Preparing for Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows

0:00 When I'm going to go to the gym, I totally forgot about it, and I always wear a tank top. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:08 It's this old gym, it's a physical there when you go to the hospital, so it's like a bowl. You know, it's all symmetrical, it doesn't look like something beyond you, but if you just see the purple and you don't, you know, you're like... Report an error in the passage at 0:08 Highlight the passage at 0:08

0:55 So wherever this place is, that we're going this weekend, I take it that the breaks are like dinnertime break? There's some place to eat around? There's a great Thai restaurant, there's a Vietnamese restaurant, there's Mexican, there's pizza, like all in like three minutes of walking out the door. Report an error in the passage at 0:55 Highlight the passage at 0:55

1:16 And, you know, the break, I mean, it might, I mean, it might go over and then we take a break, but it should be plenty. Lama Tsongkhapa, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Report an error in the passage at 1:16 Highlight the passage at 1:16

2:13 Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva. You pay when you park, but I don't think anyone's there. You just put your money in an envelope. There's directions at the place. I can't imagine this guy wanting to stick around whenever just to collect. Report an error in the passage at 2:13 Highlight the passage at 2:13

2:34 It's funny, this guy was pulling into my apartment. This guy was reminiscing through our garbage. Do you collect cans? He's like, yeah. I have some sacks of them upstairs somewhere. I brought him two bucks. I'm like, yeah. I don't need these. don't do drugs, I don't need anything, I get drugs because I've got problems, I've got back problems, I get all the drugs I need. And I've got a marijuana problem but I'm smoking I see people go there that don't even look like they need to sell their hands. Report an error in the passage at 2:34 Highlight the passage at 2:34

3:21 Like when Mary lived there, you know, Mary, she would take, I think it's horrible, I don't really need to stop drinking that coke, Report an error in the passage at 3:21 Highlight the passage at 3:21

3:31 And she would just take all my cans and lots of money. I should have just kept them for myself. We used to keep all our Pellegrino bottles. All of our recycling and when our son Cody was small, he would have to help me take them all down there and sell all the glass and then he'd get to keep the money. Report an error in the passage at 3:31 Highlight the passage at 3:31

4:10 But anyway, yeah, he's got to gear him into recycling and stuff. And so that way there's tons of stuff that never went into our weekly recycling because I'm saving on new bottles. 200 pounds of Pellegrino bottles, you know, it's like it's the green glass, and finally I was just like, I can't do this anymore, I just gotta go out for the weekly recycling. Report an error in the passage at 4:10 Highlight the passage at 4:10

4:32 Was it worth it? For him it was, yeah it was awesome for him. you sort of meet in this critical mass of recycling in the garage because you would take it home and you just can't stand it. No, I just feel like people would be like, that's how I get in my little plastic bags. People in that way, whenever I, they come up down the street all the time and I just get a sack of them. So they don't have to take a, you know, I'm just like, I don't think It's actually a lot of money for the weekly recycling, that's actually a lot of money that the city would get. Report an error in the passage at 4:32 Highlight the passage at 4:32

5:08 So, with the city budget stuff, that's why they wanted to close down, like for instance the Haight-Ashbury Recycling Center, because, I mean years ago we didn't have local, you would have to take the recycling down there when we go out the way to the trash, but now, a lot of it, it's people stealing it out of the city recycling. Report an error in the passage at 5:08 Highlight the passage at 5:08

5:31 I don't know, it kind of makes feelings. doing that to survive and then they're just businesses doing it, they've got the Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:45 Oh yeah, the cardboard guys. Yeah, that's a whole other thing. Report an error in the passage at 5:45 Highlight the passage at 5:45

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7:23 starting online. Yeah. Full of joy. All right. Thank you. All right. Christine, you know she is always standing up. Report an error in the passage at 7:23 Highlight the passage at 7:23

7:39 Most style in the whole Dharma style. Of course, it's probably not the best. Report an error in the passage at 7:39 Highlight the passage at 7:39

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8:51 Fussing with my robes. stick. Report an error in the passage at 8:51 Highlight the passage at 8:51

7:53 love you. I love you. It's so early. Yeah. so fun. Report an error in the passage at 7:53 Highlight the passage at 7:53

· · · silence, 1 minute

9:15 Let's start with a little meditation on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 9:15 Highlight the passage at 9:15

9:31 So whether you're in a chair or on the floor, then just really extend your spine and take some nice deep belly breaths. Just Report an error in the passage at 9:31 Highlight the passage at 9:31

9:50 let go of your day. Report an error in the passage at 9:50 Highlight the passage at 9:50

10:01 And as your mind begins to calm down a little bit, try to focus on your breath as it enters and exits your belly or your nostrils, whichever one feels better for you. Just focus on that point. Report an error in the passage at 10:01 Highlight the passage at 10:01

10:17 And try to count ten in-breaths and out-breaths without losing. Report an error in the passage at 10:17 Highlight the passage at 10:17

· · · silence, 1 minute

11:26 And then we'll try to cultivate a motivation for tonight's class, Report an error in the passage at 11:26 Highlight the passage at 11:26

11:34 remembering as much as we can to try to make it not for ourselves alone, but so that we really can have the tools, the capacity, the wisdom, the joyful effort that we need to be able to benefit others. Report an error in the passage at 11:34 Highlight the passage at 11:34

11:59 And one of the ways to do that is to take the bodhisattva vows. So whether we do that in this life or our next life, may this class become the cause to taking these vows and using them as training wheels to get us enlightened so that we can benefit others perfectly. In Report an error in the passage at 11:59 Highlight the passage at 11:59

12:34 your own time you can end your meditation and we'll start with the opening prayer. Report an error in the passage at 12:34 Highlight the passage at 12:34

12:45 Which is on page 8 of your white prayer book. Report an error in the passage at 12:45 Highlight the passage at 12:45

12:58 What's going on here? Report an error in the passage at 12:58 Highlight the passage at 12:58

13:12 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 13:12 Highlight the passage at 13:12

13:49 All right. Welcome. So tonight we're going to, well, we have a plan. I like how I use the royal we. All of us up here. I have a plan to sort of talk a little bit about. Refuge and then talk about the bodhisattva vows. And I wondered if there is anyone here who has not taken refuge yet. Yeah, so there are. Okay, so good. I'll keep that plan. I thought, oh, if everybody was just here for the bodhisattva vows and we'd leap over and go for it. Report an error in the passage at 13:49 Highlight the passage at 13:49

14:31 So let's talk about refuge. So I'll start out talking about refuge a little bit, then I'll allow time for questions. And then we'll talk about the bodhisattva vows. The bodhisattva vows are quite extensive, and so I can only talk about the root vows tonight. And I can give you guys all a little bodhisattva vows booklet that has them in print. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

14:55 This is one set of vows that you're allowed to study before you take them, which is once you get into the higher vows, tantric vows, you can't. So it's a good opportunity, even if you're not ready to yet in this life, to take them. You can still look at them and think about them and so forth even before you take them. After the events are over, including the events at Gyoagetso, I'm going to teach a six-week course. Report an error in the passage at 14:55 Highlight the passage at 14:55

15:24 On the bodhisattva vows, we're going to go through all of the vows in a little more detail. So I would highly suggest if you have that class is more primarily for those people who have taken the vows. But again, you're welcome to come and you're welcome to study the vows in detail, even if you haven't taken them yet. It is good, of course, to do that with a mind of wanting to take them rather than simple curiosity or data gathering. Report an error in the passage at 15:24 Highlight the passage at 15:24

