Discovering Buddhism: Establishing a Daily Practice (4 March 2010)

· · · silence, 6 minutes

5:36 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 5:36 Highlight the passage at 5:36

· · · silence, 1 minute

6:20 I'm going to hand out presentation topics on the break, and then we can still talk about them while you're here. Ideas, I should say, for presentation topics. Report an error in the passage at 6:20 Highlight the passage at 6:20

6:38 Let's just start, and then we're going to do a couple of opening prayers, and then we'll do a little check-in. So go ahead and find your posture. Report an error in the passage at 6:38 Highlight the passage at 6:38

7:11 So we'll just do a little meditation on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 7:11 Highlight the passage at 7:11

7:18 Just start first with just allowing your breath to cleanse away, wash away all the things that we were just doing. John's been running around here like he's insane today. So you just wash away all those cushions, wash away all those duct tape and the cords on the floor and everything you've been doing today. Report an error in the passage at 7:18 Highlight the passage at 7:18

7:41 And everybody who's gone to work or gone to school or had conversations. So on, just imagine your breath just washing that away. And David was saying it's crazy out there. Wash away all that craziness. It's like a big waterfall. Just imagine it just washing away. Report an error in the passage at 7:41 Highlight the passage at 7:41

8:15 You can also wash away any aches and pains in your body. Your knees hurt, your back hurt, shoulders hurt. Just literally imagine that your breath is acting like a waterfall. Just washing all of that away. Report an error in the passage at 8:15 Highlight the passage at 8:15

8:45 And then finally imagine that you're breathing in. Alertness and focus and presence for this class, this final class in our series. Report an error in the passage at 8:45 Highlight the passage at 8:45

9:05 With each breath you're more and more in your own body, you're more and more in this room, more Report an error in the passage at 9:05 Highlight the passage at 9:05

9:13 and more focused, concentrated, alert. Then Report an error in the passage at 9:13 Highlight the passage at 9:13

9:27 we just start with a motivation. Report an error in the passage at 9:27 Highlight the passage at 9:27

9:35 We're just saying that Lama Zopa Rinpoche's favorite motivation is How amazing it is, how lucky I am that I am still alive, still in this body, still have the conditions, these incredibly precious conditions. No matter what our lives are like right now, they're so much better than so many other beings just in this city, much less over the whole planet. Report an error in the passage at 9:35 Highlight the passage at 9:35

10:07 How lucky I am, because every moment I'm still in this body, still have these conditions, I have a chance. To work on my mind. To put these teachings into practice. And to gain liberation and enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 10:07 Highlight the passage at 10:07

10:26 How lucky I am. We just take it for granted that we're going to wake up, same body, same life. And at some point it isn't going to be true. Report an error in the passage at 10:26 Highlight the passage at 10:26

10:47 So let's motivate tonight's class that Report an error in the passage at 10:47 Highlight the passage at 10:47

10:57 any insights, any understandings, any recognitions, anything at all that comes and touches us, And it actually plants the seeds of our own enlightenment in our heart and mind so Report an error in the passage at 10:57 Highlight the passage at 10:57

11:24 that we can truly benefit ourselves and others. And Report an error in the passage at 11:24 Highlight the passage at 11:24

11:40 then just take a moment, focus on your breath, either at the level of your belly, the level of your nostril, a little patch of skin inside the tip of your nostril. Just focus on your breath, in-breath and out-breath, being one, and try to count to ten a few times. Just to bring some focus to the mind. Report an error in the passage at 11:40 Highlight the passage at 11:40

· · · silence, 2 minutes

13:57 Relax your concentration and we'll start with the opening prayer. Report an error in the passage at 13:57 Highlight the passage at 13:57

14:15 So we'll start with the prayer of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama on page 8. Report an error in the passage at 14:15 Highlight the passage at 14:15

14:25 And then we'll go ahead and do the ones on the Sunday morning prayer. Report an error in the passage at 14:25 Highlight the passage at 14:25

14:33 So we'll just do this one one time. Report an error in the passage at 14:33 Highlight the passage at 14:33

14:38 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 14:38 Highlight the passage at 14:38

15:11 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 15:11 Highlight the passage at 15:11

15:44 To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly, by the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment. May they abide in equanimity. Report an error in the passage at 15:44 Highlight the passage at 15:44

16:06 I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity. Please Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have happiness in its cause. I myself will cause them to have these. Please Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be. Report an error in the passage at 16:06 Highlight the passage at 16:06

16:32 Beings were free from suffering in its cause. May they be free of suffering in its cause. I myself will cause them. Report an error in the passage at 16:32 Highlight the passage at 16:32

17:05 Keep going. Report an error in the passage at 17:05 Highlight the passage at 17:05

17:25 Aha. Report an error in the passage at 17:25 Highlight the passage at 17:25

17:32 I'm enacting the suffering being right now. For your benefit. What's that? Report an error in the passage at 17:32 Highlight the passage at 17:32

17:42 Are you coming in to do CPR? I was going to say David's already got this. Oh, thanks. The more the merrier. It's really great. Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

17:59 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 17:59 Highlight the passage at 17:59

18:03 Okay. So I am much, much better. It's just that it does hit sometimes. I tried to take a sip, but it's too hot. Report an error in the passage at 18:03 Highlight the passage at 18:03

18:26 Okay, then we're just going to meditate for the entire two hours on everything you know from this class. Let's begin. Do not look at your neighbor's papers. Report an error in the passage at 18:26 Highlight the passage at 18:26

18:42 Water works. Report an error in the passage at 18:42 Highlight the passage at 18:42

18:46 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 18:46 Highlight the passage at 18:46

18:51 So our retreat day is Saturday, March 20th, which is two weeks from Saturday, right? Yeah. Here it is. I know this year is just like out of control, especially when you spend a month of it in bed. Report an error in the passage at 18:51 Highlight the passage at 18:51

19:11 Who already knows that they can come to the retreat day on the 20th? Report an error in the passage at 19:11 Highlight the passage at 19:11

19:19 Gina and Courtney are not here. They also can come. If people can email me and let me know what they want to bring for food, that's far more important than your presentation topic. Report an error in the passage at 19:19 Highlight the passage at 19:19

19:33 I want to stop the idea of like seven people bringing bread or something. And it should all be vegetarian. So whatever people bring, just make it vegetarian. That's good, just because it's a Buddhist center. Report an error in the passage at 19:33 Highlight the passage at 19:33

19:52 Go ahead and hand out topics. Do you want to just hand out? Everybody get one. Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

20:02 Hopefully these things are not... Too surprising. And this is not like a final exam. It kind of looks like one the way it's laid out. But it's just you pick or choose something that you can talk about for five or ten minutes based on any notes or your homework or your experience or something that you've thought about about it or anything. Report an error in the passage at 20:02 Highlight the passage at 20:02

20:24 You know, people have done everything from like sharing a poem that they wrote to leading a meditation that they... Developed, which was kind of cool. Or even leading a meditation that you did in class. I actually really enjoy it when people lead meditations. So it doesn't have to be a talk. And that would be what I would choose because then everybody has their eyes closed, right? So nobody's looking at you. That's why I lead you guys in meditations all the time so I can kind of settle in. Report an error in the passage at 20:24 Highlight the passage at 20:24

20:55 Yeah, so these are just ones I thought of. If you think of something else, just contact me and let me know in case it's so far off base that I kind of have to, you know, rein you in a little bit. People get really excited and they kind of go off on tangents. So I just want to make sure it actually has to do with daily practice. But as long as it has to do with daily practice, then I'm pretty open to creativity. Report an error in the passage at 20:55 Highlight the passage at 20:55

21:21 Yeah, so... Think about it. Give yourself some time before you choose one, unless something just like jumps out at you and you know you just want to grab it and do it. But otherwise, give yourself some time to think about it. And then email me if you want to choose something that's not on the list. So it's Saturday. Yeah. Excuse me for blowing my nose in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 21:21 Highlight the passage at 21:21

21:42 Saturday the 20th. Yeah. Sorry. Thank you. 1030 after the meditation, which I think I'm also leading. 10.30 in the morning until, it depends on how many people are there, so it'll be sometime between 3.30 and 4. It sort of depends because how many people do presentations, you know. And it's totally fine if you want to just come and you really don't want to do a presentation too. Report an error in the passage at 21:42 Highlight the passage at 21:42

22:17 I won't hold it against you. You can come and just listen to everybody else's because people get a lot out of that too. So if you want to just come and listen, then you can still get a lot. And then sometimes people sort of spontaneously want to share our presentation. Report an error in the passage at 22:17 Highlight the passage at 22:17

22:35 It's also possible because we have it on the website and because we have it in a calendar and so forth that we might just get somebody who spontaneously comes and we just make that person feel welcome. I know you guys will. You're going to sit really far from them and stuff. Yeah. Wait, who are you? Yeah, that's right. Report an error in the passage at 22:35 Highlight the passage at 22:35

22:56 Exactly. We've actually gotten some of the students that are still here many, many years later that way. Anna came that way. She just sort of came and helped. She just came and just started, like, clearing away, and she's since been to Copod, and she's been studying in the DB as well as in Emily's classes, and she's still here years later. Report an error in the passage at 22:56 Highlight the passage at 22:56

23:15 So that was how she showed up on a Saturday and started helping. Keith also, Keith Enriquez sometimes comes because that's the only time he can ever come to anything is on the weekend. So he'll come to anything that's on the weekend and often he'll have a presentation. Report an error in the passage at 23:15 Highlight the passage at 23:15

23:32 Amazingly apt for every class he ever sits in. Did everybody who needs one get one? Yeah, okay. I've got an extra one if anyone else shows up. Report an error in the passage at 23:32 Highlight the passage at 23:32

23:44 I don't know. I think we had the calendars last week. So the calendars are out there for March. In case you wonder what all this is about, this is about Chodron Rinpoche, which all starts tomorrow night. And then that first evening, tomorrow evening, is open if people want to come. Report an error in the passage at 23:44 Highlight the passage at 23:44

24:04 It's probably going to last about three hours. It's best to be aware that that's how long it lasts. It's actually the beginning of a tantric empowerment, so it will be thoroughly confusing. I can guarantee you that. And I think if you come and you just know it'll be a blessing and that it's thoroughly confusing, then everything else is up, right? So there will be a lot happening. Report an error in the passage at 24:04 Highlight the passage at 24:04

24:26 A lot of it will be in Tibetan. It won't always be clear what's going on. We do have a translator. It's Geshele's attendant. Report an error in the passage at 24:26 Highlight the passage at 24:26

24:33 I mean Rinpoche's attendant who's also a Geshe Gilton. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you'll understand what's going on. Report an error in the passage at 24:33 Highlight the passage at 24:33

24:44 There'll be things happening and things being passed out and all sorts of exciting things happening. So guaranteed to be entertaining, but not necessarily to be clear. But people are always welcome to come. Let's see, what else? There are a couple things coming up. That are of interest. I think I did mention last week, the next Discovering Buddhism class starts immediately next Thursday. So if you're habituated to come, just keep coming. Report an error in the passage at 24:44 Highlight the passage at 24:44

25:13 Saṃsāra Nirvāṇa and Venerable Carol Karate, who is our founder, actually, founder of this center, is going to teach it. And I think it's seven weeks. And it's basically how we create Saṃsāra and how, therefore, we can create Nirvāṇa. So it'll be about that. Report an error in the passage at 25:13 Highlight the passage at 25:13

25:33 Great for anybody, whatever your background. There are a couple of workshops coming up in April that I think if people are on the e-news list, it went out in the e-news, that went out in the middle of the night, with a few errors on it, sorry, in advance. Vance. Report an error in the passage at 25:33 Highlight the passage at 25:33

25:57 Aja Rinpoche is coming on April 1st, which is a Thursday night, and he's going to talk about his autobiography, which is just being released. Report an error in the passage at 25:57 Highlight the passage at 25:57

26:08 I think we're trying to, yeah. And if they aren't out yet, we're asking them to bring some, you know. Surviving the Dragon, right? Surviving the Dragon, yeah. He's amazing. He's great. He has an incredible story, too. And he's just funny. And he speaks English, you know, so it's all like a lot easier. Very, very humble, you know, very, very humble guy. And yet he's a Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 26:08 Highlight the passage at 26:08

26:34 April 1st. So it's April Fool's Day. It's a Thursday, yeah. It'll interrupt the class. The class won't meet that night. That's the Discovering Buddhism class. Yeah. It'll all just be happening simultaneously. And then Tenzin Chokyi is doing her... Um, Report an error in the passage at 26:34 Highlight the passage at 26:34

26:53 Weekend retreat on meditation, how to meditate, and it can be also a kick in the pants if you just need that for your own practice if you've been practicing for a while. So it'll be good for all levels of meditators. That'll be a Friday night and Saturday and Sunday, and I'm not entirely sure of the hours yet, and so I didn't quite put that out. Report an error in the passage at 26:53 Highlight the passage at 26:53

