Discovering Buddhism - Developing Bodhicitta (7 November 2013)

· · · silence, 4 minutes

4:15 I didn't really mean to shorten it, but that's okay. I Report an error in the passage at 4:15 Highlight the passage at 4:15

4:40 remembered I was going to do the seven limb prayer last week and I totally forgot because we had gone through the seven limbs. We're just going to see if it's in here. Yeah, it is good. Okay, we don't need to look at it yet, but I just kind of wanted to check and I forgot to bring one into the room. Report an error in the passage at 4:40 Highlight the passage at 4:40

5:04 Unfortunately, it's just opposite of the prayer we normally do. So we'll start with just a little brief meditation and then I'm going to read you kind of a long quote so you can just kind of relax and let it in by Pema Chodron on bodhicitta. But I just, I think it's a great quote so you can kind of do it as a meditation motivation for tonight's class. Report an error in the passage at 5:04 Highlight the passage at 5:04

5:31 So we'll just start with a little stretching our neck and shoulders and letting go of our day and some nice deep belly breaths. Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

6:00 You can even focus on Report an error in the passage at 6:00 Highlight the passage at 6:00

6:04 breathing and following your breath for Report an error in the passage at 6:04 Highlight the passage at 6:04

6:12 a few rounds. Report an error in the passage at 6:12 Highlight the passage at 6:12

6:22 And if you haven't already, this might be a good time to turn off your cell phone and Report an error in the passage at 6:22 Highlight the passage at 6:22

· · · silence, 1 minute

7:07 start to relax a little bit. Just try to focus on this quote, or rather excerpt. This is from Pema Chodron's book called No Time to Lose, which is her commentary on Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Report an error in the passage at 7:07 Highlight the passage at 7:07

7:28 She says, Shantideva says, Virtuous thoughts do rise, brief and transient in the world. We've all had this experience. You're walking along, you're complaining and judging everyone. You feel like you're on a steady diet of poison. You're driving everyone crazy, especially yourself, and then bam, like a flash of lightning in the dark, something gets through to your self-absorption. Report an error in the passage at 7:28 Highlight the passage at 7:28

7:55 Sometimes it's just a car backfiring, or maybe it's a Dharma teaching, but it wakes you up, out of your self-absorption. And you see that the sun has come out, the sky is beautiful, and there are birds flying across it. Suddenly the world gets very large. Everybody knows the experience of being completely self-absorbed and then something gets through. That's a flash of bodhicitta. That flash, though, feels fragile and fleeting. Report an error in the passage at 7:55 Highlight the passage at 7:55

8:28 Meditators describe it often. I felt like every time I meditated I was waking up more and more and then I seemed to lose it. Report an error in the passage at 8:28 Highlight the passage at 8:28

8:37 That's the fragility that Shantideva is referring to. There's a flash of lightning. You suddenly understand that the sun is always shining, but then the clouds cover over it. At some point, though, something shifts and you begin to have confidence that the underlying quality of your being is open and warm and radiant. Report an error in the passage at 8:37 Highlight the passage at 8:37

8:59 You know that the sun is always shining. So the more that you practice and study... The more you begin to view your emotional peoples like weather changes. They can be captivating and convincing. They can hook you and drag you under. But at the same time you begin to know they're passing clouds. You've seen the sun and you have no doubt that it's there behind the clouds. Report an error in the passage at 8:59 Highlight the passage at 8:59

9:25 That makes your motivation to practice stronger because you feel there's nothing that could happen to you that wouldn't be a doorway through these clouds, these temporary weather conditions. Report an error in the passage at 9:25 Highlight the passage at 9:25

9:39 Take grief, for instance. Grief is completely pregnant with bodhicitta. It's full of heart, love and compassion. But we tend to freeze or harden against grief because it's so painful. We bring in the clouds. In fact, we're good at bringing in the clouds and keeping them in place. We're good at fixating on them. But when you practice the teachings that say, stay with the grief, see it as your link to all humanity. Report an error in the passage at 9:39 Highlight the passage at 9:39

10:15 You begin to understand that grief is the doorway to realizing that the sun is always shining. You begin to understand that the weather is transient like clouds in the sky. Report an error in the passage at 10:15 Highlight the passage at 10:15

10:27 You begin to have more trust in the underlying goodness, the underlying sun quality of your being. In this way, any experience you have, particularly very strong emotions, are doorways to bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 10:27 Highlight the passage at 10:27

10:43 The trick is to stay with the soft spot, the bodhicitta, and not harden over it. That's the basic bodhicitta instruction. Stay with the soft spot. But I'll tell you one thing. Expect relapses. Report an error in the passage at 10:43 Highlight the passage at 10:43

11:05 So we can use that thought to motivate tonight's class. That anything that might come up tonight, any ideas, any understandings, insights that might occur in this class, these two hours together, become the seed of our own awakening. The seed of... This mind of bodhicitta in each one of us. And that it takes us all the way to Buddhahood. In this life, in our very next life, or in a future life. Report an error in the passage at 11:05 Highlight the passage at 11:05

11:38 But that it takes us there quickly. For the benefit of all beings. Report an error in the passage at 11:38 Highlight the passage at 11:38

11:51 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 11:51 Highlight the passage at 11:51

11:55 I'll give it to you on the break. Alright, so we'll start with the opening prayer. So in the white prayer book. We'll do the one by His Holiness on page 8. And then right on the facing page, almost all the way down at the bottom, is the Seven Limp Prayer. And we'll do that one. We'll do that one right after. With a wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 11:55 Highlight the passage at 11:55

12:33 Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence. I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. So see on the facing page where it says seven limb prayer. We'll read it and when we get to the line of rejoice, we're going to stop a minute, which is the way Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche does it and actually rejoice at that point. Report an error in the passage at 12:33 Highlight the passage at 12:33

13:11 Reverently I prostrate with my body, speech and mind. I present clouds of every type of offering, actual and imagined. I declare all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time. I rejoice in the merit of all holy and ordinary beings. Report an error in the passage at 13:11 Highlight the passage at 13:11

13:31 So just take a moment to think about first the ordinary beings. Like today, we're talking to somebody who works for the Red Cross and goes into areas where people have experienced floods or fires or natural disasters and tries to help, just tries to help. So she was talking about some of the things that have happened recently in Colorado with the flooding that they've had there and how quickly people just lose everything instantly. Report an error in the passage at 13:31 Highlight the passage at 13:31

14:06 And she was talking about one woman who's in a, Electric wheelchair and lost the chair and lost everything in her home except her husband's ashes and the flag that covered his coffin. Report an error in the passage at 14:06 Highlight the passage at 14:06

14:18 And that was it. And before she left she was able to make sure that this woman had more time to find housing so she didn't have to move out of the temporary housing right away and also got a new electric wheelchair. Report an error in the passage at 14:18 Highlight the passage at 14:18

14:35 And that's just one person. Report an error in the passage at 14:35 Highlight the passage at 14:35

14:44 You can just think of so many people that are out there doing good work. Then Report an error in the passage at 14:44 Highlight the passage at 14:44

14:57 you can think of all the people who have practiced on the path to get where they are, all of our teachers, and how long it's taken them, how hard they've practiced, and how many years they've done a retreat. And we just rejoice in that. Just deeply feel that in the bottom of your heart. Just feel happy. That's all rejoicing is. Report an error in the passage at 14:57 Highlight the passage at 14:57

15:36 Please remain until the end of cyclic existence. And turn the wheel of Dharma for living beings. I dedicate my own merits and those of all others to the great enlightenment. So that's a seven limb prayer. It's a really nice one to do before you do any practice, like meditation or any kind of daily practice that you might do, and just setting a motivation for the day. Report an error in the passage at 15:36 Highlight the passage at 15:36

16:02 Because like I said, actually it was the week before last, but it covers everything. That and refuge covers everything. It allows you to accumulate merit and purify negativity is really easy just with that practice. It's just very simple, quite beautiful to do. You can copy it out of the light book on the next free time. Report an error in the passage at 16:02 Highlight the passage at 16:02

16:30 So I wanted to check in and see how people did with thinking about self-cherishing and mind-cherishing others, either on the cushion or just... As you went around the day or, you know, if anybody did that little assignment of thinking about the number of times that self-absorption arose during the day. Report an error in the passage at 16:30 Highlight the passage at 16:30

16:55 And, you know, then the other assignment, which was whenever you noticed it, to do something different to shift it. You know, if you were focusing on yourself at work, then suddenly turning and focusing on your co-workers or something like that, maybe doing something kind for them. Report an error in the passage at 16:55 Highlight the passage at 16:55

