Discovering Buddhism - Developing Bodhicitta (17 October 2013)

0:12 Yeah, that's right. And you weren't here the last week, I think, either, in the class. Yeah. That's fine. Report an error in the passage at 0:12 Highlight the passage at 0:12

0:21 somebody else do it. Report an error in the passage at 0:21 Highlight the passage at 0:21

0:26 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 0:26 Highlight the passage at 0:26

0:31 so we're going to start with the definition of what bodhicitta is. Report an error in the passage at 0:31 Highlight the passage at 0:31

0:48 Bodhicitta is defined as the mind that wants to become a Buddha. So it wants to get enlightened for the sake of all sentient beings. So it has those two different parts. This resolve or wish to get enlightened and the purpose is to benefit all sentient beings. So it has both of those things. Like it's not enough to just want to, you know. Report an error in the passage at 0:48 Highlight the passage at 0:48

1:15 superpowers you know that's that's not enough like your motivation has to be to benefit others a lot of times it's called the wish or the aspiration to have you know to be able to benefit others I think those are kind of wimpy terms I actually don't like that term because I think it's more than that by the time you actually generate Even contrived bodhicitta, but definitely real bodhicitta, it's more like a determination or a resolve. Report an error in the passage at 1:15 Highlight the passage at 1:15

1:48 I will become enlightened no matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult it is, so that I can benefit all sentient beings. So it's already this strong mind. And don't worry, we will define sort of everything as we go along. So if anybody else just didn't bother to say it, but definitely we will talk about sort of everything as we go along. Report an error in the passage at 1:48 Highlight the passage at 1:48

2:12 We always define our terms in Buddhist classes so that everybody's on the same page. And you don't, I don't, I mean, you know, everything kind of is like a building block. And of course, every time that you study, I usually talk about the whole lamrim or steps on the path to enlightenment, graduated steps on the path to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:12 Highlight the passage at 2:12

2:36 It's sort of like a spiral. I think we often are taught that it's more linear. You know, you start here and you end here. It doesn't really work that way. It's like you sort of. Report an error in the passage at 2:36 Highlight the passage at 2:36

3:10 But then the next time you study it, you've had certain things happen in your life and it's kind of like, wow, it sort of jumps out at you and it means something more to you than it maybe did the first time. And so I actually think with the topics like bodhicitta or karma or death and impermanence or all these topics that we meditate in order to get enlightened, you just have to kind of go through them over and over and over again before they really mean something to you. Report an error in the passage at 3:10 Highlight the passage at 3:10

3:37 So don't worry. Anywhere you jump in is fine. I have known people who have jumped in in the final class and still are fine. In some ways I sort of did that too. So it's sort of like you just jump in but then you keep spiraling through. So I think we should talk about what enlightenment is because we sort of bandy about the term of enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 3:37 Highlight the passage at 3:37

4:07 Somebody who is enlightened is a Buddha, so that's how they relate. So Buddhahood and enlightenment are the same things. But enlightenment basically has two parts also. I usually define it just as perfect mind in a way. So I think simply put that's really what it is. But it's basically a mind that's free of all faults and... Report an error in the passage at 4:07 Highlight the passage at 4:07

4:55 which I think I certainly have had cliche attacks many times, and I think it's a really nice way to think of it. But basically, it's anything that disturbs the mind, anger, jealousy, depression, you know, hatred, you attachment. You know, so sometimes we don't even think of that as an affliction in our culture. That's a good thing, right? So an affliction is basically anything that disturbs the mind. Report an error in the passage at 4:55 Highlight the passage at 4:55

5:19 That's actually how it's defined. find But when you're enlightened, you have overcome all of those. So you've overcome anything that could possibly disturb your mind forever and the causes of those things. And if that weren't enough, you have completely developed to the point where they cannot be developed any further every positive state of mind, love, patience, wisdom, kindness. Report an error in the passage at 5:19 Highlight the passage at 5:19

5:47 kindness, skillful means, you know, the ability to speak to people or to do things for people in a way that you actually have the capacity to do it, not just want to do it. Report an error in the passage at 5:47 Highlight the passage at 5:47

5:59 So you've completely perfected every state of mind. And for a Buddha, all of this is happening all the time. So it's not like it comes and goes like with us. Like at the end of a retreat, you might have this really virtuous state of mind and not be too cranky and be basically pretty happy and positive until you get in the car and then start handing home and you might get kind of cranky at somebody. Report an error in the passage at 5:59 Highlight the passage at 5:59