27:18 She just arrived the same day that... Shantideva Rinpoche arrived to Vajrapani. So I think it's going to be Friday night and then all day Saturday and then probably Sunday till lunchtime-ish, but you never know with her. She might just go hardcore and go take it all the way to like 4 or 5 o 'clock in the evening on Sunday. So we always try to plead with all the people who work, you know, plead with her to try to let people off early so they have an evening before they have to get up and work the next day, but it doesn't work that way. Report an error in the passage at 27:18 Highlight the passage at 27:18

27:49 Sorry? Right after the second, third. So that weekend is going to be full, yeah. Thursday night is Ajara Rinpoche and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday is Tenzin Shoki. Report an error in the passage at 27:49 Highlight the passage at 27:49

28:01 Two, three, four, yeah. And the 17th, she's coming back again and she's going to do one on, what is it called again? Yeah, Barry, can you grab a calendar? Something like hoping, yeah. Something about hope and then... Transforming anxiety into action or something like that. Choosing hope. There we go. Choosing hope, transforming anxiety into action. Report an error in the passage at 28:01 Highlight the passage at 28:01

28:32 And it really has to do with the climate changes and how to get beyond that paralysis that we all have about how huge it is. It just seems too much. And so she's going to talk about also how that is also spiritual practice. Report an error in the passage at 28:32 Highlight the passage at 28:32

28:49 Right. Hello. Yes. Let's back up a bit into March. Next weekend is, thank you, that's the plant. Report an error in the passage at 28:49 Highlight the passage at 28:49

29:02 Next weekend, Friday night and all day Saturday and all day Sunday, speaking about those teachers that like to really give us everything, is Guy Newland, who is, I mentioned last week I think already, but in case somebody missed, he's going to be doing it. had. Report an error in the passage at 29:02 Highlight the passage at 29:02

29:18 A workshop on introduction to emptiness. It's, you want to show the book? My lovely assistant in the back, Barry, will demonstrate the book. Guy Newland has actually written several books on emptiness and they're all good and they're all accessible. This one's called Introduction to Emptiness and that's what the workshop's going to be based on. So there's not any assumption that you know anything about emptiness and he'll, I'm sure, present it in a completely different way. Report an error in the passage at 29:18 Highlight the passage at 29:18

29:43 He's an academic, but he's a Buddhist academic. He's in the department of... Philosophy and Religion at Central Michigan University. Report an error in the passage at 29:43 Highlight the passage at 29:43

29:58 And we're excited to have him. It's the first time we've had him. And all the other centers are excited that we're having him too. And a couple of them are coming up and asking them to come and teach at their centers. The little coo. I know. There is a little of that. Between the Bay Area, your sister centers. We're like, hmm. Report an error in the passage at 29:58 Highlight the passage at 29:58

30:16 So people who came to the practice day, the day-long workshop, I'm sorry, the Saturday morning workshop, was that just last Saturday? I guess it was. Good Lord. I know, whether you're having fun or not. Did anybody have any comments about that? Or also, I just would like to put it out there that if there are things that people... Report an error in the passage at 30:16 Highlight the passage at 30:16

30:40 Would like me to include next time, also let me know because I think I want to definitely do it again. And we may even do Getting Started 2 or something like that, which might include other things. Yeah, so if other people have ideas, just shoot me emails. And actually I should include that with some of the Monterey group. We had a group of four people who drove up the coast from Monterey for that workshop. Report an error in the passage at 30:40 Highlight the passage at 30:40

31:05 So that was kind of cool. Report an error in the passage at 31:05 Highlight the passage at 31:05

31:12 Chokyi at Sechenling. Yeah, and it's on the website. If you go to contact us, it has that. So if you forget, you can just go that way. Anything that came up on that? Okay, how about just your reading and your homework this week? You guys have all just realized it. No problem. That's cool. That's great. Report an error in the passage at 31:12 Highlight the passage at 31:12

31:36 Okay, so we're all going to close our eyes and Kara's going to lead us in a long meditation. Rise yourself for practice. Report an error in the passage at 31:36 Highlight the passage at 31:36

31:48 Okay, so what I wanted to include last week, and I ran out of time, and actually it works better this week. It's actually sort of the final, I mean, there's two parts of this evening. One is I'm going to introduce this idea on the five powers, which I think I mentioned that I had intended to include, but it was way too long a class last week. Report an error in the passage at 31:48 Highlight the passage at 31:48

32:11 So I'm going to talk about the five powers, the way that you do... This at the during the day during the day during your lifetime. So you familiarize yourself with it as a daily practice and then how it differs that but leads right into how you do it at the time of death, how you would do it for your own death. Report an error in the passage at 32:11 Highlight the passage at 32:11

32:33 So that's number one. And then number two, the other thing that we'll do for the second part of the class after the break is to. Just sort of go through the day with everything that we've been talking about, how it is from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, or maybe from the moment you go to sleep first and then you wake up. Report an error in the passage at 32:33 Highlight the passage at 32:33

32:52 We can just go like that, sort of how you bring all this stuff into play. And then, of course, more time for questions. Okay, so these five powers, I actually think this is a, if this was like your only practice, if you're just kind of like, I just want to... Have an easy practice that, well I'm not going to say easy, simple to understand practice. None of it's easy to actually practice but it's a simple practice and also incredibly, it includes everything. Report an error in the passage at 32:52 Highlight the passage at 32:52

33:26 It's all inclusive practice. It's quite profound. This practice comes from the, what's called the genre of teachings called the Lojang teachings or mind training thought transformation teachings. Report an error in the passage at 33:26 Highlight the passage at 33:26

33:41 Which were practiced by the Kadampa masters who practiced right after Atisha brought Buddhism back into Tibet. Report an error in the passage at 33:41 Highlight the passage at 33:41

33:58 No, the Kadampa, it's actually, the Nima tradition actually came from Padma Sambhava. About 800. And then Lama Tisha came back into Tibet around 1000. And then from him, his disciples, like Agashi Chakawa and all of the Kadapa masters, then that group became sort of the forefathers of both the Kagu and the Kalupa. Report an error in the passage at 33:58 Highlight the passage at 33:58

34:33 Yeah, something like that. I think the Sakya came first, but anyway. I should, I mean, it's like I almost need to see it like a, you know, because they aren't necessarily linear. Their stuff was happening and all, and that's how they all kind of came to be. We're actually the baby. The Galukpa is the youngest, and the Nima's the oldest, and so the other two come between. Yeah, where is our mic? Report an error in the passage at 34:33 Highlight the passage at 34:33

35:00 Yeah, it is. Talking stick is right there, actually. And while you're doing that, I'll carefully blow my nose. Report an error in the passage at 35:00 Highlight the passage at 35:00

35:22 Wait, though you still have to have the talking stuff? My advisor is a chair of Buddhism, or teaches at CIS, and he gives Buddhist talks all the time. I think he's a Jokjin practitioner, and he talks a lot about enlightenment and madness, so he might be somebody you guys might want to contact at some point for talking. Report an error in the passage at 35:22 Highlight the passage at 35:22

35:46 He's very entertaining. Thank you. His name is Stephen Goodman. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard of him, yeah. Because there was a singer by that name, so I always remember it. In the 70s, there was a singer by that name. Was somebody else asking, why did we, why were we looking for the talking stick? I thought somebody had a question. No? Report an error in the passage at 35:46 Highlight the passage at 35:46

36:15 Okay. Well, I'm glad we settled that. I guess the class can end now. I'll go home. All right, good. That's easy enough. Okay. Okay, so that explains. So Lama Atisha's students became what are known as now the Kadampa masters. And they were really known for their, they just earnestly practiced the teachings as though they were like private instruction from the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 36:15 Highlight the passage at 36:15

36:40 That's what they're kind of known for. They're sort of my heroes, the Kadampa Geshe's. They're often called the Kadampa Geshe's. At that point, Geshe just meant master, teacher, you know, like that. It wasn't necessarily a course of training the way it is now. Report an error in the passage at 36:40 Highlight the passage at 36:40

36:57 Anyway, so these five powers, I'll just go through them. The first is what's called the power of intention. And this is really the way we start our day, right? What's our intention? What's our motivation? Report an error in the passage at 36:57 Highlight the passage at 36:57

37:18 Most of the time, I think if we're realistic and we really examine, I think John actually brought it up. Sometimes when we wake up in the morning, our body rules our intention, right? We just go to the bathroom or we're hungry and we go down and get something to eat or something like that. It's not necessarily a positive thing unless we make effort to make it a positive thing. Report an error in the passage at 37:18 Highlight the passage at 37:18

37:42 And we often will start with that idea of, you know, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is always talking about, Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to avoid suffering. Whatever crosses that happiness makes me angry, you know, definitely causes me suffering, definitely causes me pain. Report an error in the passage at 37:42 Highlight the passage at 37:42

38:03 I know Venerable Rabina used to always say, anger is what happens when attachment doesn't get its way. Which I just think is brilliant. I think she actually got that from a Lama, but I don't remember what Lama. I just remember her, so she's the one I quote. Attachment. I mean, anger is what happens when attachment doesn't get its way. So if we just begin looking at our motivation, our intention for the day, first we have to look at kind of what's already there. Report an error in the passage at 38:03 Highlight the passage at 38:03

38:40 And then we kind of start making it more positive, you know. So instead of just like, okay, working for the benefit of all beings, you know, it's not really like heartfelt. First we just kind of like start thinking about it a little bit. Like John was talking about, even before you get out of bed. Actually, sometimes that's the best place. Report an error in the passage at 38:40 Highlight the passage at 38:40

38:58 It's just that you haven't even left the bed yet and you're just kind of thinking about it, you know. Even if it feels a little bit forced. Really start examining it, because if we don't examine it, we'll never be able to sort of begin training the mind, you know, the way the Lojong practice goes. We never start thinking about it. From a Buddhist point of view, one of our intentions is to make our life meaningful, which actually is about benefiting others. Report an error in the passage at 38:58 Highlight the passage at 38:58

39:30 So it's not simply following that urge, that baseline urge of making myself happy and avoiding all pain whatsoever at all costs. Report an error in the passage at 39:30 Highlight the passage at 39:30

39:44 His Holiness is always talking about being wisely selfish. If we're going to be selfish anyway, be wisely selfish. Benefiting others actually makes us happy. So if we want to be happy, like actually beginning to work for others. And it's almost like this constant fighting with this very self-cherishing is the coined term, but just the self-absorbed, selfish mind, a little mind of ours that just really wants to think about me, myself and I, you know. Report an error in the passage at 39:44 Highlight the passage at 39:44

40:20 And it's almost like quicksand. It just falls back into place. You know, it's like we figure it out that it really does make us happier to help others. And then the very next minute, we're like, yeah, but give me that cake. You know, it's like we just, we forget. It's just, it's like training a small child. Like we are the small child, you know, and we're also the mom or the dad. Report an error in the passage at 40:20 Highlight the passage at 40:20

40:40 And so we just keep training our mind in that, keep training our mind in that power of intention. Report an error in the passage at 40:40 Highlight the passage at 40:40

40:49 The way that we will actually be able to both be happy and to benefit others is to give up this self-cherishing mind, which is huge practice. This is the whole, all the teachings of mind training, all the teachings of bodhicitta are about recognizing this self-cherishing mind, recognizing that it's actually caused every suffering we've ever had, karmically speaking, since beginningless time, meaning no beginning. Report an error in the passage at 40:49 Highlight the passage at 40:49

41:18 that, um, It will only continue to cause us suffering if we don't do something about it. And so I was learning to recognize that self-cherishing mind. And then, as one of my teachers said, go on an attack and destroy mission. Seek and destroy the self-cherishing mind. That in and of itself becomes a daily practice. So the power of intention, that first power. Report an error in the passage at 41:18 Highlight the passage at 41:18

41:45 Power of familiarity is the second. Report an error in the passage at 41:45 Highlight the passage at 41:45

41:51 What are we becoming familiar with? Gom. Which is the Tibetan word for meditation. Becoming familiar with our mind. Working with our mind all the time. Report an error in the passage at 41:51 Highlight the passage at 41:51

42:09 The reason that we know how to be selfish and angry and jealous is because we do it all the time. That's all. We've just habituated ourselves to the negative stuff. Report an error in the passage at 42:09 Highlight the passage at 42:09

42:23 So we have to make some effort to habituate ourselves with the positive stuff. And to become more familiar with how to help others instead of how to just help me, myself and I. Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:41 So one example is when we get on the bus, instead of just trying to find the most comfortable seat for me, which is of course what I'm usually trying to do, actually purposefully getting up and giving it to somebody else. Or you see it, you head toward it, somebody else is heading for it, you just give it to them, just offer it to them. Report an error in the passage at 42:41 Highlight the passage at 42:41