15:52 But that class and I meant to look up the dates and it just went out to you guys in emails. If you're on our email list, we just set the dates. I think it's something like March 25th on Friday nights, March 25th onward six times, whatever that ends up being. It's probably the end of April. I think the end of April it goes for six weeks. Yeah, I like that. Okay, so let's talk about refuge first. Report an error in the passage at 15:52 Highlight the passage at 15:52

16:21 And then also, if you aren't interested at all and you want to leave after we talk about refuge, and that's fine too. We just will avert our eyes. We don't know who you are. No peer pressure. That's right. No peer pressure. No dissing. That'll come up later. One of those vows. Okay. So we're going to talk a little bit about refuge. Report an error in the passage at 16:21 Highlight the passage at 16:21

16:40 And when you take refuge formally, there are commitments, although they aren't vows. Sometimes people call them vows. They actually aren't technically vows. Commitments. So we'll talk about that. There's 12 of those. And like I said, then I'll open up for questions. So unless something's really pressing, like I just completely start speaking another language and you don't understand me or something and need clarification on something that I said, otherwise wait till the end because it might be answered in the text. Report an error in the passage at 16:40 Highlight the passage at 16:40

17:14 Okay. So a little something about refuge. I like to talk about, well, there's a few things about refuge. Because I think a lot of times this word refuge, because we use it in English, it kind of conjures up something more like, you know, I guess like taking safe refuge in a harbor or something like that, or maybe even taking refuge in Grandma's apron or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 17:14 Highlight the passage at 17:14

17:46 It's kind of this, it has a kind of warmer, gooier feeling than I think the Buddha actually really meant. And so I like to really clarify that a little bit more because, again, like everything else in Buddhism, we really end up relying on ourselves. It ends up being a lot us that we're taking refuge in. So you don't even get out of it with refuge. It's not like somebody out there that you get to take refuge in and just you're off the hook, right? Report an error in the passage at 17:46 Highlight the passage at 17:46

18:15 You don't have to do anything anymore. Report an error in the passage at 18:15 Highlight the passage at 18:15

18:19 Tibetans, the Tibetan word, which I actually don't have in front of me, But the Tibetan word that they use for refuge actually translates not to refuge, but to inner being. So somebody who's taken refuge is an inner being, meaning that they have learned that everything is inside of them or us, and so they're no longer turning outside. Report an error in the passage at 18:19 Highlight the passage at 18:19

18:45 So at first when we go for refuge, we do say a lot, I go for refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, and we'll talk about what that means. Report an error in the passage at 18:45 Highlight the passage at 18:45

18:52 But it really ultimately is going to come down to us. So it's not like something outside of us. And like all of this, there's a lot of detail that I have to leave out in the interest of time. But there is an entire Discovering Buddhism class on refuge. And I don't know when we offer it again. It probably won't be for a while. Report an error in the passage at 18:52 Highlight the passage at 18:52

19:15 But I would suggest keeping your eyes open for it. And it's definitely worthwhile because it's a mind of refuge. It's not so much what you say in the morning and at night, you know, that's taking refuge too. And a lot of times like before class, you know, so if you come to Winnegeshala's classes or on the weekend, we're going to start with a refuge prayer, you know. Report an error in the passage at 19:15 Highlight the passage at 19:15

19:43 That's trying to kind of reignite the refuge that hopefully is already there. So those words are just trying to kind of snap our refuge back into. Report an error in the passage at 19:43 Highlight the passage at 19:43

19:56 But really, it's a mind. Lama Yeshe said, we do refuge. We don't take refuge. We don't say refuge. We actually do it all the time, is kind of what we're supposed to be doing, is trying to cultivate this mind that's constantly taking refuge. huge. Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:17 How do we get there? The basic situation that we're in is that we're trying to be happy all the time and we're trying to avoid suffering all the time. Report an error in the passage at 20:17 Highlight the passage at 20:17

20:26 And as soon as we notice suffering, we usually try to do something about it. And you could kind of call that a form of taking refuge. We're trying to end our suffering. So in that sense, taking refuge isn't Buddhist at all. It's something we've been doing our whole lives. And the Buddha would say, for many lifetimes we've been taking refuge, trying to end our suffering. The problem is, of course, is that it hasn't worked. Report an error in the passage at 20:26 Highlight the passage at 20:26

20:51 You know, we've done everything from turning to mommy to turning to chocolate. I guess he figured out that Westerners like chocolate. Report an error in the passage at 20:51 Highlight the passage at 20:51

21:02 We, you know, turn to our jobs. We turn to art. We turn to politics. We turn to relationships a lot, especially in the West. I think people turn to relationships a lot for refuge. Report an error in the passage at 21:02 Highlight the passage at 21:02

21:13 We want to take away our pain, right? And we want to try whatever we can to take away that pain. And so that's a kind of refuge, but it doesn't work. And the reason that those things are beings, other people or animals or whatever it is we've taken refuge in, the reason it doesn't work is because they aren't perfect. Report an error in the passage at 21:13 Highlight the passage at 21:13

21:35 They haven't removed their own suffering first. I can guarantee you chocolate hasn't. And it can't end our suffering and the causes of that suffering completely, you know. So we keep sort of exchanging one form of refuge for another, you know, like what we took refuge in as a little kid, or a baby even, is really different than what we take refuge in as a teenager, than what we take refuge in as a young adult, and often sort of what draws us to a spiritual path. Report an error in the passage at 21:35 Highlight the passage at 21:35

22:08 We keep trying all these refuges and they just keep not working and then we keep trying and then they keep not working. So we kind of are looking for something to take refuge in and we show up at a center like this or at a teaching or something like that or pick up a book at the library which is what I did. Report an error in the passage at 22:08 Highlight the passage at 22:08

22:27 So we keep trying all these different forms of refuge and some of them of course care very much about us so it's not even like They're horrible or anything like that, no matter what our parents were like or what our girlfriends or boyfriends or husbands or wives or whatever, if it's a person rather than a thing that we're taking refuge in. Report an error in the passage at 22:27 Highlight the passage at 22:27

22:50 They may care very much about us. They may want to remove our suffering, but there's just so much that we can do for another person. They aren't free of suffering themselves. They haven't been able to remove their own suffering. Report an error in the passage at 22:50 Highlight the passage at 22:50

23:08 So the Buddha says, actually, if we really want to remove our own suffering, we have to start looking at our own minds because all of the keys are there to remove. All that suffering that we experience actually originates in our own mind. And so we have to go deeply into our own mind. We have to stop looking outside of ourselves for the source of all of our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 23:08 Highlight the passage at 23:08

23:35 Source of all our happiness as well, you know. Often what we're just doing is distracting ourselves with these various things that we're taking refuge in. Definitely with chocolate we're distracting ourselves. Maybe we're distracting ourselves with some of the art and politics and work as well, just distracting. And it works for a little bit, right, and then the problems come back, you know. Report an error in the passage at 23:35 Highlight the passage at 23:35

23:56 And the Buddha actually would say that this was all kind of a colossal waste of time. I'm putting words in the Buddha's mouth. But in general he would because we still haven't gotten to the root of it. We still haven't figured out how to generate our own happiness, what even happiness is, what lasting happiness is, the form of happiness that's more like well-being or contentment. Report an error in the passage at 23:56 Highlight the passage at 23:56