6:25 But it doesn't come and go like that with a Buddha. It's like that forever. Once their mind has actually shifted into enlightenment, it's like that forever. So that's the state of mind that we're trying to get to. And it's not just their mind, of course. It's everything. They are physically capable of benefiting others all the time. Report an error in the passage at 6:25 Highlight the passage at 6:25

6:48 They have the capacity to benefit. My favorite of all the things that Buddhists can do to help sentient beings. And I always say this one because I just think it's the coolest thing. They can help any sentient being anywhere in any way that sentient being needs without effort or thought simultaneously. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

7:10 Do you know what I mean? So it's like, so I could just show up wherever you need it as something or someone. It doesn't even have to be a person. I could be a bridge if that would help you to develop something. I don't know what. And at the same time show up in exactly the form you need and at the same time show up the same, you know what I mean? So it's just this, that's what they, when they talk about like emanation bodies, it's like the, and without thought. Report an error in the passage at 7:10 Highlight the passage at 7:10

7:32 It's like the Buddha can just emanate in all these different forms without thought at any time. That's what we want to get. Bodhicitta is the mind that wants to get that. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:41 So we're just backing into, bodhicitta is just the mind that recognizes that that's the best tool, but my motivation. Report an error in the passage at 7:41 Highlight the passage at 7:41

8:17 When the Buddha himself got enlightened, and it's always really, really important to remember that the Buddha was just an ordinary person, you know, who got enlightened. He didn't spring into the world fully formed. And that's true for all of the Buddhas, and there are many, many, many people who have attained enlightenment, even just in the last couple of thousand years, much less before that. Report an error in the passage at 8:17 Highlight the passage at 8:17

8:43 But when he got enlightened, he didn't think it was just something... He did think it would be hard for us to understand. This much is true. He was requested to teach repeatedly before he taught. And his reasoning was just because he thought sort of it was like, wow, this is really big. Are they going to get it? But once he did start teaching, one of the things he taught is that we are not different from him. Report an error in the passage at 8:43 Highlight the passage at 8:43

9:10 We have mind. As long as we have mind, that's all it requires and a lot of work and time. But as long as we have mind, which is the definition of a sentient being, anything with a mind, then we can get enlightened too. Report an error in the passage at 9:10 Highlight the passage at 9:10

9:33 That's all we really need. And no matter what we've ever done, ever, at some point we can still get enlightened too. Like that can never go away as long as we have a mind, which we can never not have a mind. So that's important to know. We call that Buddha nature and all of us possess that. So no matter how slowly or how many lifetimes it takes or how quickly or how many years it takes, because it is possible to attain enlightenment in a single lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 9:33 Highlight the passage at 9:33

10:09 a lot of work. But no matter what, we can all get there. But the Buddha said we were, and he didn't lie about a lot of other things. At some point you can kind of take them as a good source. So bodhicitta is just this determination, once you recognize the benefits, the determination to become a Buddha too. Report an error in the passage at 10:09 Highlight the passage at 10:09

10:52 It's to, I want those same tools so that I can benefit others in the same way that the Buddha can benefit others. And we have to understand what the Buddha is and how having those tools can be useful. And we probably at our level need to develop the mind that even wants to or even wants to look at it, as Steve put it. Report an error in the passage at 10:52 Highlight the passage at 10:52

11:20 So it's sort of like we have to develop it all, which is why I use the term baby bodhisattvas and baby bodhicitta because we take baby steps. We take baby steps to get there. And they are valid and they are real steps. And you never know when karma shifts and you might take a really big step. even seeing it coming so Report an error in the passage at 11:20 Highlight the passage at 11:20

11:42 so, and we'll talk about that Our mind is completely changeable. I think a lot of times, and I'm guilty of this too, we think whatever mental afflictions we experience in our mind, that's me. I am angry. I am jealous. I am depressed. I am incapable. I am nosy. I am whatever and we think that's me. It's more like the mind has jealousy, the mind has anger, the mind has happiness, the mind has whatever the mind is experiencing. Report an error in the passage at 11:42 Highlight the passage at 11:42

12:25 That's not you. And so we stop ourselves. In reality our mind is constantly changing and I think once you start doing any meditation at all you can see how quickly your mind changes. Once you start even being aware of your mind changing you can see... Report an error in the passage at 12:25 Highlight the passage at 12:25