43:03 Or somebody's following you and you're both looking for parking. You see a great space and you just keep on going and let them have it. Or you purposefully, you're at the shops or something and you park really far away so the closer ones are still available for somebody else. Stuff like that. There's just little ways of thinking about somebody else instead of yourself all the time, which I'm saying you, but of course I mean me too. Report an error in the passage at 43:03 Highlight the passage at 43:03

43:36 It's breaking the habit that we have, the habits that we have developed over lifetimes. So it takes lifetimes, you know, really. These are sūtra teachings. So this is saying, you know, these teachings are easy to understand, but to actually apply them day after day, life after life, really, it's hard. Report an error in the passage at 43:36 Highlight the passage at 43:36

43:57 It's not easy stuff, but we can understand it simply. We don't have to study it forever and ever. We might have to prove to ourselves that the self-cherishing mind is the cause of our suffering. That part we might have to prove. We might have to prove to ourselves that it actually does make us happy to help other people. We might have to have a couple of experiences. Report an error in the passage at 43:57 Highlight the passage at 43:57

44:16 But it's not difficult to understand. It's not emptiness. It's not the 12 links. It's not how karma works. It's not that difficult to understand. It's just the practicing of it that gets difficult. It's like Rinpoche's quote last time. Report an error in the passage at 44:16 Highlight the passage at 44:16

44:37 You have to actually apply the teachings. You have to actually use the life preserver to save your life. Report an error in the passage at 44:37 Highlight the passage at 44:37

44:49 And often we need to just experiment with it. I know one student does these things that she calls Dharma experiments. And she'll just experiment with the teaching as it's given to see if she believes in it, you know, which is what really we're all supposed to be doing all the time. And some of them are hard because, you know, you're like, for example, this one meditation that I'm doing now, the way that the teacher worded it, it's kind of hard to prove, you know, it's sort of like... Report an error in the passage at 44:49 Highlight the passage at 44:49

45:21 It's talking about karma and it's talking about the causes of suffering, the second noble truth, and it's like, is it true that every suffering I have, if I'm thinking about it myself, is it true that every suffering I have is caused by negative actions? Well, how on earth do I know that? That one's a hard one, you know. But if we're just experimenting with looking at our self-cherishing mind and then countering it with looking at how... Report an error in the passage at 45:21 Highlight the passage at 45:21

45:49 When our mind cherishes somebody else, how different that feels. That's actually easy in a way because we can all experiment with that. We can gain some understanding of it just through practicing it. Report an error in the passage at 45:49 Highlight the passage at 45:49

46:03 So all day, what this power of familiarity is like, becoming familiar with both. Becoming familiar with the mind that... Report an error in the passage at 46:03 Highlight the passage at 46:03

46:15 Thinks about me, myself and I all the time and noticing it so that when it pops up, I'm like, great, a parking space, I'm getting it. Why is that guy grabbing my place, you know? Like what made it my place? The whole day starting to just notice, notice what's a little way that I can help somebody else, you know? Report an error in the passage at 46:15 Highlight the passage at 46:15

46:38 What's a little way that I can just do something little, some little random act of kindness, you know, except it's not random. And we know the results if we study karma. So that's what this one's about, power of familiarity. Report an error in the passage at 46:38 Highlight the passage at 46:38

46:56 The power of the white seed is the third. Power of the white seed. This is actually talking about doing virtuous deeds, which plants the white seed. That's what the white seed is referring to. Doing virtuous deeds. It can be the traditional ones, you know, like we learned how to offer mandala, how to do water bowls, how to do prostrations, which you guys were really good at. Report an error in the passage at 46:56 Highlight the passage at 46:56

47:29 Volunteering at the center, you know, helping to support some project that, you know, His Holiness is doing or that, you know, to keep the center going or something like that. Those are all... Virtuous deeds, you know, but so it's just like being kind to somebody, you know, when you, especially when you don't feel like it. Actually, Rabina used to say, if you have to really resist, like you really don't want to do a virtuous act, but you do it anyway, you get even more merit. Report an error in the passage at 47:29 Highlight the passage at 47:29

48:05 I love that. Really, it's like perfect for all the lazy people like us in the world, right? So we're like... Wow, so if I really struggle against it and I do it anyway, then I get all this extra merit. That's great. Report an error in the passage at 48:05 Highlight the passage at 48:05

48:22 So with Joyful Effort, the way that Joyful Effort, the fourth of the six perfections is defined as delighting in doing virtue. Report an error in the passage at 48:22 Highlight the passage at 48:22

48:32 Delighting in doing virtue. That's what His Holiness and what Lama Zopa Rinpoche have. I mean, they just are thrilled. They're happy to be doing virtue all the time. We kind of are happy with it as long as it's in our own time. Um... Report an error in the passage at 48:32 Highlight the passage at 48:32

48:44 You know, before a certain hour and it doesn't interrupt or whatever show we're watching or, you know, what we had planned for the weekend. But with them, it's sort of like they come up with these ideas, especially when you're in the presence of Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche, where suddenly just be like, oh, we do extensive offerings now, you know, and it's like 1030 at night, you know, it's like, okay. Report an error in the passage at 48:44 Highlight the passage at 48:44

49:08 know He's like, maybe we go outside and maybe thousands, okay. And we're all kind of like, okay. We're trying to get inspired. And he's literally skipping along towards the tables and leading it. And after a while, you start getting excited too. You're like, okay. It does kind of excite you too. It is contagious. So that power of the white sea, the more we do it, just like every other habit. Report an error in the passage at 49:08 Highlight the passage at 49:08

49:37 The easier it gets. And the more we actually want to do it. The more, you know, with those on those merit multiplying days, it's like, you know, it feels a little like you're climbing a mountain. Like you begin actually enjoying doing all those activities. And the fourth one is the power of repudiation. Report an error in the passage at 49:37 Highlight the passage at 49:37

49:59 Power of repudiation. You can also call this one eliminating the enemy. It's another seek and destroy, right? What's the enemy? Who's the enemy? What's the bottom line enemy of all of our happiness, according to this particular teaching when we were just talking about it? Report an error in the passage at 49:59 Highlight the passage at 49:59

50:26 A little more specific? That's it. Yeah, say it again. Especially now you know it's right. The self-cherishing mind. This is our emcee, actually. Yeah, that's the enemy. Report an error in the passage at 50:26 Highlight the passage at 50:26

50:47 Me being concerned with my own happiness all the time is the cause of all of our suffering. So that's the enemy of my own happiness. And we don't think that way. We actually think, if I don't take care of number one, who's going to take care of me? Who's going to take care of my needs? As one of my teachers said, am I going to get left with all the yucky people as friends and the horrible bits of food and no chocolate sundaes? Report an error in the passage at 50:47 Highlight the passage at 50:47

51:16 Follow this path, you know. No, actually, karmically speaking, we create the causes of total happiness by just learning how to cherish others more than ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 51:16 Highlight the passage at 51:16

51:29 So eliminating the enemy is that seek and destroy mission of trying to begin to see it as it arises and get rid of it. Like really getting it that... Report an error in the passage at 51:29 Highlight the passage at 51:29

51:42 Self-cherishing mind is really deceiving us since beginning this time. It's saying, I'm out for your better interest. Forget what that nun in the front room is saying. You know, just pay no attention to that little man behind the curtain. If you want to be happy, you just stick with me, kid, and I'll make you happy. Report an error in the passage at 51:42 Highlight the passage at 51:42

52:03 And we've been believing it lifetime after lifetime after lifetime, you know. And it's actually... The bottom line, that's what's kept us from getting enlightened. That's what makes us get up from a meditation before we're actually ready. That's what makes us skip meditation altogether. That's what makes us skip class. That's what has kept us from getting enlightened. Every other lifetime that we've gotten close. And they actually say, and I hate this teaching actually, but I'll repeat it for you. Report an error in the passage at 52:03 Highlight the passage at 52:03

52:30 They actually say that we've had many realizations already and we've lost them. We haven't gotten enlightened. We've come very close. And the thing that keeps us holding us back is this self-cherishing mind. It's that fear of being uncomfortable. It's that, you know, I'm not going to have enough to eat and retreat, so I guess I'm not going to do retreat, you know, and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 52:30 Highlight the passage at 52:30

52:56 Concern with our own needs, our wants, our own happiness. And it comes out in all sorts of extreme forms. I mean, suicide is actually an extreme form of self-cherishing mind. Like so blinded, especially to how that might impact on the people who find you or your children or your loved ones. Report an error in the passage at 52:56 Highlight the passage at 52:56

53:22 And I'm not saying that in any kind of a judgmental way. It's just, it's coming from that mind of being just so self-absorbed. Report an error in the passage at 53:22 Highlight the passage at 53:22

53:33 You know, so we really have to just train ourselves to eliminate this mind and to fight against it because that's actually what's holding us back. That's what actually keeps us from having any daily practice, you know, is this self-cherishing mind. And we're not going to eliminate it this year. I'm sorry. It's going to take a long time. Report an error in the passage at 53:33 Highlight the passage at 53:33

53:55 It takes a long time. Yeah. Fiscal. The fiscal. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we're starting now, right? It's the beginning of the new year. And the final one is the power of dedication or the power of prayer. Report an error in the passage at 53:55 Highlight the passage at 53:55

54:14 And that's at the end of the day or the end of the action, but at the end of the day in this case, since we're talking about it in terms of a daily practice. How did I do? You know, I started out the day so well. I had this great motivation I finally came up with. How did that really... Jibe with what happened. It's sometimes disappointing, but it's useful because it's sort of like if I set my motivation and I really wanted to take care of others and I wanted to do all this stuff, did I ever even do it once? Report an error in the passage at 54:14 Highlight the passage at 54:14

54:44 And that's okay. If you did it once, that's worthy of rejoicing and dedicating. If I didn't, if I just went roaring off the cushion and then managed to scream at 17 people before the end of the arc of the day ends and then I just completely forgot all my goals, I want to note that and I want to then do some purification and try again. Report an error in the passage at 54:44 Highlight the passage at 54:44

55:08 So if we don't check up, then it's all just words. There's no bearing on how we're actually living. So we have to have something at the end of the day where we're trying to realistically check up without... Report an error in the passage at 55:08 Highlight the passage at 55:08

55:20 Over-expecting that we're going to be angels immediately. Eventually, you know, angel is just another word for dakini or daka. So eventually we will get there, but it will take time. If we don't see how... One time I saw this, and actually I still use this, I like this one, where I just ask myself, how did I face my problems today? Report an error in the passage at 55:20 Highlight the passage at 55:20

55:43 How did I face my problems today? And we're not going to be perfect, you know? I know. But if we don't look, then we'll never be able to make changes. And then we have to do some sort of purification for the times that we screwed up and to expect that so we don't beat ourselves up. And then we do some sort of rejoicing and dedicating of the good. You can come on in if you want. I promise not to get too embarrassed. Report an error in the passage at 55:43 Highlight the passage at 55:43

56:14 I'm embarrassed. Mary used to live here and she lives in North Carolina. Now she's just here for the empowerment. Report an error in the passage at 56:14 Highlight the passage at 56:14

56:27 So I'll repeat those five. Power of intention. Power of familiarity. Power of the white seed. Power of repudiation. Power of dedication. So those are the five powers as a daily practice. Report an error in the passage at 56:27 Highlight the passage at 56:27

56:52 Using the same five powers at the time of death, you can start sort of training yourself with these five by doing these as a daily practice, but also as you go to sleep at night, you can go through these five. So again, the first one is the power of intention. This time it's talking about this determination not to be separated from bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 56:52 Highlight the passage at 56:52

57:18 As you go through the bardo, as you die, as you go through the bardo, as you get your next life. So it's like making this determination. Report an error in the passage at 57:18 Highlight the passage at 57:18

57:29 As a daily practice, of course, we're trying not to be separated as, you know, everything that comes at us during the day. This is actually a little more serious because we're thinking about, oh wow, as I go through that whole... Report an error in the passage at 57:29 Highlight the passage at 57:29

57:45 All the craziness, the hallucinations as my body of this life dissolves and my mind gets more and more subtle and then moves to the next life. I've got to hold on to that bodhicitta. I can't lose it. We're training our minds to feel this way. So we actually, as we die, we're thinking, wherever I'm born, may I be born to benefit sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 57:45 Highlight the passage at 57:45

58:12 May I only be born. To benefit sentient beings. You can think about even that phrase that we just read with the wish to free all beings. The wish to free all beings. I'll always go for refuge with the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 58:12 Highlight the passage at 58:12

58:38 With the wish to free all beings. So that's really trying to keep that mind of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 58:38 Highlight the passage at 58:38

58:48 And then... Also remembering that if you're holding on to that mind as you fall asleep, you can kind of practice it. Because of course we have no idea, right? If we wake up. Report an error in the passage at 58:48 Highlight the passage at 58:48

59:02 It's a good practice. There are a lot of parallels between dying and going to sleep. Our mind goes through the same dissolution, they say. Report an error in the passage at 59:02 Highlight the passage at 59:02

