Establishing a Daily Practice - Discovering Buddhism (29 January 2008)

0:10 We start with doing the frustrations, remembering that frustrations are a way of not just bowing down or honoring these qualities of enlightened body, spiritual mind, but also aspiring to attain them ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 0:10 Highlight the passage at 0:10

0:30 And there's this added thing where frustrations are really good to subdue or eliminate pride, which they say is one of the biggest obstacles to receiving the teaching. Report an error in the passage at 0:30 Highlight the passage at 0:30

0:44 pray that they our pride Report an error in the passage at 0:44 Highlight the passage at 0:44

0:51 Namo Maju Shri E Namo Shri E Namo Mutama Shri E Namo Report an error in the passage at 0:51 Highlight the passage at 0:51

1:05 Namo Manjushri, Namo Jushri, Namo Uttama Shri Report an error in the passage at 1:05 Highlight the passage at 1:05

1:20 Namah Sushri Namah Tamah Shri I Report an error in the passage at 1:20 Highlight the passage at 1:20

1:47 just heard it. come on back there. You may end up having to move if it gets too hot on your back. just turned on the heat. Report an error in the passage at 1:47 Highlight the passage at 1:47

1:58 at first though. Report an error in the passage at 1:58 Highlight the passage at 1:58

2:16 course, it says repeat the same meditations last time, but still. Report an error in the passage at 2:16 Highlight the passage at 2:16

2:48 I'm going to start with the meditation that you guys have been doing. I'm just going to lead you through it, hopefully in a kind of relaxed way so that you have time to just... Do it rather than thinking so much, you know? I mean, you have to think a little bit, but sometimes it helps to have somebody guide you just so you can just immerse yourself in it. Report an error in the passage at 2:48 Highlight the passage at 2:48

3:19 And if you aren't familiar with it, Lauren, I can give it to you later, but I think it will make enough sense just to kind of do it like this. Report an error in the passage at 3:19 Highlight the passage at 3:19

3:33 So just take some nice deep breaths. Report an error in the passage at 3:33 Highlight the passage at 3:33

3:39 Imagine each in-breath brings you a lot more energy. Focus, attention, presence. You can Report an error in the passage at 3:39 Highlight the passage at 3:39

3:56 imagine each breath being clean and clear, white light. Out breath dissolving and more distractions, sluggishness, Report an error in the passage at 3:56 Highlight the passage at 3:56

4:12 any kind of obstacles you might have to be in here. Or just distractions from your day. You can imagine them just sort of floating away like little clouds out of the chimney. Report an error in the passage at 4:12 Highlight the passage at 4:12

4:35 Drink in as much of that clean, fresh air as you need. And let your mind review your posture, Report an error in the passage at 4:35 Highlight the passage at 4:35

4:55 giving yourself time to stretch your shoulders and put them back slightly, extend your spine, check the posture of your legs. Report an error in the passage at 4:55 Highlight the passage at 4:55

5:10 Take Report an error in the passage at 5:10 Highlight the passage at 5:10

5:31 a couple of moments to just focus on your breath, just to bring your mind to neutral. Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:41 And just with all of your energy and focus, keep your mind resting on that breath as it goes. In and out. And Report an error in the passage at 5:41 Highlight the passage at 5:41

· · · silence, 6 minutes

12:14 potential. Think Report an error in the passage at 12:14 Highlight the passage at 12:14

12:24 about the suffering of the beings around you. All those living beings bring Report an error in the passage at 12:24 Highlight the passage at 12:24

12:36 how their happiness depends on you. Report an error in the passage at 12:36 Highlight the passage at 12:36

12:44 Take responsibility for them by making this wish to develop your own mind. Report an error in the passage at 12:44 Highlight the passage at 12:44

13:06 And thinking about a quality that Shantideva has that you would like and bow down to that quality. And that's the first of the seven months. Frustration. Again with that wish to achieve it yourself. Report an error in the passage at 13:06 Highlight the passage at 13:06

13:25 It might be... This quality of enlightened mind that allows students to emanate from whatever form is needed simultaneously, Report an error in the passage at 13:25 Highlight the passage at 13:25

13:40 without effort from thought, Report an error in the passage at 13:40 Highlight the passage at 13:40

13:47 through the trillions and trillions of emanation bodies if necessary, Report an error in the passage at 13:47 Highlight the passage at 13:47

14:04 but simply with your mind, a mind of respect. Report an error in the passage at 14:04 Highlight the passage at 14:04

14:20 And offerings is just thinking about what would I give to have a quality like that? What would I give to be able to emanate limitless bodies to help all beings? What would I give to have limitless compassion? And that was wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 14:20 Highlight the passage at 14:20

14:41 And so don't just imagine a small offering, but imagine literally billions and billions, clouds filling with offerings, Report an error in the passage at 14:41 Highlight the passage at 14:41

14:54 a rain of jewels, Report an error in the passage at 14:54 Highlight the passage at 14:54

15:00 potions, of nectar, like Report an error in the passage at 15:00 Highlight the passage at 15:00

15:15 as far as you can. Report an error in the passage at 15:15 Highlight the passage at 15:15

15:32 Profession is a mistake that you've done with some understanding of how we Report an error in the passage at 15:32 Highlight the passage at 15:32

15:45 cause our own suffering, the Report an error in the passage at 15:45 Highlight the passage at 15:45

15:50 things we say, we think, or do. And that creates negative karma that karma ripens. And we suffer for ourselves. And so we're grieving it from that standpoint. Report an error in the passage at 15:50 Highlight the passage at 15:50

16:10 We're determining to do better in the world. Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

16:39 Thinking about something that we've done that's good. Maybe it's coming here tonight when you're tired and not turning. Maybe Report an error in the passage at 16:39 Highlight the passage at 16:39

16:51 it's having meditated this week. Report an error in the passage at 16:51 Highlight the passage at 16:51

16:56 Maybe it's something little that you did to help somebody else. Just whatever it is, feel really good deep in the bottom of your heart. Report an error in the passage at 16:56 Highlight the passage at 16:56

17:28 Request your teachers, the Buddha, to stay in your life. And in this world, and to teach us that whatever rain we need, whenever we need it, whether it's formal or informal, Report an error in the passage at 17:28 Highlight the passage at 17:28

18:07 to your own enlightenment, the benefit of everything else. I Report an error in the passage at 18:07 Highlight the passage at 18:07

18:28 make heartfelt requests to Shakyama Buddha, to bless our minds, to eliminate all our negative minds and all the obstacles on the path, all our misconceptions, our misunderstandings, and to help us generate all the realizations that we need to help others. Report an error in the passage at 18:28 Highlight the passage at 18:28

18:50 Especially this, when I'm on Precious Human Neighbor. I Report an error in the passage at 18:50 Highlight the passage at 18:50

19:02 mentioned Chokyi in over the shrinks, the size of a tiny bodhicitta. And he comes to the crown of my head and stays there for the remainder of this meditation. It's a blessing in him. And facing out in the same direction as you. Well, Report an error in the passage at 19:02 Highlight the passage at 19:02

19:36 begin reading this long-round prayer and you just contemplate the verses. And we'll stop at the verse on Precious Human Neighbor. Report an error in the passage at 19:36 Highlight the passage at 19:36

19:46 And this is partly showing you how to do that, to take a long run prayer and then just stop and meditate on the part that you want to. Report an error in the passage at 19:46 Highlight the passage at 19:46

20:00 So imagine as I recite the verse that you receive both the white nectar light that purifies you of everything that might block you from generating that realization and then also the golden light that shows all the realizations or all the inspiration to receive those realizations or to generate those realizations in our minds. Report an error in the passage at 20:00 Highlight the passage at 20:00

20:30 The foundation of all good qualities is the kind and venerable of God. Correct devotion to Him is the root of the path. By clearly saying this and applying great effort, please bless me to rely upon Him with great respect. Report an error in the passage at 20:30 Highlight the passage at 20:30

20:55 Understanding that the precious freedom of this rebirth is found only once, is greatly meaningful and is difficult to find again. Please bless me to generate the mind that unceasingly, day and night, takes its essence. Report an error in the passage at 20:55 Highlight the passage at 20:55

21:16 So first recognize the situation that you're in right now. You Report an error in the passage at 21:16 Highlight the passage at 21:16

21:23 have a human life of intelligence. You have strength still in your body. You have some inclination for spiritual practice. Not just interest or faith, but some interest to put them into practice. Report an error in the passage at 21:23 Highlight the passage at 21:23

21:52 And you're free of being involved or immersed in some extreme negativity. You Report an error in the passage at 21:52 Highlight the passage at 21:52

22:08 live in a place and at a time when the sound of the Buddha's teachings still shine. Report an error in the passage at 22:08 Highlight the passage at 22:08

22:15 You're still in that age of the Buddhist teachings where they exist in the world freely. They say there will be times when it's like the dark ages and no dawn exists. Maybe Report an error in the passage at 22:15 Highlight the passage at 22:15

22:30 the Buddhist teachings exist here. People are still gaining experience and realizations, putting them into practice, meditating on them. There Report an error in the passage at 22:30 Highlight the passage at 22:30

22:45 are still plenty of places to go and receive authentic teachings from authentic masters who have realized them. Report an error in the passage at 22:45 Highlight the passage at 22:45

22:57 There are still people who support the teachings of Dharma centers. Report an error in the passage at 22:57 Highlight the passage at 22:57

23:03 There are still people who want to take up the ordained life and devote their lives to spiritual practice, teaching, serving. Report an error in the passage at 23:03 Highlight the passage at 23:03

23:20 First we start with just recognizing these blessings that we have. These are called the richnesses. If Report an error in the passage at 23:20 Highlight the passage at 23:20

23:31 we think about it, with all this richness in our life, there's nothing to stop us from gaining liberation. There's nothing standing in our way. Report an error in the passage at 23:31 Highlight the passage at 23:31

23:41 It's only a moment of making the effort. Report an error in the passage at 23:41 Highlight the passage at 23:41

23:53 If we think about even just the human beings in this world, over 6 billion human beings in all the various countries and circumstances, out of all those people, how many of them even live in a place where they can make the Dharma? Or hear words like enlightenment or liberation. Report an error in the passage at 23:53 Highlight the passage at 23:53

24:18 Even in those countries where Dharma is available, it's just small pockets. Report an error in the passage at 24:18 Highlight the passage at 24:18

24:26 Even in a city like this, where we have so much Dharma, in terms of the entire population, How many even come across the Dharma teaching? Or let it register in their minds? Report an error in the passage at 24:26 Highlight the passage at 24:26

24:48 In countries where Buddhism once thrived, like India, such a small percentage of the population still practices. Report an error in the passage at 24:48 Highlight the passage at 24:48

25:00 And even in those countries said to be Buddhists, many of the teachings have degenerated. Sometimes the complete teachings aren't even still available. Report an error in the passage at 25:00 Highlight the passage at 25:00

25:12 And it's often hard to find true practitioners and teachers. Report an error in the passage at 25:12 Highlight the passage at 25:12

25:28 Of all those living beings in the places where pure Dharma can be found, how many even hear the teachings? And of those, how many have an interest to practice? And Report an error in the passage at 25:28 Highlight the passage at 25:28

25:43 of those of interest, how many have the time and freedom to pursue that interest? Report an error in the passage at 25:43 Highlight the passage at 25:43

25:50 And of those of time, how many have found a teacher with the qualities they want? Report an error in the passage at 25:50 Highlight the passage at 25:50

25:59 And of those who have met their teachers, how many have even recognized it? Report an error in the passage at 25:59 Highlight the passage at 25:59

26:07 And of those who have all of these things, how many are actually pursuing and practicing the teachings? Report an error in the passage at 26:07 Highlight the passage at 26:07

26:19 How many are actually devoting their lives to liberation and enlightenment? Think Report an error in the passage at 26:19 Highlight the passage at 26:19

26:29 about everyone that you know, the people you've grown up with, all your friends, family, co-workers. How many of them think enlightenment is possible? Report an error in the passage at 26:29 Highlight the passage at 26:29

26:50 Even in the city where so much is available, and even in the classes here at Central Mind, how many have even really settled down to do the work? Report an error in the passage at 26:50 Highlight the passage at 26:50