12:49 something incredibly wonderful for you and then you have this really happy mind and then you're late for work and then you have this stressed out mind and your mind can go through all these different changes just in a matter of a single day well the Buddha is saying actually that proves to us how quickly our mind can change and we are not stuck with being incapable or you know Report an error in the passage at 12:49 Highlight the passage at 12:49

13:14 just labels that our mind is laying on ourselves. our mind can transform. can actually become anything. We just have to aim our mind towards positive states of mind. And in order to want to do that, we have to see the value of that, and that's what these classes are about. Any kind of positive state of mind like patience or kindness we have to see the value of, right? Or we're not going to want to develop it. But what his point always was and is, is that these states of mind are things that we can develop like learning how to knit or learning how to ride a bike. Report an error in the passage at 13:14 Highlight the passage at 13:14

13:56 It's not any different. The negative states of mind are simply mental habits that we have to change, like smoking. know and it takes a lot of effort to change it but it's that's how it's done not anything more mysterious than that the fact that it is a spiritual path people sometimes get all gaga about it but in reality we're just changing negative mental habits into positive mental habits you know through using methods that have been used for a long time many thousands of years Report an error in the passage at 13:56 Highlight the passage at 13:56

14:31 So basically when we get enlightened, actually when we just develop bodhicitta we irreversibly change our mind. When we get enlightened we definitely irreversibly change our mind. And that's really all we're doing. It's like this huge attitude shift. And in reality it's more like repeated attitude shift. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

14:53 Because once we learn the method of developing bodhicitta it's... meditating on it repeatedly until we actually have a shift in our mind and then we have sort of a candy cane or a sugar cane as they call it India where it's sort of sweet on the outside but hollow doesn't have the substance yet Don't let the fire of bodhicitta ever go out. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:20 We just keep fanning the flames until it grows stronger and stronger. If anybody's ever built a fire and kind of kept it going with the bellows, it's like that. We just kind of keep it going. Report an error in the passage at 15:20 Highlight the passage at 15:20

15:30 Reminding ourselves, meditating on it, reading on it, going to classes like this, even just hearing the word. I mean there are a lot of things we could be doing tonight in San Francisco and we're here. And just hearing this word. Do you need some water? No, you're okay? Okay. Even just hearing the word repeatedly much less, actually learning the method is so profound. So the benefits of bodhicitta, usually in the Tibetan system they kind of go through the benefits and so I'm going to do that. Report an error in the passage at 15:30 Highlight the passage at 15:30

16:04 It's sort of like an advertisement so that you want to go there. It's like if you develop bodhicitta then you have this and this and this and this and this. And actually in the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, the whole first chapter is like that. Your whole first chapter is why you want to develop bodhicitta. So then you get kind of all gunned up, you know, and want to do it. Report an error in the passage at 16:04 Highlight the passage at 16:04

16:28 The mind of bodhicitta, and we will talk about this because one of the meditations kind of works on that level, but the mind of bodhicitta is completely opposite from a selfish or self-absorbed mind. The Tibetans called it... Report an error in the passage at 16:28 Highlight the passage at 16:28

16:49 otherwise people are so caught up with that word cherishing then I remember Bina tells a story about one time when she was giving a talk on the self cherishing mind in Australia and this woman came because she thought it was sort of like how to take care of her mind in a positive sense so she was actually kind of What is she talking about? But the selfish mind or the self-absorbed mind is the complete opposite of bodhicitta. And so as we learn more about bodhicitta and if we want to develop bodhicitta, we realize that the more we can root out that mind, because that's the enemy of our baby bodhicitta, that's what's going to cut our bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 16:49 Highlight the passage at 16:49

17:30 So we want to root out that mind. But we have to kind of also know... that looks like and feels like and what that experience is too we actually have probably more experience with that mind than we think we do and one of the stages of the meditation will be just looking at what that mind, how it poses in our lives and kind of keeps us holds us back basically Lama Yeshe used to say that even if we just want success in meditation, Report an error in the passage at 17:30 Highlight the passage at 17:30

18:06 experience we'll push that away and so it's just constant that kind of constant yo-yo mind makes its way into our meditation practice as well and so Report an error in the passage at 18:06 Highlight the passage at 18:06