59:14 And then sort of grosses back up again as we wake up in the morning. So it's a good time to practice. To prepare to die. So we're trying to keep our mind virtuous. We're trying to also hold on to this mind of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 59:14 Highlight the passage at 59:14

59:34 Power of the White Seed in this case is talking about really trying to eliminate our attachment to things, attachment to this life, attachment to our stuff, attachment to the people that we adore, attachment to our kitties. Report an error in the passage at 59:34 Highlight the passage at 59:34

59:55 And one of the things that you can do as you go to sleep at night is like just visualize giving some of your stuff away. Or as Venmo Rita said, and a lot of these teachings I am using are from when she taught on the five powers. She said, imagine somebody, your worst enemy is the perfect one, going through all your stuff, putting it all in a plastic, a big black plastic bag. Report an error in the passage at 59:55 Highlight the passage at 59:55

1:00:24 Throwing it over a cliff. Just get rid of it. You're just imagining you're just getting rid of it. Or you can think about different things that you love and imagine just giving it to somebody. So you're just loosening that attachment in your heart, you know? Well, yeah, you haven't actually given it away. You're just practicing with your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:24 Highlight the passage at 1:00:24

1:00:50 It's mind training. It's all mind training. So say that my very favorite thing in the world is this bell. Which actually came from the LPP altar. And then as I go to sleep at night, I'm starting to think about the different things and I just am starting to think, okay, when I die, that bell is going to go to Mary and then Bodhi will go to Janet. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

1:01:14 You know, like that. So I'm just like loosening that kind of graspy mind that we have that really holds us back too. My mom actually did that when she got older. She began writing people's names on the bottom of things. Which was really kind of nice in a way because as she got, she did that probably like five years before she actually passed away. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:14 Highlight the passage at 1:01:14

1:01:37 And her mind did get worse and worse. And so we were all actually kind of happy that she did that because it made it easier for all of us, right? And it was not always, it didn't always make sense in our mind. Like it was like, this goes to, you know, Jason. And we'll be like, oh really? Okay, cool. Well, since she said so, then there's like no discussion, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:37 Highlight the passage at 1:01:37

1:01:57 It was actually kind of nice. And so for her, in her mind, she just wanted to make it clear. Of course, it was terrible when the little piece of tape fell off, which happened. But, you know, most of it. She used that kind of medical tape that you, like, tape bandages on. We're like, hmm. Yeah, I mean, she was already, she died at 85, so she was 80 about when she did that. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:57 Highlight the passage at 1:01:57

1:02:20 So it wasn't like a huge surprise that she was going to do that. But still, it's such a practice, you know, to do that. She wasn't Buddhist. Lutheran. So yeah, start decreasing your attachment now. And that's like an idea that you could do. Visualize just giving your stuff away. Or even write it down. You know, there are documents like the Five Wishes document that you can put in writing certain things that you want to make sure happen, including like your medical care and who takes responsibility if you're unable to and stuff like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:20 Highlight the passage at 1:02:20

1:02:58 And you could actually write down some things in there, you know. Especially if you're like me, you don't actually have that many things, you know. The bed goes to... It's also just useful, I think. It stops being stuff that we're holding in our mind. And all that stuff keeps us from, you know, practicing, letting go. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:58 Highlight the passage at 1:02:58

1:03:27 And they also say when somebody has... Is getting close to dying that one of the things, too, that we want to remind people of and want to remind ourself of and rejoice is all of our virtuous actions. And so when somebody is getting close to death, it doesn't matter who they are or what they are or what they've done. Somebody has done something that they can rejoice in that's been virtuous, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:27 Highlight the passage at 1:03:27

1:03:56 You know, whether it was raising a kid well or whether it was, you know. It's just a certain attitude that they had in the way they treated people or something like that. Again, I'm thinking about my mom. As my mom got closer and closer to death, we were thanking her for being such a good mom. It's kind of rare in this day and age that all kids agreed 100%. She kept saying no, no, and I was like, no, actually. I remember saying this to her, actually, right before she had the final episode that she died. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:56 Highlight the passage at 1:03:56

1:04:27 I said, no, we get to judge that one, Mom. And we're all in agreement. Then that means you must have been a good mom. And she kind of, she was shaking her head and then she kind of had to like, you know, release that argument. It's really good to remind people of what they did right because that mind of regret is working over time. At that point, you don't have that long and you're starting to kind of think through things. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:27 Highlight the passage at 1:04:27

1:04:53 So keeping their mind positive. Keeping our mind positive before we go to sleep, right? We talked about that. It's that same thing. Letting the mind have some, permeating the mind with positive, with virtue. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:53 Highlight the passage at 1:04:53

1:05:09 Power of repudiation in this case, number three, which is number three in this one and number four in the other one, but same power. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:09 Highlight the passage at 1:05:09

1:05:20 You want to eliminate the negativity. So in this case, you want to do some purifying. So if you have taken highest yoga tantra, then you do self-initiation or fire puja and so forth, those kind of practices. The rest of us, we can do Vajrasattva. We can do any kind of purification practice, Samaya Vajra. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:20 Highlight the passage at 1:05:20

1:05:48 If it feels good to you to confess to somebody, not necessarily even the person that you hurt, Just to say it out loud, really it's just part of you. I mean, the Catholics have it right in that sense. Just saying it out loud actually allows your heart to release it, you know, and open. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:48 Highlight the passage at 1:05:48

1:06:07 It doesn't even matter who that person is in a way. It gets it off your chest. The fourth one is power of familiarity. And this is knowing kind of how training yourself when you fall asleep. As though you were also dying, you know, so you're doing this on a regular basis in two ways. One is, you know, some of those ways that I talked about last, I think it was last week, where, you know, the lying on the right side with the hand under the cheek, there's actually... Report an error in the passage at 1:06:07 Highlight the passage at 1:06:07

1:06:48 It's a whole way that it's described. I think it also is in His Holiness' book, Mind of Clear Light, which is, I think, a really amazing book for all levels of practitioners. You all get something else out of it. But it really talks a lot about death and going through the stages of death. I think he also discusses lying and the dying Buddha pose. But also, number two, Report an error in the passage at 1:06:48 Highlight the passage at 1:06:48

1:07:37 He doesn't seem to be doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:37 Highlight the passage at 1:07:37

1:07:43 Yeah, maybe. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:43 Highlight the passage at 1:07:43

1:07:48 Or even just hot water. I think it's just like all the talking, does it? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:48 Highlight the passage at 1:07:48

1:07:57 The second part is this practice that's called Tonglen. People are familiar, I don't know if people are familiar with the practice of Tonglen. Sorry. I always think I'm so much better and I try to teach and then it's like, it's all the talking. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:57 Highlight the passage at 1:07:57

1:08:24 Tonglen is the practice of taking and giving. And it's an incredibly simple but powerful meditation. And if we have time tonight, I'll lead you in it. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:24 Highlight the passage at 1:08:24

1:08:37 But basically you are visualizing somebody and you start, usually they say it's best to start with somebody that you already love. So you don't even have to generate, you don't have to fake it. You don't have to develop anything. You already want to take away this person's suffering and you already want to bring them happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:37 Highlight the passage at 1:08:37

1:08:54 So then it's easy and we practice. And then we can extend that and try doing it for somebody you don't know well or even for yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:54 Highlight the passage at 1:08:54

1:09:05 And then gradually try to practice with people that we don't like so much and then gradually people that we really don't like. But don't start with Hitler immediately. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:05 Highlight the passage at 1:09:05

1:09:20 You have to develop it. With the mind training we get stronger and stronger. We actually get more and more courageous. And that's really what Tonglen is about. Being willing to take on the suffering of another and to give them happiness. It has to overcome. Everything that gets in our way is self-cherishing. That's the only thing that gets in our way. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:20 Highlight the passage at 1:09:20

1:09:47 Blasting through that self-cherishing takes huge courage and that huge courage is bodhicitta. So really it has nothing to do with the fact whether or not we actually can take away their suffering. It's that wanting to take away their suffering that we're trying to develop. It's like a heart exercise. It's the exercise of wanting to help others. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:47 Highlight the passage at 1:09:47

1:10:13 Wanting to take away their pain, wanting to give them all levels of happiness from a roof over their head all the way up to full enlightenment. It's really developing. It's like going to the gym to develop our, you know, biceps. This time we're going to the gym to develop our heart and our mind. Bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger. So we can train ourselves in this as we go to sleep. This is something we can actually train ourselves in. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:13 Highlight the passage at 1:10:13

1:10:42 They actually say for those of us who are not high yogis, this is the most powerful practice to do at the time. Care for those of the sentient being there. He's going back and forth like a little soldier. I know. He's right there. He's right there. He's just marching back and forth, getting amazing imprints. Do you see him? He's just this little tiny. I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:42 Highlight the passage at 1:10:42

1:11:14 I know. Since I sat down, actually, he's just kind of walking back and forth. He's probably somebody I know. No joke, actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:14 Highlight the passage at 1:11:14

1:11:27 They actually say this is the most powerful practice that we can do at the time of death, but how on earth can we do this at the time of death if we haven't practiced? When we're trying to go to sleep, or when we're sick, when we don't feel like it. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:27 Highlight the passage at 1:11:27

1:11:47 We've got to practice. If we don't practice, it won't become second nature for us to do it at the time of our death. Because believe me, there's a hell of a lot more happening at the time of our death. If we think that, you know, I'm just too tired tonight, it's definitely going to be much harder when we're actually dying. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:47 Highlight the passage at 1:11:47

1:12:14 Look at this. I'm like spreading out. This one can go away. I'm going to put this one away. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:14 Highlight the passage at 1:12:14

1:12:28 Okay, they actually say, so again, just like the same way, as you know how I was saying that one way you could go to sleep at night is to imagine that you're lying with your head in the lap of your guru or the Buddha, which is so beautiful. And it's definitely helped me at times when I'm upset or really sick or whatever to imagine lying with my head in the lap of my guru, in my case, my guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:28 Highlight the passage at 1:12:28

1:12:58 And there's also a book that's called In the Lap of the Buddha, which I think is a beautiful book that talks about this practice and also just this particular person's using Buddhism to get through suffering, the suffering of illness. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:58 Highlight the passage at 1:12:58

1:13:18 So you can do that also because, of course, as you're dying, if you've trained your mind to think that way, that can bring you great comfort, you know, it can be great. And then you're right there with... The Buddha actually say if we can take refuge at the time of death, it's incredibly powerful because our mind is in a virtuous state and fortunately our mind can't be both in a virtuous state and a non-virtuous state. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:18 Highlight the passage at 1:13:18

1:13:40 So if we can just pervade our mind with virtue, there isn't going to be a lot of room for anger and irritation and fear and all that other stuff to arise. So part of it is just sort of like practicalities. If we can pervade our mind with virtue and get used to that, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:40 Highlight the passage at 1:13:40

1:13:59 Then there won't be a lot of room for everything else. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:59 Highlight the passage at 1:13:59

1:14:05 If you know anything about emptiness, you can also imagine dissolving your mind into clear light, which is a higher practice. But if people are familiar with it, that's another thing you can do at the time of death. And if you get that book by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, or if you're interested, we can also order them. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:05 Highlight the passage at 1:14:05

1:14:27 It's just a little paperback, but he really includes quite a bit of detail in there. It's called Mind of Clear Light. The final of the five powers, the power of dedication. So remember the final verse of His Holiness' prayer that we always read? As long as space endures, as long as living beings endure or remain, until then may I too remain to remove the misery of this world. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:27 Highlight the passage at 1:14:27

1:14:55 So this is kind of like having that thought, that bodhicitta mind. Developing that confidence and that courage to just keep coming back and working for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:55 Highlight the passage at 1:14:55

1:15:13 It's like hanging on to the bodhicitta as we go through the cycle of the bardo and rebirth, or the dying and then the bardo and rebirth. And this time we're just training our mind to stay. You know, so instead of having, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:13 Highlight the passage at 1:15:13

1:15:32 You know, whatever body we take, whatever life we take, whatever the conditions are, that we're doing it for others. We're, you know, we're training our mind to this mind of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:32 Highlight the passage at 1:15:32

1:15:47 And she said also, and I think this is really powerful too, you know, may I, she said, familiarize yourself with this thought. May I be reborn wherever it will benefit the most sentient beings and may I go there happily. May I be reborn wherever it will benefit the most sentient beings and may I go there happily. So that it really prepares the mind to that habit of, you know, willingly, happily taking on whatever life my karma is going to bring me anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:47 Highlight the passage at 1:15:47

1:16:28 I can't change that yet because I'm not a highly evolved being, but I can... I can accept it happily and work with it, whatever it is, you know, especially if my mind is to do it for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:28 Highlight the passage at 1:16:28