27:05 The situation we find ourselves now is extremely rare. It's not common in the world to even think like this. Report an error in the passage at 27:05 Highlight the passage at 27:05

27:19 So what am I going to do with it? Report an error in the passage at 27:19 Highlight the passage at 27:19

27:25 What's possible for me to achieve with my life? Report an error in the passage at 27:25 Highlight the passage at 27:25

27:36 Lots of people have some kind of deep-seated aspiration or some idea that another experience of life is possible. But they haven't met the method. Report an error in the passage at 27:36 Highlight the passage at 27:36

27:48 They've met the method. People Report an error in the passage at 27:48 Highlight the passage at 27:48

28:05 all around me are suffering. The sickness, old age, the satisfied mind, mental and physical disease, and death. All the time. Report an error in the passage at 28:05 Highlight the passage at 28:05

28:25 I've come into contact with teachings that tell me they can stop all of these sufferings forever. They've applied consistently and wholeheartedly. Report an error in the passage at 28:25 Highlight the passage at 28:25

28:38 How can I not try to pursue them? Report an error in the passage at 28:38 Highlight the passage at 28:38

28:49 If there were some opportunity to stop the death of all living beings, to stop war, famine, disease, and I were not even to try, how unfortunate that would be. How Report an error in the passage at 28:49 Highlight the passage at 28:49

29:11 lucky I am. Report an error in the passage at 29:11 Highlight the passage at 29:11

29:17 It's said in the teachings that a precious human rebirth comes about only with causes. Having practiced generosity, morality, patience, and especially making prayers. Report an error in the passage at 29:17 Highlight the passage at 29:17

29:35 So I prayed to receive this life. I prayed to have this opportunity. I prayed to have this view. I prayed to meet these teachings. I prayed for a method to fulfill my deepest longings. Report an error in the passage at 29:35 Highlight the passage at 29:35

29:57 I prayed to perfect my mind. Report an error in the passage at 29:57 Highlight the passage at 29:57

30:04 Now all of these causes and conditions have come together. In this life, all my prayers have been answered. Report an error in the passage at 30:04 Highlight the passage at 30:04

30:18 I prayed to be able to help these beings now surrounding me when I got this chance. Report an error in the passage at 30:18 Highlight the passage at 30:18

30:28 So Report an error in the passage at 30:28 Highlight the passage at 30:28

30:42 ask Shakyamuni Buddha from the depths of your heart to please bless you to recognize this precious opportunity that you've found and to use it to the best of your abilities. Report an error in the passage at 30:42 Highlight the passage at 30:42

30:54 Again, recognizing that nothing stands in your way to liberation and enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 30:54 Highlight the passage at 30:54

31:01 All you have to do is make effort. So ask him to remind you of the situation as often as you need reminding. Report an error in the passage at 31:01 Highlight the passage at 31:01

31:27 that last verse, understanding that the precious freedom of this rebirth is found only once, is greatly meaningful difficult to find again. Report an error in the passage at 31:27 Highlight the passage at 31:27

31:39 bless me to generate the mind that I'm seasonally, day and night. It's acceptance. This life is as impermanent as a water bubble. Remember how quickly it decays and death comes. Report an error in the passage at 31:39 Highlight the passage at 31:39

31:55 After death, just like a shadow follows the body. The results of black and white karma follow. Finding firm and definite conviction in this, please bless me always to be careful to abandon even the slightest negativity and accomplish all virtuous deeds. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:21 Seeking samsaric pleasure is the door to all suffering. They are uncertain and cannot be relied upon. Recognizing these shortcomings, please bless me to generate a strong wish for the bliss of liberation. Report an error in the passage at 32:21 Highlight the passage at 32:21

32:39 Led by this pure thought, mindfulness, alertness and great caution arise. The root of the teachings is keeping the parimoksha dance. Report an error in the passage at 32:39 Highlight the passage at 32:39

32:51 Please bless me to accomplish this essential practice. Report an error in the passage at 32:51 Highlight the passage at 32:51

32:57 Just as I have fallen into the sea of saṃsāra, so of all mother migratory beings. Please bless me to see this, train in supreme bodhicitta and bear the responsibility of bringing migratory beings. Report an error in the passage at 32:57 Highlight the passage at 32:57

33:15 Even if I develop only bodhicitta, Without practicing the three types of morality, I will not achieve enlightenment. With my clear recognition of this, please bless me to practice the bodhisattva balance of great energy. Report an error in the passage at 33:15 Highlight the passage at 33:15

33:35 Once I have pacified distractions to wrong objects and correctly analyzing the meaning of reality, please bless me to generate quickly within my mindstream the unified path of calm abiding and special insight. Report an error in the passage at 33:35 Highlight the passage at 33:35

33:54 Having become a pure vessel by training in the general path, please bless me to enter the Holy Gateway of the Fortunate Ones, the Supreme Bajra Vehicle. Report an error in the passage at 33:54 Highlight the passage at 33:54

34:08 At that time, the basis of accomplishing the two attainments is keeping pure vows and samayana. As I have become firmly convinced of this, please bless me to protect these vows and pleasures like my life. Report an error in the passage at 34:08 Highlight the passage at 34:08

34:29 Then, having realized the importance of the two stages, The essence of the Vajrayana. My practicing with great energy, never giving up the four sessions. Please bless me to realize the teachings of the Holy Guru. Report an error in the passage at 34:29 Highlight the passage at 34:29

34:49 Like that, may the Gurus who show the noble path and the spiritual friends who practice it have long lives. Please bless me to pacify completely all outer and inner hindrances. Report an error in the passage at 34:49 Highlight the passage at 34:49

35:04 And all my lives never separated from perfect Gurus. May I enjoy the magnificent Dharma. By completing the qualities of the stages and paths, may I quickly attain the state of Asha Dara. So Report an error in the passage at 35:04 Highlight the passage at 35:04

35:25 imagine making this final request. Glorious and precious root girl, please abide in the lotus and moon seed in my heart, and taking me with your great kindness, bestow upon the attainments of your body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 35:25 Highlight the passage at 35:25

35:48 Imagine that Shakyam Nagura is extremely pleased with your efforts and prayers. Report an error in the passage at 35:48 Highlight the passage at 35:48

35:55 One promise is to remind you of your precious human rebirth and to help you take advantage of this precious opportunity. Report an error in the passage at 35:55 Highlight the passage at 35:55

36:10 And now Shaky Manipura melts into a stream of golden light and descends to your heart, becoming inseparably mixed with your mind. Report an error in the passage at 36:10 Highlight the passage at 36:10

36:22 Your body and mind are pervaded by this golden light and its potential for your life. Report an error in the passage at 36:22 Highlight the passage at 36:22

36:34 Imagine that you have transformed into a being made of pure golden light, abiding in this world solely for the purpose of benefiting others. Report an error in the passage at 36:34 Highlight the passage at 36:34

36:50 This is your true potential. Report an error in the passage at 36:50 Highlight the passage at 36:50

36:55 Imagine that this would actually be a way. Report an error in the passage at 36:55 Highlight the passage at 36:55

· · · silence, 1 minute

37:36 Page 8 Report an error in the passage at 37:36 Highlight the passage at 37:36

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38:20 of the white purple book. Report an error in the passage at 38:20 Highlight the passage at 38:20

38:40 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion. love you, baby. Report an error in the passage at 38:40 Highlight the passage at 38:40

· · · silence, 1 minute

38:53 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 mysteries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 38:53 Highlight the passage at 38:53

39:27 was it, huh, Alonzo? Yep. Report an error in the passage at 39:27 Highlight the passage at 39:27

39:38 So I'm going to open up for some questions, but I just wanted to make a couple of announcements before I forget, so I'm going to start with the announcements. Report an error in the passage at 39:38 Highlight the passage at 39:38

39:49 The one thing is that, and Karen's all ready to be the mic manager. Janet took that role this weekend, actually. She was amazing. So we have a series that's starting Friday nights for six weeks that starts this week, and I just want to remind people that's happening. This Friday is the first of February already, believe it or not. It's called Working with Difficult Emotions and I think it's been a great series and we're introducing the community to some teachers that we haven't had any before, including three psychologists from the Santa Cruz area. Report an error in the passage at 39:49 Highlight the passage at 39:49

40:33 Along with some other saṅgha who don't come out very often. One who's never been here before, Jangshu, who's never been here, lives at Bajupani. Linje has been here before. And of course, Benelabina ends it all and she's been here. She's just around the corner. So it's a good collection of different people and their ideas and how to work with difficult emotions. Report an error in the passage at 40:33 Highlight the passage at 40:33

40:57 And they are... Especially created, I asked everybody to really think about non-Buddhist, people who might just come in off the street. So don't feel like you have to have, I mean, as long as you've had difficult emotions, then I think you'll be alright. Report an error in the passage at 40:57 Highlight the passage at 40:57

41:16 So that's good. And then Benarabina is teaching a few classes in the next six to eight weeks. right. Report an error in the passage at 41:16 Highlight the passage at 41:16

41:26 The first one being an all-day Saturday class, a week from Saturday, the night that's on the Four Noble Truths of Four Steps to Happiness. It'll be, of course, her version of how to make that applicable, because she's never done a teaching yet, but it's not a practical teaching. And she'll also teach a day long on a Saturday, a month from then, which is the 8th of March. Report an error in the passage at 41:26 Highlight the passage at 41:26

41:53 On what daily practice is. Practice means changing your mind. She's going to teach a couple of Tuesday nights as well, also about working with your mind and karma and things like that. And all of the stuff is on the website now. Report an error in the passage at 41:53 Highlight the passage at 41:53

42:15 Geshe-la is going to give that teaching beginning this Sunday. He's going to do six Sunday mornings in a row on the perpatory. let's see Report an error in the passage at 42:15 Highlight the passage at 42:15

42:32 in one evening, along with some other things, and he'll do per, I think, something along those lines. I'll probably give a little more overview at the end and a little more conclusion, I mean a little more overview at the beginning and conclusion at the end, but basically one a week he'll talk about the different prefectory classes, I mean practices before you meditate. Report an error in the passage at 42:32 Highlight the passage at 42:32

42:54 So this meditation that we just did is how to use a lamrim prayer, like taking a lamrim prayer. There's a number of short lamrims around. That's foundation of all good qualities. There's a number of them that I know of that are short-ish lamrim prayers that you can... Report an error in the passage at 42:54 Highlight the passage at 42:54

43:17 Just use as the basis of your meditation and just stop when you get to the part that you're going to meditate on and then continue through. Remember last week we were talking about how most of the great teachers say it's really good to look at a complete lamrim each time even though you're not necessarily meditating on the entire lamrim just so you get the whole intro or at least once a day to do that. Report an error in the passage at 43:17 Highlight the passage at 43:17

43:42 So this is the way to kind of incorporate it into your practice. You could also, at the point where you do that absorption of Shakyamuni Buddha at the end, when you're resting or abiding in that space, that's where you could do your concentration meditation practice. So if you then wanted to just abide in that space for a moment and when it starts to fade, go into just meditating on your breath or whatever object you choose for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, like that. Report an error in the passage at 43:42 Highlight the passage at 43:42

44:11 Because it's a good place for that. Or you could do that at the very beginning, like we did a little bit, you could maybe do 20 minutes there, so your mind's really, theoretically, so your mind's really focused before you even begin to do Lama. Report an error in the passage at 44:11 Highlight the passage at 44:11

44:29 That's what I'm going to do, actually. But Venable Renee actually suggested that to me, that when you do the absorption, that's our merit field. Report an error in the passage at 44:29 Highlight the passage at 44:29

44:41 So when you do that absorption, he said that's a good place to do your calm, abiding, meditation, concentration, meditation, such as L-O-F-Y-N. Did anybody have any questions about either what we just did or if you've been doing it this week and something's come up or something in the reading or something like that? Report an error in the passage at 44:41 Highlight the passage at 44:41

45:11 think I might know the I'm going to ask anyway. So I noticed when I was practicing, I mean, is that bothering you? No. When I was practicing at home, imagining all the people, imagining helping them to end their suffering, I guess sometimes I get confused about where I end and they begin, meaning in order for me to wish for their, Happiness, I need to have my own, I think. I mean, if I, the goal is that we want to have this realization so that we can carry the message to others. Report an error in the passage at 45:11 Highlight the passage at 45:11

