15 Highlight the passage at 12:15

12:20 Yes, it's Report an error in the passage at 12:20 Highlight the passage at 12:20

12:26 a good thing to do. Report an error in the passage at 12:26 Highlight the passage at 12:26

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12:57 I need the gold books. Report an error in the passage at 12:57 Highlight the passage at 12:57

13:02 Yeah, the white ones I think are fine for this class. Oh, you know, we can always do that great, the Shantideva dedication at the end, so that's cool. I passed out white ones. Report an error in the passage at 13:02 Highlight the passage at 13:02

13:12 So then her will be right. What? You didn't? No, I got both. Yeah, no, I did. Oh. Well, then don't. No, that's okay then. Are you going to get them, Maria? Okay, let's go ahead. It's good for us to dedicate really well. Report an error in the passage at 13:12 Highlight the passage at 13:12

13:38 Oh, it's okay. Things happen. Don't freak out. Oh, Report an error in the passage at 13:38 Highlight the passage at 13:38

13:49 shoot. Report an error in the passage at 13:49 Highlight the passage at 13:49

13:55 shoot I was going to make you guys some more articles for it and I just forgot to print them so you'll get them next week. So let's just sit down for a moment and take a few deep breaths and let go of your day. Report an error in the passage at 13:55 Highlight the passage at 13:55

14:31 And just let yourself come more and more into this room, onto your cushion. And Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

14:44 then we'll motivate this class, studying the bodhisattva vows together, which is such an incredibly rare and precious thing to do. Report an error in the passage at 14:44 Highlight the passage at 14:44

15:00 So let's motivate that it's not just for ourselves alone, but that it really, these vows and understanding these vows really help us train our minds perfectly so that we get enlightened very quickly for the benefit of all living beings. And Report an error in the passage at 15:00 Highlight the passage at 15:00

15:28 then we'll just start with the prayer on page 8. So Report an error in the passage at 15:28 Highlight the passage at 15:28

15:47 I think what we should do is have... Now our setup is going to be Kara right in the middle. And they're fanning. Oh, Anne's here. That's right. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Well, you're moving closer. She's moving closer. She's too far away. I know. I think we might put her at one of the ends or something. Yeah, that might be. It's just still you're outside of the circle. With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 15:47 Highlight the passage at 15:47

16:19 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 16:19 Highlight the passage at 16:19

16:49 So I was just going to start. Right in with the four chains or conditions because we didn't get to that part. Does anyone have any questions about anything we talked about last week? Do we want to start with questions? Report an error in the passage at 16:49 Highlight the passage at 16:49

17:12 It'll get even more so. Report an error in the passage at 17:12 Highlight the passage at 17:12

17:18 So let's get started. We have a lot to try to fit in. Report an error in the passage at 17:18 Highlight the passage at 17:18

17:26 So these four chains or conditions. Well, the root vowels, number 9 and number 18, anybody remember one of them? Number 9? Report an error in the passage at 17:26 Highlight the passage at 17:26

17:47 Can somebody say that into that? She said, Kara said, holding wrong views. Report an error in the passage at 17:47 Highlight the passage at 17:47

17:57 That's okay. Holding wrong views is enough. And then what's number 18? Discarding the wish for enlightenment. Wait, you can't just answer all of them. I was going to let somebody else guess. Report an error in the passage at 17:57 Highlight the passage at 17:57

18:12 So with those two, you don't need these four conditions. When you have these minds, and remember that they're really, really pronounced. It's not like in passing or something like that. It's really strongly held in your mind. Then you have broken those vows. That's all it takes to break those vows. Of course, it's kind of a lot to give up bodhicitta, and it's a lot to... Report an error in the passage at 18:12 Highlight the passage at 18:12

18:39 Actually deny karma and things like that. But still, it's kind of scary that you don't even need those four conditions. With all the rest, you need all four of the conditions to actually break the vow at the root. To break the root vow at the root. And then we're going to talk about there's ways for the break to be a major break, in which case you have to retake it. Report an error in the passage at 18:39 Highlight the passage at 18:39

19:08 You have to retake them. But there's always some damage already done if you have to retake them. They say it's like, you know, when you've broken a leg, it's never quite right. Sorry. Report an error in the passage at 19:08 Highlight the passage at 19:08

19:21 It was a little close to home there. Report an error in the passage at 19:21 Highlight the passage at 19:21

19:30 But then there are ways that it can be medium and then there are ways that it can be minor and that you don't have to retake it. Okay, so let's talk about these four. The first one is failing to see the deed itself as something wrong. So we're spending a lot of time talking about why it might be wrong, and we're spending time getting to know the vows. Report an error in the passage at 19:30 Highlight the passage at 19:30

19:56 So if you are breaking one of the vows and you fail to consider it as wrong, that's really big. Because it means something's happened in your mind. You probably had some sort of turnabout or about face. Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:11 If you think it's wrong to do the deed at any time, during or before you do it, and even for a moment, then you don't break it. So it's kind of hard to actually break these vows. They've made it as easy on us as possible. You have to just be so relentlessly negative. If you have any regret in almost all of these conditions, then you haven't actually broken the vow. Report an error in the passage at 20:11 Highlight the passage at 20:11

20:40 The second one is... You have a desire to commit the wrong deed over and over and over, more and more and more again. Again, if you have even a moment of regret ever, you don't break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 20:40 Highlight the passage at 20:40

21:02 Number three is you have a sense of satisfaction or you enjoy doing it, doing the wrong deed. Again, if you regret doing it, then you don't break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 21:02 Highlight the passage at 21:02

21:17 Four is a lack of shame or consideration. And we talked about shame and consideration last week. And I sent you my notes, right? So you've committed them all to memory and are now ready to give an oral presentation on shame. going to get to there. Report an error in the passage at 21:17 Highlight the passage at 21:17

21:41 So I need to get those from you. I was going to ask for those. Do you want to talk about shame or consideration? Okay, but before we do, can we talk about shame and consideration? Do people remember what shame and consideration are? Does anyone remember what either of them is? Shame and consideration and why they're important to have, which is different in our culture. Report an error in the passage at 21:41 Highlight the passage at 21:41

22:07 We sometimes think it's not such a great thing to have shame, but in Buddhist context and especially in terms of vowed morality. It's actually really good mental factors to develop. Do people remember why? John, I knew you knew it because you have that kind of sheepish look like you know it. Report an error in the passage at 22:07 Highlight the passage at 22:07

22:29 That's okay. Reading it from your notes is okay. Because the more times you read it, then the more times it goes into that brain. Well, shame is good because it's a positive mental factor helping one to keep the vowels. Why? What is shame? Tell me what shame is. Did you write that down? Report an error in the passage at 22:29 Highlight the passage at 22:29

22:51 I think it's you have shame if you're about to do something and you have this thing go through your mind that I shouldn't do this because what will others think of me? Report an error in the passage at 22:51 Highlight the passage at 22:51

23:15 Actually, that's more consideration. Yeah, but good idea. What will I think of myself? That's it. Yeah, your view of yourself. So I'm on the bodhisattva path, so I can't be stealing this brownie or, you know, it's okay. We just started. Come on in. I didn't want her to be tiptoeing all over the place. Can you lock the door, though? Thank you. Yeah, so shame is about my idea of myself. Report an error in the passage at 23:15 Highlight the passage at 23:15

23:45 And how I can use that to keep from doing something wrong. So, you know, I can't do that because I'm a Buddhist. I shouldn't do that, you know, even though all your friends are going, come on, Maria, let's go joyriding or whatever. You're like, no, no, yeah. I am, you know, I'm a Buddhist now. And so you're just using some sense of yourself. I'm on the bodhisattva path, so I'm not going to do that anymore or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 23:45 Highlight the passage at 23:45

24:10 Um, um, And so that's one that you could also translate as integrity. And then consideration is more like what John was saying, where it's you using what others might think of me. Especially, they say, people who are really important in your life, like your teachers or your students, or if you're an ordained person, then lay people. Report an error in the passage at 24:10 Highlight the passage at 24:10

24:35 Or, I mean, it could be your parents also. Something like that. Sorry. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 24:35 Highlight the passage at 24:35

24:47 so that's consideration. So they're actually important in keeping us from doing wrong deeds just because we can develop them in our minds to the point where we can actually kind of bring them up. You know, it's sort of like that idea. I think I taught. so that's... Report an error in the passage at 24:47 Highlight the passage at 24:47

25:04 I mentioned in the class that at one time that I was doing retreat in somebody's home and it had like this enormous television in it. So I just covered it with this beautiful cloth and I put Lama Zopa right in the middle of it. I was just like, don't even think about watching a movie this week, okay? So, yeah, and it's a positive thing. It's like you're doing it for yourself. Report an error in the passage at 25:04 Highlight the passage at 25:04

25:27 You're, you know, developing that mental factor yourself. They're actually considered mental factors. But you were going to ask another question. Wait, talking stick? Okay. Okay, so for the four binding factors, just to clarify, you said that if you have a moment of regret, At any point, either before, during or after the action? No, the only one that said that was number two. It said ever, which I found interesting. Report an error in the passage at 25:27 Highlight the passage at 25:27

26:09 The other ones are saying it before or during. Report an error in the passage at 26:09 Highlight the passage at 26:09

26:17 Yeah, before or during. But number two actually said ever. And that's... That's the one that's, you know, you just want to keep doing it over and over and over again. So I guess maybe because that moment of regret keeps you from doing it over and over and over again or something. I don't know. I don't know why. Could I peek at your book, one of your books? Report an error in the passage at 26:17 Highlight the passage at 26:17

26:46 Ever, that term, that one key word, because he was asking before or during, and that makes sense to me, if you have a moment of regret before or during an action, a negative action where you're breaking a vow. you don't know why, what, I'm somehow missing. Report an error in the passage at 26:46 Highlight the passage at 26:46

26:57 Ever sounds like also after. And that's the only one that said that. I'm just seeing it. Let's see if this one doesn't really give, doesn't really say. Report an error in the passage at 26:57 Highlight the passage at 26:57

27:15 Okay, so this one says, not abandoning the thought to do the action again. If you do not regret the action and generate the wish to avoid it in the future, or if you have the wish to do the action again, then this contributes to a complete transgression. If you wish to never commit such an action ever again, then the transgression is incomplete. If you wish to never commit such an action ever again, then the transgression is incomplete. Report an error in the passage at 27:15 Highlight the passage at 27:15

27:37 So that's like regretting it. Report an error in the passage at 27:37 Highlight the passage at 27:37

27:41 Yeah, so maybe that's why the second one. It works that way, but for the other three, you have to have that moment of regret before or during the action. Report an error in the passage at 27:41 Highlight the passage at 27:41

28:00 Yeah, I mean, that's my understanding. I think we should just all develop a healthy sense of regret. Here, you can have it back again. I should have made one for me, actually. Maybe I'll have Charles help me make one for me. It is nice to have it all in writing like that. Report an error in the passage at 28:00 Highlight the passage at 28:00