17:13 Does anybody do any of those things? Or anybody just have thoughts about the homework or thinking about the selfish mind? I got one email from Mary Ellen. She couldn't be here tonight. But she gave me sort of her feedback on her experiences this week. I forgot to ask her if I could share it. So I didn't. So I'm not going to. Report an error in the passage at 17:13 Highlight the passage at 17:13

17:44 can't wait. Report an error in the passage at 17:44 Highlight the passage at 17:44

17:52 Yesterday, I was in a rush. I need to buy something for my son for dinner, something to eat. A lot of people were waiting. I said, oh my gosh, I had only 15 minutes to do the whole thing. Report an error in the passage at 17:52 Highlight the passage at 17:52

18:16 Somebody behind me was lucky. She was having pain, you know, body pain. She was doing that. And then as soon as she saw a chair, she was sitting. Maybe, you know, she's in pain, she can't stand for longer. But I said, but I'm in a rush. You know, but I said, maybe I can practice. Report an error in the passage at 18:16 Highlight the passage at 18:16

18:44 You know, I know I'm on time, but... A couple minutes is not going to be the end of the world, you know. And then I asked her, do you want to go first, just to come a little bit behind, you know. But she said, no, no, it's okay, thank you. I insist that she didn't get it, that means she didn't want to go first. Report an error in the passage at 18:44 Highlight the passage at 18:44

19:05 But just, I noticed that it just takes a little less for some time, so it's not anything huge that I could feel. What is the mind of a bodhisattva that is trying to help and listening and sometimes we are so involved in our own pain or situations or in this life, you know, in a rush and that we don't notice that people around us are suffering more or having more difficult and it makes me reflect. Report an error in the passage at 19:05 Highlight the passage at 19:05

19:39 She didn't go first, but I offered it. I offered it. I said, okay, I can do it. Report an error in the passage at 19:39 Highlight the passage at 19:39

19:49 It is a good feeling too, isn't it? Even just a little thing like that, and that's how it starts. can still do this. Right. Right. . Report an error in the passage at 19:49 Highlight the passage at 19:49

19:57 That's great. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 19:57 Highlight the passage at 19:57

20:03 I was thinking about, like you were saying, with driving, because I sit in traffic every morning and every night. Not so bad going home, but in the morning it's like 30 minutes. That's a great creator. And I just, I thought, when I get kind of like, I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late, I kind of look, I thought, like I look around at all the other drivers and think, okay, they're all going to be late too. Report an error in the passage at 20:03 Highlight the passage at 20:03

20:22 But it's not a big deal if I'm late, but maybe they have a horrible boss. If they're late, they could lose their job, you know, so they're kind of like. Relax. It could be worse. Right, right. No, that's great. That's great. Like I said, it kind of just gives you that little bit of space. It shifts, but also gives you that little bit of space to deal with it. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 20:22 Highlight the passage at 20:22

20:52 Well, Report an error in the passage at 20:52 Highlight the passage at 20:52

20:57 I guess what struck me was the self-cherishing of your body. What she said was that you're more concerned about your body or overly concerned about your body. So I just became more aware of that. Report an error in the passage at 20:57 Highlight the passage at 20:57

21:15 I don't know, that was something I never really thought of, I guess, or in that way. I don't know, I get really cranky if I'm a runner and the next day if I'm really tight or sore. So I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 21:15 Highlight the passage at 21:15

21:34 So am I supposed to just ignore? I don't know. No, no, no. Remember, we're not saying it's not all or nothing. No, I know, right. We're not saying to ignore your own pain to the point of, you know, hospitalization. Report an error in the passage at 21:34 Highlight the passage at 21:34

21:50 But just, I mean, I think like, you know. But just, you know, to notice when the mind focusing on me is focusing on me in that sort of, you know, I mean, when I brought up that, Self-cherishing mind often is focused just on the body because it is. And often the body is not in the situation that the mind thinks it is. Report an error in the passage at 21:50 Highlight the passage at 21:50

22:14 So for example, if you're thinking, well, I need to go first in line because I'm starving. In reality, you're probably not starving. Few of us in America are actually. So it's kind of like that. It's kind of like looking at the mind that is focused on me, me, me, me, me. To the neglect of others, so in the situation where you're focusing on how your body's tight and so forth, you're not necessarily neglecting anyone else, I don't think. Report an error in the passage at 22:14 Highlight the passage at 22:14

22:43 I think in that case you're just simply noticing that you have tightness and blah, blah, so you have to look at that. But what we're focusing on is the sort of interrelationship between focusing on oneself to the exclusion of others and how that... Self-cherishing or self-absorption or selfishness or however you want to look at that mind often is focused on first of all I want this now like a two-year-old and then secondly it tends to be more physical than mental because if we ever were really thinking about what's the best thing for the mind it tends to be practice, meditation. Report an error in the passage at 22:43 Highlight the passage at 22:43

23:29 wide expense of mine time you know which actually you probably get when you're running to some degree I mean runners I've talked to who go into that zone can often have that wide expense of mine so I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing you have to get running for sure I mean I can't really cranky in And I just never really thought about it. Report an error in the passage at 23:29 Highlight the passage at 23:29

23:54 It is interesting. It's just self-cherishing. I know what does it mean, right? So that's why I try to use all these different words that we're more used to, like self-absorption or selfishness. Because you're right. I think you said this in one of our readings. I grew up, we take care of everybody. We're constantly bombarded with how to eat better and all this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 23:54 Highlight the passage at 23:54

23:56 Yeah. Yeah. So, I've never... Report an error in the passage at 23:56 Highlight the passage at 23:56

24:25 That's all focused on our appearance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And again, we should eat well to support the body. When we get into the higher teachings on Tatra, we actually take a vow to take care of the body. You know what I mean? And to protect the mind also, of course, from bombarding it with a bunch of crap. Report an error in the passage at 24:25 Highlight the passage at 24:25

24:46 But to take care of the body because we have this amazing... human body with which we can get enlightened in one lifetime. So we want to take care of the body to a certain degree, we just don't want to focus on it to the exclusion of taking care of other people, you know, if those situations arise that we can actually help somebody too. Report an error in the passage at 24:46 Highlight the passage at 24:46

25:03 And that's the difference. It's like that magazine called Self. Report an error in the passage at 25:03 Highlight the passage at 25:03

25:13 And it's not to say that there aren't... Great articles in that magazine, you know, or any of those magazines where they're focusing on taking care of ourselves and we should take care of ourselves. And we should also take care of others and learn to just focus a little bit less on ourselves. It's a training though. It's a training process because, you know, we don't have to train so much to take care of ourselves only because we've already been training for lifetimes. Report an error in the passage at 25:13 Highlight the passage at 25:13

25:46 you know, so it's kind So it's not like we've learned it instantly. We've actually been training already for lifetimes upon lifetimes upon lifetimes to focus on ourselves. What's harder is to focus on taking care of others, especially if you're not in the mood. So it's easy to sit here on the cushion and go, yes, I'm going to care about all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 25:46 Highlight the passage at 25:46

26:07 And then you're tired, you're achy, you're in a hurry to do something else. You've got something else scheduled for the day, including a class on bodhicitta. Taking care of other suffering sentient beings often happens when we at least are in the mood. Report an error in the passage at 26:07 Highlight the passage at 26:07

26:30 And so we just remind ourselves, that's all. I mean, it's not like we're horrible if we forget. The little thing at the end of the day, when you kind of think about what's the best thing I did and the worst thing, if three is too much, I've gone down to one now. know so Report an error in the passage at 26:30 Highlight the passage at 26:30

26:45 The best thing I've done and the worst thing, what we're trying to do is to remember so that then when we start the next day, we start over again. And that's the cool thing. We get to start over, reset button, immediately and try it all again. And we just keep doing that. And we just keep doing that. And the more that we motivate and the more that we dedicate and the more that we think about these things like bodhicitta and all suffering sentient beings, then the more we remember it when we need to remember it. Report an error in the passage at 26:45 Highlight the passage at 26:45

27:15 And that's what taking refuge in the Dharma is. That's really all it is. When we actually can remember. Doesn't that feel good? We actually remember when you're in a situation to use it. That's really cool. And, you know, 99.9 % of the time we don't. But that one, boy, does that feel good, you know. And then you get so excited you like completely cross, you know, cut somebody off or something. Report an error in the passage at 27:15 Highlight the passage at 27:15