45:58 Enlightenment, so that we can... Well, it's not so much that you carry the message, it's more like you then have the capacity to actually help them. It's sort of like once you, like we were using an outside example, or maybe that was in the other class. I think it might have been the refuge class. Once you... Report an error in the passage at 45:58 Highlight the passage at 45:58

46:15 If you've gotten yourself to Paris, it's a lot easier to explain to somebody else how they can get there. That's what I mean. So it's more like that than that you want to go out and proselytize for the good Lord or something like that. Yeah, that message maybe was the wrong choice of words. But sometimes, even tonight, when I'm imagining other people, I think, well, what about me? Report an error in the passage at 46:15 Highlight the passage at 46:15

46:39 And then remembering, okay, I still have work to do. on myself don't think I'm explaining this I think you just explained it is that true Report an error in the passage at 46:39 Highlight the passage at 46:39

46:52 Wanting to enlightenment in order help others end their suffering, right? That's it, yeah, I mean that's what bodhicitta is. But also remembering that when you attain enlightenment you're pretty damn happy. So it achieves both goals to do that. It achieves the goal of actually having everlasting bliss and being free of suffering ourselves, like irreversibly, totally forever. Report an error in the passage at 46:52 Highlight the passage at 46:52

47:24 And then also, just because we've done it, we have all this capacity, not just because we've done it, but one of the ways is because we've done it, we know how to tell people with more skill how to do it too. You know, just like with anything. Once I baked a cake, I can show you how to bake a cake. But then they, of course, there's also these wonderful qualities that happen when we get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 47:24 Highlight the passage at 47:24

47:46 Light being able to emanate a trillion bodies, which I think is one of the coolest. That's why I always bring that one up. But just dependent upon karma, the karma with living beings, if anybody is suffering in any way and there's any way that I can benefit them, I can send out a body that way. I can help you. Report an error in the passage at 47:46 Highlight the passage at 47:46

48:05 And what I've already made without my even having to think about it or having any effort involved in my time. But anyway, yeah, like that. But what about when we're, okay, before we get there, right, and we're visualizing, I guess that's what I'm getting stuck, I'm visualizing all these other people and ending their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 48:05 Highlight the passage at 48:05

48:26 Well, where do I put myself, do I put myself in there too, right? For now, it's not time. So I have to think about my own. You're doing this meditation for them at this point. They're just simply there to remind you that they're all still suffering and that's kind of why you're doing it. So it gives you that little taste of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 48:26 Highlight the passage at 48:26

48:43 But you're not, you know, it's sort of to make you a little stronger and that you're doing it for them. So I don't focus on myself. I don't move myself in with Lama in this meditation. I'm focusing on them versus thinking, well, I'm suffering too, what about me? Report an error in the passage at 48:43 Highlight the passage at 48:43

49:03 But at what point? So, okay, we're imagining these people around us, people who love us and the difficult people and then all the people in the world. So at the very beginning? Yes. Imagining your suffering and how to ease that. I'm imagining this positive energy. That's what I think of for them. So then sometimes I think, well, wait, what about me? Report an error in the passage at 49:03 Highlight the passage at 49:03

49:30 I'm still sorry, I guess, where am I? Right. I mean, I think at the very beginning when you're visualizing all those people, you're simply trying to generate some baby form of bodhicitta. That's really why. Then at that point, then you go on to like, you know, celebrating your precious opportunity. But they're all kind of still there, so you don't forget about them. Report an error in the passage at 49:30 Highlight the passage at 49:30

49:53 But at that point, then you move into meditation and really use your own experiences and think about your own situation and being in the city and all that stuff. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 49:53 Highlight the passage at 49:53

50:04 Yeah, so it's not that you need to dwell in that for so long. But it is a strengthening. I think it is a courage-building exercise to start, even at our, you know, where we are right now, to be thinking in this kind of courageous way and working for the benefit. Even though we're not there, I'm a mess, you know, and I'm like out there, all right, you know, I'm learning for all beings. But, you know, part of it is... Report an error in the passage at 50:04 Highlight the passage at 50:04

50:31 To get over myself, you know, to just be like, you know, starting to think that way of kind of, you know, the difference between being a kid and being a mom. It's kind of like that, you know. We're kind of trying to get into that. But we have to get there first before, I mean, before we're able to truly leave them. Report an error in the passage at 50:31 Highlight the passage at 50:31

50:52 This is simply really a mind-building exercise. And give us a brave heart, strong mind. A lot of the bodhicitta exercises are simply to strengthen our minds, kind of like, who can do it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 50:52 Highlight the passage at 50:52

51:13 It's okay, you can still be invested. Report an error in the passage at 51:13 Highlight the passage at 51:13

51:19 Fake it till you make it, kind of. Buddhism is a lot about that. Tantra is totally about that. Tantra is totally about that. We're all like, you know. the person. How is the partner going to leave anyway? You're still in there. Report an error in the passage at 51:19 Highlight the passage at 51:19

51:35 Let me be Manjushri for the day. I'm not Manjushri. I have a body of light. I'm not holding this sort of wisdom. But I can try it on and get used to seeing myself as a divine being, which is almost harder than seeing you guys as divine beings. That's first. If I can't do that, then no, it's going to work. It's all just ways to make our minds stronger. Report an error in the passage at 51:35 Highlight the passage at 51:35

52:14 Yeah. She's going to become part of the macrame. Report an error in the passage at 52:14 Highlight the passage at 52:14

52:22 Can you talk a little bit about guru devotion and where and how it fits into daily practice? I know that's a course that can go on. Like that lady who at the end of that one was. I just have one quick question. Can you tell me everything you know? Report an error in the passage at 52:22 Highlight the passage at 52:22

52:43 Well, Guru Devotion is, as you noticed in that prayer, it's the very first thing that's brought up. The foundation of all good qualities is the kind and venerable Guru. Correct devotion to him or her is the root of the path. By clearly seeing this and applying great effort, please bless me to rely upon him with great respect. Report an error in the passage at 52:43 Highlight the passage at 52:43

53:06 So, there is an entire class, of course, on many, many, but a DB class on. Guru devotion, relying upon the spiritual teacher. And part of that class has to do with when are we ready as students to become disciples? What do we do to prepare for that stuff? So it kind of puts the others back on us a little bit because a lot of times there's this thought sort of that I'm going guru shopping. Report an error in the passage at 53:06 Highlight the passage at 53:06

53:39 I'm going to go look at all of them, and that's great. We all do have to think, we have to check up, we have to look at the qualities of the teachers that we spend time listening to. Definitely when we get to the point of the higher teachings, we definitely want to take a long time. His Holiness actually suggests up to 12 years to decide if somebody is your root girl, especially. Report an error in the passage at 53:39 Highlight the passage at 53:39

54:02 But it's a huge step to take vows from somebody. It's a huge step. That we've talked about with Refuge. Because you're still making a connection with this particular teacher for this life, at least. Report an error in the passage at 54:02 Highlight the passage at 54:02

54:22 But what we forget about is when we're checking up on them, they're checking up on us. So if we haven't begun working on ourselves and our minds, that's what we were talking about actually, right? Were we talking about this one a little bit? Yeah, this again. Report an error in the passage at 54:22 Highlight the passage at 54:22

54:40 So, if we haven't begun working on our own minds and begun studying on our own and, you know, figuring stuff out, beginning to work on our own practices and all that stuff, we aren't what Gesheval always calls a suitable vessel, you know, that teachings will leak out of us, which is my biggest one, that's non-retention, that's when it leaks out, that's faults of the, the four faults of the vessel, you know. Report an error in the passage at 54:40 Highlight the passage at 54:40

55:08 Where it's, let's see, it's cracked, I think is one, where that's when it leaks out and it goes in one ear and out the other. I am, yes, well I've used this one before. Yeah, well you were listening, maybe she was a cracked vessel. Upside down, this one we're kind of hard-headed and we don't let it in at all. Report an error in the passage at 55:08 Highlight the passage at 55:08

55:32 Anyway, so we have to really... this one. Report an error in the passage at 55:32 Highlight the passage at 55:32

55:35 Work on whether or not, you know, work on becoming suitable vessels. So a lot of that class that I teach in Discovering Buddhism on relying on a spiritual teacher has to do with how we become worthy ourselves. And then also a lot of it has to do with all the different levels of spiritual teachers that we meet along the way and how they're all important, you know. Like not everyone you meet is a guru because people get kind of weirded out by that term. Report an error in the passage at 55:35 Highlight the passage at 55:35

56:03 I'm not saying that you are. You know, and so that not necessarily, by the end of the class you should at least begin to realize that not everybody at a Dharma center is either a guru or a disciple yet. You know, like there are a lot of gray area. There's a lot of people just checking up. They aren't even sure they're even interested in being on the path yet. Report an error in the passage at 56:03 Highlight the passage at 56:03

56:25 They just are interested in just trying to find out. They aren't necessarily a disciple, which is kind of a big term. We spent some time with Alex Berzin's book, which I think is a great book, actually. I think it is called that, isn't it? That I can look at you on, because you took that class. Report an error in the passage at 56:25 Highlight the passage at 56:25

56:46 And actually, if you go to berzin.org, you can actually download, I think the whole book, actually, although I can't imagine reading it all online, but you can definitely download a few chapters and kind of look it over. And I think it's the... Fourth chapter, something like that, that gets into this list of all these possible spiritual teachers, ranging from the college, the Buddhist professor, which wouldn't necessarily be your guru, but could be. Report an error in the passage at 56:46 Highlight the passage at 56:46

57:17 I mean, you know, if that was Kishisopa, or, you know, there's, you know, Bob Thurman. There are Buddhist practitioners in that position, but not all. You know, it's kind of like, what's it, subset? It's not all, not all college professors are potential gurus, just like not all gurus are potential college professors or whatever it is. Report an error in the passage at 57:17 Highlight the passage at 57:17

57:43 But anyway, and then there's also, you know, Dharma instructors, which is what I think of myself as, you know, somebody with a little taste who tries to tell you a little bit so that kind of leads you towards somebody who knows more. Report an error in the passage at 57:43 Highlight the passage at 57:43

57:57 All the way up to somebody who starts giving you vows in one level and then bodhisattva vows and then tantric vows. And even those might not be your root guru. And then they describe, the root guru is like the very top and he describes it I think so beautifully. He's like, the root guru is the one who moves your mind. Report an error in the passage at 57:57 Highlight the passage at 57:57

58:17 He's the one who, something like you burst into tears or something when you think about how... The profound effect on your life. And that takes a while to think, is this that person? Because a lot of times our sort of intellectual thought gets in the way. I always compare it to like falling in love. But sometimes you really have the right person picked out and then all of a sudden you fall in love with this one. And so you have all these reasons why you can't choose this one because this one's got far too busy a travel schedule and you'll never see them and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 58:17 Highlight the passage at 58:17

58:53 That's what I thought. And then you just fall in love anyway. So it's a lot like that. You're talking about your guru. I'm talking about my guru. Which one I thought? Report an error in the passage at 58:53 Highlight the passage at 58:53

59:09 I'm done with the other one. This has got me busy enough. I don't have to worry. It's probably why they keep you so busy. right. Yay. Report an error in the passage at 59:09 Highlight the passage at 59:09

59:22 Yeah, but then of course, it's not like looking for the guru is the end. Once you guide them, then your path takes off at a whole different level and it's not easy. Report an error in the passage at 59:22 Highlight the passage at 59:22

59:36 But you've spent so long checking up and getting yourself ready that you just go for it. Yeah, so I mean it's a huge subject and I don't know if that helps, but it's... Report an error in the passage at 59:36 Highlight the passage at 59:36

59:48 There is some discussion in discovering Buddhism. You know, a lot of people in the West have really weirded out by the whole guru thing. And for good cause, I think. I think we've had, especially here in San Francisco, we've had a lot of weirdo things happen with the whole guru thing. And in the West period, in America period. But on the other hand, I think it is, in Tibetan Buddhism, it comes a lot from the tantric tradition, actually. Report an error in the passage at 59:48 Highlight the passage at 59:48