28:24 Any other questions, though, about those four chains or four conditions? Report an error in the passage at 28:24 Highlight the passage at 28:24

28:32 Just about the order and what they say. So all four factors have to be complete to break a root vow. Report an error in the passage at 28:32 Highlight the passage at 28:32

28:44 If you commit any of the 16 root vows besides those two, so any of the... Besides 9 and 18. If you commit any of the 16 root vows without all 4, it becomes like a secondary downfall. And we'll discuss the secondary downfalls later, what you do to purify them. If you break a root vow with number 1 in place, in other words, not thinking it's wrong, and have... Report an error in the passage at 28:44 Highlight the passage at 28:44

29:20 Either one or two of the others, any one or two of the others, then it's considered a medium break. And to restore the vow, you have to collect three people or you have to confess to three people. I don't know if you have to do it all at once or if you just confess to three different people that you've done this. If you, to do a small break, you only have a Z. Report an error in the passage at 29:20 Highlight the passage at 29:20

29:49 Is not to have, oh, to have any of them except for number one. Any amount of them other than number one. Number one's really big. And what's going to help you not to ever do number one is to know your vowels really well. So if you know your vowels really well, then you'll know why they're wrong and you'll never have the thought that it's not wrong. You know what I mean? So that's kind of, that one, education really helps you to get number one. Report an error in the passage at 29:49 Highlight the passage at 29:49

30:20 Okay, so a major break is all four, and that's when you have to take them again. But remember that it does have an effect on our continuum every time that we break them and then take them again. And they say that if you break it at the root like that, you can never reach the first bodhisattva bhumi in this life. Report an error in the passage at 30:20 Highlight the passage at 30:20

30:46 So that's pretty heavy, which means you can't. See emptiness with, have a direct perception of emptiness with bodhicitta in this life. It also makes it really difficult to ever meet qualified spiritual teachers in the future, in future lives. Report an error in the passage at 30:46 Highlight the passage at 30:46

31:07 And you can't increase the virtue that you need to have a direct perception of emptiness. Because one of the ways that we do it is by generating and developing and enhancing bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 31:07 Highlight the passage at 31:07

31:23 So that's a major break. You need all four present. Medium break is one in place and any of the others. And a minor break or a small break is having any of the others. Yeah. And I've also heard that when you're doing the confession thing that it's really good to confess it to somebody who understands the vows. Report an error in the passage at 31:23 Highlight the passage at 31:23

31:51 So it's kind of like you don't just pick out Joe Schmo on the street or some drunk guy in the ditch or something. Try to find somebody who understands the vows. That's true for others. Report an error in the passage at 31:51 Highlight the passage at 31:51

32:09 You're confessing that you broke it, yeah, because you're owning it, right? It's the same as what we do when we do the confession practice. thinking, I'm really, you know. Report an error in the passage at 32:09 Highlight the passage at 32:09

32:17 Most of that confession practice has nothing to do with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas already know you broke it. It has to do with us owning it that I broke it and that I want to repair it. So that's what it's about. It doesn't mean you have to go to a nun or a monk. It just means you have to go to somebody who understands the vows. One person. And you have a collection here. Report an error in the passage at 32:17 Highlight the passage at 32:17

32:40 People are going to have like... knocking on John's door in the middle of the night Report an error in the passage at 32:40 Highlight the passage at 32:40

32:49 Jessica you're not going to believe what I did Report an error in the passage at 32:49 Highlight the passage at 32:49

33:00 We'd have to all take it. How many of us are there? We can have a different one on a different day of the week. Yeah, Jessica, did you have a question? Yeah, I just missed it. I'm sorry, the difference between medium and small. So you said medium is number one and any one or two of the remaining three. Report an error in the passage at 33:00 Highlight the passage at 33:00

33:20 Oh, I see. Okay, so big is all four have to be broken. Medium is number one plus one of the other three. One or two are the other three. One or two of the other three, but not all four. And then small is... Report an error in the passage at 33:20 Highlight the passage at 33:20

33:34 Not having one, but any of the other ones. So two, three or four, right? Report an error in the passage at 33:34 Highlight the passage at 33:34

33:43 But she wants to know, like if she screws up with number four, where does that put her? Does she call me or does she call Caroline and John at an official meeting at 7 o 'clock? Just it. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 33:43 Highlight the passage at 33:43

33:58 I'm anticipating not screwing it up. No, I remember actually when I got ordained, Dreamy, who was the nun who was assigned to my little group, I got ordained at Vajrapani, actually, and we were in one of the first ordinations. Report an error in the passage at 33:58 Highlight the passage at 33:58

34:18 Not in the West, but certainly at this time period in the West. And nobody knew what to do. It was all kind of a big surprise. And so they just sort of handed us to the two nuns. There was one other nun who's unfortunately since disrobed. But they handed us to Dreamy and we were like, you know, she was helping us with our robes and she was, you know, and she met with us for like, you know, like four or five times and kind of went through the vows. Report an error in the passage at 34:18 Highlight the passage at 34:18

34:43 It was really sweet. I mean, it was very kind of her. And so one of the things she did on the very first day is she told us how to give her vows back. And she said, I know this is really heavy, but you need to know because there's a certain way that you have to know that if you give them back, then you can retake them. Report an error in the passage at 34:43 Highlight the passage at 34:43

34:58 So it was like really heavy. You just got it and everybody's all congratulating. You're all happy. And then you're like, okay. Report an error in the passage at 34:58 Highlight the passage at 34:58

35:06 How do you give your, yeah. So you have to do it in a certain way. It's the same. I mean, it's similar. It's similar. You know, you have to. I know, I know. It's like a reality, big reality check. So it's very good that Jessica wants to know the exact thing, what to do and when she screwed up with one, two or three or four. Report an error in the passage at 35:06 Highlight the passage at 35:06

35:26 Yeah. And I would just say one of the best ways to do this is just to read them through a lot. And so like make it a regular part. You know, without being too crazy and just going, I'm going to read them every day. I mean, you don't necessarily have to do that. But, you know, maybe read a couple every day or on Sundays, just read through the whole thing. Report an error in the passage at 35:26 Highlight the passage at 35:26

35:50 It's not that many, really. I mean, you don't even have to read the commentary. I'm just saying read the vows themselves. Because the actual, the more times your eyes see them and even saying them out loud, there's a practice that we do in Haish Yoga Tantra where, and I'm allowed to say this. We actually do read through the vowels every day, and that reading through, you're like, oh yeah, oh, that's a little close to home, you know, and you're just reading through it, it's like a review of your behavior, so it could be a part of your evening practice or something, you know what I mean, like you could just review them. Report an error in the passage at 35:50 Highlight the passage at 35:50

36:23 Wait, wait, wait, wait, it's okay, it's okay. Oh, whoa, careful, Henry's book. You were saying you don't have to read The Bodhisattva Vows every day, but in our book, the first thing that's not the benefit of illness, it says how to guard the vows from degenerating this life. Yeah. It's like 1 through 10. I was like, oh, that'd be good to put by the front door, quick glance before you leave. Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 36:23 Highlight the passage at 36:23

36:58 It's just like a little reminder. Yeah. The more it's in your mind, the less like who you are. I mean, even just for me, like reviewing this as I'm teaching and I'm like, oh, wow, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah. You know, and every time I read it, we've in Demystifying Tantra, we have a study group that's having a hard time getting started again this year. Report an error in the passage at 36:58 Highlight the passage at 36:58

37:21 We just spent time going through all the vows and everybody would take a few and then report back on what they had found and what they meant and stuff. And that whole experience was just really great on just keeping the vows alive in your mind. That's really what it's about. So it's just however that works for you. I'm going to talk about some different techniques in the final class. But, you know, no matter what, just to try to make a plan to kind of read through them on a regular basis because otherwise they just won't be in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 37:21 Highlight the passage at 37:21

37:48 I mean, that just makes sense. They just won't be in your mind, and then it's more easy to break them. And to review those four conditions, too, on a regular basis, too. That's part of the Succession Guru Yoga, too. Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

38:06 If you break number 18, I think I mentioned that last week, too. If you break number 18, it's the same as giving back the vows formally. And that makes sense, too, because you're giving up bodhicitta. What's the point? These vows are all about bodhicitta. Normally, you don't lose your bodhisattva vows when you die. Report an error in the passage at 38:06 Highlight the passage at 38:06

38:28 They actually stay in your mental continuum, which I think is a really cool thing. Report an error in the passage at 38:28 Highlight the passage at 38:28

38:37 Let's get started with the 46 secondary offenses. My goal is to try to get through the first 34, but we'll see how that works. Report an error in the passage at 38:37 Highlight the passage at 38:37

38:49 It probably won't work. We probably... Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

38:52 thing that. That's interesting is that these first 34, that's why I picked that number, is the first 34 are divided up by which of the six perfections that they try to protect in our mind. And so we'll at least try to get through a few of the perfections this time. So the first seven work against the perfection of giving. Report an error in the passage at 38:52 Highlight the passage at 38:52

39:18 In other words, if we break them, they work against the perfection of giving. The first is the secondary offense of failing to make offerings to the three jewels through the three doors of expression. Three doors are... Report an error in the passage at 39:18 Highlight the passage at 39:18

39:36 That's it! Yeah, woohoo! I guess you didn't know I was going to call on people and stuff tonight, you know? But you guys are like a little bit more intermediate at this point, so I'm expecting more. Report an error in the passage at 39:36 Highlight the passage at 39:36

39:48 Three doors of expression. What are the three jewels? Report an error in the passage at 39:48 Highlight the passage at 39:48

39:54 No, three jewels. Yeah, there you go. But it's not exactly Buddha, dharma, and saṅgha. It's the Buddha jewel, the dharma jewel, and the saṅgha jewel, which is slightly different than Buddha, dharma, and saṅgha. You got an idea, John, on what the difference is? I hear you going, yeah. He's mumbling quietly. It's coming back to him. Report an error in the passage at 39:54 Highlight the passage at 39:54

40:27 So what I understand is the difference between the Buddha, dharma, and saṅgha jewel and the Buddha, dharma, and saṅgha is Whereas the Buddha is the Buddha, the Buddha jewel is the Dharmakaya. The Dharma is the Dharma. The Dharma jewel is the set of realizations and in particular their direct perception of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 40:27 Highlight the passage at 40:27

40:58 And the Saṅgha jewel... In what? Where is that realization? What do you mean? Where is that realization happening? Where has it happened? It's in the mind. It's in the realization as it exists in the mind of an aria being. Oh, okay. And the Saṅgha jewel is the community of arias who have the arias. Right. Or even just an aria. Or an aria. Yeah. Because at that time, one aria represents all the arias. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's it exactly. Report an error in the passage at 40:58 Highlight the passage at 40:58

41:36 Yeah, it is exactly. So when we go for refuge, we're actually going for refuge in the three jewels, not in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Then there's also the relative aspects of it and all that stuff too, but we'll get into that more in the refuge class. Report an error in the passage at 41:36 Highlight the passage at 41:36