24:25 or satisfaction than that kind of hyper-happiness of like leaping around the house, you know, and I got the job I want, or the person I want, or the parking space I want, or whatever it The Buddha would say basically that these external things that happen to us are conditions, but they aren't the causes for our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 24:25 Highlight the passage at 24:25

24:47 The causes of our suffering are... You know, one of his biggest, his very first teaching, the first noble truth that there is suffering and the second noble truth is that there is a cause and that cause is our karma and our afflicted states of mind. And karma is considered a working of the mind. So those karmic imprints from many, many lifetimes are carried within our most subtle mind. So both of these things have to do with our mind. Report an error in the passage at 24:47 Highlight the passage at 24:47

25:13 So we want somebody... Who knows how to work with the mind, who has worked with the mind, who has proven methods to work with the mind, and has freed him or herself from that suffering and found what happiness is. So it's like we just kind of want somebody who's done it. That's really what we're looking for, is somebody who knows how to get what it is that we're looking for. Report an error in the passage at 25:13 Highlight the passage at 25:13

25:41 Just like you would in a more conventional sense. If you want something, you want to learn something, you want to know how to do something, then you find somebody who knows how to do it, right? I mean, that kind of makes sense. Same thing with spiritual life. And we want somebody who's very reliable and unbiased. Report an error in the passage at 25:41 Highlight the passage at 25:41

26:01 You know, isn't going to suddenly turn on us like maybe our partners have in the past or parents have in the past or other, you know, chocolate has definitely turned on us suddenly. Report an error in the passage at 26:01 Highlight the passage at 26:01

26:16 So we want somebody who's perfect, somebody who's done it and somebody with great experience and a lot of methods that we can use. Those methods are proven methods, methods that can get us from where we are now to. Um. Um. Report an error in the passage at 26:16 Highlight the passage at 26:16

26:30 Where they are, you know. So when we talk about taking refuge, we talk about taking refuge in the three jewels. The Buddha, of course, being the main one when we think about it, because the Buddha's done it before. So it's like the person, the person with the map, the person who's been to the place we're trying to get to and has maps for us, you know, and has ways for us to get there. Report an error in the passage at 26:30 Highlight the passage at 26:30

26:57 But the actual Buddha jewel is that perfect mind itself. So it's not really that living being who lived 2,500 years ago who looks like this and sits like this and all that. It's actual perfect mind itself. The Dharma jewel, the relative Dharma are the teachings of the Buddha, right? Or the text, you know, that's what they sort of represent. But the Dharma jewel itself are the realizations of those teachings. Report an error in the passage at 26:57 Highlight the passage at 26:57

27:29 In the minds of especially Arya beings, but high bodhisattvas as well. So all those realizations that we want. And the Saṅgha jewel, those of us that wear these funny outfits are considered the relative Saṅgha, the conventional Saṅgha. But the Saṅgha jewel are really those beings with these realizations in their minds. Report an error in the passage at 27:29 Highlight the passage at 27:29

27:55 So it's so. So that when you have a direct perception of emptiness, you instantly become two jewels. Which is pretty cool. Report an error in the passage at 27:55 Highlight the passage at 27:55

28:09 Hey, come on in. Are you here for the class? Yeah, come on in. Come on in. Come on in. She's so excited. We're excited to have you too. too. Report an error in the passage at 28:09 Highlight the passage at 28:09

28:24 So those are the three jewels, but I think it's also really, really important to remember that it's, again, not something outside of ourselves that we're taking refuge in, that at some point we might start sort of thinking, you know, having images of the Buddha and the Dharma and the Saṅgha on our altar and, you know, making prayers and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 28:24 Highlight the passage at 28:24

28:45 But we have to remember ultimately that we will become that too. So we're taking refuge because we want to become like that too. We want to have those realizations in our mind. We want to become Arya beings and bodhisattvas and we want to get enlightened for the benefit of all. So in fact, one way of taking refuge is taking refuge in those qualities, your future qualities, your future Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 28:45 Highlight the passage at 28:45

29:16 Your future bodhisattva mind, your future perfect mind, those realizations that you will have. Because it constantly is reminding you that I will become this. Even if right now you're thinking, I can't do this, blah, blah, blah. If we feed our mind that, that's all our mind. That's getting familiar with negative thought, right? So this is the opposite. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we can do that. The Buddha said that we can. If we say we want to be Buddhists, then we have to start believing like the Buddha and believe that we can, you know? Report an error in the passage at 29:16 Highlight the passage at 29:16

29:53 He knows it all. He's omniscient. So he says we can. So he didn't say everybody except David can, you know, which is what we want to believe at certain times, you know? It's like, I just can't do it. I just can't do it, you know? I remember one time I was actually trying to do something really mundane. I can't remember what it was, like maybe fix the mic or something before class. Report an error in the passage at 29:53 Highlight the passage at 29:53

30:13 And I said, I can't do it, I can't do it. And Tenzin Lama was there, our former translator, and he said, of course you can. You can become a Buddha. And I was like, you're right, of course I can. It's totally true, yeah. So, yeah, so we just have to believe that. That we can do it too. They call refuge the gateway to enlightenment or the gateway to our whole path. Report an error in the passage at 30:13 Highlight the passage at 30:13

30:43 And the reason is because of that. I mean, well, there's two reasons. One is because it allows us to realize that we can do it too like that. We can take refuge in our future attainments and our future enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

31:06 Had a little brain fart. There's another reason, and I can't remember what it was. Report an error in the passage at 31:06 Highlight the passage at 31:06

31:15 It's a really good reason, and I can't remember what it was. It'll come back to me. Okay, I'll come back to it. Let me think for a second. A moment of silence. Report an error in the passage at 31:15 Highlight the passage at 31:15

31:39 I think what I was going to say is... Because, um, uh... Report an error in the passage at 31:39 Highlight the passage at 31:39

31:47 I think what I was going to say is that one of the reasons that it's called the gateway is because it makes us, it protects our mind because if we are constantly, if we develop that mind, remember how I said that Lama Yeshe would say, you do refuge, you don't take refuge. It's a mind that you cultivate all the time. And if we're doing that moment by moment by moment, then it is infusing our mind. Report an error in the passage at 31:47 Highlight the passage at 31:47

32:16 So that we know what it is that we need to do and we know what it is that we need not to do. So that's how it protects us. Because we're constantly in that state of mind. So it's not like we get, you know, sort of spaced out and forget what we're doing and start doing negative things. If we're constantly trying to keep our mind in a state of refuge, then that's what protects our mind. Report an error in the passage at 32:16 Highlight the passage at 32:16

32:38 So it's not like fairy dust. We take refuge and we're protected. I think a lot of people believe that you take refuge and then you're protected because they say once you've taken refuge, you're protected from the lower realms, from ever being born in the lower realms. But it's that moment by moment by moment practice of refuge. That's what really protects you. You know what I mean? And if we're familiar with taking refuge daily and hourly and moment by moment as much as we can, then also if we... Report an error in the passage at 32:38 Highlight the passage at 32:38

33:08 um suddenly uh have to die and we all will and we don't know when then our mind will already be infused with that sort of will be habituated with that know moment by moment going for refuge and so that's what's going to protect us it's not So before I go through the commitments, does anyone have any questions about any of that? Report an error in the passage at 33:08 Highlight the passage at 33:08

