Discovering Buddhism - Presenting the Path (12 January 2012)

0:03 -marking part of this. this is Report an error in the passage at 0:03 Highlight the passage at 0:03

0:10 subject for today and things Report an error in the passage at 0:10 Highlight the passage at 0:10

1:10 you see is what Report an error in the passage at 1:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10

1:17 are a few exceptions, but the they cover. Report an error in the passage at 1:17 Highlight the passage at 1:17

1:30 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:30 Highlight the passage at 1:30

1:37 there's there's there's a lot of lunch because it's it's based on Report an error in the passage at 1:37 Highlight the passage at 1:37

1:56 answer is called, this answer is a very horrible one. Report an error in the passage at 1:56 Highlight the passage at 1:56

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:45 Thank Report an error in the passage at 2:45 Highlight the passage at 2:45

2:49 you. Report an error in the passage at 2:49 Highlight the passage at 2:49

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3:59 resources online, Report an error in the passage at 3:59 Highlight the passage at 3:59

4:04 of the information is kind of confusing and inconsistent because everybody kind of has their own system. So a lot of what you see go and tell you, oh, you pronounce this this way, you pronounce this that way. % of what's online is the That's best. not how you pronounce Don't pronounce it that way. Report an error in the passage at 4:04 Highlight the passage at 4:04

4:54 No, I have a problem. Report an error in the passage at 4:54 Highlight the passage at 4:54

4:59 another one written by a Frenchman. Report an error in the passage at 4:59 Highlight the passage at 4:59

5:09 that's also good. Report an error in the passage at 5:09 Highlight the passage at 5:09

· · · silence, 8 minutes

13:28 It's not on, but I'm not holding 12 mics. Report an error in the passage at 13:28 Highlight the passage at 13:28

13:47 Hi, welcome. Are we starting a little bit late tonight because of the registration and printing some notes and so forth? Report an error in the passage at 13:47 Highlight the passage at 13:47

14:01 As people sometimes come in late because of parking and things like that, it's fine to do and it's just if people just welcome you and welcome the latecomers when they come in and you smile at them because you always feel horrible when you come in late to a class. And then also... I promise I won't bite if people want to move forward. That's great. It's actually harder if you come late to kind of have to come to the front of a class and sit in front. Report an error in the passage at 14:01 Highlight the passage at 14:01

14:28 Oh, also somehow the book that I put up for me, could somebody hand me that one there because somebody moved it, I guess maybe. Scott, when he was leading the meditation. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 14:28 Highlight the passage at 14:28

14:42 So my name is Chokyi and the name of the class is Presenting the Path. So hopefully you're in the right room. I'm going to start with a little, normally I like to start the class with a little meditation on the breath to kind of ground and center and allow anyone to come in who is still coming. Report an error in the passage at 14:42 Highlight the passage at 14:42

15:05 And then we'll start with a little motivation and then we'll do sort of an opening prayer that I usually do by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And that's usually the way I start all the classes, kind of to bring us all to the same page. So, hey Tina. Report an error in the passage at 15:05 Highlight the passage at 15:05

15:20 So, So that's what we'll do and at some point tonight we will also go around and introduce ourselves so that we all kind of meet each other because I see some new faces which I'm happy about. Report an error in the passage at 15:20 Highlight the passage at 15:20

15:32 Alright, so let's just start with a little meditation. If you're familiar with meditation you can go ahead and get into a comfortable posture although this won't be a long one. Report an error in the passage at 15:32 Highlight the passage at 15:32

15:44 If you're not familiar with meditation you can just... Sit comfortably and kind of upright so that your spine is straight. If you're in a chair, maybe move away from the back of the chair so you're not too comfortable at the end of a long day. Report an error in the passage at 15:44 Highlight the passage at 15:44

16:04 Just take some nice deep cleansing breaths, letting go of any conversations, any running around, any activity of the day. Just imagine breathing it right out. Imagine Report an error in the passage at 16:04 Highlight the passage at 16:04