41:50 Yeah, so we are making a commitment with this vow to each and every day make some offering to the three jewels with our body, speech, and mind. It can be as little as... This can be the body, two palms together, counts as a prostration. It's really great if you can do a real prostration or two or three, but, you know, if this is what you do, this counts. Report an error in the passage at 41:50 Highlight the passage at 41:50

42:20 So when you're in the hospital bed, remember that one, you know. She's trying to do something, you know. Maybe you guys come and push the hands together for me. Report an error in the passage at 42:20 Highlight the passage at 42:20

42:31 Thinking with our mind, right, so then thinking some sort of honoring, some sort of... reverence to the Three Joels. It can be a little prayer that you say or you can just have it be really, really minimum, but just trying to do something. So, of course, again, in order to keep the vow, it's nice to have something built into your day so you don't forget. Report an error in the passage at 42:31 Highlight the passage at 42:31

42:42 little as, know. Report an error in the passage at 42:42 Highlight the passage at 42:42

43:08 Which is why these practices that people... Do I feel a confession coming off? Report an error in the passage at 43:08 Highlight the passage at 43:08

43:21 During the mic off. I don't know who that was. Report an error in the passage at 43:21 Highlight the passage at 43:21

43:30 Something has happened. I'm sure we start now. Report an error in the passage at 43:30 Highlight the passage at 43:30

43:31 and Report an error in the passage at 43:31 Highlight the passage at 43:31

43:42 We'll just start over again. These are the secondary vows. Yeah, that one's a big one. That one's a big one. So we just do the best we can with this. Remember the training wheels idea. So what I was going to say is like, I think I've screwed this one up because, I know I did, because when I'm, which you just said about daily practice, I find when I'm here, it's not a problem. Report an error in the passage at 43:42 Highlight the passage at 43:42

44:09 I do it. When you're here in San Francisco. Yeah, when I'm home. When I'm traveling. I try to remember, but I'm like, sometimes your days get so packed that you literally collapse and you're just trying to do all these different things. And so I know that when I was traveling recently, I forgot. I mean, I just totally forgot. Which is, you know, a lot of times we balk at the idea of being given daily practices. Report an error in the passage at 44:09 Highlight the passage at 44:09

44:33 But for me, my experience has been having a daily practice, make sure that I... kind of hit a number of these things and that they're taken care of and then you just have to make sure that you do it I see your hand up I just think hold your horses there young man it's my confession Report an error in the passage at 44:33 Highlight the passage at 44:33

44:55 well run the subject. Report an error in the passage at 44:55 Highlight the passage at 44:55

45:00 She's having her moment, John. Yeah, so then it just has to become, it has to become like, they say, like brushing your teeth, you know, it has to become like something that's in our, but yeah, I do the same thing, so when that changes, for example, I do a lot of my practices when I'm walking, and then if I don't walk, then I'm like getting ready to go to bed, and I'm like, whoa, whoa, you know, and all of a sudden I'm like walking up and down the hallway trying to do all my mantras, you know, or whatever it is that I normally do when I'm walking. Report an error in the passage at 45:00 Highlight the passage at 45:00

45:29 So it's just a matter of trying to figure out. But what you just said made me feel a little bit better, that you actually could do something pretty simple, maybe simpler than what you would do normally every day. Like if you're somewhere, you know, that you really just can't do an extensive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you figure out what your bare minimum is. Report an error in the passage at 45:29 Highlight the passage at 45:29

45:48 I mean, to be honest, I actually think that the Succession Guru Yoga, which is the practice I was just mentioning, I think it was totally created. To have us review our vows on a regular basis and then cover all of the Samaya that we take in the tantric practices. Because every single one is covered. So if you do the short version of that, you've covered your entire... So it's like, whew, you know they did that one for all the monks, you know, and I'm really happy for it. Report an error in the passage at 45:48 Highlight the passage at 45:48

46:17 So you just kind of have to do that yourself. Maybe have one index card that has whatever it is on there. So you just know. The grounds are covered. And then obviously if you have some time on a Sunday or something, you're at home or whatever, then you can do more. Because the traveling thing has really thrown me off. Report an error in the passage at 46:17 Highlight the passage at 46:17

46:37 It totally throws you off, for sure. John. I was just going to suggest that for this first one, every time you eat, just offer your food. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 46:37 Highlight the passage at 46:37

46:52 And then, you know, I mean, if you eat during that day, you know, this one's taken care of. You don't have to worry about it. And the more you offer, the better. Well, but you have to say it out loud. So you'd have to include both thinking it and speaking it. Yeah. So if you're traveling and a business thing, you might not be. Report an error in the passage at 46:52 Highlight the passage at 46:52

47:13 You could do it. They'd be like, whoa, she's a little different. You could do something like that. Love. Report an error in the passage at 47:13 Highlight the passage at 47:13

47:25 Right? Really? Yeah, when your food gets delivered on the plane, just grab the hands. But that's actually perfect. That's actually a great idea. And it also, then it doesn't matter whether you're traveling or at home, you've sort of covered your base. If you can really do, like maybe just make it your breakfast, because that's most likely the meal that you're alone, to just really focus on offering it visually, offering it through your speech, and, you know. Report an error in the passage at 47:25 Highlight the passage at 47:25

47:54 What are you doing physically? I guess when you actually take the bite, you're offering it? Is that what you're thinking? The physical? Report an error in the passage at 47:54 Highlight the passage at 47:54

48:04 Because it has to be with all three doors. Report an error in the passage at 48:04 Highlight the passage at 48:04

48:09 Yeah, or just holding it or making a gesture of giving. Yeah, something like that. Yeah, you could do it in the shower. Shower might be good, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 48:09 Highlight the passage at 48:09

48:23 What? No, actually in the shower you can do a lot of, you can do Vajrasapha in the shower. It's quite, yeah, because you've already got the, yeah, it's all cleansing you. That's one of the ones they actually suggest for us to do in the shower and retreat and stuff like that. Report an error in the passage at 48:23 Highlight the passage at 48:23

48:47 No, best not to have Dharma in the bathroom. Report an error in the passage at 48:47 Highlight the passage at 48:47

48:54 Best not, best not. I know it's a drag actually. I kind of wish that we could put Vajrasapha up in the shower. You have to just memorize it and just go for it. Report an error in the passage at 48:54 Highlight the passage at 48:54

49:12 moments alone like yeah like I am with someone different from you know yeah all day and they're sort of staying in the same room with me too right yeah yeah yeah so that is a moment that I know I better be alone yeah yeah Report an error in the passage at 49:12 Highlight the passage at 49:12

49:31 that's why I wanted to ask You can totally do your practice. I do my practices sometimes in the bathroom, especially if I oversleep or something. The ones I have memorized. Report an error in the passage at 49:31 Highlight the passage at 49:31

49:48 Well, it's just not appropriate because it's kind of a dirty place. I think, obviously, that started in India. Well, then now you do. Report an error in the passage at 49:48 Highlight the passage at 49:48

50:00 A little bodhisattva tonight. Secondary offense, number two, the secondary offense of allowing thoughts of desire to go on. Report an error in the passage at 50:00 Highlight the passage at 50:00

50:11 You commit this when you fail to stop. Now, I'm just going to tell you now, these secondary offenses are actually getting in. They're much harder. okay second Report an error in the passage at 50:11 Highlight the passage at 50:11

50:20 I think the secondary fences are much more the training wheels. The root ones are big for a reason, but the secondary ones are ones that we can actually break every single day. They're definitely much more difficult. It's kind of like when you're going through the ten non-virtues and you get to the speech ones. Report an error in the passage at 50:20 Highlight the passage at 50:20

50:44 That's when my heart just falls because I'm like, okay, I'm most likely not going to rip things off or kill people. But it's really easy for me to have idle chatter, and that one's going to come up in here too. So yes, and it doesn't mean that they're heavier. See, they're called secondary, but we do them more often because they're easier. Report an error in the passage at 50:44 Highlight the passage at 50:44

51:05 So that's why they become more heavy for us. So allowing thoughts of desire to go on. Well, we are in the desire realm. We already have a lot of desire. That's what this realm is all about. But this vow is actually written if you fail to stop. So even trying any effort at all counts. And it keeps you from breaking the vow. The Buddha is trying really hard to help us out here. Report an error in the passage at 51:05 Highlight the passage at 51:05

51:35 So any effort at all. So you commit this when you fail to try to stop a thought that comes up in yourself, such as an inordinate desire for an object or not being satisfied with what you have, an attachment to having others pay you honor or anything of the like. An improper desire means you have a state of mind which is never satisfied with what you have. Excessive sensual desires are an attachment to having others praise you. Report an error in the passage at 51:35 Highlight the passage at 51:35

52:05 Any effort at all to prevent it will prevent you from breaking the vow. Report an error in the passage at 52:05 Highlight the passage at 52:05

52:17 That's why I also really find these quite useful to just take one for a day or a week or something and really just think about it in the morning, think about it whenever you have a minute in the middle of the day, think about it at night, and just really get to know that vow. It's like a new companion, so it's just like, oh wow, I just really kind of fed that desire today, didn't I? So it's just kind of like we're just getting to know these vows. Report an error in the passage at 52:17 Highlight the passage at 52:17

52:47 Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's actually one of the ways you can stop yourself. realize it Report an error in the passage at 52:47 Highlight the passage at 52:47

52:51 It's like, oh yeah, wait, number two. So it's kind of like we can develop that. The secondary offense of failing to pay respect to one's elders. This isn't talking about old people, although that is really, really good to do. I actually say that because when I first heard it and for the first little bit that I was trying to keep it, I thought it was. Report an error in the passage at 52:51 Highlight the passage at 52:51

53:16 Elders in that sense, you know. No, it's anyone who's taken the bodhisattva vals specifically before you. So even if they took it, you know, three days before you, they're considered an elder. Report an error in the passage at 53:16 Highlight the passage at 53:16

53:31 How do you know, right? But you can just find out. And actually, it's probably better to have respect for everybody. So you can just save yourself a lot of grief if you can just develop respect for everybody. Report an error in the passage at 53:31 Highlight the passage at 53:31

53:46 How do you hold respect for them? I guess mostly just with the way, I guess it doesn't really say here how to hold respect, but I guess. Oh, it does say also, okay, so it does say you commit this with a person who is your elder in the sense of having taken the precepts of the bodhisattva before you and who has good qualities and is worthy of your honor. Report an error in the passage at 53:46 Highlight the passage at 53:46

54:09 So if somebody's taken the bodhisattva vows of you but they aren't keeping them and they don't have any good qualities, I guess. We're allowed to not respect them? I don't know, that one seems dangerous. I would Report an error in the passage at 54:09 Highlight the passage at 54:09

54:28 think also not superior to, although it doesn't mention that. I would think that that's, yeah, yeah, I think maybe let's just respect everybody. Report an error in the passage at 54:28 Highlight the passage at 54:28

54:41 Just to be safe. Okay, number four. This one comes up a lot for me. The secondary offense of failing to answer questions. Report an error in the passage at 54:41 Highlight the passage at 54:41