1:00:17 And it's based on a lot of those teachings. And again, it really has to do with us working on it. And so, yeah, I mean, there's a lot of talk in the Discovering Buddhism program to try to move it a little later because I think it's the fourth class and a lot of people think that people aren't ready for it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:17 Highlight the passage at 1:00:17

1:00:39 Traditionally, we have like four people who show up in a pretty small class. but... Hang on. But I actually really like it where it is because I think there's so much emphasis on you being a disciple and you preparing yourself as a student and what makes you a good student and how karmically being a good student nets you a good teacher, you know, and like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:39 Highlight the passage at 1:00:39

1:01:07 Like there's actually a connection between the two. So if you don't have that information at the beginning, you know, it's kind of like your... don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:07 Highlight the passage at 1:01:07

1:01:16 You're pretty far on the path before you learn how to be a good student. Yeah, so I think it makes sense to do it at the very beginning. At the very beginning doesn't mean that you already have a teacher at the very beginning. It simply means that it is the root of all of your attainments. In other words, if we didn't have somebody who embodied the teachings to teach us, how would we get these teachings? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:16 Highlight the passage at 1:01:16

1:01:44 We can read books, but it's never the same. Because actually getting it from somebody who has lived it, even in some little way, but definitely from somebody who's embodied it, and who shows you what it would be like to be a Buddha, once you connect to somebody like that, then it's like it's expired to your whole practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:44 Highlight the passage at 1:01:44

1:02:07 So I can totally see why they call it the root of the path. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:07 Highlight the passage at 1:02:07

1:02:14 Did you have something else that you were just going to second that it has to stay there? Okay. Because I think you need time. Squeeze me a little bit. I'm done. No, say it again. Why do you need, what do you need for the listeners at home? Because you need time. You need time? To think about who you want to have as your teacher. It takes a long time. It's a long process. Yep, yep, yep, yep. Yeah, I have had friends who, not necessarily intending to, but really did end up taking 12 years to decide who they were. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:14 Highlight the passage at 1:02:14

1:03:11 It just hasn't been my regular karma. I tell you the right way. And then, you know, I also tell you, I'm also the example of how it can still turn out okay, even if you don't do it the right way. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:11 Highlight the passage at 1:03:11

1:03:24 Anyway, so that's a good question, especially considering that we started with that one. All of these Discovering Buddhism classes do go through the whole long run, so if you're missing any of your puzzle. Take them the next time around because they definitely do feed each other. And I find, just like with the refuge class, I find that the teacher, relying on spiritual teacher class, people take it when they're ready. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:24 Highlight the passage at 1:03:24

1:03:53 And even though it's still tiny classes, our refuge class is only four this time too. And it's just kind of like when people are ready, the people are ready. And so it's kind of... Those classes tend to be really juicy because people are at this really interesting juncture where they're really just open to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:53 Highlight the passage at 1:03:53

1:04:15 It's not, they aren't just, you know, I'm not saying that you guys are just searching for information right now, but it tends to be free of that, those classes tend to be, because people are, they're a little slightly different place in their spiritual path. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:15 Highlight the passage at 1:04:15

1:04:31 Anyway, so I'm going to... So that was, so we've been spending time with what to do to prepare your session, your formal meditation session. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:31 Highlight the passage at 1:04:31

1:04:46 And now we're going to talk about what to do between sessions. So the other 23 and a half hours of every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:46 Highlight the passage at 1:04:46

1:04:55 So, and they really do talk about it this way, because we're going to talk tonight about walking. Working and eating and sleeping and all those things and how to make them part of your double practice. There's no really downtime. Even watching TV, even reading People's Magazine, I'm going to touch on People's Magazine specifically tonight. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:55 Highlight the passage at 1:04:55

1:05:23 I labeled you for it. So meditation in Tibetan means it's gom, like it's gompa, right? It's to familiarize our mind. Then what are we familiarizing our mind with when we get off the cushion? And actually when we think about it, our mind is exposed to all sorts of things out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:23 Highlight the passage at 1:05:23

1:05:51 And it may not be necessarily feeding or strengthening our practice. And so we have to think about that. Like what's going into our mind? What are we doing with our mind once we get off the cushion? We've taken all this time to strengthen our mind and the mind of bodhicitta. We've taken all this time to visualize. We've taken all this time to like... Report an error in the passage at 1:05:51 Highlight the passage at 1:05:51

1:06:08 Ask for and receive blessings. And then, you know, it's sort of like, what are we then doing with it the rest of the day? So it's important to think about. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:08 Highlight the passage at 1:06:08

1:06:19 Mantra, one of the main goals of mantra is to protect the mind. And really, I think that's one of the main goals, the 23 and a half other hours of the day that we are not on the cushion. We're also protecting our mind. Not in a sort of negative way, but rather like, how can I strengthen this resolve I have to help all beings? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:19 Highlight the passage at 1:06:19

1:06:47 How can I strengthen this resolve I have to generate these kind of big minds of bodhicitta and direct perception of emptiness and enlightenment itself? And it's tricky. It's tricky in this current world, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:47 Highlight the passage at 1:06:47

1:07:04 There's lots of imprints on our minds all the time. There's lots of things feeding our desire energy or consumption energy or this worldview that's everywhere around us saying that all problems in the world are outside of me, caused by somebody else who I should either sue or hate or kill. All problems are from out there, which actually is... Report an error in the passage at 1:07:04 Highlight the passage at 1:07:04

1:07:33 It's completely counter to the Buddhist teaching. So it's kind of like we are surrounded by a worldview that's really different than this one that we're training our mind in. So it's an interesting situation to be in. Compared, of course, to Tibet in the good old days where the entire culture was sort of built around. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:08:00 These ideas of reincarnation and beginning and endless mind and karma and things like that. We're basically not just in our own individual lives, but on a national level, on an international level, surrounded by a completely different worldview. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:00 Highlight the passage at 1:08:00

1:08:18 And so it's in our newspapers, it's in our magazines, it's in the books that we read, it's on TV that we watch the news. a question from I'd seen that. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:18 Highlight the passage at 1:08:18

1:08:30 So, um... So it's sort of like we're swimming upstream. We're going against the tide. I mean, our entire nation is currently avenging wrong that the government felt was done to us and many other people felt was done to us. And so it's not just small groups of people. It's our entire nation is still... Report an error in the passage at 1:08:30 Highlight the passage at 1:08:30

1:09:01 You know, having, you know, immersed in this, what the Buddha would say is wrong with you, basically. So, basically, it's a little, it's almost like what we're doing is a little insane. I mean, Venerable is often saying that, actually. The whole idea of bodhicitta in 21st century America is slightly insane. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:01 Highlight the passage at 1:09:01

1:09:26 I mean, this whole idea of taking responsibility for not just everyone you can think of, But they always say that line, every living being without exception. I mean, it's so vast. It's totally insane. But it's like the kind of sanity that I long for. It's so insane that it makes total sense to me. It's like somebody has to be thinking this way. Because there's not enough people that are thinking this way. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:26 Highlight the passage at 1:09:26

1:09:47 It's like it Report an error in the passage at 1:09:47 Highlight the passage at 1:09:47

1:10:03 um... I mean, and it's sort of like all of the world is sort of screaming this, what the Buddha would say is wrong view, and we've got this little tiny little Dharma whisper starting. And so we go out, we leave our meditation, we go out into the world and we've got this little tiny Dharma whisper. We can barely hear it. So, so much of this, these things that we're going to talk about are ways to remind ourselves of that little Dharma whisper, being able to hear that little Dharma whisper when... Report an error in the passage at 1:10:03 Highlight the passage at 1:10:03

1:10:33 Everyone else is like, sue him, you know, kill them, you know, it's your fault, you know, like just that kind of my, bye, bye, bye, bye, yeah, going on the desire thing, yeah, exactly, like your trip to India, oh my god. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:33 Highlight the passage at 1:10:33

1:10:52 Yeah, I mean, like, it's, it's, there's a lot of voices that are working against what we're trying to empower ourselves to do. And even here, we live and work in a Dharma center, we're so entrenched in that mind. It's hard to get away from it, even in ourselves. You see it, and you still blame others for your problems. You still see it as something happening out there. You forget to stop and look at your own mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:52 Highlight the passage at 1:10:52

1:11:20 Hopefully, at least by the end of the day. But it's hard to break that habit. So one way, a lot of these ideas you come up with, I mean there's like an entire teaching around them, but I'm just going to give you sort of some blurbs. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:20 Highlight the passage at 1:11:20

1:11:39 One of them is called training in verses. And this is really about training the mind. What we do, I think probably overall all of these ideas, all of these I would say 100 % are about training the mind. It's training the mind between the sessions. In this session, we're training the mind too, right? We're training the mind in concentration, we're training the mind in bodhicitta, we're training the mind in the lamrim, we're training the mind in other ways. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:39 Highlight the passage at 1:11:39

1:12:07 That's sort of like formal training the mind. This is like informal training the mind. And there's lots of ways to do it, but one of the ways traditionally, especially in Tibet, but I think also in ancient India, was memorizing certain verses that you can kind of pull up when you need it. Sometimes it will haunt you. Sometimes it won't be necessarily a positive thing. You'll be doing something wrong and that verse will ring in your head and you'll be like, oh yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:07 Highlight the passage at 1:12:07

1:12:38 You know, and since a lot of us don't, at least we don't think that we're great memorizers, you can also just use post-its. You can just write them down, something that means something to you and helps you. Train your mind in something that you want to try to remember to do and just put them up and change them because otherwise your mind will get bored with it and you won't read it anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:38 Highlight the passage at 1:12:38

1:13:02 But I especially do this when I go to retreat actually. I just surround, I just put them all over the wall. I put them on the door so I have to, I put them on the light switches, you know, just to remind myself of all this stuff. But if you can memorize them, of course it's much better. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:02 Highlight the passage at 1:13:02

1:13:20 And actually, memorizing is possible. We think we can't. We think now that we aren't in second grade anymore, we can't. But we definitely can. We still have that capacity. So, one of the seven-point mind training, seven-point mind training is a lojang or thought transformation text. And it says, in your everyday life, train yourself with verses to stimulate remembrance. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:20 Highlight the passage at 1:13:20

1:13:30 absolutely. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:30 Highlight the passage at 1:13:30

1:13:49 This is totally about this practice of just kind of steeping your mind throughout the day in positive reinforcement, basically. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:49 Highlight the passage at 1:13:49

1:14:01 And so basically it's just like this is a way of making our whisper get a little bit louder. And if you memorize it, it becomes a little bit like mantra. Like when you, you know, if you really, really need something or you're really upset. I remember actually getting caught. I think I've mentioned this in other classes before, but Lama and I were on our way in one poor streaming volunteer in the backseat. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:01 Highlight the passage at 1:14:01

1:14:27 But the two of us were headed out to... Jan Willis was here, and she's one of Lama Yeshe's earliest students and also professor of wrestling in the university. And she was doing a talk in Oakland, and Mom's car broke down on the Bay Bridge at rush hour in the tunnel. With no power at all, no lights, nothing. And it was simply a moment of just waiting for your death. Because the cars would come up, you'd see them coming up, then they'd whip around you and honk like you intended to be there. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:27 Highlight the passage at 1:14:27

1:15:05 Like it was a really fun thing that you thought, I've got an idea, what do you think? And it was just, it was really horrifying. It was one of the scariest moments of my entire life. I actually did get out and I kind of eased along the edge and called a tow truck and got back in, but there was nothing to do. Standing there would have been just as dangerous. So we just figured you might as well all just go together. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:05 Highlight the passage at 1:15:05

1:15:29 And so Lama and I were just doing mantras. That's what just came to us to do, to our mantras. And then of course the volunteer was screaming at me, but she doesn't volunteer too much anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:29 Highlight the passage at 1:15:29

1:15:45 But, you know, it just, that was what came to us, was to start doing mantra, because that was in our mind. We had trained ourselves. That was a mind-training thing. We were just like, Tara, help us here. You know, remove, this is a huge obstacle. And so finally one of those lights ended up being a big toe trap. But that was, I mean, that's just to show, like, when stuff like that happens, it's sort of like, it has to already be there. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:45 Highlight the passage at 1:15:45