18:17 motivating anything that we do with whatever amount of bodhicitta we can understand you know just like at the beginning of this class just taking a moment to try to have a some sort of a positive motivation for even studying these teachings that's what makes something Buddhist otherwise Otherwise, it's it's just just all of us sitting around, blah, blah, blah, you know. Report an error in the passage at 18:17 Highlight the passage at 18:17

18:37 But if our mind has some sort of a positive motivation for Report an error in the passage at 18:37 Highlight the passage at 18:37

18:43 expansive that mind is, the better, then it becomes dharma. Otherwise, it's not dharma, you know. It looks like dharma, but it's not really dharma. Report an error in the passage at 18:43 Highlight the passage at 18:43

18:56 So... So bodhicitta allows us to become a Buddha and it's the only thing that allows us to become a Buddha. You cannot become a Buddha without it, actually. You can have really high levels of other realizations. You can have a direct perception of the nature of reality and emptiness. You can even become an arhat, which is somebody who has attained nirvāṇa. Report an error in the passage at 18:56 Highlight the passage at 18:56

19:21 But you can't get enlightened without it. You need... need bodhicitta to become enlightened. It is the direct cause of enlightenment. So we need it in order to become a Buddha. So it's called, not just in Tibetan tradition, but in Indian tradition, it's called the elixir that transforms base metal into gold. Report an error in the passage at 19:21 Highlight the passage at 19:21

19:41 It transforms this ordinary mind of ours into a Buddha mind, fantastic mind, perfect mind. Once you get it, this is also a favorite. Report an error in the passage at 19:41 Highlight the passage at 19:41

19:54 It keeps generating more merit without interruption, even when you're asleep or distracted. I just love the thought of a bunch of bodhisattvas sitting around watching TV and their mind is generating all this merit even while they're checking in on Jeopardy or something. Even while you're asleep or distracted. Once you attain this mind, you become a child of the Buddha. It's sort of like you're part of the family. Report an error in the passage at 19:54 Highlight the passage at 19:54

20:19 It's like you're in. You're in. You become worthy of the respect of gods and men. Report an error in the passage at 20:19 Highlight the passage at 20:19

20:27 With bodhicitta, every action you perform becomes a cause for Buddhahood. So it's sort of like even your ordinary actions, if done with a bodhicitta or bodhisattva attitude, even like sort of feeding the birds in the park, becomes this cause for enlightenment. Even driving to work becomes a cause for enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 20:27 Highlight the passage at 20:27

20:48 No matter what kind of job, so even if your job isn't necessarily directly helping people, if you do that job with a bodhisattva attitude, it becomes a cause for enlightenment. So that's pretty cool. That's actually pretty cool. Report an error in the passage at 20:48 Highlight the passage at 20:48

21:04 Bodhicitta is how you relate to other people less selfishly. So a lot of times we sort of make it into this really high thing, but it's basically just being more compassionate and kind. So it's not necessarily anything more than being less obsessed with ourself and more concerned about others. That's actually how it starts. And it's all about our relationship with others. Report an error in the passage at 21:04 Highlight the passage at 21:04

21:37 And interestingly, then it brings more joy to ourselves. It's like the opposite of what we would think. You know that mind that's thinking me, me, me, me, me wants to take care of me, me, me, me, me, right? In the reality, once we start taking care of other people, we actually become happier. Buddha was right. Report an error in the passage at 21:37 Highlight the passage at 21:37

22:00 But it does bring us a level of joy that we don't fully believe yet, unless we find a little taste of it. It also gives us more space in our mind. Personally speaking, I have noticed. You know, if you get fearful or anxious, we tighten up. And if we remember bodhicitta, it's kind of like letting go. It's like letting go of that constantly protecting me, me, me, me, me. And actually we're okay. Report an error in the passage at 22:00 Highlight the passage at 22:00

22:30 That protecting me, me, me, me, me never really did protect me, me, me, me, me. It just sort of blocked me, me, me, me, me. It didn't really protect us so much. Report an error in the passage at 22:30 Highlight the passage at 22:30

22:40 Lama Yeshe used to, and when I refer sometimes to Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, they are the founders of this whole, whole organization of centers that this center is part of. So Lama Yeshe's on this side on the far, left, smiling. And then on this side, the closest one to Lama Zopa Rinpoche was Lama Yeshi's heart disciple. Lama Yeshi passed away quite a few years ago and has now... Report an error in the passage at 22:40 Highlight the passage at 22:40