54:52 You commit this when, out of anger or laziness, you fail to give an appropriate answer to a person who has asked you a question in a sincere and well-meaning way. So usually I'm saved by the bell with sincere or well-meaning way. I can be like, well, actually. This means either not answering a question or giving an inadequate answer to any question, not just Dharma questions. Report an error in the passage at 54:52 Highlight the passage at 54:52

55:19 And the exceptions are you're sick. You're asleep. You're groggy. You're teaching and it interrupts the flow. This of course happens a lot. You want to teach them a lesson but with a good bodhisattva motivation. So maybe somebody's always answering questions and so one of the ways that you might try to cut them off is, but kindly, something like that. Report an error in the passage at 55:19 Highlight the passage at 55:19

55:50 Secondary offense of failing to accept an invitation. This one comes up for me too. You commit this when someone invites you to partake of a meal, accept some article of clothing or anything of the like, but out of pride or a wish to hurt them, anger or laziness. It's always laziness. Not always. Sometimes it's like, I just really don't want to go out for dinner. But then you have to think, what's the benefit? Report an error in the passage at 55:50 Highlight the passage at 55:50

56:17 If there's enough benefit, you just have to go. It's like Rinpoche was telling that story about that. One of his teachers who... Had sort of let it slip that he hadn't done anything because he wanted to for like seven years. And so Rinpoche said that was hinting that he had actually developed bodhicitta seven years ago because he no longer did anything at all for his own benefit. Report an error in the passage at 56:17 Highlight the passage at 56:17

56:44 He would only go like to somebody's house or whatever like that for somebody else's benefit. So you have to think about somebody else's benefit. Do you have a question? This one scares me. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 56:44 Highlight the passage at 56:44

56:55 Can you wait one more second? The exceptions to this are you're sick, you've accepted another invitation already, it's too far to go or it's too dangerous to go, you've been invited out of a bad motive, you want to teach a lesson, and it diverts you from a virtuous act. That one I can usually save it. If I stay home, I can do this. Yeah, okay, so ask your... Report an error in the passage at 56:55 Highlight the passage at 56:55

57:25 I'll ask what I mean, mention why it scares you. I think that this one, it kind of goes back to something that I've talked to you about in classes before is this issue of balance between like that what laziness, how you define laziness and like how you define how much rest you really need. Yeah, yeah. And so when I saw this, you know, my friends, a lot of my friends and family are always like, you need to slow down. Report an error in the passage at 57:25 Highlight the passage at 57:25

57:48 You're too, you have too many things going on. You know, and I saw this and I was like, oh, no, you know, I already do this. And then I thought, well, if I have to accept invitations or, you know, from this vow perspective, what is that balance between like, well, I really need a night in to like rest and rejuvenate. Report an error in the passage at 57:48 Highlight the passage at 57:48

58:07 I don't think you need to accept every single invitation. I don't think it's like that at all. I think, again, you just have to develop a certain wisdom about what's more beneficial. Like if the person's really trying to do something nice and you feel like. It would be beneficial for them if you... I mean, because really, you know, I often get invitations and I know that the conversation is not really going to be about the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 58:07 Highlight the passage at 58:07

58:29 And it's just going to be a lot of people talking and talking. And sometimes it's really sweet to do if it's like someone, you know, maybe that someone's been ill and they're back on their feet again or something like that. But otherwise, it's just... Or, you know, you can also kind of do a little shortcut thing where you pop in for the first hour, make an appearance and then leave and then everybody's happy and you haven't, you know, spent all that much time. Report an error in the passage at 58:29 Highlight the passage at 58:29

58:53 Because I think you really have to think about the greater benefit. And sometimes there is, if it's just with one person and that person has like a serious problem, even then. I mean, even then, I think it's really good to limit the amount of time because after the first 45 minutes to an hour, it just deteriorates and gets into gossip and blah, blah and, you know, not so useful anymore. Report an error in the passage at 58:53 Highlight the passage at 58:53

59:19 So seeing it in that virtue space. Yeah. Yeah, how virtuous is it? And that's what we're trying to do is develop our own wisdom. So, you know, yeah, yeah. So not every single thing that comes your way, you have to, yeah, really, you just make yourself sick and crazy. Yeah. All right, ever again. She's like, oh, my God, here we go. Report an error in the passage at 59:19 Highlight the passage at 59:19

59:45 Really, exactly. No. Okay. The secondary offense of failing to accept gold and the like. And this one I think is one I also, all of these, I mean you just, all the time stuff like this comes up. Report an error in the passage at 59:45 Highlight the passage at 59:45

1:00:04 You commit this one out of a desire to hurt them or out of anger or laziness. You refuse to accept gold or the silver or any other kind of material wealth that a sponsor has tried to offer to you. Now why would you do that, right? I know sometimes that somebody can't do it. Like it would really hurt them to give the gift that they're giving. And so fortunately that's an exception. And so it's good to know your exceptions. Sometimes I end up teaching people about their own vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:04 Highlight the passage at 1:00:04

1:00:33 You know exception. You know you would get attached to that thing. So if someone wants to give you something really, really groovy and you're trying not to get into that whole thing and just be like, no, really, honestly, I don't want that incredibly $400. Shawl because I will just get attached to it and give it to Geshe-la or something like that. You know the person giving it would later regret giving it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:33 Highlight the passage at 1:00:33

1:00:59 One of my teachers was talking about his teacher, a student offered his teacher a house and the teacher said no, that's too much. And then later she actually ended up falling away and so it was like that would have been a really bad thing to regret. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:59 Highlight the passage at 1:00:59

1:01:18 You think the thing is stolen. Yeah, probably. Not a good thing to do. We were talking about that last week. It will hurt the person financially. And so that one is an okay reason to say, that's really, really sweet of you, but no, you know, I don't need, you know, you need that. You hold on to that. Or you can accept it to give them the merit and then just give it back to them. Then they have to take it again. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:18 Highlight the passage at 1:01:18

1:01:45 Or if it would be a problem for you to have it for some reason. So, like that. And then the last of these seven that have to do with the perfection of giving is the secondary offense of failing to give the Dharma to those who wish it. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:45 Highlight the passage at 1:01:45

1:02:03 This one also comes up for me. You commit this when out of a desire to hurt them, anger, envy or laziness. Interesting that they throw in envy. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:03 Highlight the passage at 1:02:03

1:02:12 You fail to give the Dharma to those who wish it. The motivation here is laziness, anger or anything other than attachment. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:12 Highlight the passage at 1:02:12

1:02:23 I think because attachment comes up as the motivation in the root vows. The exceptions are if you're sick, if you want to teach a lesson, if the student is waiting to criticize you or is disrespectful, if you know they can't get the meaning of what you're going to teach, if they aren't sitting properly. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:23 Highlight the passage at 1:02:23

1:02:45 I know, I don't know what that one means. We should know that in case we're requesting a teaching, right? If you know that they would freak out if you taught the subject, meaning emptiness, I'm sure. They don't believe or they aren't interested in what you're teaching or they have deep wrong views or you know that they won't follow what you teach or the teaching will make them worse or they will spread that teaching to those who are not ready. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:45 Highlight the passage at 1:02:45

1:03:10 So there's all sorts of reasons that you could not, using your own wisdom, that you could not accept that. That person's request of our teaching. Any questions on those first seven? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:10 Highlight the passage at 1:03:10

1:03:29 Quizzical look from the lady in the back row. It's Report an error in the passage at 1:03:29 Highlight the passage at 1:03:29

1:03:40 coming your way. I don't know. I think it's still marinade. Okay. Yeah, that's okay. I like marinade. That's good. Maybe later. Okay. Reminds me of Julia Child. a child. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:40 Highlight the passage at 1:03:40

1:03:59 Okay, so now the next nine work against the practice of morality. So number eight, secondary vow number eight, is the secondary offense of rejecting persons with sullied morality. I love that term, sullied. It's not one you hear often. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:59 Highlight the passage at 1:03:59

1:04:21 So in this... This case, when they're talking about somebody with sullied morality, I suppose it can be in a larger context too, but here they're talking about more to do with sullied morality from a Dharma point of view. So somebody who has committed one of the five immediate misdeeds, I'm not going to ask you what those are, but you should probably know what they are, or one of the root downfalls of the bodhisattva bells. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:21 Highlight the passage at 1:04:21

1:04:49 You commit this offense when, because of what they've done, and with feelings of wanting to hurt them or out of anger or laziness, you reject and ignore them completely. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:49 Highlight the passage at 1:04:49

1:05:02 These are the very people that you should give attention to. Exceptions to this are, to teach a lesson, this is coming up a lot, or if you're getting close to them, alienates many others. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:02 Highlight the passage at 1:05:02

1:05:19 That's kind of interesting, isn't it? Especially with the five immediate misdeeds, those are pretty heavy, right? So it's killing a father, killing their mother, killing an arhat, somebody who's attained nirvāṇa, and then the other two we can't really do. Right now, they could only be done at the time of the actual historical Buddha, creating a schism and drawing blood from Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:19 Highlight the passage at 1:05:19

1:05:48 with evil intent. I remember that part. So, I mean, if everybody knew that this person had killed their mother and or father and or some holy being, then it might cause problems in your direct circle, you know, assuming that you are a teacher or something like that. If you're going and hanging out with this person, if people don't understand that you're trying to help them for some reason. I can't understand why they wouldn't understand that, but they might not. So I guess that would be the only obvious reason. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:48 Highlight the passage at 1:05:48

1:06:27 The secondary offense of failing to follow the rules which lead others to develop faith. This comes up a lot with monastic vows. A lot of our vows are actually to protect the faith of lay people. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:27 Highlight the passage at 1:06:27

1:06:44 I mean, I think so many times in history, especially nuns, must have screwed up. And the Buddha, out of his infinite kindness, is trying to protect the lay people's faith. So you commit this when you fail to follow the rules of the teachings on discipline, just as though you were someone who belonged to the tradition of the listeners, for this is something that protects the minds of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:44 Highlight the passage at 1:06:44

1:07:12 In other words, for example, if people know you're a Buddhist or a bodhisattva and then you lie, then they think that Buddhists are less than honest in general. So we have to be really careful of the way that we conduct ourselves if people know that we're Buddhists. You know how people do that? If you get angry and then they're like, oh, I thought you were a Buddhist. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:12 Highlight the passage at 1:07:12

1:07:33 And then we get angrier, right? The idea here is that now we're representing. We're representing the tribe where we're out there. If people know that we are, you know, obviously not everybody in the world. The problem is, of course, with this on, then people do know. The pressure's on, for sure. And you screw up all the time, and then people kind of are looking at you that way. But, yeah, people, for example, like with your classmates, because probably people on the bus, maybe like the people that you're close to in your house or your home and family and stuff like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:08:10 It sort of forces us to act a little bit more morally. Yeah, pass John the mic. Which is a good thing, right? I mean, it's annoying, but it's a good thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:10 Highlight the passage at 1:08:10