27:46 But in front of them in line. Oh, that's great. Good. I didn't want to give it to you anyway. Anyway, so we're going to carry on with this method. And tonight is a really juicy part of the practice. It is the heart of the practice, I think. It's Tonglen. Report an error in the passage at 27:46 Highlight the passage at 27:46

28:09 But first I'm going to review what we've done so far. And then we're going to do one little pre-step. And then we'll go into Tom. So what we've done so far, step one, was equalizing self and others. And this is where we're just looking at how we are the same as all other living beings in exactly at least one way. Report an error in the passage at 28:09 Highlight the passage at 28:09

28:35 You can actually come up with more ways. But at least we are the same in wanting happiness and not wanting to suffer. At least in that way. Report an error in the passage at 28:35 Highlight the passage at 28:35

28:51 And those sentient beings are the same as each other in that same way. Which makes sense logically, but we don't remember it. We don't always remember it. You know, we might care about the people that we're close to and not so much about the people that we're bombing or whatever. But they are exactly the same. Report an error in the passage at 28:51 Highlight the passage at 28:51

29:14 And remembering, of course, that it's not just pertaining to humans. It's easier for imagery if we think about humans. But it's really true for all animals. It's true for insects, which are considered part of the animal realm in this tradition. It's also true for spirits, you know, that we can't see. Report an error in the passage at 29:14 Highlight the passage at 29:14

29:34 Most of us probably don't even believe in. According to the lamas, they do exist. So it's true for all living beings without exception. Report an error in the passage at 29:34 Highlight the passage at 29:34

29:46 So we start with that step, and that's what they sort of consider leveling before we get started. Because otherwise it's sort of like we want to start immediately on the gold medal program without having done any kind of, you know, anything to warm up. We haven't done anything to warm up our muscles, which is probably what Steve is talking about when he goes running. Report an error in the passage at 29:46 Highlight the passage at 29:46

30:11 So we haven't done anything to like stretch out those muscles or to relax after the day or whatever. And we just jumped in immediately and wanted to develop this really huge mind. And it's quite a huge mind. And it's important to remember that. It's going to take the same amount of mind muscles as winning the gold in eight Olympics would take in terms of physical muscles. Report an error in the passage at 30:11 Highlight the passage at 30:11

30:39 So the second step… It has two parts, and that's what we just did last week, contemplating the disadvantages of the self-cherishing mind and contemplating the advantages of cherishing others. Report an error in the passage at 30:39 Highlight the passage at 30:39

30:52 So contemplating the disadvantages of self-cherishing, what we've been talking about, the thing that keeps us from seeing that everyone is the same as me, exactly the same as me in that one way, is this mind of self-absorption. And according to the Buddha, this is what has kept us in saṃsāra from beginning this time. Because based on this mind, we give rise to these different minds of clinging attachment, anger, jealousy, depression. Report an error in the passage at 30:52 Highlight the passage at 30:52

31:28 And then we act on those minds, and then we create the karma, and then that karma ripens, and that ripens as our suffering. And so it keeps us in suffering over and over again. Shantideva refers to this mind as our only enemy, our biggest enemy and really our only enemy. And so he brings out all those battle terms about, you know, marching out the armies and stuff. And it's true, our mind sort of works like that. Report an error in the passage at 31:28 Highlight the passage at 31:28

31:55 But the idea is to do these search and destroy missions for this mind of self-cherishing, to try to see it when it arises and to... Shoot it down. It's terrible in a way. I've known so many people that have been shocked by the war terms, but it's really true. If you really look at this as our biggest enemy and why, you know, you really analyze why, how it's kept me in suffering. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:22 Me, just me, much less anyone else around me who's had to deal with me when I'm selfish. But just me from this point, from the karmic point of view, it's kept me in suffering. Report an error in the passage at 32:22 Highlight the passage at 32:22

32:34 Then it's worth eliminating. And so, yeah, so he talks a lot about sort of developing this mind of vigilance that doesn't let up until the self-cherishing is completely gone. Report an error in the passage at 32:34 Highlight the passage at 32:34

32:49 Lifetimes of this vigilance. And then contemplating the mind or the advantages of a mind cherishing others. And that's when we spend time thinking about... How this practice of developing this mind-cherishing others actually gives us energy. It actually gives us happiness. It's like the opposite of what we think. Report an error in the passage at 32:49 Highlight the passage at 32:49

33:13 We think focusing on taking care of me is going to give me happiness. But actually when we shift it and we take care of others, we find a different kind of happiness. And it's a more lasting happiness. And what it does, it grows our heart too. And so we get that added bonus. Whereas the self-cherishing mind, we might end up with the last piece of cake because we've dived for it over the table. But you're kind of left not feeling quite as good, you know. Report an error in the passage at 33:13 Highlight the passage at 33:13

33:44 Well, I guess it depends on how much you like that cake. In the scheme of things, your heart is actually getting smaller instead of bigger. So again, thinking about what Lama Yeshe called big mind. We're trying not to call it big mind here, not little mind. Not tiny mind. And energetically, it's sort of like self-cherishing mind tends to block us and hold us back, whereas this mind that cherishes others opens us up, moves us outward, gives us energy, gives juice to our practice. Report an error in the passage at 33:44 Highlight the passage at 33:44

34:21 So we move into the third step. So that was the first step and the second step. And then the third step has three parts because this is like a Lupa tradition and we like to do subsets. Report an error in the passage at 34:21 Highlight the passage at 34:21

34:35 So even though I said it's only five steps, of course, two of them at least are split. And I think these are the only two that are split. So the third one, okay, before we start, Tonglen actually translates into giving and taking. Report an error in the passage at 34:35 Highlight the passage at 34:35

34:56 And you can actually teach it in either way. You can teach taking and giving and then giving, or you can teach giving and then taking. And normally, I... I teach it in taking away the suffering and then giving happiness, but I'm switching it up tonight. This is my experimental class, so I'm shifting it around a little bit. But when you practice it, you can practice it either way. Report an error in the passage at 34:56 Highlight the passage at 34:56

35:28 There is nothing in any of the root texts for this practice that say that it has to be in any certain order. And I've had different teachers who I trust very much do it in different ways. Report an error in the passage at 35:28 Highlight the passage at 35:28

35:45 And people may have learned it from different teachers, and it may be very different from the way I do it, and that's really cool. Because then you'll have different tools in your toolbox. Report an error in the passage at 35:45 Highlight the passage at 35:45

35:58 So, yeah, so you can try that out. Report an error in the passage at 35:58 Highlight the passage at 35:58

36:08 Okay, so the first part, so the number three is basically developing love and compassion. With Tonglen, that's kind of what it's called, developing love and compassion with Tonglen. And it has an A, B and C. B and C are obvious, generating love and compassion through Tonglen. Report an error in the passage at 36:08 Highlight the passage at 36:08

36:28 But A is exchanging self for others. Well, isn't that what this whole meditation is called? In this case, we're actually doing what's called the actual shift. So you're making this determination to exchange this attitude of... Selfishness for the attitude of taking care of others. You're just kind of doing that mental shift. You're determining. So it's kind of like you're, again, I'm using that word determination like I did when I was talking about the definition of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 36:28 Highlight the passage at 36:28

36:59 Instead of the wish to attain enlightenment, I call it the determination to attain enlightenment because I think wishes. Wishy-washy. I think it's flimsy. It's way too light for this kind of mind. And that's true for this step, too. Report an error in the passage at 36:59 Highlight the passage at 36:59

37:18 We're actually deciding that when you're sitting down and doing the whole meditation, like we'll do on the practice day, and you'll have as the homework from next week's class, which is the final class, you'll have the full... Report an error in the passage at 37:18 Highlight the passage at 37:18

37:33 Meditation all together. It builds. So when you're meditating on equalizing self and others and then you're meditating on the self-cherishing mind and the mind-cherishing others, by the time you get to this step, you're convinced. Or you should be. Report an error in the passage at 37:33 Highlight the passage at 37:33

37:51 Okay. I'm going to shift this mind. I don't want this selfish mind anymore. It's been a... Thorn in my side since beginningless time, I'm done with it. So you're doing this mental shift. I'm going to cherish Marcella the way I normally cherish me and I'm going to ignore me. Wait, that's not right. And I'm going to, wait, that's right. I'm going to ignore me the way I normally ignore Marcella. Report an error in the passage at 37:51 Highlight the passage at 37:51