33:40 David, thank you. Report an error in the passage at 33:40 Highlight the passage at 33:40

33:53 None of our contestants? Report an error in the passage at 33:53 Highlight the passage at 33:53

33:58 Oh. Report an error in the passage at 33:58 Highlight the passage at 33:58

34:04 All right, well, let's see if you have any of that once I say these commitments. They're organized in a way that's, so there's 12, and the first three are what to avoid, the second three are what to take up, and the last six are just the general precepts. of refuge. Report an error in the passage at 34:04 Highlight the passage at 34:04

34:26 I will say before I go through them, point by point, that the very main refuge, if you do nothing else, is not to harm any other living being intentionally. So that's what you're really saying, that you're going to try really hard not to do. And you always have to have that caveat, is intentionally, because we keep harming people, right? Report an error in the passage at 34:26 Highlight the passage at 34:26

34:47 We have the habit of harming people, and we don't mean to, but we do. But intentionally, that's the main one because that's the Dharma refuge. That's the first Dharma refuge. Once we've taken refuge in the Buddha, then it says not seeking refuge in worldly objects and deities once you've taken refuge in the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 34:47 Highlight the passage at 34:47

35:16 So obviously, it's probably not so great to... Once you've taken refuge in the Buddha, you probably shouldn't be worshipping Hindu gods or something like that. But what Geshe-la says when he's talking about these, and I've attended many, many refuge ceremonies with Geshe-la, he talks really about, he says it doesn't mean if you want to still go to a church service or... Report an error in the passage at 35:16 Highlight the passage at 35:16

35:49 Talks in other traditions or, you know, still read books and watch, you know, DVDs and stuff like that and other traditions. But your main path once you take refuge is Buddhism. So you are making that sort of formal commitment that this is your main path. If you haven't made that decision, then it's probably not a good idea to take refuge formally. Report an error in the passage at 35:49 Highlight the passage at 35:49

36:15 then I would just say, you know, cultivate the The wish or, you know, continue to research, maybe study and stuff like that. But don't take this leap. Don't make this step of saying this is your main path. Report an error in the passage at 36:15 Highlight the passage at 36:15

36:30 He would say what you rely on is Buddhism. He would say that. And then the second one says not harming any living being once you've taken refuge in the Dharma intentionally. Report an error in the passage at 36:30 Highlight the passage at 36:30

36:45 So that's the Dharma commitment. Not harming any living being intentionally. Not associating closely with those who don't believe in the path once you've taken refuge in the Saṅgha. So this is one that people want to run out of the room because they think the Kool-Aid's coming out, but no. That's not what it means. Report an error in the passage at 36:45 Highlight the passage at 36:45

37:11 This is where he's talking about the negative friends that you were bringing up in class the other night. Report an error in the passage at 37:11 Highlight the passage at 37:11

37:18 This is where it's talking about if you have negative friends, what he would call negative friends, it doesn't mean depressed people. Report an error in the passage at 37:18 Highlight the passage at 37:18

37:33 That's not what he means for negative friends. It doesn't mean you can't be around negative people. But when he's talking about those who might have a really strong influence on you and totally disrespect your practice or your path, Then it's probably not such a great idea to hang out with them all the time. What if that's your mom or your husband or something? That's a whole different story and it is something to really think about. Report an error in the passage at 37:33 Highlight the passage at 37:33

38:00 I have known marriages where one person was Buddhist and one was something else or nothing else and it's worked fine. And then I've also known ones where it was really bad and it was really hard. And what often happened is if the marriage lasted, Then the person's commitment to Buddhism didn't. It ended up taking the bullet, so to speak. So that is something to think about. Report an error in the passage at 38:00 Highlight the passage at 38:00

38:26 If that person, the negative person in your life, is not somebody that you can not associate closely with, then you probably want to think about that and what that's going to mean for you and some decisions that you might make. Report an error in the passage at 38:26 Highlight the passage at 38:26

38:41 But it's not saying that we can't hang out with people that are in trouble or sad or deluded or whatever, because, of course, we're trying to... We're trying to get to the point where we can help them, so that's not it. What to take up is the next set of three. They're sort of the same idea. Considering any representation of the Buddha, regardless of the quality of its artistry or material, as though it were the Buddha himself, once you've taken refuge in the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 38:41 Highlight the passage at 38:41

39:10 And the reason for that is that, you know, instead of just thinking this is really, really pretty, I'd love to hang it over my fireplace, you know. Instead, really getting it that the Buddha could be and most likely is in this representation. So really honoring it as though it were the Buddha himself. And of course, this one's quite beautiful, but the way that it mentions, regardless of its artistry, we have to be careful when our mind is that thing that critical mind does and we go in and go, ooh, that one's not so good. Report an error in the passage at 39:10 Highlight the passage at 39:10

39:44 You know, and it's like, it's more like... The artist said this wasn't quite as skilled, but you know, you just have to think about how to phrase it because our mind gets really critical and we just look at it as though it's an artwork, a nice piece of artwork or not so nice piece of artwork. So we want to think about that. Whenever a holy object is made like a tanka or a statue, whenever it gets consecrated, during that consecration ceremony that Geshele does sometimes here too. Report an error in the passage at 39:44 Highlight the passage at 39:44

40:15 The actual Buddhas are called in to the item. So they're there. They're there. And these are really meant for our practice. You know, we get these tankas and statues and so forth to inspire our minds so that we can do our prayers and things like that. So we want to remember that they aren't just beautiful pieces of work. Report an error in the passage at 40:15 Highlight the passage at 40:15

40:38 And not put them on the floor and things like that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 40:38 Highlight the passage at 40:38

40:43 In fact, it's not such a great idea to have images of the deities or your guru on a t-shirt for that reason, because of course we take off the t-shirt and we throw it away, throw it on the floor or whatever. So it's not such a great thing, and you see that a lot in the West. Considering any written material at all, as though it were the Dharma itself, once you've taken refuge in the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 40:43 Highlight the passage at 40:43

41:09 And this is thinking, I mean... I have seen people, Venerable Rubina used to take that to the nth degree and she'd say it's all Dharma, you know, so including the New York Times and People Magazine and so forth. But mostly when Geshe-la teaches it, he talks about it really just cultivating a respect in your mind for the Dharma. So that's why we do things like we take really good care of it. Report an error in the passage at 41:09 Highlight the passage at 41:09

41:33 We don't lay it on the floor. We don't walk over it or sit on top of it or, you know. Put our dishes on top of it or something like that. We wrap it if we're going to put it in our bag and things like that. Because this one text could be the one that gets me enlightened. So that's kind of the mind that we have with any Dharma book. Even if we underline something like in a class or something, Rinpoche always says to say, In your mind, like you're offering it to the Dharma. So I still remember that, and I still, when I underline or highlight or something, then I omahung, omahung, like the whole thing. Report an error in the passage at 41:33 Highlight the passage at 41:33

42:13 But it's just to keep it from being an ordinary book, because it's not just an ordinary book. But, you know, once you've been in, like we talk a lot of times in the house here about, you know, like I watched a movie the other night. Mary, just about everything is a Dharma movie, no matter what the movie is. Monsters Take Over New York, it was a great Dharma movie. And she saw the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 42:13 Highlight the passage at 42:13

42:35 So in that sense, any written material is the Dharma, in that sense. But I think that's really extrapolating. I think it's actually, in this sense, we're really, it's all about the mind of respect for the Dharma and what is going to get us enlightened and allow us to help people. Report an error in the passage at 42:35 Highlight the passage at 42:35