1:16:41 So that's mind training, too. I think we've talked about in some of the classes, I don't know about in this class, actually, that one practice of as I wake up in the morning, whatever is going to come to me, you know, that I accept it willingly. And that's coming from that. There's a practice that. Venerable Antonio, who's actually coming in May, gave us in the Vajra Safra retreat as I was ending the Vajra Safra retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:41 Highlight the passage at 1:16:41

1:17:10 He came and met with us and he was talking about we open up the window more and more. Whatever happens, you know, whatever happens this morning when I get off the cushion, I accept it and, you know. Make my mind happy to accept it and I'll work with it. And then as you get better with that morning, whatever happens for the first half of the day until lunchtime, you keep widening the window until finally it's whatever happens in the whole day. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:10 Highlight the passage at 1:17:10

1:17:41 I'll accept it happily and I'll work with it. I'll make it into my practice to develop my mind for bodhicitta. So this kind of training helps us do this particular. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:41 Highlight the passage at 1:17:41

1:17:55 Setting this particular mind of confidently, wherever I am born, under whatever conditions, may I take a rebirth that will benefit the most sentient beings and may I go there happily. It's like that. So any questions about these, the five as a daily practice or the five at the time of death that we just discussed? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:55 Highlight the passage at 1:17:55

1:18:30 Just the order of them, how can the order is a little different? I don't know actually. I was noticing that when I was doing it and I'm not sure really. I don't necessarily think it's all that necessary. Well, probably because you're going to do, I know why, because you do the purification before you would lie down on your right side. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:30 Highlight the passage at 1:18:30

1:18:54 Probably like that. You know, you'd probably be doing your purification either while you're lying in bed or sitting up in your cushion even. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:54 Highlight the passage at 1:18:54

1:19:02 If you're practicing death, if you're actually dying, then you probably would do it all in about the same position. It would all just be mental exercises. But that could be why. If you're preparing for death, then I think you would do the purification practices before you would lie down and place your hand under your... Report an error in the passage at 1:19:02 Highlight the passage at 1:19:02

1:19:24 That's probably why. Practical. Anybody else? Yeah, Christine. I Report an error in the passage at 1:19:24 Highlight the passage at 1:19:24

1:19:39 read a book. I can't remember the name of it. But it was a Tibetan Buddhist book and it said that if you're doing anything with the channels, the channels between men and women are the opposite. So for men to lie, what you're supposed to lie on your right side is opposite. I think in the male body they say the channels on the left side are the positive ones and so you keep those more open by lying on the right. But for a woman, would you do the opposite? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:39 Highlight the passage at 1:19:39

1:20:09 That's a good question. I don't know. I've not heard that particular. Have you heard anything like that? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:09 Highlight the passage at 1:20:09

1:20:19 Maybe we'll ask Ashraf. And it was the same thing for the nine round breathing then. Yeah. I think if you're thinking about it, if you're not so much thinking about it as a tantric practice, when you're lying on your right side and you're closing the nostril of your, with your pinky, you're actually closing the right nostril. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:19 Highlight the passage at 1:20:19

1:20:41 I think that's why you're leaving this one open. It's the left nostril. So I think it's like that. I don't know. I don't think it's as much that you're lying on your right side. I think what's happening is that it's all going with that particular breath into that channel. But I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. It's a good question, though, because I could really imagine that they would forget that it might be different for women because of the particular patriarchy of that culture. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:41 Highlight the passage at 1:20:41

1:21:12 It would be kind of nice to know. There's a really highly evolved female practitioner named Khandrala, right? She's meant to be actually a dakini. Rinpoche is trying to get the different centers to invite her. She doesn't really teach, so she kind of leads practices and pujas. So we would really like to have her calm and just, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:12 Highlight the passage at 1:21:12

1:21:43 Lead something, but she might be a good one to ask about something like that. So hopefully we'll get somebody like that to come. You know, another one would be Ninjay, if we could get Ninjay up, because Ninjay knows a lot about the channels and winds and so forth. And she speaks English. Also, you know what, Tenjin Chokyi. Let's ask Tenjin Chokyi, yeah. Another long-time meditator who speaks English and is coming. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:43 Highlight the passage at 1:21:43

1:22:09 We'll ask her. And believe me, if she doesn't know, she'll find out. That's good, too. So can you remember your question? Okay, good. Anybody else? Oh, wait, talking stick. You mentioned something about our virtuous past deeds that made us be born human. Oh, that was in the meditation before, yeah. And I've read it several times, and I've heard other people talk about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:09 Highlight the passage at 1:22:09

1:22:44 It's to allow us to have a precious human rebirth, which isn't every rebirth that's as a human is a precious human rebirth. Precious human rebirth actually has specific things, conditions that every human rebirth doesn't have. So, for example, the guy in the street in Calcutta doesn't have a precious human rebirth. I mean, the guy in the street here doesn't have a precious human rebirth. There's like a certain amount of things that you need, including a healthy body and mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:44 Highlight the passage at 1:22:44

1:23:13 I mean, actually, there are some things that I think, for example, I know of a number of people who are either hard of hearing or deaf or blind, and those were actually counted out at the time of the Buddha. But I think some things have changed now where those people actually do have access to the teachings in a way. But even so, I think it's more difficult to be missing those things. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:13 Highlight the passage at 1:23:13

1:23:35 But yeah, there's a whole list of different characteristics of our life Give us so-called precious human rebirth. And if we have all those things, then it's said to have precious human rebirth. They also added that if we could remember to remember what we remembered from our past life, the teachings seem to be more clear to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:35 Highlight the passage at 1:23:35

1:24:03 Does that make any sense? If you could remember what you remember to remember. In other words, if you familiarized your mind, say, for example, with this practice, actually it might carry through. It might carry through. You know, there are stories about people that do have past life memories, and I think it's probably things that they were completely obsessed with. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:03 Highlight the passage at 1:24:03

1:24:26 You know, like there's this great story of this little girl, right? This little girl, yeah, she's, they found her. There's all these studies that were done in India, and so like the different... People doing the studies would go to the places where these stories came from and talk to the people. So there's this little girl, and she started, when she was born, she was little, she would talk about what she wanted to go to her house. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:26 Highlight the passage at 1:24:26

1:24:53 She wanted to go to her house, and she wanted to see her husband, and she wanted to see her kids. And at first the parents were like, you know, yeah, isn't that cute? And they were ignoring her. And then finally she just was describing something so specific, and it was in a nearby town, so they said, fine, we'll take you there. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:53 Highlight the passage at 1:24:53

1:25:08 So they went and she was like, this is it. This is my house. This is where my house is. And she went in and the husband was still there, you know, invited them in. And of course, in India, things are like this more likely. But she knew what he had changed. And she was like, why did you paint the house? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:08 Highlight the passage at 1:25:08

1:25:26 You know, it used to be this. And why did you put this here? You know, this is my thing. She should have put that, you know, and he realized it was her. He realized it was his wife who had passed away. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:26 Highlight the passage at 1:25:26

1:25:38 And so she was still so attached. It was that mind of just attachment. She couldn't let him go on. She couldn't, you know, live her own life. And finally, eventually, she did. She just let go of it and went on with her life. But that's just familiarizing the mind with that mind of attachment, right? Which we do all the time, right? Or aversion. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:38 Highlight the passage at 1:25:38

1:26:01 You know, I don't like this and I hate this or I hate him for saying this. I hate the sound of his voice. And we just say that over and over in our minds and then eventually it becomes so solid and real. That's what follows us from life to life. We run back into that person in their new form and it's like instant hatred and we're kind of like, I don't know why I took a dislike to him, but I just couldn't stand him immediately. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:01 Highlight the passage at 1:26:01

1:26:23 And it was just because we trained ourselves. So this is trying to train ourselves in a positive way. So we already have the capacity to do this stuff, but we just now are doing, you know, crazy things like letting our past partners, not letting them move on with their lives after we die, you know, and things like that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:23 Highlight the passage at 1:26:23

1:26:45 Suddenly this tiny little munchkin comes in, why did you take my things, you know. The guy's like, oh my God, she's back. Yeah. the Elgin. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:45 Highlight the passage at 1:26:45

1:26:58 That's interesting, though, because we already know how to do this, but now it's just talking about now using those same skills or those same qualities of mind and doing it for virtue instead of non-virtue. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:58 Highlight the passage at 1:26:58

1:27:12 Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:12 Highlight the passage at 1:27:12

1:27:17 So kind of go in line with what you were just saying. The University of Virginia has been doing a 40 to 50 year study on thousands of children throughout the world who claim to have memories of previous lives. Yeah, that's what I think this one came from actually. Yeah, it sounds like it. And they have really, really interesting stories and they've been investigating that. And the psychologist involved in it right now just published a book called Life Before Life. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:17 Highlight the passage at 1:27:17

1:27:41 It's really cool. Life Before Life. That's cool. Yeah. I just saw some of the stories from, we actually have a copy of some of the stories just from the studies, but it's not like pulled together into sort of, because he, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is, it is. Along those lines, I forget the name of the researcher, but he was a psychologist, and I think he recently passed away, but the first book that, and he did this research over like, As he said, hundreds of reports of reincarnation. He went out and did the science, basically. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:41 Highlight the passage at 1:27:41

1:28:27 One of the books I do remember, it's called 20 Cases Suggested of Reincarnation. That's from that same study. It's from the UVA study. He also put out another set of studies looking at the locations of scars that people are born with. And weird birthmarks and correlated that with, you know, the past life memories that these people have. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:27 Highlight the passage at 1:28:27

1:28:52 And he'd find that, you know, this weird birthmark on this guy's chest correlated with, you know, where he just got blasted with a shotgun. Right. Yeah. Very interesting. Single. Yeah. Single has also, I mean, in some cultures, it's. It's totally much more accepted, which is why, of course, a lot of these studies, they go to places like India where people just talk about this, and they're at least more accepting of it, even if they don't fully understand it. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:52 Highlight the passage at 1:28:52

1:29:18 Mongolia is also another place where they talk about reincarnation, and Singhal has told some wild stories, and they'll be like, well, we found her again because this baby was born, and right where he had been shot in his last life, he had this huge... Report an error in the passage at 1:29:18 Highlight the passage at 1:29:18

1:29:33 Scar, yeah, or whatever, like somebody who died in a car accident and they found because there was like a cut right where the head was cut. It's just like wild stuff, you know, and it's just like who knows if it's true, but who knows if it's not. That's the thing, and that's what His Holiness always says too. Nobody's been able to not prove it's true either, you know, so, you know, who knows. There's enough that's very interesting about it, you know, to keep us going. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:33 Highlight the passage at 1:29:33

1:30:01 Anyway, why don't you, it's 8.30, why don't you take a break and then we'll come back and we'll just kind of go through pulling it all together, pulling it all together into the end. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:01 Highlight the passage at 1:30:01

1:30:36 Because there's negativity, the negativity allowed that little body that we've all had, you know, so it's not like we're so high and mighty, they just exhaust. about that. Watch out. out. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:36 Highlight the passage at 1:30:36

1:30:45 Fortunately, with negative karma, nothing lasts forever, just like, unfortunately, with positive karma, nothing lasts forever. Oh, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:45 Highlight the passage at 1:30:45

1:30:56 Well, whether he's trying to intentionally or not, he is getting good imprints, because he's hearing an entire class on Buddhism, and he's getting all of the imprints of, like, he's walking sometimes. Sometimes I'll actually think about that when I'm reading a book, and if a little sentient being walks across it, I'll be like, okay, just through the merit of... Report an error in the passage at 1:30:56 Highlight the passage at 1:30:56

1:31:15 Walking across this page of Dharma, may you get a precious human rebirth immediately. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:15 Highlight the passage at 1:31:15

1:31:46 Yeah, it exhausts and then fortunately they've used up everything. I mean the good thing with the hell realms is that fortunately it does exhaust and then what's left is positive so then you move up. But of course the opposite is true for what they call the god realms or the deva realms is that you just use it all up and then there's nothing left. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:46 Highlight the passage at 1:31:46

1:31:20 you know Report an error in the passage at 1:31:20 Highlight the passage at 1:31:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:32:09 They actually say it's better for us to be reborn human because we have more chance to have suffering as well as happiness and to get some understanding of the teachings that way. Because if we're too happy or we're too suffering, there's no chance. We're too absorbed by either, too distracted by either. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:09 Highlight the passage at 1:32:09

1:32:32 Or we're just stuck on a puja table going around and around. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32:32

1:32:57 fly comes in, and house is clean, there's something that's flying around. automatically happens. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:57 Highlight the passage at 1:32:57

1:33:10 So just put him outside. Just catch him and put him outside. And then that way at least you're not creating any negativity by killing him. But you're just moving him outside. Although... Actually, Rita again. Rita said, I think I'm creating the karma to be constantly put out of people's houses. She goes, because I'm not going to kill him. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:10 Highlight the passage at 1:33:10

1:33:39 There's never even a chance that I'll kill him. But instead, I'm just constantly moving people out of their house. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:39 Highlight the passage at 1:33:39