38:22 You just do that shift. And you can play with this when you're off the cushion too. But the main thing is it's the bridge for the next step. So you're making this decision. Are you really going to ignore yourself? No. You are going to remember to eat. You are going to remember to get up and to groom yourself in normal ways. I have to say that because some people do take it to the nth degree. And I have told you stories where people have ended up, you know, they're mentally ill or something is wrong and they take it too far to a shift. Report an error in the passage at 38:22 Highlight the passage at 38:22

38:54 And I told you about that friend of mine. Or was a friend of mine who took it too far and ended up under psychiatric care. So I do say that, you know, as the fine print, please remember to actually take care of yourself. We're talking about this mind that's focused all the time on me, me, me, me, me. That's the one we're deciding to give up. Report an error in the passage at 38:54 Highlight the passage at 38:54

39:19 It doesn't mean that you don't cover your basic needs, you know. You still cover your basic needs. So this first step is basically you're just making this shift. It's sort of like you're deciding to put yourself in the other person's shoes. You're deciding to do unto others. You can take these teachings that we have learned in other traditions and that's what they mean here. I mean it's a radical form of that but it's the same idea. Report an error in the passage at 39:19 Highlight the passage at 39:19

39:50 You're thinking about what the others around you might need and you're thinking less about. your own me, me, me, Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

40:05 So that's A, that's exchanging self for others, and that's doing the actual exchange. Report an error in the passage at 40:05 Highlight the passage at 40:05

40:21 So B and C is where we generate love and compassion through this practice of Tonglen. And what I'm going to do is I'll describe the practice first, and then we'll take a break, and then I'll lead you in the practice. And then this, of course, will be your homework this week as well. So you're going to start, and I'll talk about all the different ways you can do it too. Report an error in the passage at 40:21 Highlight the passage at 40:21

40:51 So we're going to talk about for this first time that you do it, or at least for this class, this particular class, even if you've done it before, I'm just going to assume that everybody's new to it, even though I know some of you are not. So we usually start with somebody that we absolutely love. This is the way I like to do it. So that it's somebody that you have absolutely no issues about wanting to take away their pain and wanting to give them everything. So just start with somebody you adore. Report an error in the passage at 40:51 Highlight the passage at 40:51

41:22 And you would just imagine that person sitting across from you, just like you were sitting here, well not me because I'm a little bit above, but just like you were sitting together somewhere, maybe not on the floor. I would normally probably picture them on the floor, but you can imagine just sitting across from each other in chairs. Report an error in the passage at 41:22 Highlight the passage at 41:22

41:39 So it doesn't have to be a sort of holy image of that person. Just imagine that person right in front of you. And then you just take a moment to relax your mind and kind of bring your mind to sort of a peaceful place in whatever way that means for you. So, you know, if you've done any practice before that allows you to relax your mind, you could do a little bit of stabilization meditation or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 41:39 Highlight the passage at 41:39

42:06 But eventually you become aware of the movement of your breath and then just follow your breath for a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 42:06 Highlight the passage at 42:06

42:16 And then as you breathe out, imagine that this really pure white light radiates out from your heart. And that light or that energy, and it's really more of an energy, goes into that person across from you and it represents all of your own good qualities. All of the good things in your life, the things that you enjoy in your life, it's contained in that. All of your good health, your happiness, the circumstances of your life, all of your positive karma since beginning this time is included in that. Report an error in the passage at 42:16 Highlight the passage at 42:16

43:00 All the merit, which is really just positive karma that you're marked for enlightenment. Anything that might make this person happy. You can imagine it. You're breathing out and it's going into them and it's in the form of this pure, brilliant white light. Report an error in the passage at 43:00 Highlight the passage at 43:00

43:19 And imagine that they're just completely filled up by that light. And then imagine that this light also goes in to all sentient beings everywhere. So you can just sort of imagine it swirling out of you in all directions into all living beings. It can be a vague image or a detailed one depending on your strength of concentration. But basically it dissolves all the suffering or obstacles or pain of all living beings just like rays of sun dissolve the morning in it. Report an error in the passage at 43:19 Highlight the passage at 43:19

44:02 You can just sort of imagine it going into that person in front of you and into all living beings around you. They say in the ten directions which is like the cardinal directions. The in-between and then the above and below. So it's almost like a sphere you can imagine going in. All the universe. Report an error in the passage at 44:02 Highlight the passage at 44:02

44:26 So the person in front of you begins to feel happiness. You can just see it in their face and they feel relief. Report an error in the passage at 44:26 Highlight the passage at 44:26

44:37 And soon they're beaming with joy. And they're filled with this sense of well-being, that they have everything that they thought they lacked. Report an error in the passage at 44:37 Highlight the passage at 44:37

44:52 And soon they have everything that they need to develop. All the attainments on the path. So they have everything they need now to progress on the path to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 44:52 Highlight the passage at 44:52

45:06 And the same is true for all living beings. So you can imagine all living beings also being filled or pervaded with this bliss as well as this light. And then when you're breathing in, you imagine that all of their difficulties or problems in the form of sort of a wispy smoke. I like to think of Tibetan incense. Report an error in the passage at 45:06 Highlight the passage at 45:06

45:31 Or black light comes into you and that just represents all of their problems and that sorrow melts your heart and that melts your self-cherishing. Report an error in the passage at 45:31 Highlight the passage at 45:31

45:54 And your own heart then is freed, it's sort of like the rays of the sun. It's like if the sun were blocked and then that block was melted away and then the sun is just released so that all of your goodness is released by, you know, Dissolving this self-cherishing mind. Report an error in the passage at 45:54 Highlight the passage at 45:54

46:20 And then you can kind of, so then you can also do the same thing. You can also breathe in the suffering of all living beings in all directions in that same form as sort of a wispy smoke or a black light. And then it comes in and that melts your heart and then it allows your heart to burn brighter. Just imagine like the strength of a hundred suns. Report an error in the passage at 46:20 Highlight the passage at 46:20

46:49 Hugely bright and powerful. And you feel huge joy. Report an error in the passage at 46:49 Highlight the passage at 46:49

47:03 And so then you can just kind of play with that. You know, at first you do the imagery. You try it a few times and you add a little bit each time, breathing out and then breathing in. And then eventually you can kind of do it on the breath, you know, as you're breathing in and out. But it takes a while. You have to practice it. Report an error in the passage at 47:03 Highlight the passage at 47:03

47:26 And you're just kind of breathing out. You're developing, you know, with each out-breath you're developing your love and with each in-breath you're developing your compassion. Remembering again the definitions, the Buddhist definitions of love and compassion. Love is wanting the other's happiness and compassion is wanting to remove your suffering. Report an error in the passage at 47:26 Highlight the passage at 47:26

47:54 And great love. Our affectionate love or loving kindness is wanting the happiness of all beings. And great compassion is wanting to remove the suffering of all beings. So that's what we're trying to get to. The bar is raised pretty high. And then finally, at the end of your meditation, you just take this moment to rest on the breath a little bit and kind of come back to that still point that you started at. Report an error in the passage at 47:54 Highlight the passage at 47:54

48:25 And you try to remember whatever it is that you know about emptiness. If you know anything about emptiness. You try to remember it there. That nothing truly exists the way we think it does. That nothing is solid and concrete the way it feels. Not me doing this meditation. Not this person in front of me who I adore. Not the imagery that I have created. You know, the light going out. Report an error in the passage at 48:25 Highlight the passage at 48:25

48:54 The smoke or the black light coming in. Not even the suffering or the joy exists the way we think it does. Report an error in the passage at 48:54 Highlight the passage at 48:54

49:06 And it's important to remember that because sometimes it can feel really solid and heavy. And so the more vast we can allow our mind to be and the more that we can remember the play of appearance in the mind. Lightens the whole thing too. Keeps the mind spacious. So if it ever feels like if I'm taking myself too seriously or I'm taking the meditation too seriously, you can just let it dissolve into the mind and then just stay in that vastness of the mind and just focus on that. Report an error in the passage at 49:06 Highlight the passage at 49:06

49:47 And that's how you can also end the meditation is just focusing on the vastness of your own mind. That soaring, spacious mind. Report an error in the passage at 49:47 Highlight the passage at 49:47

50:01 So we start with somebody that we absolutely adore, like I said. So it's not so difficult to imagine wanting to take on their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 50:01 Highlight the passage at 50:01

50:11 And then you can do somebody that maybe you know but you don't know so well, like a classmate or a neighbor or a housemate or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 50:11 Highlight the passage at 50:11