42:55 Considering even a single scrap of the saffron robe as though it were the saṅgha itself, once you've taken refuge in the saṅgha. And this one is about the same, developing a respectful mind towards the saṅgha, despite how you might feel about... individual saṅgha and it kind It's a little hard in the West because there's very few of us and we live with a lot of you and you see our faults and it gets a little tough because then people kind of, well I like her but I don't like him and he's not such a good monk but she is and it's like the fact that that person is still in robes. Report an error in the passage at 42:55 Highlight the passage at 42:55

43:41 Cut them some slack. Try to hold them in a mind of respect. And then the opposite, of course, are people that hold you so high on a pedestal it's incredibly awkward as far as I'm concerned. But I have to think that's actually better for their minds. And then it's up to me to try to live up to that, which is heavy. Report an error in the passage at 43:41 Highlight the passage at 43:41

44:02 But that's my problem. I think from your side it's actually better to respect as much as you can. Without judgment, you know, as much as you can. It's difficult when we live so closely with each other. You guys see me in my jammies and things, you know. This would not have happened many years before. Report an error in the passage at 44:02 Highlight the passage at 44:02

44:26 I make sure my jammies look like yoga clothes. I never saw the reason for a separate set of, you know, like, what's that all about? And the last six are called the General Precepts of Refuge. Going for refuge over and over again by calling to mind the good qualities of the refuge object. And this requires some study, obviously, to know what those qualities are. Report an error in the passage at 44:26 Highlight the passage at 44:26

44:51 But, you know, sometimes I'll say, or sometimes I'll focus on the best, my favorite quality. I've mentioned this in many classes before. That my favorite quality of the Buddha is being able to emanate limitlessly. Effortlessly, without thought in any form to any being who needs him or her limitlessly. Report an error in the passage at 44:51 Highlight the passage at 44:51

45:20 So it's not even just like, I mean, one would be pretty cool. You know, like Bob's in trouble, but you don't even have to think, right? It just happens because it's based on your karma with that being. But it can be limitless. It's limitless. Bodies going out all the time, you know, squirrel here, dog here, person here, crazy bag lady there, you know, I just sending them out all the time. Report an error in the passage at 45:20 Highlight the passage at 45:20

45:47 And meanwhile, I'm just like completely blissed out in the Dharmakaya, you know, it's pretty amazing. So it's really good to know what it is that you, you know, what the qualities of the Buddha and the Saṅgha and the Dharma are because... Those are the qualities we want. If we don't know what those qualities are, then it just remains something really nice in a book on a shelf somewhere, but it doesn't touch our hearts. Report an error in the passage at 45:47 Highlight the passage at 45:47

46:17 In remembrance of their kindness, offering the first part of any food or drink to the refuge object. In some ways, this is the hardest one. This is the one that usually comes back to me and people talk to me about ways that they can do it, and I don't remember it all the time either. Um, but yeah, um, I know that when I first started, I would do it all the time in the kitchen. I would make the food, and then I'd offer it up right there before I left the table, I mean before I left the kitchen and sat down at the table. Report an error in the passage at 46:17 Highlight the passage at 46:17

46:46 But yeah, you're just, again, it's a remembering, it's developing the habit of always keeping refuge in our mind and remembering the refuge object, so it's just developing habit, really. Report an error in the passage at 46:46 Highlight the passage at 46:46

47:00 And yes, you can do it in public. You know, I've taken one of my teachers' advice a number of times now that I, you know, I'm working in a bookkeeping office a few days a week and we all eat together. Report an error in the passage at 47:00 Highlight the passage at 47:00

47:17 And I'll sit down and I'll do the same thing. I remember one of my teachers saying that he would have the food on the fork and he would kind of hold it there while somebody was making a point. You just look like you were listening to the point, but actually you're just offering it up to the... You're visualizing it, increasing, going out to all directions, to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and then you plop it in your mouth. Report an error in the passage at 47:17 Highlight the passage at 47:17

47:36 So as far as they're concerned, you're just listening to them making the point. So you can kind of do it without drawing attention to yourself. I also have friends who do the... Close your eyes and, you know, do like some sort of major grace thing. And that's kind of, we're not actually supposed to do that. We're supposed to be a little undercover, you know, because we don't want to alienate people either. Report an error in the passage at 47:36 Highlight the passage at 47:36

47:56 Although, you know, that being said, Geshe-Allah always sings it and there's a nice little chant in the restaurants and I'll join right in. But now I'm all used to it. You know, you have nothing else to lose. You already kind of look freaky, so I might as well just go with it. Report an error in the passage at 47:56 Highlight the passage at 47:56

48:13 People love it. You go out to the Castro and we all sit down and, you know, Lama. Report an error in the passage at 48:13 Highlight the passage at 48:13

48:22 Encouraging others to take refuge. This is another one that freaks people out. It's not talking about proselytizing. We're not going door to door and saying, you know, handing out little awakes. Report an error in the passage at 48:22 Highlight the passage at 48:22

48:37 It means if you, after you've taken refuge and you've... Try your best to live in these commitments. Then if you know somebody that you feel like is close and they're thinking about it, then talk to them. And if it feels like to you that they're ready, then you can encourage them. That's what it means. So it's not talking about strangers on the street or somebody you don't know well. Report an error in the passage at 48:37 Highlight the passage at 48:37

48:59 And it also is not talking about you walking up to somebody that you do know really well if they haven't asked you already. So, you know, it's like you're not just saying. Bob, I think you should take refuge, you know. Don't scare your friends. We're trying to avoid that image in the public. Taking refuge three times a day and three times a night by bringing to mind the benefits of taking refuge. So again, this requires some study. But this is a commitment that you do take that I think is one of the ones that sort of... Report an error in the passage at 48:59 Highlight the passage at 48:59

49:35 It begins to prepare you for daily practice if you don't already have a daily practice. Because you do have to actually say some sort of little refuge prayer in the morning and at night three times. But honestly you could just say, Nama Buddha, Nama Buddha, Nama Tarmi, Nama Tarmi, Nama Tarmi. You could get out of it quite simple if you needed to. Report an error in the passage at 49:35 Highlight the passage at 49:35

49:56 But most people take like one of the little refuge prayers that's in one of the prayer books and they just say that in the morning and at night. Report an error in the passage at 49:56 Highlight the passage at 49:56

50:03 Putting all of your trust in the objects of refuge during any activity you may undertake at all. This is talking again about building this mind of refuge all the time, not just when you're almost in a car accident or I actually almost got hit today. Somebody almost hit you. Yeah, I know. And then the funny thing was, is she said, I'm sorry, I can't see you in this car. Report an error in the passage at 50:03 Highlight the passage at 50:03

50:26 And I was kind of like, that's not a good excuse. I said, I know, that's terrible. And then afterwards I was like, that's actually kind of stupid. Well, that was a dumb, dumb remark. I know, or maybe get a different car. You can't really see anybody. But yeah, so not just at the big times, but also trying to develop it all the time. Report an error in the passage at 50:26 Highlight the passage at 50:26

50:49 So just when you're bored or when you watch TV or when you're, you know, going to bed at night or whatever. And the very last one is not giving up the three jewels, even if it should cost you your life. And in every situation from that on down to doing so in jest. Report an error in the passage at 50:49 Highlight the passage at 50:49