1:33:50 Mind training. It's mind training. Yeah, because it feels like it's automatic, but it's actually what's happening is there's aversion, and that aversion is based on ignorance, and that aversion is leading us to do... The negative action and the negative action is creating the negative karma and we're just keeping the cycle going. So beginning to dissect it, so when one of those situations happens, you don't even just beat yourself up. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:50 Highlight the passage at 1:33:50

1:34:14 Use it as the subject of your meditation. Sit down and look at it and go, okay, what just happened there? Because I wanted not to and then I just did that. So what happened? Because it feels like it's automatic, but it's actually a series of events happening, mental events happening. And we've been following that without ever even analyzing it from lifetime, you know, since beginning this time, as I say, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:14 Highlight the passage at 1:34:14

1:35:04 Actually, according to Buddhism, the plant isn't a sentient being because it doesn't have a mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:04 Highlight the passage at 1:35:04

1:35:14 That's why it's hard, actually. As monks and nuns, we're actually not supposed to garden and stuff because it's almost impossible to have plants and to not kill. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:14 Highlight the passage at 1:35:14

1:35:25 However, that being said, you just try to not intentionally to kill. So, yeah, I mean, in that case, yeah, in that case, probably what would have been better is as much as you could to take them off individually. It does get difficult because they're often so tiny. They're like the size of this guy who has now disappeared. Hard to see. Nope, that's not him, actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:25 Highlight the passage at 1:35:25

1:35:48 That's a piece of smudge. Yeah, that was there before when he was walking by. No, it's just a piece of smudge. I know often I'll have entire, like... Ceremonies for a piece of smudge and retreat, you know, like something I'll think is a dead sentient being. So I'll like take it around something and do this whole thing and pray for it. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:48 Highlight the passage at 1:35:48

1:36:06 And then I'll be like, oh, it's dirt. Yeah. Schmutz. Okay. But yet again, it's just like trying to figure out another way to do it because we just automatically. Especially in our culture, we have entire businesses that are based on destruction of animals. Yeah, and that's okay. Even not hunting anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:06 Highlight the passage at 1:36:06

1:36:29 We all think we're all so high and mighty compared to the hunters of the rural areas, but we have entire businesses that exterminate or whatever. Or plants, put it all over our plants to kill everything and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:29 Highlight the passage at 1:36:29

1:36:45 Yeah, just experimenting with different, with new ways to think about it and maybe asking friends because somebody might have an idea or even go online now. I've gone online for stuff because actually when I first got the cats, I went online to find out what would happen in the absolute worst case if they got fleas because that's always been my biggest fear because we can't kill them. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:45 Highlight the passage at 1:36:45

1:37:05 So what would we do? And so I actually, there's a lot of stuff out there. So I just got like, okay, I saved a lot of it, you know, just in case. so, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:05 Highlight the passage at 1:37:05

1:37:23 What? Offer to who? I You're going to go practice? You're going to work on your mind while you're eating those momos? Okay, good. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:23 Highlight the passage at 1:37:23

1:37:41 Okay, we're going to start again, you guys. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:41 Highlight the passage at 1:37:41

1:37:54 I understand that it's really not that practical in Tibet, but especially as opposed to Hinduism, how does Buddhism justify not being vegetarian? This comes up every single class I've ever taught. I've always wondered that. Yeah, I mean, actually I think if you go to the top, His Holiness actually feels like if we can be vegetarian, to be vegetarian. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:54 Highlight the passage at 1:37:54

1:38:18 Again, it's individual and people have to know what's going on in their body, in their mind and so forth. Again, it's not an excuse to tell people what to do, which we often like to make it. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:18 Highlight the passage at 1:38:18

1:38:29 If you can, it's definitely much better. And I've actually had teachers say, And I actually believe it myself and I am eating meat again for the, you know, in the last few years that I hadn't been because I'm having a lot of different health issues coming up. There's surprising things of older age. So I actually believe this is true. I can't believe that there's not some negative karma for ordinary beings who eat meat. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:29 Highlight the passage at 1:38:29

1:38:59 I'm not saying for somebody like Chodron Rinpoche. I don't know what happens there. I think it's something completely different is happening. But for ordinary beings who eat meat, especially with a mind of attachment, I actually feel that there is some negative karma that's created and that it's some form of killing karma even though it's not directly killing. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:59 Highlight the passage at 1:38:59

1:39:17 However, that being said, I think individuals have to decide what they can do and what they can't do. So one of the ways that His Holiness makes it very accessible, he says, well, If you can't be vegetarian all the time, at least try to be vegetarian sometimes. He said, me and myself, I do every other day. He's every other day vegetarian because he tried to be vegetarian and then something happened with his health and then, yeah, his doctor sort of kicked in. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:17 Highlight the passage at 1:39:17

1:39:45 Well, I'm sure he did as a prince, but I have also heard with the Theravadans that they had a tradition that whatever was offered, they would eat. And that's a mind training thing in and of itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:45 Highlight the passage at 1:39:45

1:39:57 Yes, so then there's... Report an error in the passage at 1:39:57 Highlight the passage at 1:39:57

1:40:04 Right, it was poisoned also. I think it was poisoned. Yeah, it was actually poisoned. Yeah, I think. Anyway. Okay. Of course, once again, I've planned to offer too many things here. So I'm just going to go through your whole day. These are all the possibilities with everything we've already talked about, how to draw all this stuff in. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:04 Highlight the passage at 1:40:04

1:40:33 And then, I mean, probably the overwhelming thing that you're going to get from this class is that practice is not just what you do on a cushion in front of an altar, you know, according to some formal tradition. It's not just formal. It's everything, everything from the, everything that's in your mind from the moment that you go to sleep, the moment you wake up, how you go through your day, all the way leading back to your going back to sleep again, you know, and then all the way, of course, until your death. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:33 Highlight the passage at 1:40:33

1:41:01 It's always how we're working with our minds. So it starts when, you know, if we think about a daily practice, it starts when we wake up in the morning, just like we were talking about, before you even leave the bed, or at least when you first sit down, really trying to focus on your motivation, going through those preparatory practices. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:01 Highlight the passage at 1:41:01

1:41:23 You know, we're talking about cleaning the space, setting up your altar, all of that. All of that is working with our minds. No matter how it may look like something with your body from the outside, but it's all working with our minds. And then we talked about at one point where, you know, if you were meditating, for example, on some of the topics of the lamrim, continuing to wear your lamrim glasses when you leave. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:23 Highlight the passage at 1:41:23

1:41:46 So if you're meditating on precious human rebirth, which is what we just did in the drop-in meditation, then for the rest of your day, trying to keep the precious human rebirth glasses on. So you're thinking about, you know, it's coming up for you as you're waiting in line, as you're, you know, looking for a parking space, as you're coming in the door to the center, as you're, after you yell at somebody, maybe not as you're yelling at somebody. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:46 Highlight the passage at 1:41:46

1:42:16 It's just coming up for you through the day. Parts of your meditation are continuing to permeate your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:16 Highlight the passage at 1:42:16

1:42:25 and then, um, uh. The yoga of work, which I didn't really talk about because we ran out of time, but really trying to transform every aspect of our work, no matter what our work is. Some work is obviously more helping professions and so forth, but I've done this when I was a massage therapist and when I was a labor coach. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:25 Highlight the passage at 1:42:25

1:42:49 Those are easy. Those are easy ones because you're helping somebody who's either in pain or somebody who's going through a really intense and often scary thing. But you can also dedicate bookkeeping. It doesn't have to be something like that. I was thinking about that and doing some bookkeeping the other day. It's just like, you know, may this benefit, you know, may this be of benefit and may any money I get from it also be of benefit to others, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:49 Highlight the passage at 1:42:49

1:43:15 So I'm really just trying to, so that my motivation is not just about... You know, me, me, me, me, me. Again, it's like trying to think of the overarching benefit of the work that we do, even if we can't fully see it in the moment. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:15 Highlight the passage at 1:43:15

1:43:38 And everything that's coming at you during the day, all the different appearances, remembering karma. Remembering how they're reflections of our own mind, taking them as teachings. All of these things are useful. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was talking about that mantra, everything that's happening to me is the creation of my own mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:38 Highlight the passage at 1:43:38

1:44:06 Everything that I'm seeing, every appearance that I'm seeing is the creation of my own mind. The yoga of eating. like Report an error in the passage at 1:44:06 Highlight the passage at 1:44:06

1:44:14 You know, transforming the food that we're consuming, the way we did on Saturday, but also the way we've talked about where you're really visualizing that energy is going, you're offering the food to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas and then all of their blessings, all their inspiration, all of their excellent qualities come back in the form of light and enter the food and then you eat that food and then maybe that first bit goes down into Report an error in the passage at 1:44:14 Highlight the passage at 1:44:14

1:44:45 The Buddha at your heart and you feed that Buddha. He or she sends that incredible. You feel like their bodhicitta just gets stronger and fills you up. Food doesn't have to be a boring mundane activity or just an attachment fest either. It doesn't have to be stuffing the momos in. Each momo can become this incredible. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:45 Highlight the passage at 1:44:45

1:45:15 A transformative experience of transforming that momo into nectar and offering it to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas or even all sentient beings. Imagine rains of momos on all of the planet, over all the planet. Vegetarian momos where those are wanted and meat momos where they are. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:15 Highlight the passage at 1:45:15

1:45:39 Actually it could be. Momos are not light. Momos are like... Dumplings, you know, they're kind of like dumplings, yeah. Tibetans, the Tibetan. It can be anything in it, and Sengal has proved that. She's actually figured out all sorts of variations on it, you know, sometimes spinach, potatoes, cabbage, different things she's tried. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:39 Highlight the passage at 1:45:39

1:46:03 Tofu, I've actually, Tenzin Lama did some really good ones out of tofu. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:03 Highlight the passage at 1:46:03

1:46:11 And then like thinking about all the different... Ways that we go through the day, you know, and then sitting down at the end of the day and asking, Report an error in the passage at 1:46:11 Highlight the passage at 1:46:11

1:46:46 sitting Report an error in the passage at 1:46:46 Highlight the passage at 1:46:46

1:47:04 down at the end of the day and asking ourselves how we did, whether we lived up to our motivation, how we didn't and how we did. So you have to always remember to rejoice as well as to purify. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:04 Highlight the passage at 1:47:04

1:47:17 I think our culture can be very, very heavy on the purification. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:17 Highlight the passage at 1:47:17

1:47:24 Which is great, but I think it comes from the Judeo-Christian background that we're really bad. So we had to be careful of not just, you know, beating ourselves up every night and forgetting about the good things that we did. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:24 Highlight the passage at 1:47:24

1:47:37 Really, really trying to, I had one teacher who said, and I think this is a great practice, if you find, to stick with some regular amount every day. Three good things you did and three bad things. So don't think about every horrible thing you did from the moment you woke up. Limited and equal. Give equal voice to the good things. Even if the bad things were really horrendous and the good things, the best you can do is brought Chokyi a glass of water. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:37 Highlight the passage at 1:47:37

1:48:05 That's okay. Chokyi appreciated it. And probably all the people in the class did too. They don't have to equal each other, but just come up with three of each so that you don't go too heavy on the purification practices. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:05 Highlight the passage at 1:48:05

1:48:22 And I'm saying this to somebody who does. I think I can often find, because I have a... A very self-critical mind. I think it's quite easy for me to, and of course that translates as a mind that's critical of others too, so we really want to catch it in ourselves. It starts with ourselves. We want to start rejoicing in our own good qualities because then we can actually see that in others. We're more likely to see it in others, which is where we want to go. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:22 Highlight the passage at 1:48:22

1:48:49 And then the yoga of sleep, you know, how we lie down, how we think about how we prepare for death. That's all considered the yoga of sleep. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:49 Highlight the passage at 1:48:49

1:48:59 And again, even trying to make some determination that in that sleep I won't lose my, you know, vows, I won't lose my determination to hold on to bodhicitta, whatever happens in the dreams. I'll try to help others in my dreams, you know. I mean, it's really, it works if we set our mind very strongly practicing with how we dream our dreams. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:59 Highlight the passage at 1:48:59

1:49:25 It can be a practice for going through the death process. We practice with how we go to sleep. And then again, those practices of maybe reading something virtuous to permeate your mind, maybe lying down and visualizing that I'm placing my head in the lap of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:25 Highlight the passage at 1:49:25

1:49:45 When you wake up, lately I've been waking up because Bodhi will get next to me and just yell, which is a new habit and not altogether unpleasant. So I'll wake up. She's sitting next to me on the pillow looking at me. But you should actually, the minute you wake up, try to remember again however you went to sleep. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:45 Highlight the passage at 1:49:45

1:50:07 If you went to sleep thinking about lying your head in the lap of the Buddha, try to remember you're waking up in the lap of the Buddha. Take that moment. Then you can actually imagine that that Buddha melts into light and enters the crowd and descends into your heart. So you can dissolve that Buddha visualization. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:07 Highlight the passage at 1:50:07