50:22 And then you can also play with strangers, you know, people on the street, people on the news, somebody that you know a little bit about. But not much, you know, the person to check out at the grocery store, something like that. And then after a while, you can experiment with people that are difficult, more difficult, people you don't like, or really difficult, people who have harmed you in some way. Report an error in the passage at 50:22 Highlight the passage at 50:22

50:55 But don't start with them. Like, let your mind get big first. This is a really gradual technique of building your heart and mind and courage. Report an error in the passage at 50:55 Highlight the passage at 50:55

51:05 It's sort of like going immediately to lift 500 pounds when you haven't been lifting 5 and 10 and 20 pound weights at all. You can also start with yourself as an object. So if you know if you're going through a really hard time, you can put yourself, an image of yourself across from yourself and send yourself amazing energy and power and love and good qualities and take off your own suffering. Report an error in the passage at 51:05 Highlight the passage at 51:05

51:36 Take that away and use that to destroy your own self-cherishing. You are a suffering sentient being also. You can also put yourself there in maybe various points in your life, like if you know you're going to have a hard day, you Report an error in the passage at 51:36 Highlight the passage at 51:36

51:55 have to go to court or something, you have to deal with huge issues in terms of an ending relationship or something like that. Put yourself in front of you and do Tonglen. Of course you can also put the other person in front of you. You can also put yourself in front of you as you age. You can imagine yourself in the future as you're aging. And even all the way up to your own death. And take away that suffering from yourself first. Report an error in the passage at 51:55 Highlight the passage at 51:55

52:30 Being willing to take that suffering away as you yourself are dying. Which gives you courage later. To want to take that away from somebody else. It's like taking out your own splinter. It's always a lot easier than taking out somebody else's. At least I've always found it. Because you don't mind your own pain as much. Or causing your own pain as much. Report an error in the passage at 52:30 Highlight the passage at 52:30

52:55 Yep. Yep. Report an error in the passage at 52:55 Highlight the passage at 52:55

53:00 And basically what this meditation does is it makes us brave. I mean, it really, it just builds our courage, our willingness not to turn away from suffering when suffering... Arises in front of us. And sometimes there's not a lot we can do when suffering arises in front of us, except to be present with it. Report an error in the passage at 53:00 Highlight the passage at 53:00

53:23 I think a lot of times in the West we are sort of fix-it people and we want to fix problems and sometimes you can't. I mean, if you're with somebody who's having a hard time, sometimes all they need for you to do is be present. They don't necessarily need you to fix their life. Report an error in the passage at 53:23 Highlight the passage at 53:23

53:43 And sometimes you can't. And sometimes somebody's really sick and you're sitting with them. There's not a lot you can do. If somebody's actually in the process of dying, there's not a lot you can do. And this meditation is actually a good meditation to do at all of those times. It calms your mind, too. It keeps you present when you might want to get up and run away. Report an error in the passage at 53:43 Highlight the passage at 53:43

54:04 It's natural to want to get up and run away. It doesn't mean it's the best thing to do. So this one kind of anchors you and keeps you there and that calm can actually help the other person some too and it definitely can help you. Report an error in the passage at 54:04 Highlight the passage at 54:04

54:22 So basically what we're building here is our courage to be present with suffering and to want to remove it and to want to give love because that then leads us on in the meditation to developing bodhicitta. But first we have to develop that willingness to be with suffering that arises in the ways that it can arise. Report an error in the passage at 54:22 Highlight the passage at 54:22

54:50 And you can gradually extend it. You can imagine making your body into whatever the suffering sentient beings might need in a certain area, like when I was talking about the flooding in Colorado or something like that. You can imagine your body being something that would... Go in and lift them up out of the water or, you know, making an escape if the mountain is on fire, you know, like that. Report an error in the passage at 54:50 Highlight the passage at 54:50

55:20 So you can actually imagine your body becomes whatever they need and Master Shantideva talks about this quite in depth in different parts, not just in this section on meditation but also in the dedication section. He talks about making... Us making our bodies into whatever is needed. And that's exactly what Buddhists do. They are actually able to emanate in whatever form is needed by suffering sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 55:20 Highlight the passage at 55:20

55:52 And those forms aren't necessarily humans or other living beings. They can be a bridge or a tree if necessary or something that will help those sentient beings. Either in the moment or to get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 55:52 Highlight the passage at 55:52

56:14 And if you find that fear arises, and sometimes it does, that's actually meant to be a good sign. Because it means, first of all, that the ego is getting scared, right? So cherishing is like, uh-oh, you know, she's pulling out all the stops on this one. Report an error in the passage at 56:14 Highlight the passage at 56:14

56:34 And it means that you're focusing pretty intensely, you know, you're not doing it. Kind of distractedly. So push through. Push through. You're not taking on anyone else's problems in actuality. Report an error in the passage at 56:34 Highlight the passage at 56:34

56:55 We're visualizing. It's a visualization. We are imagining. But what we're doing is it's an exercise to build our courage and build our heart. So it has huge importance. And eventually... know Report an error in the passage at 56:55 Highlight the passage at 56:55

57:12 If we practice well enough and we actually become bodhisattvas, we may be able to remove the suffering. They tell stories about certain practitioners or yogis who are able to remove disease from another and so forth because their attainments are so high. So we're practicing it. We're doing the warm-up exercises like the piano teacher next door. We're at that point. Report an error in the passage at 57:12 Highlight the passage at 57:12

57:38 We're doing the five-pound weights. Because if we don't, we'll never get to that point. Report an error in the passage at 57:38 Highlight the passage at 57:38

57:45 And if you don't even believe that you could get to that point, you can still practice and see what happens. You never know. There's another way to practice Tonglen that comes from the Lojong teachings, mind training teachings, where you bring to mind some problem that you're struggling with, like maybe whatever your biggest problem is that you're struggling with, Report an error in the passage at 57:45 Highlight the passage at 57:45

58:12 a partner left or you have some sort of pain or illness or something like that. And you think, and it can be big and it can be small, it doesn't matter. And you just think for a moment that you're not the only one with that problem. And so then you might think that there are a lot of people with that exact same problem. And you just try to visualize a random sampling right in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 58:12 Highlight the passage at 58:12

58:38 Even if you don't know what they look like. And actually this works fine if you don't know what they look like. Make them up. We've all watched movies. We know what humans look like. Set them there in front of you and pretend, and it's just as powerful. And you practice wanting to take away that suffering and wanting to give them happiness and knowing that they are suffering in worse ways than you. Report an error in the passage at 58:38 Highlight the passage at 58:38

59:06 For example, I did this when my mom died, and I found it to be hugely practical as a technique for dealing with grief. With big grief. And I had big, big grief. Because my mom's dying was not tragic in the sense that she was old and she had had a good life. And there was nothing tragic about it in that sense. But it was tragic to me. Because we were really close. And I loved my mom. And I still love my mom. Report an error in the passage at 59:06 Highlight the passage at 59:06

59:34 And I miss her. But, you know, at a certain point I found, I felt like I kind of needed to move beyond that grief. You know, I thought it was good as a Western. A Westerner with a certain psychological analysis, I felt like it's good to let the grief out, and then I felt like, okay, we've gone on a while. Report an error in the passage at 59:34 Highlight the passage at 59:34

59:55 What can we try? And so I tried Tonglin. And so I just sort of thought of all the ways that, especially for me, mothers and daughters, that all the ways that mothers have died that have been tragic. And I just sort of imagined all those ways, you know, maybe... The mother was young and the child was young, which is far more tragic. Or the mother died in really violent, horrible ways, like in war or torture or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 59:55 Highlight the passage at 59:55

1:00:26 Or the mother starved to death. Or just, you know, horrible ways that happen all the time, daily, daily, hourly. And I just sort of imagine a few of those people in front of me, those daughters that were without their mothers. And I gave them... Whatever they needed, and I took away that suffering, and I used that suffering to destroy my self-cherishing, and I found it to be very, very effective. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:26 Highlight the passage at 1:00:26

1:00:57 So, I mean, you can play with different methods like that, but that I found to be very, very helpful when you're grieving, and if the grief just becomes huge or just goes on for years. It doesn't need to, I mean, because, you know, there's so much else you can do with life. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:57 Highlight the passage at 1:00:57

1:01:18 You can also do it on, you know, you just read about people and sometimes the article is so overwhelming and you just don't know what to do with it. You know, I remember reading about political prisoners in Tibet who I don't know. I don't know any of them in this life anyway. And I just stopped and did this, you know, Tonglen. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:18 Highlight the passage at 1:01:18