23:14 now been recognized, reincarnated into the form of a Spanish young man who is about 24-25 and now living in the California area, actually getting ready to start college. He used to talk about just becoming more easygoing. Instead of being always me, me, me, me, me, letting go a little bit and being more... Report an error in the passage at 23:14 Highlight the passage at 23:14

23:45 And His Holiness the Dalai Lama always says, you know, if you're going to be selfish, be wisely selfish. So, you know, if you're going to be thinking, well, actually this whole method is actually talking about being wisely selfish, you know. Taking care of others actually makes me happy. So the end result is that I am going to be happy, so that mind where I'm seeking out, taking care of myself, that's the byproduct, as Lama Zopa always says, oh and by the way, I do become happier even when I was actually not doing it for myself. Report an error in the passage at 23:45 Highlight the passage at 23:45

24:31 So why is bodhicitta so powerful? It's the focus, it's the object, because the object is so vast. Report an error in the passage at 24:31 Highlight the passage at 24:31

24:45 huge if we're just focusing on taking care of one sentient being you know our child or partner or parent or dog or whatever there's actually a lot of merit in in caring for another being but if you then extend that to a couple or you extend that to a few or you extend that to a classful or you extend that to a city or a town or a country but in this one we're actually actually the ultimate goal is this mind that Venerabhina says is almost insane where you actually want to evenly care for all living beings without exception. Report an error in the passage at 24:45 Highlight the passage at 24:45

25:24 So that's why it's so merit-multiplying, because even just to have that desire to have that wish. wish. Even just to have the thought that you want to aspire to have that wish is huge, because it's including like everybody, you Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:45 mean, it's huge. So that's why you're creating much merit, and you need so much merit to actually generate this mind. Report an error in the passage at 25:45 Highlight the passage at 25:45

25:58 For those who have studied for a while and kind of know about the... You know, the full path to enlightenment. We actually want to generate bodhicitta before we have a direct perception of emptiness or the nature of reality because you need a lot of merit for that. So you need this mind that's producing it while you're checking out Jeopardy or whatever. You're just constantly creating this meritorious mind. Like water under ice, they say, just constantly flowing this mind, even while you're asleep, even while you're in your dreams. Report an error in the passage at 25:58 Highlight the passage at 25:58

26:36 Your dreams are influenced by this mind of bodhicitta. They say it is the most powerful mind that we can generate as an ordinary being, meaning before you have the direct perception of emptiness, you actually become what's called a superior being, an Arya being. And that is the most powerful mind. That actually takes you towards leaving saṃsāra altogether. But as an ordinary being, this is the most powerful mind we could ever, ever generate. Report an error in the passage at 26:36 Highlight the passage at 26:36

27:06 So you also purify huge amounts of negative karma. Karma is just basically, simply put, we create karma by our actions and by what motivates those actions. And so every time that we think or speak or act in any way, it creates some form of karma. It becomes positive karma if it's motivated by a positive state of mind and if it results in our happiness because it then ripens as our happiness. Report an error in the passage at 27:06 Highlight the passage at 27:06

27:40 It becomes a negative karma if it's motivated by a negative state of mind and it ripens as our suffering. And according to the Buddha, we're just constantly creating karma all the time. Report an error in the passage at 27:40 Highlight the passage at 27:40

27:54 Something to the tune of 64 moments per. And that's the good news because that's what allows us to become enlightened. You know, karma constantly shifts with every movement of our mind and so we can change from base metal into gold, you know, and that's what makes it so exciting. So as I mentioned, there are these two main methods. The one that was taught, seven point cause and effect, that was taught by Master Asanga, which was... Report an error in the passage at 27:54 Highlight the passage at 27:54

28:50 Taught to him by the Buddha Maitreya and exchanging self and others which was taught as part of the second point in the seven point mind training by Master Chekawa, one of the Kadampa Geshes who were basically descended student disciple wise from Master Atisha and also and probably most beautifully by Master Shantideva. Report an error in the passage at 28:50 Highlight the passage at 28:50

29:19 in the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. And as I said, and of course it's subjective, but His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that this second method, which is the one we'll go through in here, is probably more, works better for the Western mind. It's probably easier for the Western mind to sort of get our minds around. Report an error in the passage at 29:19 Highlight the passage at 29:19

29:44 already talked about meditation a little bit. Any questions on anything that I've said tonight? I don't know where the... Report an error in the passage at 29:44 Highlight the passage at 29:44