1:16:08 If it's not there, then it's not like that's the moment that you're like, what? Does anybody know a good mantra? That's not when your mind is really that open to learning something new. It's sort of like all the methods that we've talked about in the death and impermanence class. It's not like at the moment of your death. You're going to be really open to learning a few more practices. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:08 Highlight the passage at 1:16:08

1:16:31 So basically it can just be any little phrase. you know, like, um... Lama Zopa Rinpoche has suggested, what's appearing is merely a manifestation of imprints in my mind. I created this. Of course, it's the way that he, he always makes it very funny. It's not the shortest one. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:31 Highlight the passage at 1:16:31

1:17:01 I think what Rubina says sometimes is, this is my karmic appearance, this is my karmic appearance, this is my karmic appearance, this is my karmic appearance. This is a hallucination, that's another one of our shows. This is a hallucination, this is a hallucination. And actually, we've done that one before, we'll walk out of a teaching and it'll just be like, for the next break, just keep thinking, this is a hallucination. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:01 Highlight the passage at 1:17:01

1:17:24 And it really does begin to lighten things a little bit, it's almost like, it's not just my experience, that's a hallucination. It's like everything karmically is really a hallucination. It's simply arising due to causes, conditions, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:24 Highlight the passage at 1:17:24

1:17:42 So another possible choice for me, I know this is one of my favorite ones, it haunts me. The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, which is a really lovely, brief, dense, wonderful text that I like to read. Every morning if I have time. And each, for years I did that actually. I started again now that I got another nice new copy. My other one I kind of disintegrated. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:42 Highlight the passage at 1:17:42

1:18:10 And then Sarah made those great ones when Rubina talked. So now I got a nice one on cardstock. The third verse is, in all actions I will examine my mind and the moment... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:10 Highlight the passage at 1:18:10

1:18:24 A disturbing attitude arises, endangering myself and others, I will firmly confront and avert it. That is so hard. It's so hard. And that's one of those ones that will come back to haunt you as you're having a hissy fit. And I look at Emma, have you seen me having a hissy fit? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:24 Highlight the passage at 1:18:24

1:18:47 It'll come up as you're having a hissy fit and you're like... Come on, baby, come on. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:47 Highlight the passage at 1:18:47

1:18:51 Oh. And that's why, I mean, His Holiness reads that one every day. His Holiness reads that every day. If His Holiness can read that one every day, that's good enough for me. It's pretty amazing. But the only way we're going to memorize it, the only way it's going to pop up is if we actually familiarize ourselves with it on a regular basis. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:51 Highlight the passage at 1:18:51

1:19:12 And even if we just do, like maybe choose something small like that and read it, and then switch over and do another one, you know. So choose something that means something to you and then he'll start going in. But I mean, that verse is all about getting to know my mind, getting to know what a disturbing emotion is, getting to know why it's harmful to somebody else as well as myself. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:12 Highlight the passage at 1:19:12

1:19:37 So that is already containing huge teachings in there. And then I have the audacity to say I will firmly confront. And averted. I mean, it's saying so much. In all actions, I could probably teach an entire series on this one. In all actions, I will examine my mind and the moment a disturbing attitude arises, endangering myself and others, I will firmly confront and avert it. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:37 Highlight the passage at 1:19:37

1:20:12 No, I can send it to you if you want. In all actions I will examine my mind, and the moment a disturbing attitude arises, endangering myself and others, I will firmly confront and avert it. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:12 Highlight the passage at 1:20:12

1:20:35 You know what, I think it's an amazing thing if you can start to see yourself almost schizophrenically like you're a character in your own life. And you're like, because I actually had this happen where I was like, Chokyi, turn it around. Turn it around, Chokyi, turn it around. And still the habit was happening, but I was seeing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:35 Highlight the passage at 1:20:35

1:20:56 I was watching it happen. And it was still able to, like, repair some of the damage before the end of the day. So, I mean, it's still, it's still, we're works in progress. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:56 Highlight the passage at 1:20:56

1:21:08 We've got to, I mean, if we're going to have forgiveness for other people, if we're ever going to have forgiveness for other people, we have to start with having forgiveness. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:08 Highlight the passage at 1:21:08

1:21:15 I have a great quote on that too. I don't have it with me because I can bring it for you next week. You've just got to pick out a few verses and just work with them and they can be profound teachings every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:15 Highlight the passage at 1:21:15

1:21:31 And there will be different times that different things will resonate. Sometimes this one is particularly good. And of course this will be different. This verse will mean something different for anger. It will mean something different for attachment. It will mean something different for jealousy. So there will be times in your life that you're going through heavier periods of certain different afflictive emotions that this verse will mean something different to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:31 Highlight the passage at 1:21:31

1:21:55 But it, you know, I think it's very interesting. And so then, yeah, you can either memorize them, you just, you know, look at them every day. Stick them up on your desk, you can stick it up in your bathroom, you know, although you probably shouldn't, but wherever you can remind yourself, you know, of being on your light switch. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:55 Highlight the passage at 1:21:55

1:22:19 Light switch is good because you have to look at them when you turn them off, especially in this house where the funny, odd-shaped things that you poke at. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:19 Highlight the passage at 1:22:19

1:22:28 Put them up in your car. That could be really useful, you know, then you get stuck in traffic, or even have like a little notebook over when you get stuck. I just made that up, but I'm sure that somebody else has thought of that. I don't have a car, but still, I mean, if you get caught, or on your bike, if you get caught in a, or, you know, have a bunch of them in your backpack. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:28 Highlight the passage at 1:22:28

1:22:50 You get stuck at the bank, and you have a really long line, it can be like, my sister actually started doing that. She pulled out, I think it was Pimpin' Children or something, she had one of those little pocket ones, and she just was like, oh, like reading it, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:50 Highlight the passage at 1:22:50

1:23:03 So it's just like how to use time in a good way to keep working on your mind. And then this one, I love this suggestion. This is a light suggestion, but it's similar, but it's not at all the same. This one comes from, a lot of these ideas actually come from Kendall. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:03 Highlight the passage at 1:23:03

1:23:25 She says put on lamrim colored glasses. So if you're working on a particular topic, like we were just working on precious human rebirth, everything then gets colored in that topic. So no matter what you're doing, and this is where people know you think, you're thinking about precious human rebirth. You've got your precious human rebirth glasses on. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:25 Highlight the passage at 1:23:25

1:23:52 If I'm in the grocery store, I'm thinking about precious human rebirth. Every person I see, I'm thinking about precious human rebirth. I'm seeing, and not everybody has a precious human rebirth, right? Not every human has all the same conditions, situations that we have with a precious human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:52 Highlight the passage at 1:23:52

1:24:15 Some people are human and are going through hell, basically. And we run into them all the time, right? Not necessarily on the streets. In the grocery store, we run into them. You know, we run into them at the bank, whatever. And so just looking around you and thinking about whatever it was you were meditating on with that in mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:15 Highlight the passage at 1:24:15

1:24:34 Or you're running into a bunch of problems and you're seeing it as the problems of saṃsāra. It's like, oh, of course. Life isn't perfect right now because I'm in saṃsāra. I've created this reality through my... Karma, which has come from my actions, which has come from my affective thoughts. That's why it's yucky. Oh, this is what they're all talking about. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:34 Highlight the passage at 1:24:34

1:24:58 Okay. You know, like, just use it to further your understanding of the stuff that you're already meditating on. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:58 Highlight the passage at 1:24:58

1:25:07 And, or, you know, you could, you know, when you're reading people's eyes, or a newspaper, or watching the news, or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:07 Highlight the passage at 1:25:07

1:25:17 Then it becomes Dharma. Then you're looking at all these incredibly wealthy people who are still searching for happiness. They aren't necessarily any happier than we are or any more content than we are. You can have a lot of material opportunity but not necessarily have a very peaceful mind. And it's not to look at it with any judgment, but simply just to look and to look with your pressure shimmery glasses on, you know. So you're just kind of looking with that in mind, you know, just thinking about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:17 Highlight the passage at 1:25:17

1:25:57 Reading the Sunday papers like that, you know, just like looking and thinking. Reading people's obituaries, you know, all their lives, what they did, what they were looking for, you know. And thinking about impermanence and thinking about your own mortality, if that's what you're meditating on right now. Walking meditation in this tradition is basically any time you move anywhere, you can make it into a walking meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:57 Highlight the passage at 1:25:57

1:26:30 It's sort of slowing things down a little bit, so it's not necessarily the way it's done in the Pasma tradition, so it's not like... Really slowing down your each step and thinking about it like that. But it's simply slowing down and looking at whatever your lamrim topic is a little bit, just in your surroundings. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:30 Highlight the passage at 1:26:30

1:26:57 So if your topic is deaf and impermanent and you're going to the bathroom, then you could be thinking, you know, especially in this center, it's 100 years old, you know. And the person who did this detail of, you know, this is the original wallpaper, the person who put this up is long since dead. The person who designed it is long since dead. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:57 Highlight the passage at 1:26:57

1:27:19 The family it was, you know, papered for is long since gone. All the members of it have died. You know, things like that, you know? It's just ways to keep it in your mind, whatever your subject is. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:19 Highlight the passage at 1:27:19

1:27:34 But you can think about anything. I mean, you can just think, you know, like... As I walk to the bathroom, so I'm getting closer and closer to my own desk. You know, just a little reminder like that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:34 Highlight the passage at 1:27:34

1:27:48 Or if you're thinking about karma, you can think about how, you know, it's amazing I have the karma to be here in this center. I try to remind myself every day how amazing it is to be here to work for... The Dharma to work in a center like this and to try to benefit people like that. It's just an amazing thing and that's just simply a karma, karmic projection happening that happens to be a good one for the most part. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:48 Highlight the passage at 1:27:48

1:28:17 And so I'm just reminding myself of karma throughout the day or whatever. And yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:28:17 Highlight the passage at 1:28:17

1:28:28 so then there's just a couple of others. He said also, he does a really long one. This is my karma. Whatever I see, hear, smell, taste, or touch, this is my karmic projection. Or I am creating this. Just to remind yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:28 Highlight the passage at 1:28:28

1:28:46 It was funny actually when Michelle took that call about, and some of you guys might have gotten an email from me to do recitations of a diamond cutter sūtra for this woman, a BC, who had a really horrible car accident in New Zealand. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:46 Highlight the passage at 1:28:46

1:29:05 She had given like 30 years of her life to the organization, so where Michelle had requested that we read as many of the diamond history shares we could, and I put it in the ENAs as well, and he had a specific dedication. So originally, Michelle had taken it as a phone call, and so she and I were having a meeting at the time, and she got the phone call, and she goes, oh, and there's, okay, there's a specific dedication, okay, so she goes. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:05 Highlight the passage at 1:29:05

1:29:32 She grabs like a little tiny piece of paper and she starts writing it down and writing it down. She goes, of course it continues because the song is over and she's writing it down. And I'm thinking, why aren't you emailing this out? And of course, like the next day we got the email. But I was just like, of course, of course, of course it's very extensive. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:32 Highlight the passage at 1:29:32

1:29:53 Yes, of course it's very extensive. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:53 Highlight the passage at 1:29:53

1:29:58 He's very, very complete. Was that a request for each of us individually? I didn't know, or as a center. Yeah, no, the request was actually that each center was to do 110 recitations. 117. 110. 110? Yeah. As a group? No. Yeah, that's what, it was individual, that's why there was a download link. Yeah, so people could download, yeah. So we are, I think it's just about 75 right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:58 Highlight the passage at 1:29:58

1:30:30 we're getting there. It's love. We didn't do a group one? We did a group one on Sunday, but we haven't done another group one. We did a group one on Sunday, but the rest of us took a wee bit longer. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:30 Highlight the passage at 1:30:30

1:30:50 Anyway. Sorry? I just knew you'd be done with the group presentation. Yeah, no, we just haven't had a spot in the schedule. but anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:50 Highlight the passage at 1:30:50

1:31:02 To do it. Yeah, I mean, it's just been because we were on all weekends and we have something every night. It's been hard to find a slot that we could do one. So individuals have been doing it. And there's a few individuals that have been doing it, like three, four, five. But most would like to just do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:02 Highlight the passage at 1:31:02

1:31:19 Anyway, but that's an aside. If anybody is interested and would like to do a reading of the Diamond Cutter Sūtra, it's a very interesting sūtra. It's all about emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:19 Highlight the passage at 1:31:19