1:01:43 And it was just the only thing I could think of to do because it was just such a... This is a disturbing article and I didn't know what to do with that pain and there are certainly those disturbing articles in just about every newspaper or magazine that you find or just news article if you're listening to the news or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:43 Highlight the passage at 1:01:43

1:02:04 And if you don't do it at that moment you can also then use that when you're sitting on your cushion and doing Report an error in the passage at 1:02:04 Highlight the passage at 1:02:04

1:02:13 this one. one. The one we just did in class, or the one I just described. What do you mean, which one? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:13 Highlight the passage at 1:02:13

1:02:31 Either. I mean, whatever works. Any form of tongue rin. Yeah. Wait, can you use the mic? No? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:31 Highlight the passage at 1:02:31

1:02:47 In terms of other people's suffering and something you read in the news, I'm not good at reading stuff in the news. Somehow, it just, without... The person in front of me, it's even worse somehow. So to take that in, you're not going to say, well, I mean, you could, I suppose, if there are other people suffering worse than that or suffering worse than me listening to this. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:47 Highlight the passage at 1:02:47

1:03:21 No, I'm talking about, so you're reading about, for example, someone suffering. Right. Then you would put that person as the object of your tongue. Right, that's what I thought you meant. Yeah, yeah. If you're having a hard time reading about that, then you could start with yourself and do Tonglen on yourself. Do you see what I mean? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:21 Highlight the passage at 1:03:21

1:03:42 Yeah. So start with yourself in that case. And the resistance to reading about that person's suffering, for example. And then put that person or those people in front of you and do Tonglen like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:42 Highlight the passage at 1:03:42

1:04:05 Better me than them is the way Ben Rubina puts it. So you want to take on that suffering so they don't have to suffer. can take it, that's the Lojong approach, really, whereas this one is more, going to use it to destroy my selfishness give them happiness. I'm going to use it to build my love and compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:05 Highlight the passage at 1:04:05

1:04:28 And what if you can't say better me than them? We get there, we grow there. That's why it's steps. We start with the two pound weight. Do you know what I mean? Because enlightenment is that to the nth degree. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:28 Highlight the passage at 1:04:28

1:04:51 So if we want to get enlightened, that's definitely better me than them. That's hugely better me than them. Well, theoretically it's better me than them, but if I'm not that good at suffering, maybe not. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:51 Highlight the passage at 1:04:51

1:05:11 Well, it just would mean that it would take a little bit longer to get a light and answer, but it would still be better in the morning, eventually. We just have to get to that morning, and it takes lifetimes. It takes lifetimes. As I said, there's no guarantee that at the end of a five-week class we'd have it. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:11 Highlight the passage at 1:05:11

1:05:34 You know? So we go slowly. We start with the first people that we love and adore, and then we build up, and that's how we build it. Honestly, there's no other way. It's not like we can do it any better without practicing it. We can't. We have to just practice and practice small. And if you feel like, whoa, I've taken off more than I can chew, which Steve's brought up a couple times too, like it's almost like too much to bring in all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:34 Highlight the passage at 1:05:34

1:06:09 Don't do with them. Just stick with what you know. Work with that. And then grow like that. Perhaps. Perhaps... Most people do this. It's sort of set limits. You know, I can take that on and that and on, but I can't be homeless on the street. I can't survive. I can't be tortured over there. I can't survive. Well, I don't think anyone wants to be homeless on the street or tortured, to be honest. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:09 Highlight the passage at 1:06:09

1:06:40 How do you take that on better me than me? That's why I said you start with somebody that you love or yourself. You practice with that object before you extend it out to somebody whose suffering is beyond what you can imagine. You have to. You have to start with something smaller, somebody you love already. You know what I mean? It's not just words. Hear what I'm saying. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:40 Highlight the passage at 1:06:40

1:07:06 You have to start with something that you already love and then you grow to somebody that you just kind of know vaguely and then you grow. You don't start with a torture victim for your first time on the cushion. Nobody can do that. I mean, unless they attained bodhicitta in their last life. Nobody could. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:06 Highlight the passage at 1:07:06

1:07:28 You have to grow there. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:28 Highlight the passage at 1:07:28

1:07:34 You're still not convinced. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:34 Highlight the passage at 1:07:34

1:07:42 So start with yourself. Make yourself the object. And be willing to take on your own suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:42 Highlight the passage at 1:07:42

1:07:55 Anybody else? Any other questions or concerns or anything come up for people? Or celebrate? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:55 Highlight the passage at 1:07:55

1:08:11 When I started practicing a little bit about tumbling, just tasting a little bit for me to understand when I was practicing with my son. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:11 Highlight the passage at 1:08:11

1:08:26 When he got sick, I didn't think twice I would take that instead of him. I don't want anything to happen to him. I'm not thinking twice to decide to go first. You know, that's the taste. For me, it was easier to get the feeling, taste the feeling, what it means to practice that. Right, right. You know, it's just you don't think, even don't think, as you said, in the notes that you said. Just go for that, you know, you're going to protect. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:26 Highlight the passage at 1:08:26

1:09:06 Your son or the person that you love with not thinking twice and you're willing to whatever the pain it's going to take you, you know, the suffering. Yeah, it's just, you know, somebody that we love. Or an animal, you know, I mean, it may not be a human, it might be an animal, but something, someone. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:06 Highlight the passage at 1:09:06

1:09:34 That you would go the distance for if you could. We can't at this point. But to have that feeling that you don't even have to generate it. It's already there. That's why I like to start with that kind of a person. Because it's already there. You don't have to imagine too much. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:34 Highlight the passage at 1:09:34

1:09:54 But then we grow to others. Slowly, slowly. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:54 Highlight the passage at 1:09:54

1:10:03 Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:03 Highlight the passage at 1:10:03

1:10:08 I'm not sure how to articulate, but I've kind of just been pondering over the past couple of years, I guess, with Buddhism. And because, I mean, we're still physically kind of animals, you know, we're from the earth and we're mammalian. So certain traits like territorialism, pride, ego, it's just, it's in us, it's as natural as our hair or skin or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:08 Highlight the passage at 1:10:08

1:10:38 For a little bit, I was, I mean when I first started getting into Buddhism, I thought, you know, your animal urges are basically, that's the enemy and we're fighting against that and we're celestial, you know, we're more than that. And then I started thinking of some sort of middle ground where you can still have these like animal cravings, for lack of a better word, but still have, you know, higher kind of holy ambitions. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:38 Highlight the passage at 1:10:38

1:11:06 And I'm just, I guess, I don't know, what's your perspective? Is it, what's that? Yeah, yeah, totally, obviously. So I guess just, yeah, it's like, should you completely deny that 100 %? Because like, if you're on the street, or look at like, I don't know if they're real or not, like Shaolin monks that they did martial arts to protect the monastery. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:06 Highlight the passage at 1:11:06

1:11:36 So that's... enacting a certain violence to protect scriptures and everything like that. So I guess that gray line is where I just ponder a lot about. And that's pretty much what you've got to keep doing. Buddhism isn't like Christianity. It doesn't have so many thou shalt nots. It has guidelines and then we're all expected to sort of come up with our own answers. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:36 Highlight the passage at 1:11:36

1:12:07 So people always ask His Holiness the Dalai Lama, what's the Buddhist perspective on this? What's the Buddhist perspective on this? And he'll sometimes wander around and give opinions, but ultimately it's sort of like we learn certain things and then we have to make the decisions on our own. But I do think we are more than just mammals. And those things that we think of are instincts. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:07 Highlight the passage at 1:12:07

1:12:37 But according to Buddha's teachings are more like really heavy habits that we can change. That's like the starting point. But then when I was almost, I wouldn't even want to say like a monastic kind of leaning, it just didn't feel natural. So I guess that's just my own base level. It might be your karma too. Yeah, it might be your karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:37 Highlight the passage at 1:12:37

1:13:07 I remember when I was little, I wanted to be a nun. And I was really drawn to being a nun. And my family was Lutheran. We didn't have nuns. And my sister was the first to point that out. You can't be a nun. I think I kind of surpassed her on that one. Like, ha, ha, ha. Yes, I can. But, you know, I mean, so I think I just had really strong karma from past life. So I was really drawn to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:07 Highlight the passage at 1:13:07

1:13:36 And it just resonates with me. I never had a backward glance. And I've known people that were drawn to it for X amount of months and then that changed. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:36 Highlight the passage at 1:13:36

1:13:49 And X amount of years and that changed. So I think karma plays a big role. And we don't even recognize that it's playing a big role yet until we've studied Buddhism for a fair amount of time. know. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:49 Highlight the passage at 1:13:49