1:08:26 So where it says teachings on discipline, would those cover all of Pardimoksha vows? Not just monastic vows, but say you have lay vows? I think it really gets into the Vinaya too. But yeah, I think it's the Pardimoksha vows is what they're talking about. It's like sort of the... Report an error in the passage at 1:08:26 Highlight the passage at 1:08:26

1:08:45 The restraint vows, the vows of individual morality, all of them. All of vowed morality. Yeah. Well, I think it's not really all the vowed morality because it's probably not talking about tantric vows. So it is probably talking more about the – that's why they mentioned the listeners because the Pratimoksha vows are, you know – The ordination vows, if you hold them, and then the lay vows, and then even the ten non-virtues, I would think, and then also, or the ten virtues, I guess, the one-day vows, probably, as well. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:45 Highlight the passage at 1:08:45

1:09:28 This just makes me feel like I want to be so much a better person than you. It's so crazy for me to be sitting there teaching you these, and I'm just like, wow. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:28 Highlight the passage at 1:09:28

1:09:38 Wow. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:38 Highlight the passage at 1:09:38

1:09:41 The secondary fence of performing. Oh, okay, so these next two kind of are a little twosome. The secondary offense of performing deeds which are only of lesser benefit for all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:41 Highlight the passage at 1:09:41

1:09:57 A bodhisattva need not necessarily, these are very, we have to be really careful when we, if we decide that we're in a situation that we are going to break a lower vowel, quote unquote. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:57 Highlight the passage at 1:09:57

1:10:14 A bodhisattva need not necessarily observe certain kinds of proscribed morality from the teachings on discipline in the same way that a person of the listener tradition would. An example would be the downfalls which are exclusively prescribed, such as, and they give an example, there's a certain monk's vow, one of the fully ordained monks, where they aren't supposed to keep cloth for a certain number of days. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:14 Highlight the passage at 1:10:14

1:10:42 But if you have a bodhisattva intention, for example, you're gathering clothes to give to the people of Japan, then you can break that lesser vow. That's what's kind of like that. But again, we have to be really, really careful when we break a lesser vow. We can't just think, well, I'm on the bodhisattva path, so I'm more, you know, like I'm sort of more developed than the... Report an error in the passage at 1:10:42 Highlight the passage at 1:10:42

1:11:09 The lay vows or something like that. We have to be really, really careful that we have to check our mind. We have to check our motivation. And we have to really think about whether there is more benefit to others for us to do that. Because others may see us breaking that vow. And that could affect their faith too. So we really have to weigh the two. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:09 Highlight the passage at 1:11:09

1:11:42 Is the marinating done? No, it's just continuous now. It's continuous marination. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:42 Highlight the passage at 1:11:42

1:11:53 So this is deeds which are of lesser benefit? So it's like second best? Well, that's just a code word for... I'm stuck on that right there. Yeah, that's talking about the Pratimoksha vows, basically. It's talking about the vows of individual liberation. Lesser benefit in terms of they aren't created. They're created to help us. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:53 Highlight the passage at 1:11:53

1:12:18 Apply the law of cause and effect, but they aren't created like the bodhisattva vows to help us develop and enhance and increase our bodhicitta. So the bodhicitta bodhisattva vows are higher vows than the vows of individual liberation. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:12:18 Highlight the passage at 1:12:18

1:12:40 this is one I did. I was misunderstanding for a long time until I studied it a little bit. I thought it was like doing, you know, like... Staying and watching a movie. Lesser benefit, right? It would be lesser benefit then. Anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:40 Highlight the passage at 1:12:40

1:13:00 Okay. So then number 11 is kind of similar. And this one says the secondary offense of failing to break a rule out of compassion. There are certain extraordinary situations where specific misdeeds... Report an error in the passage at 1:13:00 Highlight the passage at 1:13:00

1:13:16 And this is talking about of the ten non-virtues, it's the first seven, those of body and speech, are allowed for a person who possesses the wish for enlightenment. So number one, already has bodhicitta, and who is practicing the precepts of the bodhisattva in the proper way. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:16 Highlight the passage at 1:13:16

1:13:40 If you are this kind of person, and it would be of extraordinary benefit to others if you did commit such a deed, Then you have committed this offense when you fail to do so, right? So we're sort of forced by our vows, if we are of a high enough level of a practitioner, that we have to make this decision. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:40 Highlight the passage at 1:13:40

1:14:04 For example, that story of the Buddha in his past life where he had clairvoyance, so he saw that the one sailor was going to kill all 500 of the other. Sailors on the ship, and so he killed that one knowing that it would protect him from suffering for eons for that deed, not even to protect the 500, which I think is the more amazing. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:04 Highlight the passage at 1:14:04

1:14:31 Now from the standpoint of the other guys on the ship, he just went crazy and killed the captain, right? They didn't know why. So we have to know that the benefit is going to be greater by doing this action of... Stealing, killing, sexual misconduct, lying, harsh speech, divisive speech and idle gossip. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:31 Highlight the passage at 1:14:31

1:14:55 We have to know that doing that action is going to be, and being probably seen doing that action, there's going to be still greater benefit to do it than it would be to not do it. And then if we know all that's the case, we have to then do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:55 Highlight the passage at 1:14:55

1:15:14 Now. This one has some extraordinary, the extraordinary circumstances are, for this vow to apply to you, you must be, number one, a bodhisattva who has perfected your practice. So you're off the hook if that's not the case. I mean, that's kind of it at this point. We can see when it doesn't really apply to us. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:40 But still, it's good to understand it. Number two, have an extraordinary insight into when it's necessary to do something strange or unusual to help people. So we have to have that much wisdom. Number three, must possess ultimate great compassion, which is basically seeing all beings as your child burning in the house and you absolutely have to help. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:40 Highlight the passage at 1:15:40

1:16:06 It's like that level of compassion for all beings, not just for one being. So you must be very, very, very, very advanced. You have to have those three qualities. And you must see that there is absolutely no other option than breaking this morality vow to help somebody. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:06 Highlight the passage at 1:16:06

1:16:27 And then there's even one more. It says, in the case of killing, if you don't have the power to transfer the being's consciousness to a higher realm, in other words, POA, then this vow doesn't apply to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:27 Highlight the passage at 1:16:27

1:16:42 Yeah. So this vow doesn't apply to most of us, and don't tell me if it does to you. But still, it's good for us to know because at some point it might. At some point we might develop these qualities and then we're forced to do this vow if it is more beneficial for us to do one of these actions. And so we have to know when we're at that point and we have to be willing to do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:42 Highlight the passage at 1:16:42

1:17:12 Yeah, like at first it's just kind of like sigh of relief and then you're like, oh, but I gotta know it because at some point, you know. Secondary offense of taking up wrong livelihood. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:12 Highlight the passage at 1:17:12

1:17:24 Don't worry, no, no, it's not talking about that. I knew that was gonna freak her out. Here we're talking about five different ways of obtaining support for ourselves. Those five are... Obtaining things, trying, actually it doesn't say you're successful, trying to obtain things through pretending, through flattering, through hinting, through forcing, or through baiting or bribing. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:24 Highlight the passage at 1:17:24

1:18:03 Baiting and bribing are the same thing. So I'll say those again. Pretending, flattering, hinting, forcing. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:03 Highlight the passage at 1:18:03

1:18:18 Or baiting or bribing, you can call it either one. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:18 Highlight the passage at 1:18:18

1:18:25 And then it does say, or any activity which is harmful to another person. The exception is if you're struggling to get out of it, then you don't break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:25 Highlight the passage at 1:18:25

1:18:42 And it doesn't say how long you can struggle to get out of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:42 Highlight the passage at 1:18:42

1:18:50 Yeah, so these are kind of interesting, you know. They're called wrong livelihoods, but basically... And it's like these actions are, and I guess some of them are done in business a lot, I think, pretending, flattering, hinting. But I just try to catch myself when I'm doing it to get anything, right? And I remember the way that one of my teachers described hinting. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:50 Highlight the passage at 1:18:50

1:19:17 He was like saying, Well, it's great when people offer the little schoolboy cookies. In other words, do people know those little schoolboy cookies? Les petits ecouillers, the little, anyway, there's like these kind of sugar cookies with like this big hunk of chocolate on there and it has this little schoolboy on it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:17 Highlight the passage at 1:19:17

1:19:39 But that was just funny because it just came from out of nowhere. It's like it's great when people offer the little schoolboy cookies. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:39 Highlight the passage at 1:19:39

1:19:46 So, yeah, you just kind of have to watch what you're doing, especially for me, hinting is one. Just be straight out. There's no vow against that. You can just be like, no, we need, you know, I need, you know, blah, blah. Pretending. Pretending to be better than you are, right? So that one's one. Flattering. That red looks so great on you, Ann. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:46 Highlight the passage at 1:19:46

1:20:12 You know, and then... And then the person like thinks you're wonderful and then brings you things, you know. Forcing is kind of, yeah. I can't have any of that now. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:12 Highlight the passage at 1:20:12

1:20:32 Forcing is intense and baiting is also intense, but anyway, yeah. The secondary offense of forgetting yourself and acting wild. Another personal favorite. Like all of these are just totally. And I remember when we were first learning these vows too. I did them in a residential course and it was 10 days and we were kind of all hanging out together. And of course, we're all learning the vows too. And then we'd be like, oh my God, forgetting yourself and acting wild. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:32 Highlight the passage at 1:20:32

1:21:00 You just feel like catching yourselves all the time. You commit this when you forget yourself and act wild, distracting yourself with fun and games or chattering on in a silly way. I'm sorry. Chattering on in a silly way. You also do so if you try to get others to act wild and so on. This means acting wild or frivolous or also wasting time and not being serious. Exception. If you're struggling to stop and control yourself, if you're doing it to stop another's grief or depression, hey, that works, yeah, to lead another from a bad deed. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:00 Highlight the passage at 1:21:00

1:21:56 So someone's about to steal the time and you're like, ah! Wait, wait, wait, over here! To create a better environment for people, to attract people to Buddhism who wouldn't otherwise come. So being the life of the party in order to get people to come. I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:56 Highlight the passage at 1:21:56

1:22:20 I know. Especially if we're wild, too. It's kind of interesting, right? I call number 13 the Looney Tune clause. Oh, oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:22:20 Highlight the passage at 1:22:20

1:22:34 You can act crazy and say, hey, I'm a nut, I'm a nut, shoot me. Only if it's going to benefit others, though. Well, I didn't think that one would. It might, it might. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:34 Highlight the passage at 1:22:34

1:22:50 Well, then, this is bringing awareness. This is bringing awareness. I think you're in good company here. I think all of us have that one a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:50 Highlight the passage at 1:22:50

1:23:04 Are drawing people to the teachings? But sometimes it is habit, so I think we do, I don't, I think it's, you know, I think it's great to know what our exceptions are, but I think sometimes it is just habit of, and I'm the queen of frivolous speech, blah, blah, blah, you know, and so it's, so it's good to know when we've, when we, it's good to know when we've got this one to work on, that's all, that's all, you know, yeah, and, and, pass and the mic. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:04 Highlight the passage at 1:23:04