1:31:29 A little confusing. But it's actually one of my favorites. So why don't we actually, does anyone have any questions that we've talked about so far, and if people want to take, I see it's about 8.30, people can take a break here, and then I have a few more to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:29 Highlight the passage at 1:31:29

1:31:57 You're going to go out with your Lumber and colored glasses on? Yeah. So, are we taking a break? Yeah, we're taking a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:57 Highlight the passage at 1:31:57

1:32:16 I take that as a prompt so that everyone is going to be open. And I just don't know what to do at that point. And I started fissioning. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:16 Highlight the passage at 1:32:16

1:32:29 And then I go down this path and I just feel like you're going to see it. Do you want to see it? Really? Sure. So then you just watch your mind. I'm a trick this year. I'm not fighting the scene. Why don't you go down this path? Yeah. Because it's simply five. It's on the point, I'm just trying to get along the Report an error in the passage at 1:32:29 Highlight the passage at 1:32:29

1:32:50 So comfortable, but I guess that's the point. That's the point, just to look at those spots. I mean, I wanted to just jump out of my skin. I mean, because I just start getting restless, and then it just starts snowballing, and then it's like, well, I can't hear the baby. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:50 Highlight the passage at 1:32:50

1:33:04 See, and then that's the perfect one. The way that it just fires out of control. Because that's what did mine. Yeah. That's it. And we give it so much power. I know, and it was terrible. I mean, I was sitting there, I was thinking, is she going on? And I'm angry at you, and that's just crazy. And then I'm feeling like now I'm projecting negative energy, and I'm like, oh, God, for you because you're sitting next to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:04 Highlight the passage at 1:33:04

1:33:32 How come we have so much guilt? I know. How come we have so much guilt? I'm still Catholic. And the Catholic thing, too, like I still have some of this, like when I was a kid, if you were in church and you weren't in trouble, so I'm sitting there thinking, Report an error in the passage at 1:33:32 Highlight the passage at 1:33:32

1:33:53 you are disturbing. Oh, goodbye. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:53 Highlight the passage at 1:33:53

1:33:58 That's just, we're so guilty for nothing. So in that moment, I should just watch it. Sure. Just stop everything else and just be like, wow, that's interesting, that's amazing. And then what about the physical fidgeting? Because I was like, I started moving, thinking if I move, it'll go away. It's usually the opposite. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:58 Highlight the passage at 1:33:58

1:34:21 Yeah, the moving, the wanting to move is just part of your mind, not wanting. So when we give in to our mind not wanting to do it, we try to move our body, which disturbs our mind even more. So try and focus on staying and keeping the stillness. It's sort of like, do you do yoga? Yeah. Holding that posture and breathing through it? Yeah. It's very much like that. I've been falling asleep in my yoga class too, and then I put my foot out. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:21 Highlight the passage at 1:34:21

1:34:52 I don't know, I've been starting to get pins and needles. Yeah, if it gets to pins and needles, then yeah, but if it's just a sleep. It's pins and needles. And sometimes I'll notice that if it's something falling asleep, I'll literally, I can just do like this and get some fresh oxygen and put it right back down. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:52 Highlight the passage at 1:34:52

1:35:08 And then it's not a major move. That's what I did. But I think the fidgeting had more to do with it. And then that actually fed. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:08 Highlight the passage at 1:35:08

1:35:18 I was totally aware. And then that fed into it more. No, it doesn't disturb at all. It's simply awareness. Disturbing. It's a horrible person. So, the emotion that, why do we have the emotion that we feel so guilty? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:18 Highlight the passage at 1:35:18

1:35:43 It's just a habit. It's a habit. While we're trying to, while we're attacking ourselves for not being altruistic enough and trying to be complete yet when we really are altruistic. And we feel guilty so much. That's a habit. It's just a mental habit. It's just a bad mental habit, yeah. I think when we try to label it as something bad as opposed to being curious, who's doing all this chatting? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:43 Highlight the passage at 1:35:43

1:36:15 Yeah, no, it's interesting actually, because Rabina will do that. She'll just be like, isn't it interesting how mind works? Is that me? I think it's actually, I think just to look at like... Report an error in the passage at 1:36:15 Highlight the passage at 1:36:15

1:36:31 When you're home and you don't have this, you know, private voice going on, then you can do that a little more easily. It's harder when I just am, like, going on to the next night. It's like, oh, God, there she is again! And everybody's, like, crazy. I know, I'm glad I was, like, my minister is looking, like, okay, okay, she's almost at the end. I just, I mean, I'm just being honest. I just, I feel like, I think that must be part of the practice, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:31 Highlight the passage at 1:36:31

1:36:53 Like, at home... I'm up to about 10 minutes and I feel like, okay, 10 minutes is good. No, I actually know one student who actually made it through almost a piece of wine. That was all he did. And that's what he did. And so that was where he started. You know, now he's graduated to Emily's classes. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:53 Highlight the passage at 1:36:53

1:37:23 But really to just be almost with more curiosity, just to be more, because we're just doing that all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:23 Highlight the passage at 1:37:23

1:37:32 It's more like thoughts, because it's not like you. It's not that your mind is generating thoughts as you do. That's what the mind does. It's not like... She's like, this is an interesting novel that I know I just did. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:32 Highlight the passage at 1:37:32

1:37:49 I'm a moral person and now I need her. I mean, that's how worship started, you know. I know. I mean, I'm very happy about that. Look at that. He did this in Wyoming. He did this class. Oh, my God. He would be a Buddhist. Oh, my God. I mean, with the age, there's room with all sorts of problems. But he's pretty old. Yeah, I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:49 Highlight the passage at 1:37:49

1:38:12 That's great. Yeah. So you were the old kid, though, or something? No, he takes care of himself. I just check on him. Yeah. Yeah, I actually accomplished, and I, this year, I decided my way to check it out. Well, it's practice. It's practice. I mean, I noticed when I started meditating, I only could do. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:12 Highlight the passage at 1:38:12

1:38:33 Thank you. or three minutes so that I know I'm going to check and now I'm going to test twice a week to pick up the compost and I know he's cooking because he's giving me fresh things you know it's good though it takes you to the end yeah I mean really to think of it like yoga I'm going to eat that but you know think of it like that it's kind of like when you you're Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:33 Highlight the passage at 1:38:33

1:39:00 Okay, now hold that for ten more. I went to a class last week. Oh, God. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:00 Highlight the passage at 1:39:00

1:39:12 It's like Qigong. We have this one guy who came up and teaches Qigong and he has a YouTube. And it doesn't seem like you do that much, but you do this thing. Just lower, you know, come down. You bend your knees. want to move down the streets anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:12 Highlight the passage at 1:39:12

1:39:08 just kind of like, oh, this is a grand. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:08 Highlight the passage at 1:39:08

1:39:27 And then he's like, okay, now we're going to hold, and he didn't know it. Like everything else, you were doing a little of this and a little of this, and then he's like, okay, now we're going to hold this for 10 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:27 Highlight the passage at 1:39:27

1:39:37 I mean, my legs are shaking, and you just basically have to just let go. It's really a lot about that. And not judging. And they say that, you know, because they ask a lot, don't judge. Yourself. Yourself. Every time she says your name, I'm like, oh my God. I don't assume that if anybody else wants to see you, they weren't just a complete matter. I can guarantee you, I can also get a nice position in my mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:37 Highlight the passage at 1:39:37

1:40:05 Or asleep. I've managed to fall asleep. You are not Report an error in the passage at 1:40:05 Highlight the passage at 1:40:05

1:40:16 a horrible person. You do not have to drop out. I have a period where I'm really restless. I think it's okay if you really rest yourself, get up. is like... Report an error in the passage at 1:40:16 Highlight the passage at 1:40:16

1:40:26 Oh, totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? Even here if I were really feeling. And if you're on your own and you're really restless, it's often really good to lower the lights a little. Like try to darken the room a little bit. I don't know if I mentioned it for you guys. Actually, when I was doing retreat, I realized that I was really, really restless the first session, the second session of the day, the one like more nine o 'clock in the morning. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:26 Highlight the passage at 1:40:26

1:40:55 And so I would leave the curtains drawn. I would purposefully darken the room. I'd make sure I didn't have, maybe the coffee. I'd make sure I didn't have as much caffeine for that session, especially. Just, I would work with that energy of that session. So, and it's just really looking at, because it changes from session to session throughout the day. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:55 Highlight the passage at 1:40:55

1:41:18 You know, things change, you know, coming in from work. Maybe spend more time just focusing on your breath or whatever. But yeah, if you're so agitated, maybe it's good to go out and take a walk or something. So it's not always about pushing through, barreling through. Sometimes it's just about, sometimes you do need to stretch. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:18 Highlight the passage at 1:41:18

1:41:42 Yoga is great for it because yoga gives your body some movement without losing the meditative energy. Walking sometimes can be a bit much, I find. But sometimes it's what you need. Thanks, you guys are great. But you're not a horrible person. It's all about me. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:42 Highlight the passage at 1:41:42

1:42:17 You know, I've been thinking about kind of a universality of wisdom. it makes Report an error in the passage at 1:42:17 Highlight the passage at 1:42:17

1:42:29 I'm going to say my mantras if you don't watch it Report an error in the passage at 1:42:29 Highlight the passage at 1:42:29

1:42:44 I was thinking of the universality His Holiness kind of talks about how there's many ways to wisdom, there's many ways. And so, you know, in our teachings we talk about change and how change is constant and everything. And my mom would always say, this too shall pass. And so it's one of those mantras or words that come up from me. Yeah, it does not have to come from a Buddhist teaching to be really, really Buddhist or powerful or whatever you need. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:44 Highlight the passage at 1:42:44

1:43:22 I thought that was a George Harrison. I think it comes from the Bible. That's all things shall pass. But that's the truth. Especially in light of George's life. No, actually, there's this really good quote that the venerable Neal read to us, and I'll bring it for you guys next time, and it's actually from a saint. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:22 Highlight the passage at 1:43:22

1:43:48 I think it's a French saint. I can't even remember now who it is. I think it might be St. Francis de Sales, actually. But it's just about continually trying again. When you're really hard on yourself and you're like, I'm a horrible, horrible person, you just get back on the horse. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:48 Highlight the passage at 1:43:48

1:44:09 And that's not from a Buddhist thing. There have been a lot of people who've tried and lost and tried and tried and failed and tried and tried. And they've all said really cool things. And we can use them. Yeah, totally. Yeah, totally. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:09 Highlight the passage at 1:44:09

1:44:26 Now you can mess me up. His two-shot pass is a good one. And you'll hear little things like, you know, just hearing the way she reacts to it, she's like, isn't it interesting what my mind does? And I took that as a mantra, you know, because it's just like, because she didn't do it with any kind of feeling like I'm a horrible person. It was simply like, look at mine, look at mine, mine does that. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:26 Highlight the passage at 1:44:26

1:44:30 good, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:30 Highlight the passage at 1:44:30

1:44:54 Oh, interesting. And then she just went off, you know. And I was like, wow, what a lesson of how you could be more like Margaret Mead and look at your own mind. Like, you wouldn't have to be, I'm horrible, which is the one I'm the queen of, you know. So just breaking that habit, changing that habit, just being like, oh, look at mine. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:54 Highlight the passage at 1:44:54

1:45:13 That's interesting. And then when you see other people doing things that perhaps you don't want to emulate, instead of being like, oh, they're horrible, you can be more relaxed, too. I mean, oh, it's interesting what mine has. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:13 Highlight the passage at 1:45:13

1:45:26 So it can be more like that rather than, God, there he goes again. Another nail in the coffin. I did it. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:26 Highlight the passage at 1:45:26

1:45:38 So, um, The next one actually is called Living in Vows, and the next section is called Living in Vows. And I just want to mention that because I think Living in Vows gets a bad rep, and I think it can be an incredibly powerful practice, daily practice, whether they are temporary vows or whether they are lifetime vows or lifetimes of law and vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:38 Highlight the passage at 1:45:38

1:46:04 But they are said to be incredibly... It's strong for our mind to even attempt or even to aspire to hold these vows. And I'm not talking about necessarily ordination vows. I'm also talking about refuge precepts and lifetime lay vows and one day vows. They're what's called the eight maya precepts. Bodhisattva vows, tantric vows, like that. There's lots of different vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:04 Highlight the passage at 1:46:04