1:14:06 That some of the, like our instant attraction to somebody or instant aversion to somebody is also just kind of, you know, it's not so much that that person is so wonderful or so horrible. In fact, it's not that that person is so wonderful or so horrible. And the same with any kind of spiritual path or what that spiritual path says. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:06 Highlight the passage at 1:14:06

1:14:31 Sometimes it makes sense to you only because you're familiar with it from a past life. And sometimes within this life, you are getting familiar with it, and the next life, you'll be drawn to it. Or you'll have some block in this life, and then you'll come back. According to Buddhism, you will eventually come back. It may take many, many lifetimes, but you will get enlightened. So I would say, you know, I mean, my gut feeling is that, you know, we are mammals. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:31 Highlight the passage at 1:14:31

1:15:06 We are and We do have really strong imprints from many, many lifetimes of doing certain things, and those can be changed. And we have the methods to do that. So I guess my feeling was as soon as I met this was, okay, let's get started. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:06 Highlight the passage at 1:15:06

1:15:29 What else am I going to do with the rest of my life? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:29 Highlight the passage at 1:15:29

1:15:34 In whatever way works for you, you know. It's like that. It doesn't have to be as a monk or non. It doesn't have to be. Yeah, I guess that's good too. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:34 Highlight the passage at 1:15:34

1:15:41 As a full-time Buddhist even, it can be as slowly or as quickly as you need it to be. And that's just going to determine the outcome, that's all. But the end result will still be the same. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:41 Highlight the passage at 1:15:41

1:15:57 So why don't we take a break, 10-minute break, and then we'll come back and I'm going to lead you in this meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:57 Highlight the passage at 1:15:57

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:16:39 So let's just relax and I'm going to lead you through this version of Tonglen. Tonglen. Hold on. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:39 Highlight the passage at 1:16:39

1:16:55 Well done. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:55 Highlight the passage at 1:16:55

1:17:03 So if you're sitting in a chair, then you want to pull it away from the back of the chair so you're not too comfy. Have your feet flat on the floor. Try to extend your spine. If you're sitting on a cushion, then just start with extending your spine. Your legs can be in whatever position feel comfortable for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:03 Highlight the passage at 1:17:03

1:17:29 And if it helps, you know, if you need to stretch your neck or roll your shoulders. Slap your face, you're starting to fall asleep. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:29 Highlight the passage at 1:17:29

1:17:50 Just take some time to kind of bring your mind to a focused and relaxed place. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:50 Highlight the passage at 1:17:50

1:18:11 Take some deep breaths and focus on your breathing a little bit. So Report an error in the passage at 1:18:11 Highlight the passage at 1:18:11

1:18:34 the first part of this step is doing the actual exchange of exchanging this mind of self-cherishing, self-absorption. Changing it with that mind, cherishing others. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:34 Highlight the passage at 1:18:34

1:18:57 So what we're really doing is just exchanging this attitude or an attitude of concern for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:57 Highlight the passage at 1:18:57

1:19:10 And it starts with, you know, we can say we're going to exchange this, but it doesn't happen instantaneously. It happens doing repeated meditations on this mind and making this determination to exchange this mind is how we actually shift that habit. Of looking out for number one all the time. And not having equal concern for the other people around us. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:10 Highlight the passage at 1:19:10

1:19:47 So in the previous meditations we spent a lot of time examining that there's really no logical reason for this mind that's always focused on me, me, me, me, me. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:47 Highlight the passage at 1:19:47

1:20:00 It's just a habit. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:00 Highlight the passage at 1:20:00

1:20:06 So we can shift that habit. We can change that habit. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:06 Highlight the passage at 1:20:06

1:20:25 This is the ultimate form of putting yourself in other person's shoes. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:25 Highlight the passage at 1:20:25

1:20:36 It's an extreme way to think, but... Becoming a bodhisattva is a pretty radical thing to do. We Report an error in the passage at 1:20:36 Highlight the passage at 1:20:36

1:20:49 have to realize that there is no real difference between the other person and us. So to constantly obsess about our own situation, our own conditions, our own needs and worries, Report an error in the passage at 1:20:49 Highlight the passage at 1:20:49

1:21:11 we end up squashing whatever compassion we have. And Report an error in the passage at 1:21:11 Highlight the passage at 1:21:11

1:21:19 this constant blocking of our own best qualities is a form of suffering. And Report an error in the passage at 1:21:19 Highlight the passage at 1:21:19

1:21:31 in this step, we make this determination. To shift this mind. We Report an error in the passage at 1:21:31 Highlight the passage at 1:21:31

1:21:46 move into this practice called Tonglen to develop our love and compassion. And we start with imagining the person who's going to be your object tonight. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:46 Highlight the passage at 1:21:46

1:22:01 So as I said, if you haven't done this practice, then pick somebody that you really love, somebody that you absolutely adore. And Report an error in the passage at 1:22:01 Highlight the passage at 1:22:01

1:22:16 imagine them just sitting in front of you like you were having a conversation. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:16 Highlight the passage at 1:22:16

1:22:34 And then allow your mind. To relax into stillness and Report an error in the passage at 1:22:34 Highlight the passage at 1:22:34

1:22:51 eventually become aware of the movement of your own breath without trying to change it in any way. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:51 Highlight the passage at 1:22:51

1:23:02 Just follow the movement of your own breath for a few rotations. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:02 Highlight the passage at 1:23:02

1:23:11 It moves out, always a pause, how it moves back in like that. When Report an error in the passage at 1:23:11 Highlight the passage at 1:23:11

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:23:54 you're breathing out, imagine this pure white light radiates from your heart and fills that person in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:54 Highlight the passage at 1:23:54

1:24:07 And imagine that that light contains all your good qualities and all the good things in your life. Every good thing. All your good fortune. All the things that you enjoy. Your own good health. Your own happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:07 Highlight the passage at 1:24:07

1:24:36 All the positive energy you've accumulated since beginning this time. As well as anything that might make this person happy. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:36 Highlight the passage at 1:24:36

1:24:46 And imagine every time you breathe out that you're able to feel this person. With that happiness, with all those qualities, with all of that potential for quality, for happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:46 Highlight the passage at 1:24:46

1:25:15 And then imagine that this dazzling white light, which is positive power that comes from our own good deeds, dissolves all the suffering and obstacles of that person. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:15 Highlight the passage at 1:25:15

1:25:29 Just like the rays of sun dissolve the morning mist. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:29 Highlight the passage at 1:25:29

1:25:40 And that person instantly begins to feel happiness and great relief. And is soon beaming with joy. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:40 Highlight the passage at 1:25:40

1:26:00 Imagine that he or she is empowered and has everything that they need to move quickly on the path to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:00 Highlight the passage at 1:26:00

1:26:21 And if you want, you can keep imagining sending out this bright light and sending it out in all directions to all suffering sentient beings. And if that feels like too much, just focus on that one person, sending more and more of this light into that one person. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:21 Highlight the passage at 1:26:21

1:26:40 And if you're imagining all suffering sentient beings, imagine that same step. Dissolving instantly all their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:40 Highlight the passage at 1:26:40

1:27:03 Imagine filling them all with bliss. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:03 Highlight the passage at 1:27:03

1:27:20 And then as you breathe in, imagine taking whatever problems they have, that person in front of you, in the form of black light or wispy smoke like a stick of incense. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:20 Highlight the passage at 1:27:20

1:27:40 And that smoke or light represents whatever pain or problems or difficulties that person has. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:40 Highlight the passage at 1:27:40

1:27:57 And all their sorrow melts into your heart, melting your own self-cherishing. And Report an error in the passage at 1:27:57 Highlight the passage at 1:27:57

1:28:12 just like pouring butter onto a fire, your heart burns brighter. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:12 Highlight the passage at 1:28:12

1:28:23 And imagine that your mind is pure and vast and open wide. And Report an error in the passage at 1:28:23 Highlight the passage at 1:28:23

1:28:41 imagine that this person is forever free of all their suffering and its causes and Report an error in the passage at 1:28:41 Highlight the passage at 1:28:41

1:28:53 through great joy. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:53 Highlight the passage at 1:28:53

1:29:05 And if you want to, you can also imagine breathing in the suffering of all beings in that same form, like black light. Wispy small. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:05 Highlight the passage at 1:29:05

1:29:18 And imagine that it melts into your own heart and in that same instant melts your own saturation and Report an error in the passage at 1:29:18 Highlight the passage at 1:29:18