29:53 Any questions about anything that I've said tonight? Or about anything that's coming up? And probably I'm going to have you, Rich, hand out stuff. Are you good for that? And I didn't make enough. I didn't have any idea how many people. So I just did ten copies and then I can send people stuff by email and I can also make more copies for next week. Report an error in the passage at 29:53 Highlight the passage at 29:53

30:22 Oh, you know what I would love to do and I didn't do? I would love to make a roster. Do you just have like a piece of paper and a clipboard? Oh yeah, check you out. She's already on the job. I would love, if people wouldn't mind just putting your name and the best way to reach you, probably email, unless you just never ever check, in which case put your phone, just in case something comes up. Report an error in the passage at 30:22 Highlight the passage at 30:22

30:49 reach people suddenly like a sudden cancellation for some reason and it has happened and so now I try to do this every time I teach just to have a quick way to reach you Report an error in the passage at 30:49 Highlight the passage at 30:49

30:59 is good because sometimes I'll just find a quote or an article or something and I can send it out to you or hear about a teaching or something like that and just be like a quick way to get in touch with you but my main reason for this list is more about like if I need to suddenly reach you. And don't have time to contact the center and go, okay, can we look it up in the database and blah, blah, blah. So, any questions? Report an error in the passage at 30:59 Highlight the passage at 30:59

31:29 There you go, good. more merits we forgive or we practice these methods? You're going to teach us who's really bothering us and giving us a hard time, because I think a lot of times for me, it's easy for me to be nice to somebody. That's right. They're pleasant. That's right, yeah. They're mean to me. That's right. That's totally it. Report an error in the passage at 31:29 Highlight the passage at 31:29

31:53 If you're okay with an electronic version, don't take a copy and then just at the end I'll just do a quick hand count and I'll just make sure I have your information or rather when the roster comes around just put a star next to it or something and I'll just send you an electronic version of the first week's homework and the syllabus for the class If you want a hard copy next week, tell me. Report an error in the passage at 31:53 Highlight the passage at 31:53

32:20 after the class, okay. So to get back to your question, and tell me your name again. Christine, yeah. Yes, I actually, I do think that's true. And in fact, I've heard that too. Anytime we sort of do something that we didn't want to do anyway that's virtuous, it's actually more merit. So if you like push yourself to go to class. Report an error in the passage at 32:20 Highlight the passage at 32:20

32:42 if you, like, totally love the class, you still get more merit if you're like, I know it's good for me and I'm going to go, you know. Or if you get along with somebody who's just more challenging and you just really try because you know how important it is to develop patience or you know that person's suffering and you're trying to, you know, lend them support even if they're difficult or something like true, that's definitely true. So yeah, yeah, that's kind of like the pop quiz that I was talking about. Anyone can get along with people that we're close to. What's difficult is when people we're not close to, do we get so many extra? Report an error in the passage at 32:42 Highlight the passage at 32:42

33:19 And I only made 10. Report an error in the passage at 33:19 Highlight the passage at 33:19

33:23 some other people. Well, if people want now, we do have some extra copies, so can come up afterwards and get it if you want. Report an error in the passage at 33:23 Highlight the passage at 33:23

33:34 Yeah, but that is really true because otherwise I mean it's easy to get along with people that you really love and care about but it's not always easy to get along with other people and yet it is important to be able to get along with people and we don't deal with it so much in this class but... Report an error in the passage at 33:34 Highlight the passage at 33:34

33:53 Patience is really, really, really important to develop or you're never going to get enlightened. So in the Transforming Problems class, it's sort of like trying to look at whatever problems we're going through with new eyes or with different spectacles on, getting it that if we have a challenging co-worker or if we're experiencing jealousy because we're left out of something else or whatever, whatever problem is coming along. Report an error in the passage at 33:53 Highlight the passage at 33:53

34:22 It always, there's always some way that we can make it into Dharma practice, no matter what. And so, as one of my Dharma friends from here at the center, it's sort of like, oh, we're supposed to be really happy about this, you know. And that's the beginning, that just remembering that is huge, because then it immediately gives you a little bit more space than just immediately going, oh my God, I can't be gone, you know. Report an error in the passage at 34:22 Highlight the passage at 34:22

34:46 Just to try to remember, oh yeah, this is one of those times I get to practice patience. Yeah, that's cool, you know. So yeah, but you do, they say you do gain more merit if it's harder. So yeah, good question. Anybody else have a question? Report an error in the passage at 34:46 Highlight the passage at 34:46