1:46:34 But, um… Lama Zopa Rinpoche said that Westerners tend to think of vows as like a prison or a restriction of some sort. That's something that sort of binds or some sort of negative thing like that. And he said actually it's the complete opposite. It's actually one of the most powerful ways to get to enlightenment as quickly as possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:34 Highlight the passage at 1:46:34

1:46:56 And Vena Ramita was actually just talking about that this weekend in the teaching that she did, the Padraic teaching that she did. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:56 Highlight the passage at 1:46:56

1:47:05 If there are two of us and, you know, I have taken a vow not ever to kill, you know, for a lifetime, a lifetime in my action, I have taken a vow. I took it as a lay person and I also took it as an ordained person. Not intentionally to kill, I should say. And then Stephanie just doesn't kill. She's just, you know, as, you know, she has the opportunity to kill, she doesn't kill. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:05 Highlight the passage at 1:47:05

1:47:33 like that you know so there's a bug crawling her flesh so she's decided But the rest of the time, she's not gaining that kind of power in her mind because she doesn't have that intention there 24-7. It's just whenever somebody crosses her path, she doesn't kill it. But there's not that thought of, forevermore, I will create a safe space around me and not kill intentionally. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:33 Highlight the passage at 1:47:33

1:48:00 And there's such power to having that as your motivation that I will not harm in this way. So any of the gods like that. So they say that there's this incredible strength for your mind and that then you are actually, even if you're distracted or watching TV or something like that, you're still creating this power, this merit, because that was your intention and that you... Report an error in the passage at 1:48:00 Highlight the passage at 1:48:00

1:48:26 Continually renew that intention every day when you get up and all that. So there's what's called the Eight Mahāyāna Precepts, which they actually say with these vows, you keep them vows. That's the first time I did them accidentally. I didn't know what I was coming in for. Perhaps there wasn't much intention there. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:26 Highlight the passage at 1:48:26

1:48:55 So Geshe-la will often give these, who will always give these, on the, we have four main Buddhist holidays through the year. And they're said to be merit multiple other days. And so one of the days, so one of the things that we do, we try to come up with a lot of ways to make merit on those days. And so one of the things that Geshe-la will do is give these eight Mahāyāna precepts. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:55 Highlight the passage at 1:48:55

1:49:18 And he gives them, you're supposed to give them before dawn. And then you hold them in your mind stream until dawn the following day. And then you don't have them anymore. So it's from before dawn to after dawn. The following day. And the first time you have to receive them from a teacher. But then after that you can just do them on your own. And they're really a way you can sort of like instantly make the day a little bit more spiritual. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:18 Highlight the passage at 1:49:18

1:49:45 You know, just by doing this step of like getting up and taking these vows for the day. Having to be a little bit more mindful about what you do. And there's something about it, like, I never listen to music anymore. I do not listen to music. You know, it's just not something I do. Something about when you take precepts, all of a sudden you want to sing. That's one of them, actually. It's not singing with, you know, I forgot how that's phrased, but it's something like non-Dharma or non, you know, without any real purpose or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:45 Highlight the passage at 1:49:45

1:50:18 Black food. Talk about the black food. The black food. Eating after midday. So you're not eating from, you know, after lunch, you're not eating until the following morning after sunrise, which of course doesn't sound so hard, but it can be hard. I didn't know you were going to have it. I had this one friend, so the black foods are those things that in both, actually in many traditions, they're considered to affect your meditation, your ability to concentrate. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:18 Highlight the passage at 1:50:18

1:50:53 And so there are things like onion and garlic, which is also the same. Yeah, same in Chinese medicine, yeah. Meat, eggs, alcohol. Dairy. No, no, you can have dairy. You can't have like a cup of whole milk afterwards, after lunch. You can have it before lunch. Yes, there's nothing really about dairy. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:53 Highlight the passage at 1:50:53

1:51:20 No, thank God. As long as I can have tea, I can do it. No, don't ask me about a nunier. We'll get to that. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:20 Highlight the passage at 1:51:20

1:51:32 No, so you can actually, you can have a coffee, but you couldn't have it like that much. You know, like where it's, or whatever, you know, the really thick, with the really thick milk. Because the whole idea is that it becomes like a food. Okay, so the ice cream. Yeah, you can have ice cream and yogurt or anything like that. Anything, as Lama Tsongkhapa says, anything that makes kuk. Well, you can have it during the day, but you can't have it after lunch. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:32 Highlight the passage at 1:51:32

1:51:58 You can have it as a party or lunch, actually even as your breakfast. When Rinpoche does eight Mayana precepts, you take one meal only, and that meal has to be finished before noon. And that's the really strict way Geshe-la allows us to have breakfast. I was so thrilled. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:58 Highlight the passage at 1:51:58

1:52:18 We were all like, all our eyes lit up, it was like Christmas or something. Like a trooping off into the kitchen. Can you just eat a gigantic breakfast in the morning? Yeah, if you want to. I mean, basically it's, as Sonny Kadro says, the one who wrote up and under wrote down. How to meditate. She said, you know, basically you can just graze non-stop between, I mean, technically speaking, you could just graze non-stop between sun up and noon and then you just have to stop. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:18 Highlight the passage at 1:52:18

1:52:51 But I've never seen anyone really do that. Usually you just try to have a breakfast and you're having lunch and then give it up. But it's also a great way to work on your attachment. I mean, that's why I do them sometimes. Girl, you've got to get a handle on this one, you know, just give up for the night. And in retreat, it adds so much time to your day. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:51 Highlight the passage at 1:52:51

1:53:15 If you're doing a bunch of, you know, like a month or two of precepts, then you're, you know, it's like you have this whole afternoon and evening that you don't have to worry about what to make for dinner. You don't realize how much of your life is absorbed in thinking about. It's amazing. And it just frees all that up. And you're just kind of like, great. Now I can do an extra session. I can take a hike. You know, there's not any of that. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:15 Highlight the passage at 1:53:15

1:53:40 Still have my tea. So it's like that. So it's almost like an instant little retreat. You could, you know, just do precepts on the weekend or something like that and make it a more special day. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:40 Highlight the passage at 1:53:40

1:53:55 Rejoicing is another practice that you can do anytime. From, you know, when you get up off your cushion. And we did a little bit of rejoicing in the meditation. Hopefully you were still with us at that point. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:55 Highlight the passage at 1:53:55

1:54:10 Basically, it's just about being really happy with something that you've done right. You know, so it can be as little as giving somebody else the parking space tonight. You know, I mean, it can be really, really small. Or it can be something really, really big. Maybe you do volunteer work in hospice or something like that. You can find real joy. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:10 Highlight the passage at 1:54:10

1:54:35 The other morning, actually, I'm doing all these quotes from Fela Lupina because she's giving us teachings around the clock. She's coming to morning puja a lot lately. We do a puja every morning at 7.20. And she said, basically, she said, start with, because all of us, of course, work for the center. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:35 Highlight the passage at 1:54:35

1:54:56 She said, we never are happy with our own. Just rejoice in your own work. All the work you do for the center of the project. Just think about that. I feel deep happiness. She said, it's amazing that we're here. We should be crying tears of bliss all the time. And it's so true. It's really true. And we never think about it. We always think about all the things we haven't done yet. All the things that we should have done. We should have done better. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:56 Highlight the passage at 1:54:56

1:55:19 But just focus on the stuff we've actually done. It's amazing. I feel deep happiness about it. And this is like a huge way of overcoming that I'm a horrible person thing that's kind of run rampant in our body. And they say it's actually one of the easiest ways for us to make really good karma. It's just we could be really, really happy in each other's good things that we each are doing or that our teachers have done. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:19 Highlight the passage at 1:55:19

1:55:49 Or that regular old people out there are doing all the time, you know. People are running into burning buildings and saving babies, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:49 Highlight the passage at 1:55:49

1:56:01 People are giving $10 million of their savings away. I mean, people do wonderful things all the time. We just don't focus on it very much in our culture. But people are out there doing amazing things, little and big. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:01 Highlight the passage at 1:56:01

1:56:16 So that was one that Lama yesterday said is actually really great for the Western mind and it's really easy for us to do if you don't feel like meditating. So that's what you can do, you can just check out and just start rejoicing. Because that also changes it, like transforms a negative mind into a really positive mind. So it can be a really great way if you're in a really down place, out of depressed or like, you know, just having a lot of critical mind or unhappiness or discontent. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:16 Highlight the passage at 1:56:16

1:56:46 finding fault just to really really rejoice and just to find a billion things to rejoice We're going to talk about purification practices next time, so I'm not going to talk that much about that. There are lots of ways that we can purify as well. And when we purify, some of the things that happen in our daily life will actually reflect that purification process. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:46 Highlight the passage at 1:56:46

1:57:33 When we purify negative karma, it doesn't just go away, even though at the end you do this visualization that my mind is crystal or clean, clear. when the issue happens, it, One of the aspects of karma is that it never completely disappears. It will still ripen, but it will ripen in a lesser form. So some of the things that happen to us are actually negative karma ripening either. It's exhausting, in which case we can be happy that it's gone. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:33 Highlight the passage at 1:57:33

1:58:09 Or it's a purification of some horribly negative thing that's now in some lesser form because we've been working on our purification practice. So there are a couple ways that you can look at it. And so you can be aware of that. When things happen, things will happen to us during our lives because we've created the karma for things to happen. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:09 Highlight the passage at 1:58:09

1:58:31 We've created negative karma that ripens and that ripening causes some amount of suffering. Whether that suffering is, you know, things going wrong or people being annoying or not getting a seat on the bus or getting a seat on the bus next to somebody scary or, you know, just like it can ripen in any way and that's something that we have created the karma for it to happen. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:31 Highlight the passage at 1:58:31

1:58:56 So there are a lot of ways to deal with difficulties that arise in our lives. And it's based on these teachings of Lojong, which is, I made a little bit of mention too, it's called, it's transforming problems, mind training teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:56 Highlight the passage at 1:58:56

1:59:13 And so, working with these, I actually think this is like an incredible set of teachings that you can just get so much out of dealing with what comes up. The kind of garbage that comes up in your life due to our own negative karma. But how can we train our minds to deal with it in a different way? How can we see it in a different way? One other thing is just to remember that I want to get this stuff purified and out of my mind stream. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:13 Highlight the passage at 1:59:13

1:59:45 I don't want to carry this poison. I don't want it to ripen into my future suffering. So I do want to bring it on. Great. Great. I actually had that happen this morning. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:45 Highlight the passage at 1:59:45

1:59:57 Because I've got a chronic condition and sometimes it causes an amazing amount of pain. An amazing amount of pain. Like almost like, it's almost shocking. It almost shocks me how much pain it can cause. And to actually then at that moment to kind of go, okay, bring it on. You know, it's like that G.I. Jane thing. I'm like, alright, great. I want to take this on for all sentient beings. I want to, you know, I want to... Report an error in the passage at 1:59:57 Highlight the passage at 1:59:57

2:00:23 Use up this negative karma so I never have to face it again and nobody else has to face this again. You know, it's like a way of kind of building my mind so it's stronger, so I've got that kind of tough attitude about it. I know of somebody who went on pilgrimage in Tibet, which is traditionally incredibly difficult, kept facing problem after problem and she just kept saying, bring it on, great, let's just ripen all this negative karma and get it out of the way. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:23 Highlight the passage at 2:00:23

2:00:51 It's totally about training your mind. The experience is still going to be the same. You still have the karma for that trip not to work or whatever. And your attitude can become incredibly positive versus, you know, the whiner who's just like, oh, why isn't this happening to me? You know, like that. So it's just simply taking, this is the situation, how can I turn my mind around and have it actually strengthen my mind, strengthen my practice, strengthen my... Report an error in the passage at 2:00:51 Highlight the passage at 2:00:51

2:01:19 you know, the path rather than having it just be one more thing I'm complaining about. again, I mean, I'm touching on these. The yoga of eating, when you're doing actually tantra, they actually have these different yogas. We're actually called different yogas. Yoga just means practice. A yoga of eating is a way of transforming actually eating. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:19 Highlight the passage at 2:01:19