16:21 breathing in what you need for tonight. Report an error in the passage at 16:21 Highlight the passage at 16:21

16:28 curiosity, alertness. Report an error in the passage at 16:28 Highlight the passage at 16:28

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17:19 some light into that too. Report an error in the passage at 17:19 Highlight the passage at 17:19

17:38 then we'll just focus on the breath for a few minutes. either at the level of your belly it expands and contracts with each breath. Report an error in the passage at 17:38 Highlight the passage at 17:38

17:51 find a little patch of skin just inside the tip of your nostril which is more subtle. just focus on that skin the sensation Report an error in the passage at 17:51 Highlight the passage at 17:51

· · · silence, 2 minutes

20:26 make anything a Dharma activity, a Buddhist activity. Report an error in the passage at 20:26 Highlight the passage at 20:26

20:32 try to set as positive a motivation as we can. Report an error in the passage at 20:32 Highlight the passage at 20:32

20:39 maybe it starts with just... Learning to work with our own minds so that we're happier, better people. And then we think about how that ripples out to everybody we're close to, the people we work with, the people we live with, so that we might benefit them. And Report an error in the passage at 20:39 Highlight the passage at 20:39

21:04 then what's called a bodhicitta motivation is when we imagine that rippling out in all directions to all living beings. That whatever happens in tonight's class, whatever insights we might gain, whatever... Positive energy we may create just in being here, listening, coming together as a class, learning about the Buddha's life and teachings, that that may somehow spread and benefit all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 21:04 Highlight the passage at 21:04

21:36 We'll Report an error in the passage at 21:36 Highlight the passage at 21:36

21:50 start with an opening prayer which is on page 8 in the book right in front of you. Some of them don't have pages but it has a picture of His Holiness on it. Report an error in the passage at 21:50 Highlight the passage at 21:50

22:14 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 22:14 Highlight the passage at 22:14

22:55 So we're going to start, I'll start with just saying a little something about myself and through the course of the class I'll sort of introduce myself and my connection with this particular topic and then I'll give you guys a chance to introduce yourselves as well. My name is Lobsang Chokyi and I just go by Chokyi and that's fine. A lot of people say what should I call you and it's like Chokyi. Report an error in the passage at 22:55 Highlight the passage at 22:55

23:22 It's okay. That's enough. Strange enough as it is. Sort of sounds like cookie, but not quite. So that's close enough. Just put the ch first and then go for cookie. Report an error in the passage at 23:22 Highlight the passage at 23:22

23:38 And I've been at Seichen Ling, gosh, I think this year now we'll make it 13 years. I've also been ordained about the same amount of time and kind of make the connection. Report an error in the passage at 23:38 Highlight the passage at 23:38

23:54 Actually, I got ordained the year after I came here, I think. But as a staff person, definitely it's been the same. And I met Buddhism in, well, I engaged, I took refuge in 1996. So when does that make it this year? I think I'm 16 this year. And actually... I just realized our practice day for this class will end up being on my 16th anniversary. It's an easy one to remember because it's Tibetan Independence Day, which is March 10th, which is kind of a cool anniversary for engaging with Tibetan Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 23:54 Highlight the passage at 23:54

24:21 I'm winning. Report an error in the passage at 24:21 Highlight the passage at 24:21

24:36 So I'll talk a little bit more about who I've studied with and things like that. The Lamas always do that for big teachings. If you ever go to like a public talk by His Holiness, he always talks about how I received these teachings from blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you know, and most of the time you're like Rinpoche, you know, you're trying to write it down, but he goes too fast. Report an error in the passage at 24:36 Highlight the passage at 24:36

24:57 So I'll promise not to go that fast, but I will mention some of my main teachers and so forth just out of respect for that tradition. I think it's always kind of nice to know who people study with and where they got their information from. But I'm going to start with just giving some logistics for the class. Report an error in the passage at 24:57 Highlight the passage at 24:57

25:15 I have some binders made and they actually are binders this time. Report an error in the passage at 25:15 Highlight the passage at 25:15