1:50:25 If something wakes you up suddenly in the night or when you wake up, you can use that as a practice too because things like that, I mean think about, I remember, I think I, did I mention it in here? I was, we had an earthquake when we had first moved in here and I was, my singles room was in my office at that point downstairs and I kind of ran running out, it was a big earthquake, I came running out of that and And the LPP office was there, and when Rubina said, did you think of your guru? And I stopped and I thought, well, actually I should have, shouldn't I? Report an error in the passage at 1:50:25 Highlight the passage at 1:50:25

1:51:05 I didn't, so now I better. You know, so it could be a practice. You wake up suddenly, a loud noise on the street or somebody in the house or crash, you know. Death happens like that. So, you know, that can be your time to test yourself. who. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:05 Highlight the passage at 1:51:05

1:51:21 The same is true, of course. All those times that we think of as sort of problems, they can all be times that we test ourselves. If you have turbulence on a plane, test yourself. What if you do go down? What happens? How are you going to motivate your mind so that you're ready? I actually try to make a little prayer that, okay, if this plane goes down, can I remember to be nice to the people around me? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:21 Highlight the passage at 1:51:21

1:51:43 Can I help them? Can I remember to help them? And then however I die, can I take rebirth? In some way that benefits others. I practice saying it because if I don't practice saying it, then I'll never actually believe it and I'll certainly never go into death that way. You just practice with those little like kind of moments or just when the plane takes off or lands because that's when most of it happens, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:43 Highlight the passage at 1:51:43

1:52:08 So practice with those little things. Practice when you're sick, you know. It's all, those are all really valuable times to practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:08 Highlight the passage at 1:52:08

1:52:21 So just training the mind, just training the mind. And then when we wake up, again, remembering, as Lama Zopa always says, how amazing that I woke up like this. How amazing I still have this body. How amazing that I didn't die in the night and that I have this day. How amazing, how extremely lucky, he says, that I still have this body. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:21 Highlight the passage at 1:52:21

1:52:46 And Venerabino used to always just say, we just take it for granted. We just take it for granted. Know that I have everything exactly the same. So sometimes I try to really think about that. I wake up and I look around the room and it's like, the room's still here. Stop the body. It's still there. And to be surprised. To practice being surprised rather than just like, of course it's still here. Because we just assume we're going to go on forever. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:46 Highlight the passage at 1:52:46

1:53:11 We aren't going to go on forever. The karma exhausts for us as well. Good karma exhausts as well as negative karma. Everything changes. So just practice that. Practice thinking about that. And then try to train ourselves. I mean Rinpoche has all these different little things of like when you get up you say I get up to help others. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:11 Highlight the passage at 1:53:11

1:53:34 I go to the bathroom to help others. I mean just training your mind. I'm getting this cup of tea to help others. I'm drinking this cup of tea to help others. I'm going to work to help others. Even if I'm going to work to make some money so that I can do things to support myself. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:34 Highlight the passage at 1:53:34

1:53:52 It doesn't have to be for a totally mundane reason. We can do other things. If I have this life and I'm able to live, then I can use that life in so many amazing ways. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:52 Highlight the passage at 1:53:52

1:54:04 So I'm getting up, I'm waking up to help others, I'm getting up to help others. You know, I'm dying to help others. But we won't think that if we haven't trained ourselves. So it's like, it's just beginning to train ourselves. And actually, it's almost like if we do that... Like John was saying, before you even leave the bed, the mind's almost still kind of fuzzy. It becomes more, it goes in deeper in a way. The practice goes in deeper in a way. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:04 Highlight the passage at 1:54:04

1:54:37 So you can actually start, if you're starting your session, you know, we go back to the idea of before you sit down, if you feel like it, you can arrange your offerings on your altar, do your prostrations and then sit down. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:37 Highlight the passage at 1:54:37

1:54:55 And then you go through, if you are doing your practice here, the one that you got in here, you can do the practice of using some sort of a visualization of Shakyamuni Buddha or your guru. In Tantra there's Guru Yoga and Shakyamuni Buddha in this case is actually standing in for Guru Yoga and it's a really powerful practice. Especially that absorption at the end, like we did in the meditation tonight. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:55 Highlight the passage at 1:54:55

1:55:24 For the drop-in meditation, your mind and the enlightened mind and your body and the enlightened body and your speech and the enlightened speech all become one. Really holding that thought and keeping that thought. And often at that point, that absorption, that's where you actually would do a concentration meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:24 Highlight the passage at 1:55:24

1:55:46 You would go ahead and do your meditation on the breath right there. You might even do a lamrim meditation there, depending. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:46 Highlight the passage at 1:55:46

1:55:56 Really taking some time every day to think about karma and how it works. Some little bit about how karma works. Some little bit about how the cause of saṃsāra and the cause of all of my suffering is karma and delusions. They say these two, karma and kleshas. So really thinking about how they work. And if you don't know that much, trying to find a way to find out. Either taking classes or reading a little something. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:56 Highlight the passage at 1:55:56

1:56:23 Really understanding karma is hugely important. And understanding bodhicitta, really studying it, you know, bodhicitta is not just compassion. It's based on compassion. We have to understand bodhicitta. We'll never ever get out of this. So understanding a little bit about bodhicitta and trying to remember that. And then emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:23 Highlight the passage at 1:56:23

1:56:45 Understanding emptiness. Understanding what we mean by emptiness. Rinpoche actually talks about meditating even the tiniest amount on emptiness every single day because otherwise we'll never rip the roots of suffering out. We never will. We won't be able to cut suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:45 Highlight the passage at 1:56:45

1:57:08 But in order to meditate on emptiness, you have to understand emptiness, at least at the simplest explanation of emptiness. Things don't exist the way I think that they do. And if we keep repeating that to ourselves enough time, at some point when life feels like it's coming at you, you'll remember it. You'll be like, wait, this isn't really happening the way it feels like it's happening. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:08 Highlight the passage at 1:57:08

1:57:33 Even if you remember it. Oh, he just left. Did you see? He just took off. Maybe it's Lama Yeshe. I think it's Lama Yeshe. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:33 Highlight the passage at 1:57:33

1:57:45 The whole time I was doing a Vajra Safra retreat, we had these white moths, and I always thought, every time I saw them, I thought, it's Lama Yeshe, he's just coming in. It would always be at some point where something was happening in the group or something, suddenly this little white moth would come through, or people were having some emotional reaction, or I was having an emotional reaction, suddenly this little white moth would come through. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:45 Highlight the passage at 1:57:45

1:58:05 And why not? Why wouldn't it be Lama Yeshe? This is practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:05 Highlight the passage at 1:58:05

1:58:13 Meditating on the lamrim, so finding some way to guide yourself through the lamrim. Maybe it's coming to the drop-in meditations and learning the lamrim. Maybe it's studying Babanka Rinpoche's books or any of the lamrim texts that we've talked about, including the modern ones with Yangshi Rinpoche or Thubten Chodron. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:13 Highlight the passage at 1:58:13

1:58:32 Getting to know the lamrim meditations and then going through them over and over and over again. And if you have doubts, using that doubt is part of the meditation. You know, debate with yourself. Doubt is totally fine. That allows us to check up. That allows us to question stuff. You know, it's actually, you know, often we just think, well, I shouldn't doubt. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:32 Highlight the passage at 1:58:32

1:58:55 I should believe this. Or, you know, if I really like this teacher and he said this, then I'll just say I believe it, but I don't. You know, we have to admit when we don't believe something and then just start trying to figure out why. Like, is it just because? Our Sunday school teacher 50 years ago told us that. We have to figure out why it is that we believe in certain things and how much of it is actually an innate belief and how much of it is actually something that was taught to us. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:55 Highlight the passage at 1:58:55

1:59:24 And we haven't ever reasoned out any of it. We've just bought it lock, stock and barrel. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:24 Highlight the passage at 1:59:24

1:59:33 So the basic gist of this class, hopefully, is that daily practice actually never ends. It just flows from one moment of one day from the beginning of the day to the end of the day to the next. It just moves in from every activity that we do, whether we're sitting or we're walking or we're working or we're waking up or we're going to sleep or we're sick or we're healthy or we're in the shower or we're in our car or we're out. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:33 Highlight the passage at 1:59:33

2:00:04 Wherever it is that we're doing, it's all practice. It's all practice. And there's no better practice than the other. I mean, we actually have to do it all. We have to do the formal practice and we have to do all the other 23 and three quarters hours of the day of practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:04 Highlight the passage at 2:00:04

2:00:27 And then this is final. This is the final thing. It's just talking a little bit about retreat. Retreat basically, I mean, Lama Zopa actually says retreat is retreating from, you know, delusions. Retreat is... Retreating from self-cherishing mind. Retreat is retreating from the eight worldly concerns. So you're not retreating from society. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:27 Highlight the passage at 2:00:27

2:00:51 You're working with your mind, so you're trying to create conditions that you can actually work with your mind, whether your retreat is a morning or whether your retreat is, as Elizabeth is doing now, three years. You know, it doesn't matter. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:51 Highlight the passage at 2:00:51

2:01:07 It's creating the conditions that you can work with your mind in the amount of time that you can afford to do. So maybe that's every Sunday morning from 10 to 12. Or maybe it's one Sunday morning every three months, you know, realistically speaking. Or maybe it's going for a weekend someplace. Somehow, or maybe never even leaving your house, giving up your computer and your phone for a weekend, giving it to somebody else if you can't say no, and just doing some practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:07 Highlight the passage at 2:01:07

2:01:42 And if you get the chance, going to a center like Vajrapani, our sister center in the Santa Cruz Mountains, or Landa Mendocin Buddha, a center that is really, especially... Especially Vajrapani is a retreat center. That's really all they do. And getting a taste of it maybe by going in a group and doing a little group retreat so it's less scary. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:42 Highlight the passage at 2:01:42

2:02:06 And then eventually maybe renting a cabin even if it's for just two days. Going down, letting yourself sort of settle in and taking some of your notes even from this class alone and just working with it. you know, otherwise. Otherwise, this stuff never really moves beyond, as Tenzin Shoki says, it never moves beneath the neck. It never goes into our gut. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:06 Highlight the passage at 2:02:06

2:02:34 It never really goes deeply into our mind. We can get all sorts of practice during the day. We can get all sorts of practice experience in the mornings in our meditation. But really, when I think about the times... That have changed my life in some really huge way. It's always for me been in retreat. When I was able to sort of leave those daily conversations, especially those daily conversations, and you're only focused on working with your mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:34 Highlight the passage at 2:02:34

2:03:03 You don't really have any other reason for being there. You're not even going to try to study. Because with a formal retreat, you're not really supposed to read anything except maybe a simple... Report an error in the passage at 2:03:03 Highlight the passage at 2:03:03

2:03:17 Commentary on the practice you're doing. But otherwise, that's it. So you're not even doing a lot of reading because believe you me, you want to. You're not trying to do anything else. You're not trying to learn Tibetan because believe me, you want to do something. You're not doing anything but meditating on the lamrim, say, if we're doing the lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:17 Highlight the passage at 2:03:17

2:03:40 You're not doing anything but letting yourself go deeper and deeper in the lamrim meditations. And letting your mind open up to them. That's all you're doing. That's all that you are trying to do. And then on the breaks you're just going out and allowing your mind to rest and look at the sky. That's really all you're doing. It's profound. Because we're stopping, we're slowing down this crazy pace that we live our lives at and allowing these... Report an error in the passage at 2:03:40 Highlight the passage at 2:03:40

2:04:09 It's almost like our mind is like this hard, rocky soil. And the retreat is when we allow the sort of reins to just come in. They just come in. We're not trying to do anything else. We're just letting them in. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:09 Highlight the passage at 2:04:09

2:04:25 Sorry? No eating? Oh, no, you can knit. Not during session, I would say not. Yeah, yeah. That's a good, that's actually a good thing. You probably want to limit. No, that's actually not a bad thing to do because knitting allows, it actually is meditative in a way. Usually what we do is distract, distract, distract. So those things are what we leave behind. So there's no surfing the net. There's no phone calls with friends. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:25 Highlight the passage at 2:04:25

2:04:55 You know, there's no fixing huge meals. Really, you're just living simply. In fact, a good retreat center, they'll bring you the meal. You don't even have to fix it. You know, at Vajrapani, they bring you this great little, like, one of those picnic things. And it's like the lunch is hot. The dinner you heat up later, it's soup and salad, you know. You've got stuff for breakfast in your cabin or in the Ridge fridge. And there's really nothing else for you to do but work on your mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:55 Highlight the passage at 2:04:55

2:05:26 And believe me, you want to find something else to do. Yeah, did you have a question? Wait, did you have to use the talking stick? I had an opportunity to go to Spirit Rock twice with a friend of mine who's been guiding me in the Tibetan Buddhism. um... And he's a retired doctor, so he's got a bad back, so I had to drive him. But my whole day was just, I was so tensed and so just knotted up, trying to do this for him and go and be part of it. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:26 Highlight the passage at 2:05:26