35:11 Well, it just kind of makes it easier for people to hear. You can disguise your voice. I Report an error in the passage at 35:11 Highlight the passage at 35:11

35:23 don't think it's a question that I have. It's more, I would say I'm a very considerate person. And so, like say I'll open the door. Report an error in the passage at 35:23 Highlight the passage at 35:23

35:54 compassionate toward others you have to come from a very calm state as opposed to So you don't have that expectation. That's it. Yeah, it's like letting go of that expectation. That's it exactly. I think you had it on the nose. Yeah, it's like with helping without any expectation of any kind of positive reaction or reward. And if they do, then kind of trying to, if they kind of just walk past you or act in even a ruder way, you know, to try to remember what we were just talking about in the last question, just like. Report an error in the passage at 35:54 Highlight the passage at 35:54

36:31 Oh, this is one of those times I get to practice patience with this person or remembering, you know, maybe they have something going on and they're distracted by that. Sometimes that helps me more. It's sort of like, you know, if you're trying to park at Kaiser, just thinking, wow, any of these people could have just had horrible news. Report an error in the passage at 36:31 Highlight the passage at 36:31

36:51 And that's why they're driving so badly. And whether it's true or not, it sort of helps you have more compassion, you know, for them running you over because some of them have had really horrible news. And so it's sort of like it just gives you a little bit more compassion. Or one technique is also, if you had a good relationship with your mother, put in whoever it is that you had a good relationship with. Report an error in the passage at 36:51 Highlight the passage at 36:51

37:11 But if somebody's trying to cut you off and you think of it as that, oh, there's mom. And she's, you know. She's just a little, you know, she's driving a little funny today, but I still love her, right? And so it's kind of like that. And if your mom is not the right person, then put in your best friend's name, you know. Report an error in the passage at 37:11 Highlight the passage at 37:11

37:28 There goes Bob, you know, he's just in a hurry to get to work, rather than immediately getting angry, you know. So it's just kind of you come up with some little tools that help you when stuff like that comes up. But yeah, doing it without expectation is sort of... where we're trying to get to and we won't always do it we fall off the bike right that's when that analogy comes in handy it's sort of like wow I really screwed up today I got really pissed off at that person you know and Is it? Oh, okay. Report an error in the passage at 37:28 Highlight the passage at 37:28

37:59 all we can do and that and that's a lot seeing it that's huge you know that's actually huge Report an error in the passage at 37:59 Highlight the passage at 37:59

38:14 it's still on. Is it? Oh, okay. Report an error in the passage at 38:14 Highlight the passage at 38:14

38:22 Croon into it. The feeling when we screw up, we don't do the right thing, the right thing. The right thing. Should have, yeah. That kind of feeling brings the guilty feeling of, oh, I did so bad today, my gosh, how come? You know, that kind of feeling is... It blocks you. It doesn't help you to purify it either. Report an error in the passage at 38:22 Highlight the passage at 38:22

38:59 You just beat yourself up, you know, for hours or days or weeks or months or years, you know. And it's less useful than just sort of noticing, purifying and moving on. And that takes a lot of work. I mean, that actually takes a lot of work to just really believe. Report an error in the passage at 38:59 Highlight the passage at 38:59

39:19 practices work and that it's more it's more effective for me to just move on now rather than to keep beating myself up for that but it's a mental habit guilt is a mental habit i mean they don't have it in tibet know it's basically i think it was his holiness that said it sounds like a mental illness you know it's it doesn't exist there they have other faults it's not to say Report an error in the passage at 39:19 Highlight the passage at 39:19

39:45 it's not Not to to say say they're they're perfect perfect, but. Report an error in the passage at 39:45 Highlight the passage at 39:45

40:04 in the closet when you go home you know so it's it's actually when So I quote this one mentor of mine, Venerable Urbina, who I sort of consider like a big sister. She lived at Webster Street for a number of years. And so I saw her when our center was over on Webster Street. I saw her at different times. And I remember one time, whatever the mental affliction she had just had, she was saying, isn't that funny what the mind just did? Report an error in the passage at 40:04 Highlight the passage at 40:04

40:30 And it wasn't like, isn't that funny what I just did? Or aren't I screwed up for just having done this? It was more Margaret Meady. It was like, isn't that funny what the mind just did? And it was very separate from the action. And I really appreciated that. And I've tried to emulate that at times when instead I want to go to the place of beating myself up. I know there's no good in it. Report an error in the passage at 40:30 Highlight the passage at 40:30