1:23:45 Thank you. I mean, it feels, I do, I do get these waves of like, wow, these are bummers. But, and then it, it feels like the intentions are, are just really kind if we're wanting to seek enlightenment so that we can help people. I mean, if we're like, what's, I think of the phrase like you, you give a man a fish, they eat for a day. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:45 Highlight the passage at 1:23:45

1:24:14 You teach them how to fish, and what's the end part? I don't know, but it's really good. Yeah, but you know, like, it's like... And they eat forever, that's it, that's it, that's it, yeah. So, I mean, if we, like, walk around in the world unenlightened, blind, following our delusions, then that's, even with really good intentions, we kind of pass that along. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:14 Highlight the passage at 1:24:14

1:24:33 So it's like, I mean, I love the radio, I love playing music and stuff, and it seems like it's good to be, you know, like if... Dharma talk has some lightness to it and if we don't take ourselves so seriously, then it's not necessarily frivolous. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:33 Highlight the passage at 1:24:33

1:24:54 And that's again about building our own wisdom, right? And it's not saying that we can't ever, like this is kind of fun, we're having a lightness about this particular class, but it's just not constantly. And what I began to discover is that... Sometimes what idle speech, and this is really getting close to that when we're talking about idle speech and that kind of frivolous, silly, wild behavior, sometimes it can kind of keep the more serious stuff from ever coming up in yourself and in other people too. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:54 Highlight the passage at 1:24:54

1:25:27 And so I definitely can see that in classes sometimes, both with myself but then with other students also. If it's constantly joking, then the one quiet person won't really. It doesn't have a way in, and there's sometimes, even for the people that are doing the joking, they don't get deeper into whatever. And so, yeah, there is a really good intention. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:27 Highlight the passage at 1:25:27

1:25:48 It's not about, you know, it's not like that. It's like, let's think about the way we're acting, the way we're speaking, the way we're using our time. That's really what it's about. So, yeah, thanks, Anne. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:48 Highlight the passage at 1:25:48

1:26:05 Oh, it does in that version. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:05 Highlight the passage at 1:26:05

1:26:19 You pass it to John. Yeah, she's just going off into a whale. It's okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:19 Highlight the passage at 1:26:19

1:26:28 You're not alone, honey. Yeah, I ask Geshe-la about this one because this is one that always crops up for me, you know, like in a major way. There are a couple in here that always crop up for me in a major way, and this was one of them. Actually, all of them do for me, but yeah. It's just one degree or another. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:28 Highlight the passage at 1:26:28

1:26:47 And I asked Eshel about it, and he said that, you know, you can go, and I'm going to paraphrase, of course, you know, you can go and have fun and talk with people and, you know, play music and do the things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:47 Highlight the passage at 1:26:47

1:27:06 And you could do it if you have like a Dharma, if you have a Dharma purpose, you have like a Dharma motivation, you know, then it's good. But if you're just doing it, just, you know. Just to be frivolous, maybe not so good. That kind of gets into, I mean, I could see him saying that for those of us who have vows, but it's kind of interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:06 Highlight the passage at 1:27:06

1:27:30 That kind of gets to your thing about what's relaxation and what's, and that's where I think it's kind of useful. It's just like, if we're talking about, you know, kicking back at the end of term and relaxing a little bit or, you know, like that. That feels less of a problem than if you're just like all the time. Then it just is a huge colossal waste of this precious human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:30 Highlight the passage at 1:27:30

1:27:56 I haven't been in that world for a long time, but when you guys sit around and watch a movie and listen to music with friends, do you always have a Dharma motivation? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:56 Highlight the passage at 1:27:56

1:28:11 Yeah. You could. you know, so, um. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:11 Highlight the passage at 1:28:11

1:28:15 You could create a Dharma motivation for it. You know, I just need this night to relax tonight so that I can be able to help people or something tomorrow or whatever like that. You could have it be a more Dharma motivation. Maybe that's part of what he's instructing is to like to try to do those kind of if we do every once in a while just need to kind of relax and let loose a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:15 Highlight the passage at 1:28:15

1:28:36 Maybe we just give it a Dharma motivation so that that way we're not breaking this vow. That's what I kind of. Got from when he gave that little bit of advice. It doesn't seem like it should be an instruction to not have fun. Maybe you just bring your fun and relaxation into your path. Or have some more wisdom around your fun or more purposeful. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:36 Highlight the passage at 1:28:36

1:29:07 And how much fun is too much. And what kind of fun you're having. I feel like... I mean, you know, you look at His Holiness or other people. He's like laughing all the time and he's having a great time. And I'm sure he's not kicking back and watching a movie, but at the same time. Might be. Lama Zopa watches like Nature Channel and all that stuff all the time. So I don't know. I mean, it seems like if you're learning or if you're... Report an error in the passage at 1:29:07 Highlight the passage at 1:29:07

1:29:31 But part of it is learning. Right. Or you're spending time with other people that you care about and sort of nurturing relationships like maybe a night with friends. Maybe there's some aspect of just... Spending quality time with other sentient beings, you know, that is not about, I'm just relaxing and having a fun time, but, you know, I'm establishing a connection and listening to them about their work day and their problems. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:31 Highlight the passage at 1:29:31

1:29:56 Right, right. I just was sort of thinking, too, while you were saying that. Also, sometimes your presence at that might... Shift the conversation in a way that's actually more virtuous than if you weren't there. I just suddenly had that thought. For example, if you were just going out after work with friends or something like that, that you might actually talk about things that are a little bit more meaningful than just whatever. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:56 Highlight the passage at 1:29:56

1:30:20 Right, yeah. She's not that bad. Then say something nice about her or something like that. Yeah, exactly. So it could have benefit on everybody. could be like, hey, maybe we shouldn't gossip about Report an error in the passage at 1:30:20 Highlight the passage at 1:30:20

1:30:31 Without it being preachy. No, no. I have vows now. We have to watch that one. The secondary offense of thinking that you only have to travel through the circle of suffering life. So this is talking about... Report an error in the passage at 1:30:31 Highlight the passage at 1:30:31

1:30:57 You commit this when you think to yourself and say to others, bodhisattvas don't like to reach nirvāṇa. In fact, they work for the opposite. They have no fear of mental afflictions and they do not try to keep their minds totally away from these bad thoughts. They only want to achieve Buddhahood and they wander around the circle of suffering life for three countless eons, three countless great eons. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:57 Highlight the passage at 1:30:57

1:31:22 Actually, you can best help people by reaching nirvāṇa. So by eliminating your mental affliction. So this is actually a lie. I think about this one often, too, if you sort of forget the bigger goal. To me, that's what it kind of is getting at, is when we think that we sort of have more time. If we're forgetting that we want to get out of saṃsāra altogether, thinking that we only have to keep traveling and suffer in saṃsāra, we're forgetting the bigger goal. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:22 Highlight the passage at 1:31:22

1:31:56 The secondary offense of failing to put a stop to rumors about yourself. Suppose you have said or done something that has led to some vile rumors or slanderous talk which might cause people to doubt the veracity or purity of what you say. You commit this offense when you fail to take steps to clarify the situation and to stop the rumors. This is not... Report an error in the passage at 1:31:56 Highlight the passage at 1:31:56

1:32:24 Just to protect your image, but it's protecting your image as a bodhisattva or as somebody with a bodhisattva vows to keep the faith in that person's mind and to keep somebody else from having negative karma of criticizing you because you're a bodhisattva. That's where it's coming from. This is, of course, assuming that you're a bodhisattva, but still, let's assume that we're all on the bodhisattva path. That much we can assume. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:24 Highlight the passage at 1:32:24

1:32:51 So your motivation is to protect others' minds. So it's protecting the person who's passing the rumors on, mostly, but also anybody else that might be hearing it and their faith might be damaged because they're like, oh wait, isn't Jessica that one that goes to that Buddhist center and then she's doing that? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:51 Highlight the passage at 1:32:51

1:33:12 Oh my God. So trying to clear it. Now we can't always clear it up, right? But we could try. you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:12 Highlight the passage at 1:33:12

1:33:21 And so that's the way they phrase that, you know, trying to put a stop to those rumors. We might not be able to. We might have that karma, unfortunately. The secondary fence, this is number 16, the final of this section on morality. The secondary fence of failing to correct someone when it must be done in a negative way. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:21 Highlight the passage at 1:33:21

1:33:42 So this one, suppose another person is committing bad speech with their actions, or bad deeds with their actions or speech, and you realize that if you took some really forceful action, you might be able to set them straight. You commit this offense when for no more reason than to have them maintain their good opinion of you, you fail to take this step. Yeah, you get wimpy. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:42 Highlight the passage at 1:33:42

1:34:06 Yeah. Yeah, this one has come up. I mean, all of these come up. I think living in a Buddhist community, this kind of stuff comes up all the time. Like, how strong do you have to be with somebody? This comes up as a teacher, too, sometimes. Don't get hung up on what other people think of you. If you need to be firm, just watch your mind while you're doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:06 Highlight the passage at 1:34:06

1:34:27 But if you need to be firm with that person out of concern for them, and you think that would help, you know, then do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:27 Highlight the passage at 1:34:27

1:34:36 But it's not giving you free license to beat somebody or be angry or something like that because, of course, our mind has to not be angry. It's like, again, the thing with parents when they're trying to keep you from doing something really dangerous, they might have to yell or be like, I said you have to go to bed, Allie. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:36 Highlight the passage at 1:34:36

1:34:58 And you might not really be angry. You know? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:58 Highlight the passage at 1:34:58

1:35:01 I think that would be, to me, one of the hardest things about being a parent is to not really be angry when you're faking anger. My poor dad was always angry when he wasn't faking anger. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:01 Highlight the passage at 1:35:01

1:35:19 Anyway, so do you guys need a break? You want to take a five-minute break? Yeah, and then we'll try to squeak in the ones for the patients, and then we'll end with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:19 Highlight the passage at 1:35:19

1:35:31 We almost got halfway through. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:31 Highlight the passage at 1:35:31

1:35:46 John. Thank you. I'll grab this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:46 Highlight the passage at 1:35:46

1:35:56 Did it die because of the heat? No, it died because it flew in there and drowned. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:56 Highlight the passage at 1:35:56

1:36:07 But think of it this way, during a bodhisattva class, a bodhisattva vow class, that's pretty intense, karma. So take it around the stupa and pray that maybe it becomes a bodhisattva. Oh, we did do it! I thought I had just forgotten. Did you make more? No. I apologized and said I'd forgotten to do it. So everybody can actually get one of each of these. Once we have like a whole set, I want to make another whole set for me because I really want all these readings too. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:07 Highlight the passage at 1:36:07

1:36:39 What? Report an error in the passage at 1:36:39 Highlight the passage at 1:36:39

1:36:44 Oh yeah, you can use it. I need to get mine sharpened, but Report an error in the passage at 1:36:44 Highlight the passage at 1:36:44