2:05:55 And I got there, I was amazed. Very little talking. Was it a group retreat? It was individual, but there were people who stayed in cabins. Oh, I see. Yeah, yeah. But we just went for the day and just walked in these little tiny trails, and nobody said anything. It was about... Just going, just slowing down and going in. Slowing down and just not being, you know, like you said, on the phone or your computer or reading Dharma or reading books. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:55 Highlight the passage at 2:05:55

2:06:24 And that's a good example of how you can do a little retreat in just one day. Like just go somewhere quiet, right? Or even in your home. You just, you know, cover the things, you know, cover the TV, cover the whatever, the computer, whatever, so that you can just... I mean, it's really the best gift you can give your mind. And it's like we're so used to being hyped up all the time and moving really fast all the time that at first it actually takes a long time. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:24 Highlight the passage at 2:06:24

2:06:57 They say in a three-year retreat it takes like six months just to calm down. In a weekend retreat it takes like six hours. It takes like the first day to calm down because we're just like all the time. And even our entertainment is like this. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:57 Highlight the passage at 2:06:57

2:07:12 And so it's just like allowing yourself to just calm down and not really having a huge agenda. Maybe just, you know, maybe even you're doing the same meditation at every single session. Why not? Especially on a weekend, you know, or a day. It's not that long, you know. So it's really, I think retreat is, and I am not a major meditator. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:12 Highlight the passage at 2:07:12

2:07:38 What I would think of is a really... I'm a major meditator, but I have had profound experiences in retreat, and it's simply showing up. It's being willing to stay. It's being willing not to run away when things get hard. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:38 Highlight the passage at 2:07:38

2:07:54 And otherwise, this stuff never, it always stays intellectual. It always stays in your mind instead of, yeah, instead of going into your heart and going deeply. And I say in your conceptual mind, I mean, instead of going deeply into your mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:54 Highlight the passage at 2:07:54

2:08:10 I highly suggest it. And if you look, and Spirit Rock has guided retreats as well, and so does Vajrapani, and so does Land of Medicine Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:10 Highlight the passage at 2:08:10

2:08:23 Little short retreats that you get some sort of a taste of it, and then as you gain more confidence, then you know that you can do it yourself. And know that, too, that when you try to do it yourself, that you're going to be okay. Like, it'll be all right. There will be times that even when you're doing a retreat that you don't do things exactly right or your mind gets freaked out. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:23 Highlight the passage at 2:08:23

2:08:52 Somebody told me once when I was doing a retreat, if you want to send a note down or go see somebody because you feel like you're going crazy or something like that, they say actually wait 24 hours because you'll probably be fine the next day. That night you're like, oh, I need this. Could you send me this? And then you're like, I don't really need that. That's okay. Take it back out of the little container. You don't need to send it down to the caretakers to send you. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:52 Highlight the passage at 2:08:52

2:09:18 The mind creates all of this drama. We're used to following that drama all through our day. And so the retreat is actually a good time to see what our mind really does all the time. So I highly suggest it. And it's also when you feel ready for it to actually do a really formal retreat where you... Stay in silence and try not to see other people and so forth. It's really, really good to try when you're ready for it. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:18 Highlight the passage at 2:09:18

2:09:47 So questions and then we'll wrap up. Any questions about anything that you just said? Talking stick? What did you call this earlier? A talking stick. I was trying to figure out what that meant. I have been so blessed to like you still being here, being alive. And finding Buddhism, I've always been spiritually, I thought in tune. And I was raised Christian and then I started practicing the Lotus Sūtra. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:47 Highlight the passage at 2:09:47

2:10:26 And I had been doing that for about 15 years and slowly I've kind of gone towards the more Tibetan side. But I still have my altar. My Lotus Sūtra altar, and then I have an altar in my second bedroom, which is more Tibetan Buddhism. Is there a conflict with either of those? No, it's all Buddhism, right? I always just thought that the Lotus Sūtra was a beautiful thing, and when I was able to understand it, even though I didn't belong to the center anymore, I didn't want to give up my altar and my practice of the Lotus Sūtra. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:26 Highlight the passage at 2:10:26

2:11:09 I mean, I don't know anything much about it, but I think it sounds totally fine. I don't see why it would be. The sūtra is just the teachings of the Buddha, right? So I can't imagine that that would be any conflict. Even I've heard of people who are new to Buddhism and say they were raised Christian or even just culturally Catholic or something like that, and they might actually keep images of the Virgin Mary or Christ or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:09 Highlight the passage at 2:11:09

2:11:36 At some point probably you'd have to choose within two different traditions like that, but I have heard at first it's totally fine to combine them. And you hear these stories, right, like Jubus, you know, the Jewish Buddhists and people who really want to hold on to both identities. I do think at some point you do decide, you know, like which is my main path. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:36 Highlight the passage at 2:11:36

2:12:01 In that case, in this case, they're both Buddhists. I suppose still even, I have heard even with Tibetan Buddhism, you know, you sort of, after a while, you sort of attend teachings, get to know what the different schools say and then choose a school and just master it. I have heard that because you can confuse yourself. But in this case, basically you're talking about they're both teachings of the Buddha and they both will get you enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:01 Highlight the passage at 2:12:01

2:12:29 So I don't see. That there's any problem. We read sutras in our tradition all the time. So, yeah, I don't see any, there's no, nothing against it. I don't see any reason. Thank you. Sure. Do you have a question? Sure. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:29 Highlight the passage at 2:12:29

2:12:51 So, this is all, the whole experience, this has been an amazing class, by the way, thank you very much. The gist of getting... Because when I came in here, I was like, oh my God, what am I supposed to do? Well, oh my, whatever, I guess. Oh my Tara. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:51 Highlight the passage at 2:12:51

2:13:10 Kind of what I'm getting out of this is you just got to show up and practice and things kind of unfold. And be nice to yourself when you forget too. That's the other thing. Because we aren't all 100 % all the time. We screw up and, you know, do things that we regret and that's okay. I mean, it's not okay that you necessarily hurt somebody, but it is okay that you recognize that it's habit and that you try to do something about it. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:10 Highlight the passage at 2:13:10

2:13:37 And just keep studying and just keep evolving and everyone has their own path to it, right? Because I thought there was a formula when I came in. I'm like, check, you know, business mode, check, check, goals and objectives for this. Right. It's not like that. It's not like that. No, it's just constant mental evolution, basically. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:37 Highlight the passage at 2:13:37

2:13:58 You know, sometimes from lifetime to lifetime, definitely within this lifetime. So even if you don't believe in reincarnation, just work on this lifetime. I remember I had this one friend when I first got involved with Buddhism. He was like, well, what if, especially when I got ordained. I mean, this is this one friend who happens to be really good friends with both me and Tenzin Chokyi and we both got. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:58 Highlight the passage at 2:13:58

2:14:18 I was like, what happens when your two closest female friends both become Tibetan Buddhist nuns? And you're not Buddhist at all. But he said, well, what if you're wrong? What if this stuff isn't right? And I'm like, so I worked on my mind for a lifetime. Okay. You know, I could think of worst ways that I could spend my life. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:18 Highlight the passage at 2:14:18

2:14:35 I mean, it doesn't feel like it's a total waste. Even if the teachings on reincarnation and karma and emptiness aren't true. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:35 Highlight the passage at 2:14:35

2:14:45 There's all sorts of little bugs going on here. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:45 Highlight the passage at 2:14:45

2:14:51 I would say just on practice, and you're finding your own practice too, that there are... up. Yes. Doot, doot, doot. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:51 Highlight the passage at 2:14:51

2:15:05 there's... There's practices and teachings that intuitively at some point you'll be drawn to. I would say karmically rather than intuitively. Yeah, karmically. But then it's like... that at some point it's, Report an error in the passage at 2:15:05 Highlight the passage at 2:15:05

2:15:23 So what is calm abiding? Or you might be sitting here one day and it's like, well, but I'm saying gloop, but I want to read my palm on calm abiding. And to kind of keep your eyes open to that too and pursue it and follow that. Because I think those flows are really very important because when it comes up, it's like, oh, I need to study this now. That's coming from somewhere. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:23 Highlight the passage at 2:15:23

2:15:53 Totally, totally. Or the Lojong teachings. Suddenly somebody is doing a workshop and you're like, oh, that sounds really interesting and it could totally change your life. That could just be your practice and that's just what you want to do. I remember actually having that feeling in retreat one time when I was meditating on Lojong. I was like, this is it. This is it for me. This is my main practice in life for sure. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:53 Highlight the passage at 2:15:53

2:16:13 And that just originally came from a workshop kind of a thing. And then we have the whole story of Karen Villanueva who met... Green Tara at some point, it just went crazy, you know, it's just like Tara is her thing and you just don't know when it's going to happen like that. So stay open, keep your mind open and those practices, those teaching on practices will come up. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:13 Highlight the passage at 2:16:13

2:16:39 It's always empty though. You don't have to do anything. Yeah, that's good. Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 2:16:39 Highlight the passage at 2:16:39

2:16:55 Anyone else, Kara? Report an error in the passage at 2:16:55 Highlight the passage at 2:16:55

2:17:04 Perry, do you have a question? You sure? Okay. Anybody else? Do you have an answer? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:04 Highlight the passage at 2:17:04

2:17:16 He has lots of answers. All right. Well, thank you. This has been a great class. I really enjoyed it, as always. It shows me how much work I have to do with my own practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:16 Highlight the passage at 2:17:16

2:17:27 But you guys hear my voice, and I, unfortunately, hear my voice. don't know. Not when it's like reminding you when you're not doing as good a job as you'd like. So I have to take my own, whatever I'm teaching, I have to hear it as a lesson as well, which makes me quite grateful. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:27 Highlight the passage at 2:17:27

2:17:45 I'm really, really grateful to be able to teach. So please come on the 20th if you can. If you can't and you'd like to do some sort of a completion of the class, we could get together and have a cup of tea and have you talk about something for five or ten minutes too. That's okay too. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:45 Highlight the passage at 2:17:45

2:18:08 But let's do actually, if we could do, let's do some dedication prayers out of here because I didn't have you guys put out the gold books and that's fine. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:08 Highlight the passage at 2:18:08

2:18:21 I think that on page six, I think, we'll do the dedications on the right hand side. I think we'll just do them all. Through the merits of these virtuous actions. May I quickly attain the state of a Guru Buddha and lead all living beings without exception into that enlightened state. May the supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:21 Highlight the passage at 2:18:21

2:18:57 And may that which has arisen not diminish but increase more and more. Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra too realize things as they are, also I dedicate all these merits in the best way. that I may follow their perfect example. I dedicate all these roots of virtue with the dedication praised as the best the victorious thus gone ones of the three times so that I might perform the noble bodhisattva's deeds. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:57 Highlight the passage at 2:18:57

2:19:29 In the land encircled by snow mountains you are the source of all happiness and goodness. All-powerful Chen Resig. Please remain until saṃsāra ends. May my venerable Lama's life be firm, his white vine, ten directions, and the torch of the teachings of Lobsang always remain, dispelling the darkness of all beings of the three realms. Report an error in the passage at 2:19:29 Highlight the passage at 2:19:29

2:19:57 I dedicate whatever virtues I have ever collected, the benefit of the teachings of the sentient beings, and particularly for the essential teachings of venerable Lobsang Chokyi to shine forever. So that's Jason Kapa. It's the ordination name of Jason Kapa. Okay, thank you. Sorry? Report an error in the passage at 2:19:57 Highlight the passage at 2:19:57

2:20:21 Oh, maybe. Why? Report an error in the passage at 2:20:21 Highlight the passage at 2:20:21

2:20:31 On page six, there's one that says dedication of prayers at the top. It's really different if you're reading page seven. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:31 Highlight the passage at 2:20:31

2:20:43 Don't you hate that when that happens? Report an error in the passage at 2:20:43 Highlight the passage at 2:20:43

2:20:48 No, that's okay. Okay, thank you guys. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:48 Highlight the passage at 2:20:48

2:20:57 I'm telling you. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:57 Highlight the passage at 2:20:57

2:21:09 It begins. This is what happened last night. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:09 Highlight the passage at 2:21:09

2:21:31 Because I think somebody else has her little heart set on this. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:31 Highlight the passage at 2:21:31

2:21:41 Well, I was startled. It doesn't take off. It does. It makes you like that. I'm not practicing, giving me this to you. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:41 Highlight the passage at 2:21:41

2:21:45 oh, I just think more sense if you laid it down and all three of us can make it. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:45 Highlight the passage at 2:21:45

2:22:06 want to say anything that I regret using people's names. Report an error in the passage at 2:22:06 Highlight the passage at 2:22:06

2:22:15 night. I was saying it to the people listening. Everyone say goodnight! Report an error in the passage at 2:22:15 Highlight the passage at 2:22:15