1:29:35 your heart to burn brighter, stronger. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:35 Highlight the passage at 1:29:35

1:29:51 And you can continue to breathe in and out with this energy without changing your breath in any way. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:51 Highlight the passage at 1:29:51

1:30:08 Breathe out, you're building your love each time you breathe in, you're building your compassion. And Report an error in the passage at 1:30:08 Highlight the passage at 1:30:08

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:31:08 then finally, remember to end the meditation and just resting on the breath. Whatever you might know about emptiness, the nature of reality, where you or that person exists the way you do. Nothing is solid or concrete or truly existent the way it appears. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:08 Highlight the passage at 1:31:08

1:31:42 Even their suffering and happiness don't exist in this concrete way. The Report an error in the passage at 1:31:42 Highlight the passage at 1:31:42

1:31:51 white light will breathe out and the smoke will breathe in. They're just images of the mind. So they'll dissolve in there and Report an error in the passage at 1:31:51 Highlight the passage at 1:31:51

1:32:07 just rest in this openness of your own vast awareness. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:07 Highlight the passage at 1:32:07

1:32:19 The spaciousness of their own mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:19 Highlight the passage at 1:32:19

1:32:50 And then when you're ready to end your meditation, you just dedicate any merit from this class, the last two hours we spent together in this meditation, Report an error in the passage at 1:32:50 Highlight the passage at 1:32:50

1:33:09 trying to build our heart muscles so that we can progress on this path to enlightenment, Report an error in the passage at 1:33:09 Highlight the passage at 1:33:09

1:33:21 dedicating it to that. But any seeds that were planted tonight, that they grow to fruition. is a big heart, this big mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:21 Highlight the passage at 1:33:21

1:33:33 we're able to help all living beings without exception. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:33 Highlight the passage at 1:33:33

1:34:00 Does Report an error in the passage at 1:34:00 Highlight the passage at 1:34:00

1:34:11 anybody have any questions about that? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:11 Highlight the passage at 1:34:11

1:34:33 Either you've all gone into a coma or fallen asleep. Do Report an error in the passage at 1:34:33 Highlight the passage at 1:34:33

1:34:46 you use the talking stick? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:46 Highlight the passage at 1:34:46

1:34:50 Care to comment on eyes open, eyes closed? I mean, it's a battle. I battle with this every day after my own meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:50 Highlight the passage at 1:34:50

1:35:03 They say, whoever they are, that we can develop stronger concentration with our eyes open. However, I go back and forth. I think with visualization meditations, I almost always go close my eyes. And with concentration meditation, I try to keep my eyes open. very much for your presentation. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:03 Highlight the passage at 1:35:03

1:35:27 Lidded, basically, so they're almost closed. Just allow a little bit of light in. But for visualization, I just... Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:27 Highlight the passage at 1:35:27

1:35:52 Okay. I wanted to just mention the retreat day, because this is the fourth class, and next week's the fifth class. And then the week after that, on Saturday, we have a retreat day. It's the 23rd, which is not Thanksgiving weekend. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:52 Highlight the passage at 1:35:52

1:36:11 It's the weekend before Thanksgiving weekend. And it's a Saturday and we'll do it here. It probably will last something like, depends on how many people come, 10 a.m. to 3 is what I usually do. And then if it's earlier, then people are all happy. But if it's later, then people don't get too upset. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:11 Highlight the passage at 1:36:11

1:36:33 But what I like to do is in the morning, what I'll do is lead to, it'll be sort of a little silent retreat. upset. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:33 Highlight the passage at 1:36:33

1:36:40 So we'll do from 10 to noon-ish or something like that. I'll lead you. It may not go that long, actually. But anyway, I'll lead you through each of the meditations of the series. Because next week, you know, we'll finish the final two steps, which are actually fairly quick. These are longer. And then we'll talk about sort of how to go forward from here, practically speaking. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:40 Highlight the passage at 1:36:40

1:37:09 So on that day in the morning, in silence as much as possible, I'll lead you through the steps. And what I try to do is I'll sort of lead you in, you know, I'll tell you when it's a good time for a break so you can stretch and stuff like that. So you don't have to sit completely still for two hours without moving. We have somebody who comes up behind you and slaps you. So... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:09 Highlight the passage at 1:37:09

1:37:34 And then we sort of open it up for a little discussion, if anybody has anything that they want to share, and then we have a potluck lunch. I would just ask that it all be vegetarian food, since it's a Buddhist center. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:34 Highlight the passage at 1:37:34

1:37:50 And I don't care what you're bringing. It always works out, and it's really fine. I mean, at some point I'm sure we will have 20 people bringing bread, but at this point that's never happened. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:50 Highlight the passage at 1:37:50

1:38:04 I would just ask that at least one person bring something like real. And if one person will do that and I will let you decide who you are, it works out. And that way I don't have to micromanage it. So I'm going to hand out, well I sent out the notes and the meditation and the presentation topics by email already. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:04 Highlight the passage at 1:38:04

1:38:28 So you have that in your inbox when you get home. I just thought of that. So, um, So the afternoon, what happens in the afternoon is we watch a little tiny short video about this, about developing bodhicitta while we're drinking our tea after lunch and having dessert, because I'm sure someone will bring dessert. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:28 Highlight the passage at 1:38:28

1:39:00 And then we just sort of gather in a circle and people do these really small presentations. And I hate the word presentation because it sounds like PowerPoint and like really hard and you have to stand there and wear a suit and probably high heels and it just sounds horrible. And that's not what it is at all. But it was actually, Lama Yish used to call them, what do you call them? Something like oral exams or something horrible. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:00 Highlight the passage at 1:39:00

1:39:25 It was like even worse. So yeah, so I can't figure out a word, but it's just a topic. You're just picking something out of the class that means something to you and sharing it in your own words as though we know nothing. That's kind of what I'm choosing, I mean what I'm kind of getting out there. So you can decide to just like pick some, so you'll see the list and you'll see what I mean for ideas. So you just pick something that means something and then you just sort of talk about it and you can just sit there. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:25 Highlight the passage at 1:39:25

1:39:53 I mean I've had people that just read their notes like this the whole time and they just read it like that and that's totally fine. That's completely fine. And then we've also had the Karen with the glitter and the handing out a salsa to every person. And, you know, we have people who do that. She did another thing, too. It was like a 3D presentation of something or other. So you don't need to do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:53 Highlight the passage at 1:39:53

1:40:17 It's more people, it's most likely that would just sit there. Some people don't even decide until that day. Some people don't even decide until that minute. And then we've also had people show up who aren't even a part of the class and they still do one. And it works somehow. Sometimes it does. That one doesn't always work. But sometimes it's worked really profoundly. So don't get scared by the topic, by the idea of presentation. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:17 Highlight the passage at 1:40:17

1:40:43 But the idea is just to talk for five or ten minutes about something that meant something to you. And it always ends up being really sweet. And it ends up being a really nice way to end the class. And it helps you get something more out of it then. so. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:43 Highlight the passage at 1:40:43

1:40:59 If I just led you in a meditation, we went home. So it kind of allows for that. And then we dedicate and then we go home. So it's kind of like that. So I guess what I would like to know is how many of you at this point are either a maybe or a yes for that day, Saturday the 23rd practice day. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:59 Highlight the passage at 1:40:59

1:41:22 That's pretty good odds. Yeah, maybes are okay. Maybes are okay. So great. So I'm going to hand out. The presentation topics, and in terms of the homework, my printer died right in the middle of printing the homework, and so I have three. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:22 Highlight the passage at 1:41:22

1:41:45 So three people who cannot handle an electronic version are allowed to come and get these three. We'll all avert our eyes. The other ones of you have it in your box when you get home. But I did do eight copies of the presentation topics, so eight more of you. Could have those in hard copy. And then that's all. I think that's it. Rich, do you want to hand those out? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:45 Highlight the passage at 1:41:45

1:42:13 Well, who wants hard copies of the homework? We have three. There we go. Woman on the right. Okay, we got Steve in the back. One more. Don't feel shy. $10, $10, $10, $12, $12, $12. Maybe you want to hand these out? Oh, Marcella will take it. Yeah, yeah. That's great. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:13 Highlight the passage at 1:42:13

1:42:38 And eight of these, if people want. Okay, thank you. So we will see you next week, hopefully, karma willing, when the creek don't rise. Did you print Homework 3 and the class notes from 3? Because if not... Oh, there you go. Well, you can have the hard copy. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:38 Highlight the passage at 1:42:38