51:07 So again, this is actually talking about being very serious. This is a serious commitment. You know, you're taking a big step. And so this is kind of about recognizing that for what it is. Report an error in the passage at 51:07 Highlight the passage at 51:07

51:21 And not joking about it. I haven't known so many people to joke about it. But I remember I did, I was talking with somebody. When somebody takes refuge here formally with Geshe-Lena ceremony, I usually sit down with them or several people at once if several people are thinking about it. I remember one guy's reaction was, well, that's kind of serious. And I was like, this is kind of serious. Yeah, it is. Report an error in the passage at 51:21 Highlight the passage at 51:21

51:44 It mirrors it. yeah. And when you think about what the Tibetans have gone through and being forced at gunpoint or worse to give up their refuge, this one makes more sense. They never thought that was going to happen, you know. And so we might think that will never happen here, and hopefully we are very right. Report an error in the passage at 51:44 Highlight the passage at 51:44

52:06 But it is talking about just in case, you know, it is talking about whatever your situation is, that this refuge should become part of you. Like, you know, this is part of your mind stream. So questions so far on any of this? Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

52:27 Anybody? Is anything coming up? Okay, cool. Report an error in the passage at 52:27 Highlight the passage at 52:27

52:37 So if anybody wants to leave now, if they really have no intention to take the bodhisattva vows, you're welcome to. I won't look. Report an error in the passage at 52:37 Highlight the passage at 52:37

52:48 But if not, then we'll just move into the bodhisattva vows. Which I've never taught before, so this is like the first time and I really didn't have very much time to pull this together. So I'm just going to sort of talk about, I'm going to hand you guys each a copy of this little booklet that you can keep. Report an error in the passage at 52:48 Highlight the passage at 52:48

53:09 Yeah, it probably is. This is a pirated version. Report an error in the passage at 53:09 Highlight the passage at 53:09

53:20 Yeah, because I'm giving it away. about how I did it. Report an error in the passage at 53:20 Highlight the passage at 53:20

53:23 And when we give vows at the center, I think it's so important for people to leave that night with a copy of what they just took. And believe you me, I have attended many empowerments in Jai Nangs where that has not been the case. And in fact, the very first empowerment that I attended, thank goodness I had a really good friend, and she sat down and wrote down the commitment. She had memorized it. Report an error in the passage at 53:23 Highlight the passage at 53:23

53:46 Only messed it up a little bit. And I memorized the version she gave me before I even had a chance to get it in print. I have to say most of FPMT stuff, they're pretty good at providing their materials, but it does fall upon the center to make sure that it gets handed out and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 53:46 Highlight the passage at 53:46

54:06 So this starts, since we're only going to do the 18 root vows tonight, it starts on page 4. And I'm going to also tell you, I think it's really great to read and to study different translations of the vowels. So I'm going to do both. I mean, we'll go back and forth with the one that's here in this group and then also one that I really like as well. Report an error in the passage at 54:06 Highlight the passage at 54:06

54:36 But there are a lot out there. I think Alex Bereson on his site, you can download. Some information about the Bodhisattva Valis Tupdin Chodron on her site. Both of those sites are just great for really good, trustworthy information. Lama Yeshi Wisdom Archives. Alex Berzin, Berzinarchive.org. Report an error in the passage at 54:36 Highlight the passage at 54:36

55:04 Awesome site. Report an error in the passage at 55:04 Highlight the passage at 55:04

55:11 Berzinarchive.org. -E-R-Z-I-N. Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:13 And the other was Tipton Children. I would just Google Tipton Children because I can't remember what her website's called. Tiptonchildren.org. Yeah, there you go. That's pretty. Well, no, it's actually Tipton Children, yeah. Yeah, I think Tiptonchildren.org has all the collection of lectures and all that stuff. Report an error in the passage at 55:13 Highlight the passage at 55:13

55:39 And then the other is Lama Yeshi Wisdom Archive, and that one is L-W-Y. I mean, what is it? Lama Yeshi. Yeah, thank you. L-Y-W-A. Yeah, dot org. They all have sort of search engines, and you just put in bodhisattva vows, and you'll find some really nice teachings and commentaries and things. So those are all free, of course. Then hold up your little one, the little... Report an error in the passage at 55:39 Highlight the passage at 55:39

56:11 So this also has a little commentary, doesn't it? A little commentary. It's basically the same one. Is it? Yeah. Never mind. Report an error in the passage at 56:11 Highlight the passage at 56:11

56:23 This one's available. Yes, it does. It'll last a lot better than this derky one. But there is, I think, a little thicker one. And that's something like the vows, but it includes tantric vows, I think, unfortunately. Yeah, so it's not. Yeah, three sets of vows. It's not so great. If you get it, you just have to really be firm with yourself that you can't look at those tantric vows until you take them. Report an error in the passage at 56:23 Highlight the passage at 56:23

56:53 There's another book that is, it's yellow and it's, what is that one that's, Six Session Guru Yoga, which of course is a highest yoga tantra commitment and you can't read that part, but it has a really lovely explanation of the Bodhisattva Vels, which is part of that practice. Report an error in the passage at 56:53 Highlight the passage at 56:53

57:12 And so if you know a friend who perhaps is, It's an older brother or sister to you, you know, somebody who might have that on their shelf. If you just read the Bodhisattva Vals part of it, it's quite nice commentary on the Bodhisattva Vals. Report an error in the passage at 57:12 Highlight the passage at 57:12

57:31 That's Six Session Guru Yoga. Yeah, it's the practice and it's a commentary on it by Geshe Lo Santarchin. Very nice. And if you ever do take that practice. That's a really nice commentary on that practice and all the tantric vows. It's really hard to find commentary on the tantric vows. That's even harder than bodhisattva vows. Report an error in the passage at 57:31 Highlight the passage at 57:31

57:56 So we're just going to go through this fairly quickly, but I started with all those different sources for information because it is really, really important for you to know your vows. If you take these vows, it's important to know them. Geshe-la always says that too whenever he gives any vows. Yes, it's wonderful because you're supposed to always rejoice. That's always written in to any ceremony on vows. You take a methamite and you really rejoice that you took the vows. But it happens definitely if you take bodhisattva vows in a formal ceremony where it's just the vows. Report an error in the passage at 57:56 Highlight the passage at 57:56

58:28 It's written in. You're supposed to rejoice. And then he goes, yes, it's very nice that you took the vows, but now you have to keep them. Report an error in the passage at 58:28 Highlight the passage at 58:28

58:37 The first time I did that, I was like, well, yeah, that's true. Because it's kind of like we all dance around. You know, we're all happy and we're all patting each other on the back and then it's like, okay, now we have to actually do it. Report an error in the passage at 58:37 Highlight the passage at 58:37

58:55 So now we have to try to keep it. So one of the ways that I try to keep the vows and some of you may be familiar with this practice, but take one or two of the vows every day and just really try to work with it. Like, you know, try to... Read it in the morning and then think about at the end of the day how close she came to keeping it and how close she came to breaking it. And to do that every day, if you really do that for a while every day, taking a few of those vows with you, then you get to know them. Report an error in the passage at 58:55 Highlight the passage at 58:55

59:33 And then when you're in a situation where... where You know, you're sort of testing that vow. You'll actually be aware that you're testing that vow. I think a lot of times, I'm actually surprised when I talk to people who don't really know their vows and they've actually held the vows for a long time. Report an error in the passage at 59:33 Highlight the passage at 59:33