41:07 noticing that not beating yourself up for wanting that either that's just a habit of expecting nice behavior from people you know the reality is is that everybody screwed up you know and so Learning to be kind and accept that is a place to start. Well, I should say it's a goal. We aren't there yet either. Report an error in the passage at 41:07 Highlight the passage at 41:07

41:31 Any other questions? There will be time in other classes. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure, sure. Report an error in the passage at 41:31 Highlight the passage at 41:31

41:48 It doesn't sound like it's time. Right, Report an error in the passage at 41:48 Highlight the passage at 41:48

42:02 right. Report an error in the passage at 42:02 Highlight the passage at 42:02

42:08 Right, right, right, right. Report an error in the passage at 42:08 Highlight the passage at 42:08

42:24 Because the victims, yeah, the victims have just used their negative karma. That karma is gone now. Whereas the perpetrator, the perps, as she always calls them, she does a lot of work with prisoners. The perps are just beginning the suffering and it will be lifetimes. The more heinous the crime, it will be lifetimes and lifetimes and lifetimes of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 42:24 Highlight the passage at 42:24

42:47 So that doesn't mean to condone what they've done, but simply to... It helps to soften the heart a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 42:47 Highlight the passage at 42:47

43:04 So the victim, because they've had the ripening of negative karma, that's why they were the victim. Whatever we have, and this isn't a class on karma particularly, but we'll talk about it a little bit as we go along. Whatever we experience is the result of karma that we have created. So it's not coming from anyone else. Report an error in the passage at 43:04 Highlight the passage at 43:04

43:28 It is from... My mind in prior lifetimes has created various karmas, good and bad. When I win the lotto, I don't ask why it happened to me. But I will ask why it happened to me if it's something bad. So negative karma and positive karma is the result of actions that we have created lifetime after lifetime. So if somebody has a negative action occur to them, they have created the cause in some lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 43:28 Highlight the passage at 43:28

43:54 Most likely not this one. Most likely prior. The person who is creating the action towards them in this life is creating negative karma and that has yet to ripen. And if it's particularly heinous, such as towards a parent, or towards your teacher or something like that, towards a Buddha, you know, but we don't know who Buddhas are, then it can ripen really quickly in this lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 43:54 Highlight the passage at 43:54

44:24 So that person is creating lifetimes of negative karma for themselves and they don't even know it, know. So that's what she was saying, to try to generate some compassion for even the people who have done the worst things because they have just created lifetimes of suffering for themselves. Like that. Report an error in the passage at 44:24 Highlight the passage at 44:24

44:45 It doesn't mean not to still have compassion for the victim too. But most of us will have compassion for the victim. And this is just putting on different spectacles basically and seeing that actually there's room for compassion for everybody. Report an error in the passage at 44:45 Highlight the passage at 44:45

45:01 Just with this different idea of how we create our own suffering. Lifetime after lifetime we just create suffering because we don't understand how it works. So understanding how it works is starting to, that's forming wisdom. That's what wisdom really is, is understanding the reality as enlightened mind perceives it, the Buddha side. Report an error in the passage at 45:01 Highlight the passage at 45:01

45:21 Okay, so why don't we end here. We're going to just take a moment to bring our minds back and dedicate the merit that we've created just from being in this class. You know, we have packed a lot of... Report an error in the passage at 45:21 Highlight the passage at 45:21

45:42 and even some understanding of how things might connect, begin to connect in our minds and that actually is producing merit. So not only are we using up merit, we are producing new merit and if we dedicate it we can, that will be, merit is just positive karma that's earmarked for enlightenment basically. Report an error in the passage at 45:42 Highlight the passage at 45:42

46:07 when we dedicate the merit of an activity activity like like Report an error in the passage at 46:07 Highlight the passage at 46:07

46:23 with them but yet stay and don't run out that's actually more merit so we dedicate whatever merit we have created to the cause the seed that takes us to enlightenment Report an error in the passage at 46:23 Highlight the passage at 46:23

46:38 On the way that it becomes the seed that generates bodhicitta in our minds in this lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 46:38 Highlight the passage at 46:38

47:00 So we do have some paper copies, if people would like, of the homework and of the syllabus. If people would like, just come up and help yourself. And I guess the roster is still going around. Did everybody sign their name and contact information on the list? Report an error in the passage at 47:00 Highlight the passage at 47:00