2:01:58 You know, we eat. We eat during the day. So how do we transform that into practice? And there's just a really simple, there's a number of visualizations you can do, but there's a really simple visualization where you first remember that, again, this is my karmic appearance. Whatever this food is, It's actually easier almost if somebody brings it out to you. But if you have made it yourself, you still look at it and you just think, okay, this is my karmic appearance. I think this looks really wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:58 Highlight the passage at 2:01:58

2:02:28 The cat would look at this and not be at all impressed. So it's not inherently wonderful. It's not absolutely wonderful from its own side. Actually, I can often use my brother as an example too. There's hardly anything that I think would be wonderful that he would also think is wonderful. Especially for years. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:28 Highlight the passage at 2:02:28

2:02:46 You know, I mean, I'm sure almost everything I ate was like crazy California food as far as he was concerned. So that was a really good way for me to look at the emptiness of the food first. If David was looking at this carrot loaf, he would just be not at all impressed. He'd think it was kind of actually garbage, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:46 Highlight the passage at 2:02:46

2:03:07 But I'm looking at it, and I thankfully have this karma to see in this incredibly wonderful nectar. And then you do Om Ahun. Which is a mantra. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:07 Highlight the passage at 2:03:07

2:03:20 And Aum, basically you're purifying it. Aum, you're transforming it into nectar. And Aum, you're offering it limitlessly to all the bodhisattvas and bodhisattvas. And Lama Zopa Rinpoche says it's really important to actually remember them, actually to visualize them receiving it in bliss. Like being thrilled by your offering of this nectar. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:20 Highlight the passage at 2:03:20

2:03:44 And then they send down this blissful nectar into your food and then you pop it in your mouth and it transforms you. So it's like that whole idea of, you know... It starts with you and you visualize this emptiness and then you purify, you expand, you offer, offer, offer and then it all comes back to you and then you have this incredibly blissful nectar. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:44 Highlight the passage at 2:03:44

2:04:12 You can also imagine that you're feeding your own enlightenment. So everything that you're eating is just feeding that, increasing all the causes and conditions of your own enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:12 Highlight the passage at 2:04:12

2:04:29 Or you can also imagine your teacher at your heart and that you're feeding them. Or your Yidom or your whatever Buddha you find the most attractive to at this point. And imagine the bliss that of course they receive. So there's just tons of bliss. I mean it turns like your regular veggie burger into a much more blissful experience. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:29 Highlight the passage at 2:04:29

2:04:54 And actually that is one of the refuge commitments is to offer up. The food to the triple gem. So this is kind of a creative way to do that. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:54 Highlight the passage at 2:04:54

2:05:08 Yeah, you offer it in remembrance of their kindness. You offer the first part of any food or drink. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:08 Highlight the passage at 2:05:08

2:05:19 We'll talk about that. And also how to purify. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:19 Highlight the passage at 2:05:19

2:05:26 No, it's a hard one to do. That one I think is also all about mindfulness. one does that? Which one does that? Which one does that? Report an error in the passage at 2:05:26 Highlight the passage at 2:05:26

2:05:31 You know, it's all about not shoving in, it's not doing something so habitually and mindlessly. I think it's all about just bringing awareness to everything we do. But, yeah, I mean, sometimes I'll remember it when it's going down the throat, you know, which I think is a step in the right direction. It's better than remembering when you're headed upstairs after you've already done your dishes. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:31 Highlight the passage at 2:05:31

2:05:54 Yoga of sleeping. So there's actually a way that we can go to sleep at night that's bringing mindfulness or bringing awareness or just remembering, thinking. Sometimes these words like mindfulness and awareness are much bigger than actually just remembering. It's really the same word actually. They say that the best way to go to sleep is lying on your right side in the position that the Buddha actually passed away in, which is lying on his right side with his hand beneath his head. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:54 Highlight the passage at 2:05:54

2:06:25 Even just conditioning yourself to lie on your right side for just a little bit, even if you can't fall asleep that way. And when people are passing away, I've actually known Lama's to put them into that position. They're currently supposed to be a good position to pass away in as well. And then, you know, I know I've done this one before too. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:25 Highlight the passage at 2:06:25

2:06:51 If you have a teacher, or even the Buddha, I don't know, any of the Buddhas, Especially if you're troubled, you can actually go to sleep imagining that you've got your head in their lap and that brings some comfort. And I've done that one before when I'm really upset or when I'm in a retreat or something like that, which are sometimes the same time. There's actually a book called In the Lap of the Buddha, which I think is a great book. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:51 Highlight the passage at 2:06:51

2:07:18 It's one of the first books I read. It's of Tibetan Buddhists. And the writer of it, I think he may actually even still be alive, but at the time he thought he was dying of AIDS. And he would go to sleep that way. And it brought him a lot of comfort. And I thought it was such a great idea. So yeah, you can go to sleep in that way. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:18 Highlight the passage at 2:07:18

2:07:41 You can also just go to sleep remembering, you know, that... You know, whatever it is that you've been meditating on. So you just are sort of permeating your mind in a virtuous thought before you go to bed. Instead of just like, what am I going to do tomorrow? You know, like the way we kind of do. You're, again, just trying to go to sleep with a virtuous thought. I used to have a, I still have a friend, I have a friend who used to take, you know, like liberation or something like that and just open it anywhere and read whatever that paragraph was. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:41 Highlight the passage at 2:07:41

2:08:12 And that would be what would be in her mind. And then she'd go to sleep. Sometimes I'm joking. I don't know if she's still doing it. She's probably doing it with another book now. She probably went all the way through. And then when you wake up, you can remember that. You can either remember whatever your final thought was or you can remember that you're lying with your head in the lap of the Buddha. You can also feel incredible joy that you're actually waking up and that you're still in this body. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:12 Highlight the passage at 2:08:12

2:08:40 You still have this opportunity. You still have all the conditions that you had when you went to sleep, which a lot of people don't. A lot of people don't wake up in the morning. A lot of people who went to sleep last night didn't wake up this morning. And it's an important thing to remember. I mean, it's a realistic thing to remember because we won't have forever. So it's sort of this idea to remind yourself, wow, this is great. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:40 Highlight the passage at 2:08:40

2:09:04 I've got this great opportunity to get out there and do something. I can do something. I still have this time. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:04 Highlight the passage at 2:09:04

2:09:13 And actually you can imagine as you wake up and you've got your head in the lap of the Buddha, you can imagine him melting into light and then entering the crown and going to your heart and he's all in position ready for his breakfast. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:13 Highlight the passage at 2:09:13

2:09:29 So that's all I think we have time for. I had one more, but we can do that in the beginning of the next class. Does anybody have any questions? We can just end. A lot of different thoughts to just think about. time. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:29 Highlight the passage at 2:09:29

2:09:55 Are you sure? No, no. I know. Karen's probably the same exact question. It's the technicality. It's the yoga. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:55 Highlight the passage at 2:09:55

2:10:14 She'll come and hold it for you. It has to do with what? goodness. my goodness. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:14 Highlight the passage at 2:10:14

2:10:24 in the context of the yoga. You wouldn't offer something. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:24 Highlight the passage at 2:10:24

2:10:36 Oh. You know, say you're... Well, if you do the Om Aham, you're purifying it, you're transforming it, and you're... I'm going to say that's not your choice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, by the time you get to the offering part, you've already transformed it all into nectar anyway. But there are mantras to do, there are things to think about if you are eating meat. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:36 Highlight the passage at 2:10:36

2:11:03 One of them is there are mantras to blow on that animal's flesh so that animal has the chance of gaining a better rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:03 Highlight the passage at 2:11:03

2:11:15 One that I was taught actually is to actually think, I am now making this karmic connection with this animal. May I lead this animal to a moment personally? And it's like... It's heavy. Yeah, I am for the same. I also have medical reasons that I have to go back, leave my carrot loaf behind, and at least for the moment I'm eating meat. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:15 Highlight the passage at 2:11:15

2:11:42 And I do try to remember that one because I think it is a heavy karmic connection that we make with those animals. So that's one thing to think about. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:42 Highlight the passage at 2:11:42

2:11:58 Your attention. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:58 Highlight the passage at 2:11:58

2:12:04 Yeah, I mean, with the transforming, That's a separate visualization, but yeah, karma is 95 % about, if not more, maybe 99.9 % about your motivation. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:04 Highlight the passage at 2:12:04

2:12:21 So, it's, I mean, just Buddhism is 99.9 % about your mind, what you do in your mind. Outwardly, we could look like we're the most incredible, pious Dharma practitioner, but inside we could be a mess. And often are. In the same way, somebody could look like a total loser and be like the strongest practitioner in the world. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:21 Highlight the passage at 2:12:21

2:12:46 So we just have no idea what's going on in somebody else's mind. So it's all about what's going on in somebody else's mind. It's all what's going on in your mind. So yeah, to make it, all of these things are about how to make the time, whether it's eating, sleeping, walking, reading People magazine, whatever it is. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:46 Highlight the passage at 2:12:46

2:13:07 How to transform your mind. And those can be such powerful practices. They're certainly as powerful as setting up an altar and doing things that we think of as Dharma. This is all Dharma. How we eat our meal. Watching Lama Zopa Rinpoche eat his lunch is like a life-transforming event. The mindfulness that he brings to that, the amount of... Report an error in the passage at 2:13:07 Highlight the passage at 2:13:07

2:13:35 He thinks about every sentient being, and he's vegetarian, every sentient being that lost its life in the making of that rice dish. I mean, he goes into this enormous detail, and he can see that kind of detail. It's amazing. I mean, he doesn't forget any of them. And the point is that we're all so interdependent, you know, and we sort of live in our little islands, but in reality... Report an error in the passage at 2:13:35 Highlight the passage at 2:13:35

2:14:02 Everything. Think about the beings that went into that glass of water. And he just goes into all of that so that every moment you're completely mindful. You never eat a grain of rice again with the same, maybe you do, carelessness. So it's all about making mindfulness, awareness, and hopefully good intention to everything that we're doing. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:02 Highlight the passage at 2:14:02

2:14:29 That was a great question. That's a great question. Karen was really hoping somebody was going to ask. Karen, anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 2:14:29 Highlight the passage at 2:14:29

2:14:41 So, just like everything else that's been working on in mind, let's take a moment to finish by dedicating all this incredible energy for completely different people than when we first walked through the doors tonight. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:41 Highlight the passage at 2:14:41

2:14:56 Not just physically with all these atoms in our bodies changing, cellular level, all that, but also our minds. Our minds have been moving. 150 miles an hour. And we've sort of been weeding our garden to it. We've gotten rid of some thoughts. We've added some other thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:56 Highlight the passage at 2:14:56

2:15:15 We've got all this great stuff to think about. And so we're going to dedicate this merit to each of us being able to use some of these ideas and transform our sort of everyday life into amazing, fertile practice so that we have more capacity to help others as well as ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:15 Highlight the passage at 2:15:15

2:15:47 And I wanted to say, I think it was Ed who asked, and he's not hearing my music, but somebody asked about the meaning of the Shakyamuni Buddha's mantra. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:47 Highlight the passage at 2:15:47

2:16:00 So I actually found it great. It was in response to a question, Venable Tuktenyeshe, who's one of the Australian teachers in the Discovering Buddhism program. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:00 Highlight the passage at 2:16:00

2:16:18 answered it. I found it online, so I just kind of got it ready for you guys if you guys want that. It's, of course, one version of a translation, but it's actually Lama's And then the other thing is your homework assignment, which is basically the same meditation. Yeah, it's tiny. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:18 Highlight the passage at 2:16:18

2:16:41 Did David complain so bitterly? Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 2:16:41 Highlight the passage at 2:16:41

2:16:56 there's hard copy around the corner, actually. Maybe just tomorrow? Yeah, sure. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:56 Highlight the passage at 2:16:56

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:17:41 Here's a binder and... Report an error in the passage at 2:17:41 Highlight the passage at 2:17:41

2:17:55 All right, let me just write down the website. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:55 Highlight the passage at 2:17:55

2:17:59 Okay. I felt like you were just reading it. So mindful am I. See, that's the emptiness of the class, eh? Next week I will be here. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:59 Highlight the passage at 2:17:59