1:36:51 it must be somewhere in the house. Yeah, check with Tim. Is there any way to clean it afterwards? Oh yeah, you just take off the little plastic thing. You just wipe it off? Wipe it off, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:51 Highlight the passage at 1:36:51

1:37:09 This is a good day. No wait, Friday I don't remember. I just remember Thursday, Wednesday and Tuesday were all good days. I don't know what Friday is. Check, go check. Because you don't want it to be something like, you know, horrifying. Like you'll have an early death or something. I mean some of them, like when I'm just about to break it because I'm like, well I don't care, how bad can it be? Report an error in the passage at 1:37:09 Highlight the passage at 1:37:09

1:37:31 And then all of a sudden I look it up and it's like, quick death awaits you tonight. And you're like, no! Report an error in the passage at 1:37:31 Highlight the passage at 1:37:31

1:37:38 It's not in there, it's in the Bodhisattva haircutting chart. Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah. There's a little chart that Rinpoche translated and it tells you what days you should cut your hair. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:38 Highlight the passage at 1:37:38

1:37:56 Yeah, I Report an error in the passage at 1:37:56 Highlight the passage at 1:37:56

1:38:14 know, I know. What do you do? A couple people, well I shouldn't name them by names, but a couple people will be like, I haven't seen that and I'm not going to look at it. I don't want to know about that piece of advice. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:14 Highlight the passage at 1:38:14

1:38:31 Oh, do we have extra ones? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:31 Highlight the passage at 1:38:31

1:38:36 Did you give one to Kara? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:36 Highlight the passage at 1:38:36

1:38:40 That's good. That means I have one. I have one set for me. So it turns out that I did ask Charles to copy those two articles. So there's two more little articles to put in your book. The Benefit of Taking Vows by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and then the Bodhicitta Motivation in Daily Light. So you can put those right in the front. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:40 Highlight the passage at 1:38:40

1:38:59 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:59 Highlight the passage at 1:38:59

1:39:05 Actually, if you wait. Oh, no, maybe I gave them to Kara. So, yeah, I'll email them to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:05 Highlight the passage at 1:39:05

1:39:14 I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:14 Highlight the passage at 1:39:14

1:39:20 It's probably pretty similar to the first week, that one class, the standalone class, but I did put a little bit more in there. Actually, I did put more because I forgot what we talked about. At the beginning, we talked a little bit about vowed morality. At the beginning of the class, we talked a little bit about why you even take vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:20 Highlight the passage at 1:39:20

1:39:43 The beginning of the second class. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:43 Highlight the passage at 1:39:43

1:39:55 Oh yeah, you just email me and then I'll email it to you. But I just have to, I always have to put the onus on the student because I just forget. The minute I get upstairs I'll be like, oh okay, let me just answer these seven emails and then I'll just go to bed and I'm like, there was something I was going to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:55 Highlight the passage at 1:39:55

1:40:15 Huh? Report an error in the passage at 1:40:15 Highlight the passage at 1:40:15

1:40:21 Sorry. I just realized I'm like. All right. Come on, back in there for some more morality. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:21 Highlight the passage at 1:40:21

1:40:38 I'll have an almond. Well, I better not while I'm teaching, but I'll save it for later, sure. You can save it, yeah. Eat around them. I won't take it personally. I Report an error in the passage at 1:40:38 Highlight the passage at 1:40:38

1:40:54 just do what I do just to get a reaction from Carol. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:54 Highlight the passage at 1:40:54

1:41:01 We Report an error in the passage at 1:41:01 Highlight the passage at 1:41:01

1:41:05 were going to do vows 17 through 20. That's not true. I just put 28. It should be through 20. 17 through 20 are against the perfection of patience. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:05 Highlight the passage at 1:41:05

1:41:25 I actually would love to do these next two sets for joyful effort because then we're exactly halfway on the, so let's try to do that. Yeah, let's go for it. Let's have a little joyful effort. Full of joy. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:25 Highlight the passage at 1:41:25

1:41:42 River Shea did this one teaching Jessica down in San Jose where he was talking about. 14 Report an error in the passage at 1:41:42 Highlight the passage at 1:41:42

1:41:48 How he was watching a soccer match and he said somebody in the stands was like, he said full, he had his little hands in the air and he was just like this and he had this very intense, he said intensive look on his face. Not happy, not like this. So he kept asking, you know, like what is this? And it was because the guy's team was winning. So he said we should all have this about our precious human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:48 Highlight the passage at 1:41:48

1:42:10 We should all, you know, with that little look. So we'll do that sometimes in the kitchen and I'll be like. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:10 Highlight the passage at 1:42:10

1:42:20 When you wake up in the morning and you feel like crap or something, it's like, yeah! Got another one! Another day. Alright, so this is another favorite. I love these vows, I tell you. I do, they're so, I mean, they're just about our everyday life, you know, at least my everyday life. Maybe you guys are much more pure, but. The 17, the secondary offense of losing the four points of the practice of virtue. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:20 Highlight the passage at 1:42:20

1:42:51 Which is basically responding to yelling with yelling back, responding to anger with anger, responding to beating with beating, responding to criticism with criticism, Report an error in the passage at 1:42:51 Highlight the passage at 1:42:51

1:43:12 responding to yelling with yelling back. So someone yells at you and you yell back. Responding to anger with anger. Responding. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:12 Highlight the passage at 1:43:12

1:43:27 Responding to beating with beating. Hopefully I'm not beating anyone back, so that one. Number three, yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:27 Highlight the passage at 1:43:27

1:43:35 But that's only because not so many people come running up to me and beat me either. I don't know what I would do if somebody did. Responding to criticism with criticism. I'm sorry, that one's a hard one. Someone points out your faults and the dirt on you. That's the example. Wow. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:35 Highlight the passage at 1:43:35

1:43:54 Scolding is also, sometimes they use that term scolding. In some translations, scolding with scolding instead of criticism with criticism. Wow. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:54 Highlight the passage at 1:43:54

1:44:08 So you commit the offense when you respond to them with the same. Secondary offense of simply ignoring those who are angry. So you know somebody is angry at you. Or even if that person just, you know, you've either done something wrong to that person or even if that person just thinks that you've done them wrong and you don't do anything about. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:08 Highlight the passage at 1:44:08

1:44:33 That, yeah. Out of a desire to hurt them or pride or laziness, you fail to explain yourself to them in an appropriate manner. If they're angry at you, you must go to them and apologize or explain that you didn't try to hurt them so that they don't fester in their anger. Again, this is thinking about their mind, not your, you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:44:33 Highlight the passage at 1:44:33

1:45:02 your good name. Yeah, so if you know somebody's pissed off at you, Your bodhisattva path is requiring you to go and try to clear the air. Makes sense. Totally makes sense. But it's just so practical. You're like, man, I got to do that one, too. Yeah, Anne. I'm totally not sure if I'm getting this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:02 Highlight the passage at 1:45:02

1:45:28 Sometimes when someone's angry at you, it's good to not engage. But like if someone's losing it, like. Say somebody's angry at you because you've actually done something. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then you've got to own it and you've got to go to them and apologize. If they're angry at you because they perceive that you've done something, you have to try to clear it up with them. You might not be successful because they might, and then you just separate. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:28 Highlight the passage at 1:45:28

1:45:56 But you have to first try. But like if someone starts screaming at you while you're walking down the street, you don't know them. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, this is really – this is more somebody. Yeah. No, totally. This might be just – this is talking about somebody more that you have some sort of relationship with. Got it. The exceptions. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:56 Highlight the passage at 1:45:56

1:46:19 Good to know. So wait a second. So your motivation is pride, laziness, jealousy, hatred. The exceptions are to teach a lesson, there it is again, to discredit a wrong spiritual teaching or some evil. I don't know what that one is. Discredit a wrong spiritual teaching or some evil. If someone would get more angry, if you brought it up again, someone so like, you know, like maybe you haven't, you're getting close to your death and you're like, I've got to go and talk to Charlie again, you know, and then you're. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:19 Highlight the passage at 1:46:19

1:46:53 So then it brings it all up and Charlie's all upset again. You know, just let sleeping dogs lie. Someone not comfortable with the apology. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:53 Highlight the passage at 1:46:53

1:47:06 Yeah, so maybe that's like, again, you give an apology, but then you kind of step back, or somebody who wouldn't be helped by an apology. So again, we're being asked to develop our own wisdom about situations, and not every situation is going to be exactly the same. don't know why that was about. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:06 Highlight the passage at 1:47:06

1:47:25 The secondary offense of refusing to forgive another person when they apologize for doing something wrong to you. This is different. The root vow, the third root vow is when your motivation is simmering anger. So that's why you're refusing to forgive. Here your motivation is... Report an error in the passage at 1:47:25 Highlight the passage at 1:47:25

1:47:53 I guess it's anything but that. It actually doesn't say that. This one is without the simmering anger. Oh, you don't feel like accepting the apology or you feel superior. So in that case, it's more like laziness or pride. So here your motivation is laziness or pride. Or here it is again, out of a desire to hurt them or thoughts of malice or simply because you don't feel like it. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:53 Highlight the passage at 1:47:53

1:48:19 Yeah, so we're not allowed to do that anymore. This is really tightening up. It's really making us clean up our minds and like these sort of everyday little interactions with people, you know. It's not enough that you don't feel like it. You still got to go do it. The secondary offense of allowing thoughts of anger to go on. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:19 Highlight the passage at 1:48:19

1:48:45 You commit this when you start to feel anger towards someone and then continue to hold this anger and willingly let it go on because you see nothing wrong with it. In other words, not to consider it wrong to be angry and to try to counteract the anger, but instead to let it flow and to even enjoy the anger. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:45 Highlight the passage at 1:48:45

1:49:03 The exceptions are if you do try to counter it or you have some regret and even the smallest effort is enough to avoid breaking the vow. So we're required to put the tiniest effort at least at minimum in any time we feel anger. So that's, yeah, it's kind of cool actually. It's almost like forcing us to learn to be patient even if we don't want to, you know. It's interesting. These vows are very skillful. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:03 Highlight the passage at 1:49:03

1:49:36 So then the next three are for work against the practice of joyful effort. So that's why it's a good place to end. The secondary offense of collecting a group of disciples out of a desire to have others pay honor to you. You commit this when you collect a group of disciples in hopes of having people pay honor you or serve you or make material offerings to you or fawn all over you. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:36 Highlight the passage at 1:49:36

1:50:07 So that's not a good thing to do. It's interesting that that's in the grouping for joyful effort, though. Isn't that kind of weird? Report an error in the passage at 1:50:07 Highlight the passage at 1:50:07

1:50:17 She's beeping. It's kind of interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:17 Highlight the passage at 1:50:17

1:50:25 The 22 is another personal favorite. The secondary offense of failing to dispel your laziness and the like. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:25 Highlight the passage at 1:50:25

1:50:37 Listen to the descriptions of this one. Okay, so I'm not even going to get into all the parts of the day and the night yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:37 Highlight the passage at 1:50:37