59:50 So that's not such a good idea. Don't do that. Report an error in the passage at 59:50 Highlight the passage at 59:50

59:56 Okay, so praising yourself and criticizing others. Which I like better than, this one's really long. Praising yourself or belittling others out of attachment to receiving offerings or admiration. That is, in this case, there are two forms of this, praising yourself and criticizing others. Here the main motivation is attachment or desire. It's interesting that that one's first. It's an absolute root vow. Report an error in the passage at 59:56 Highlight the passage at 59:56

1:00:25 However, for you to commit a downfall is actually kind of difficult. person Report an error in the passage at 1:00:25 Highlight the passage at 1:00:25

1:00:35 So if you are, it's not saying that you can't, you can criticize others if there's a constructive reason for it, you know what I mean? So if you're doing it with love and a wish to benefit them, then that's completely different, you know, than if you're just like, you look really stupid in that, you know, or, you know, whatever it is that you're saying. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:35 Highlight the passage at 1:00:35

1:00:58 If you're just, if you're criticizing somebody with no care for them. Then that's actually breaking the vow. See, these are all very easy to break, in a sense. But I'm going to tell you the four conditions at the end. There are four conditions for almost all of them. That if you don't break them with those four conditions, then you haven't actually broken them at the root. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:58 Highlight the passage at 1:00:58

1:01:26 And so you can just purify the break. So it actually becomes a little bit more difficult. Praising yourself and criticizing others is something that I think most of us do almost every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:26 Highlight the passage at 1:01:26

1:01:41 And so the way they say it, when they say praising yourself and criticizing others, I guess they should say praising yourself or criticizing others. Yeah, this one says or, this one says and. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:41 Highlight the passage at 1:01:41

1:01:51 You don't have to do both. Just one or the other, it's considered a break. So there's two parts. There's a lot of them that have two parts for the vow. so. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:51 Highlight the passage at 1:01:51

1:02:06 And the motivation must be that you are after material gain or admiration by others. You know, so if I'm dissing somebody because I want people to like me or to think that I'm great, that would be breaking it. So that's kind of, I mean, people do that kind of stuff at work all the time, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:06 Highlight the passage at 1:02:06

1:02:27 Or praising yourself for that same, and that's obviously, you know, but criticizing others I think happens too. We're sort of putting down somebody so that you'll look better or something like that. Not giving someone Dharma teachings or not giving someone material assistance. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:27 Highlight the passage at 1:02:27

1:02:46 And see the way they start this one. Even though you are able, not giving material aid to others through miserliness or not teaching Dharma to those who are suffering and without a protector because you want to amass knowledge just for yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:01 Interestingly enough, if you don't give somebody material assistance, Report an error in the passage at 1:03:01 Highlight the passage at 1:03:01

1:03:10 So if you don't give somebody Dharma teachings and you don't give somebody material assistance, the other person has to have two qualities. They have to have some sort of serious problem, like a disease or poverty or something like that. And you are their only option. They don't have any other means of support. I know. Yeah, it is. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:10 Highlight the passage at 1:03:10

1:03:33 And you must be able to help, which is why this one starts with even though you are able. So if you don't know enough Dharma to help somebody with the Dharma, that's something else entirely. And if you're really, really poor yourself and you can't give anything, then that's a completely different story. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:03:52 But yeah, this is talking about if you are able to help and you don't help, then it becomes breaking the vow. And this has to be motivated with a mind of attachment, specifically stinginess. Stinginess. And they must actually ask you for something. So if they don't ask you for something, then it's not, you know. If you see the need and you don't help, it's a different issue. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:52 Highlight the passage at 1:03:52

1:04:28 It's not breaking it if they haven't asked you for anything and you're not giving it to them. And you have to be overwhelmed by feelings of stinginess. So it's not like, you know, remember the underlying motivation is stinginess. So if you're like, well, I've got my $1 and I'm not going to give it to that guy. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:28 Highlight the passage at 1:04:28

1:04:45 That's a different feeling of, hmm, I'm not sure if I can give this to him. You know, like you might have some other motivating mental factor going on there to make that decision. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:45 Highlight the passage at 1:04:45

1:04:57 So again, this is like sort of 2001. The third one. Striking another person or staying angry when they try to explain and apologize for something that they did. And this one says not forgiving others but harboring a grudge and holding it even when they apologize. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:57 Highlight the passage at 1:04:57

1:05:18 Like that person. Like that person slamming the door in the background. Yeah, this one's also a big one. So we aren't allowed to do that anymore when we want to become enlightened. If somebody actually comes to us and apologizes, then we have to catch ourselves if we're holding on to anger. So yeah, it's kind of a hard one. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:18 Highlight the passage at 1:05:18

1:05:47 The motivation is that you want to hurt them in some way, which is of course usually the motivation, right? If you hold on to a grudge or if you don't want to forgive somebody when they come to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:47 Highlight the passage at 1:05:47

1:05:59 And the main affliction is anger. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:59 Highlight the passage at 1:05:59

1:06:07 Number four, abandoning the Mahāyāna teachings by saying that some canons are not teachings of the Buddha and propounding your own fabricated or perverted doctrine. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:07 Highlight the passage at 1:06:07

1:06:20 Rejecting the Mahāyāna teachings are teaching false dharma, is the way this one says it. Teaching false dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:20 Highlight the passage at 1:06:20

1:06:30 And the way you reject the teachings, if you reject the Mahāyāna teachings, is to say that it's invalid or that the Buddha never taught it. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:30 Highlight the passage at 1:06:30

1:06:39 So it's kind of big. It's not like just saying, well, that one doesn't really work for me. But that's why I usually kind of try to caution students if your body language... I know, but it's just with the hands on the hips in the front row. Wait one second. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:39 Highlight the passage at 1:06:39

1:07:00 Yeah. So what we usually say, and I try to say this to students who bring out different... If they have problems or blocks against a certain teaching or something, I usually try to say shelve it. Just shelve it. If you don't really feel like you can follow it or it doesn't make sense to you yet, that's totally fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:00 Highlight the passage at 1:07:00

1:07:22 You can put it aside and come back to it later, maybe when you have more training or more understanding or you've practiced longer or something like that. But not to reject it completely outright. Like, so shelve it, you know. And I'll catch myself after I learn that method. I'll catch myself and be like, hmm, that must be one of those ones I'm going to shelve. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:22 Highlight the passage at 1:07:22

1:07:43 All right, I'm going to shelve that one. Everything okay? Yeah. All right. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:43 Highlight the passage at 1:07:43

1:07:53 Very good. Obviously not me. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:53 Highlight the passage at 1:07:53

1:07:58 Round of applause for our SBC. one. Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:58 Highlight the passage at 1:07:58

1:07:56 Prison. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:56 Highlight the passage at 1:07:56

1:08:06 So teaching the false dharma is literally making up your own interpretation of the teachings and teaching it as dharma. If you do that, you have to say, this is my interpretation or this is what I think and not pass your own ideas off as the scriptures. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:06 Highlight the passage at 1:08:06

1:08:28 So I know I've read that you shouldn't try and give a teaching as something that you're not skilled in. scriptures, you know, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:28 Highlight the passage at 1:08:28