1:50:48 Okay, no, I will. Here we go. This offense refers, first of all, to the entire day. don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:48 Highlight the passage at 1:50:48

1:50:54 And of the night, it refers to the first and the final periods of the night. All but the middle of the night. That's the only part we're really supposed to just sleep heavily. And even then, Geshele says, in the West, everyone talks about how great it is to sleep really heavily. It's not so great. We shouldn't be sleeping so heavily. Anyway, so suppose that during this time, you quite willingly give yourself up to the pleasant... Report an error in the passage at 1:50:54 Highlight the passage at 1:50:54

1:51:24 Feeling of sleep or to the pleasure of lying down, staying in bed or anything of the like and you do so because of sloth out of laziness. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:24 Highlight the passage at 1:51:24

1:51:34 When you act this way you fail to dispel these tendencies and then you've committed the offense. This doesn't mean and I have this underlined for you. This doesn't mean don't rest or relax. It means don't become a lethargic slug. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:34 Highlight the passage at 1:51:34

1:51:55 The exceptions are recharging from work, travel, efforts, etc. Relaxing in general is okay. It's just when you just keep going there and lolling about in bed. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:55 Highlight the passage at 1:51:55

1:52:16 The secondary offense is spending time with busy talk because you enjoy it. Oh, man. You commit this offense when you just pass the time in a lot of busy talk that you are all wrapped up in discussing meaningless talk. This includes all kinds of frivolous talk about sex, crime, politics, etc. They often talk about crime and politics. Sex, crime and politics, they'll talk about that a lot in monastic vows and things too. We're supposed to actually remove ourselves from those kind of conversations. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:16 Highlight the passage at 1:52:16

1:52:46 We're not supposed to be spending so much time. Which is why anytime I see house gatherings, I'm like, Oh, in my room. It's just like, no, I've got to stay away from this kind of conversation. It's just constant. The more time you're like blah, blah, blahing, the more likelihood you're going to go into negative talk in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:46 Highlight the passage at 1:52:46

1:53:08 If it's a point of information, find out about it quickly and succinctly and leave it alone. The exceptions are, you can have a, that doesn't make any sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:08 Highlight the passage at 1:53:08

1:53:25 I must not have written this part down right, but anyway. It says, have a sharp, focused mind while engaging in talk in order to get necessary information. But what I've heard as an exception for it is if you're trying to make somebody else feel comfortable, like the example that one of my teachers made is like you're visiting Aunt Mary in the hospital or something, and so you're making small talk with them. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:25 Highlight the passage at 1:53:25

1:53:52 Make them comfortable. And llamas do that a lot of times when they talk with us and they'll be saying things like, how is your mother? You know, what hotel are you staying at in town? You know, and it's just to kind of relax you so that you can get to the point of bringing out your list of questions and getting started, you know, because at first you're like, you know, so they're just trying to like, you know, make you feel better. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:52 Highlight the passage at 1:53:52

1:54:13 So we can kind of use it for that purpose too. But just sitting around and blah, blah, blah, it wastes our precious human rebirth. So it's like that. We actually have a few more minutes. I could just do a couple more on the development of concentration. The second? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I have a question on the politics. Yeah, sure. Because I don't particularly like talking about politics anyway, because usually it's a good thing to avoid. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:13 Highlight the passage at 1:54:13

1:54:47 But what about in the case where you – I could see you're working for something. In a political environment, you're attempting to do something for the good of something. You have to have a political discussion with someone if the issue of China and Tibet comes up. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:47 Highlight the passage at 1:54:47

1:55:07 I think it's good for us to be informed. I think it's good for us to be informed. Because then there's some skillful... But you're not spending seven hours debating what John McCain said yesterday. So it's kind of that... Report an error in the passage at 1:55:07 Highlight the passage at 1:55:07

1:55:23 I could see people having jobs and stuff, for example, where lawyers and people who might be talking about that kind of stuff a lot because they're trying to work towards something. And I actually don't think it's so bad, especially on the bodhisattva path and especially for non-ordained people, to do political work in life. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:23 Highlight the passage at 1:55:23

1:55:45 I think it's actually important to do. And I think when things happen like war and stuff like that, I think we have to become political. and nuclear incidents after large tsunamis. You know, it's like we have to speak up when things go wrong. But this isn't talking about doing political work or even having some sort of trying to inform yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:45 Highlight the passage at 1:55:45

1:56:07 Any other questions about that set or those two sets? Joyful effort as well as patience. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:07 Highlight the passage at 1:56:07

1:56:27 Okay, let's do two more. The secondary offense of failing to seek the meaning of meditative concentration. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:27 Highlight the passage at 1:56:27

1:56:39 I actually always, I guess for the longest time I was thinking that this one actually meant failing to actually sit. I actually thought that's what I was talking about, just you yourself or not. This is actually talking about you want to learn how to sit. And you fail to go to somebody who's qualified to teach you how to sit and give you the proper instructions. And you do so out of laziness, wanting to hurt someone. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:39 Highlight the passage at 1:56:39

1:57:08 I guess just those two, wanting to hurt someone or laziness. If someone is teaching and they're qualified and you don't go, then you break it. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:08 Highlight the passage at 1:57:08

1:57:19 The exceptions are you doubt they're teaching it correctly or you're sick or you already have a master that you're learning it from. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:19 Highlight the passage at 1:57:19

1:57:29 So that makes sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:29 Highlight the passage at 1:57:29

1:57:33 The secondary offense of failing to purge yourself of these five obstacles to meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:33 Highlight the passage at 1:57:33

1:57:43 John and I have a good chuckle. Okay, so there's these five. The pair of restless desire and missing something or someone. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:43 Highlight the passage at 1:57:43

1:57:56 So restless desire and missing something or someone. That's where the mind is flipping around from object to object in a restless way. This is like, you know, my biggest one. And these things come up a lot in retreat. When you go into retreat, this stuff comes up. You think of people you haven't thought of in 15 years, 20 years, 30 years, and you're like, wow, whatever happened to blah, blah? And it's just a way for the mind to distract itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:56 Highlight the passage at 1:57:56

1:58:23 It doesn't even matter. When the retreat's over, you're like, oh, whatever, you know, you could care less. But at the time, you're like, I'd love to contact her. Maybe I'll write her a letter now, you know, and it's like. It's just the mind creatively distracting itself from what you're really there to do. It's really, I find that very interesting. And I thought it was just me, and then I began talking to other people, and I was like, wow, no, so many people have this experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:23 Highlight the passage at 1:58:23

1:58:45 And I've heard that long retreat is even worse for this kind of stuff. So the second one is the pair of malice about someone. That's any kind of... Oh no, it's just one thing. It's not a pair actually. The feeling of malice about someone. Any kind of bad thoughts. Malice usually is translated also as ill will. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:45 Highlight the passage at 1:58:45

1:59:11 Malice is kind of like, I remember one of my teachers said, malice sounds like something you never have, right? I never have malice. But ill will, the way he defined it is being really happy when somebody else screws up. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:11 Highlight the passage at 1:59:11

1:59:25 Yeah, then you're like, oh yeah, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:25 Highlight the passage at 1:59:25

1:59:31 And meditation can accentuate that one too. The pair of drowsiness and mental dullness. Or any kind of foggy mindedness. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:31 Highlight the passage at 1:59:31

1:59:45 Attraction to objects of the senses. Another one of mine. Food, smells, nice touch, anything like that. Food's my... I'll be planning my lunch when I'm doing my morning meditation and then I'll put an apple in and I'm like, stop it, just stop it. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:45 Highlight the passage at 1:59:45

2:00:04 It's frightening what my mind will do. It's so frightening what my mind will do. Unresolved doubts is the fifth. And in talking about that one, it's not talking about, it's just you have enough information and you're just not choosing. I know, really. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:04 Highlight the passage at 2:00:04

2:00:23 to go for it you're not you know you've you've you've already gathered enough information it's not where you're still unclear or not you know totally convinced about karma or something you have enough information you've been studying it for a long time and you're just still wimpy in your practice basically that's So those five are the biggest obstacles to meditation. And this vow is saying failing to purge yourself of these five. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:23 Highlight the passage at 2:00:23

2:00:50 You commit this offense when you allow yourself these five and you fail to act to dispel them. These are not just obstacles to meditation but to clear thinking in general. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:50 Highlight the passage at 2:00:50

2:01:04 That's interesting. So restless desire, feelings of malice, drowsiness and dullness, attraction to sense objects and unresolved doubts. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:04 Highlight the passage at 2:01:04

2:01:20 Saved by the bell. If you don't try to stop these, struggle even just a little against them during meditation, you break this bow. That's big. So we're required to, in our meditation, we're required to try to stop these. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:20 Highlight the passage at 2:01:20

2:01:52 Okay, I'm going to end with this one because this is the last of the concentration section. The secondary offense, number 26, the secondary offense of considering the pleasant sensation of meditation to be an important personal attainment. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:52 Highlight the passage at 2:01:52

2:02:06 You commit this when you start to develop a craving for the pleasant feelings you get during meditation and begin to consider the experience of this sensation to be an important personal attainment. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:06 Highlight the passage at 2:02:06

2:02:19 This is just a nice side effect, basically. The good feelings aren't the goal. I haven't had that many great feelings, so it hasn't been a really big one for me, but I'm sure it will be one day. Any questions about either or any of those sets? And then we'll just start in with the ones for wisdom and then go into the next sets. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:19 Highlight the passage at 2:02:19

2:02:53 Okay, so the last one. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:53 Highlight the passage at 2:02:53

2:02:59 So when we're meditating and it does feel blissful, you're not supposed to... You're not supposed to crave it again and try the next time you sit to reach that same state. You just accept that it's a part of the meditation. You don't have to think you're wonderful for having it or think it's so wonderful that you're craving and grasping at it to happen again, in which case, of course, you're not just... Report an error in the passage at 2:02:59 Highlight the passage at 2:02:59

2:03:24 It's not saying that you can never have a blissful experience because, of course, you will, but we shouldn't be thinking that's the main goal and be shooting for that every time we meditate like that. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:24 Highlight the passage at 2:03:24

2:03:45 Anybody else? Okay. All right. So we can dedicate. The merit of sitting here and discussing the bodhisattva vows for a couple of hours has been kind of amazing. And again, I don't think that that many other people are doing that in San Francisco tonight, so I think we can feel really, really happy in ourselves and hope that whatever we have discussed, I'm trying to find, oh, 240, I think it's 246. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:45 Highlight the passage at 2:03:45

2:04:22 Yeah, 246. I hope that whatever we've discussed is planting seeds, karmic seeds and imprints in our mental continuum that take root and never disappear. They just become the cause of more and more and more bodhicitta to arise limitlessly like a spring and get stronger and stronger and stronger so that we can become enlightened for the benefit of all beings. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:22 Highlight the passage at 2:04:22

2:04:54 May all beings everywhere. Plagued by sufferings of body and mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:54 Highlight the passage at 2:04:54