1:08:36 And then on the other hand, I mean, we do as all members of the community, you know, suss out and discuss Dharma, you know, to gain our own deeper realization and understanding of it. Right. Yeah. And sometimes when they say teaching, too, they are just talking about one-on-one talking with somebody, too. That counts as teaching. Yeah. Because, I mean, sometimes, you know, there's a difference. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:36 Highlight the passage at 1:08:36

1:09:00 So there's the difference being me sitting down here and saying. It is thus, as opposed to, well, I think, or as I look through this. Yeah, exactly. And that's what I think that counts as saying. This is kind of my understanding. Yeah. You've heard me say that in class before. My understanding is, you know, or like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:00 Highlight the passage at 1:09:00

1:09:19 Because we do a lot of that, because we're trying to deepen our understanding and put it into our daily practice. Yeah, totally, totally. Yeah, and I have to, when I'm teaching you guys, I have to be aware of what's my understanding or interpretation and what's, I don't know, you know, sometimes that's why I read a quote, you know, directly a quote, because that might be a purer. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

1:09:46 And then you can have your own interpretation of that quote rather than my interpretation of that quote. Now it's one thing if I were a realized being and I gave you a commentary. And unfortunately your karma is not such. So if you have a realized being who is giving you a commentary, then their interpretation could be as great as the Buddha's, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:46 Highlight the passage at 1:09:46

1:10:08 If they are enlightened. Or very, very high, then highly realized, then their interpretation is going to be really different. But for the rest of us, then our interpretation, our understanding is probably slightly on and slightly off until we have the actual realization. That makes sense. So I just try to preface it always with this is my understanding, you know. And if I'm really unsure, then I might say this is my understanding. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:08 Highlight the passage at 1:10:08

1:10:35 Does anyone else have another idea, you know, so. Because other people, especially in the more advanced classes, many people have received commentaries on these vows from various highly realized beings. I've been fortunate enough in my lifetime to receive commentary on these vows from a number of realized beings, or who I think are realized. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:35 Highlight the passage at 1:10:35

1:10:58 My understanding is that they're realized. My interpretation is. And so I like to try to think up all those, which is why I'm also saying go to these different commentaries if you can and compare them. Because when you look at this commentary that we're talking about and then we look a little bit into FPMT 1 and then you might read a book by Lama Zopa and you might read a book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama 1, one of those might jump out at you and you're like, oh, that's what that means. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:58 Highlight the passage at 1:10:58

1:11:30 We were doing that a lot in the Demystifying Tantra study group. And each of us were taking one bodhisattva vow and going out and just researching that one vow. So we were looking, that's how we found out that the Berizen website had it. We were looking at all the different things and then coming back and kind of presenting it to the group. It was really a lot of fun because some of it, I mean, it almost always just really illuminated. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:30 Highlight the passage at 1:11:30

1:11:57 The meaning of the vow. But sometimes people would go off on these early tangents. But still, there was one that came up and I was like, that's what that means. Oh my gosh, I've been reciting this vow like every day for, you know, 10 years and I never quite got what it meant until like the fourth. You know, thing came out and I was reading and I was like, oh, that's what I mean, you know, so just keep looking at different translations and stuff like that and something may sort of spark a better understanding of that vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:57 Highlight the passage at 1:11:57

1:12:30 We have ordinary minds, so we haven't gotten enlightened yet, so we just kind of have to do whatever we do to clarify, clarify, clarify. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:30 Highlight the passage at 1:12:30

1:12:41 The main mental affliction here is ignorance for this particular one, number four. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:41 Highlight the passage at 1:12:41

1:12:49 And to break the vow, you must A, know that you made it up. So if you don't know that you made it up, if you're simply doing, this kind of answers your question a little bit, if you're just kind of saying my understanding is, but I'm not thinking that I'm creating a whole new Dharma and I'm, you know, snide about it and wink, wink, you know, to my friend behind you or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:49 Highlight the passage at 1:12:49

1:13:11 So if I don't know that I, I didn't break the idea. I didn't break the idea. I didn't break the vow yet. To break the vow, you have to know that you made it up. You have to like the idea that you made it up. You have to find that pleasing that you've come up with this whole thing. And you teach it to the others as Mahāyāna Buddhism. So you're presenting it as Mahāyāna Buddhism with full awareness that you've done it that way. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:11 Highlight the passage at 1:13:11

1:13:40 And, oh, there's even more, and I have two C's. So A, you know you made it up. B, you like the idea. C, you teach it to others as the Mahāyāna Buddhism. And I have C again. D, the others accept it. So if everyone in the room is like, you're full of it, David. You don't know anything. Then you actually haven't broken it yet. Then you get off on that one. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:40 Highlight the passage at 1:13:40

1:14:02 But you pretty much screwed up. So I would probably take it again. The fifth one is stealing the belongings of the three jewels. And here it says, taking back offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha or taking them by robbery or devious schemes, using for your own purpose material dedicated to the Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:02 Highlight the passage at 1:14:02

1:14:24 We have to be really careful about that in the center. This comes up a lot in the center. It doesn't come up so much in your lives, but it could if you come to the center and take things off the altar and like eat them or something like that, unless somebody says go ahead and help yourself or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:24 Highlight the passage at 1:14:24

1:14:38 but people will donate things to The center, and we have to be careful if we all just start using it or something. And that used to happen a lot when we had a lot more monks and nuns living here. They would say, and I still question if somebody says, this is for the Saṅgha. I'll say, is it for the ordained saṅgha or is it for anyone that lives here? Because otherwise I've got to take it and put it in my fridge, and that feels a little weird. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:38 Highlight the passage at 1:14:38

1:15:08 Usually the way the term is used a lot in the West is anyone in the community, that's what they mean. But sometimes they'll say, no, ordained saṅgha, and then I'll just share it with Geshe-la or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:08 Highlight the passage at 1:15:08

1:15:20 So we do have to be careful about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:20 Highlight the passage at 1:15:20

1:15:25 But, you know, what's another way? Take a book out of the bookstore and intend to buy it? You know, read it and intend to buy it and maybe take it to your room. So if somebody, like if I am taking a book out of the bookstore and I haven't paid for it yet, then I keep it really separate. I do not put it on my shelf and I keep it there with a price and a note on it that says, give money to Janet now, you know, because otherwise the minute the vow is broken, when you think now I have it, it's mine. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:25 Highlight the passage at 1:15:25

1:15:55 So as soon as it's yours in your heart, then you've broken the vow. So you have to be really careful about that one. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:55 Highlight the passage at 1:15:55

1:16:05 Go ahead. Where I sit, my answer's not that high, and I have a couple of standard poodles that aren't tall. And there was one time I was sitting and one of my dogs came up and I heard this. Right, you told me this. And he's like, yeah, he's thirsty and there's water bottles, you know. And it was funny, I was talking to Janet about that. And I was thinking, well, maybe he's getting blessings. And she goes, oh, maybe he's stealing from the Buddha, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:05 Highlight the passage at 1:16:05

1:16:34 It's like we do this whole thing about that. So, I don't know. I still like to think that he's like, you know. Picking up some good karma there, but... Or maybe make it just a little bit higher. Yeah, yeah, but it's kind of, you know, because he wasn't doing it intentionally that way, he was just thirsty, but... Report an error in the passage at 1:16:34 Highlight the passage at 1:16:34

1:16:50 You know, I actually, I saw, you know, there's that, in that story in Kundun, people saw Kundun, where it's only just little, when he's still little, and the mice starts drinking the water bowl water, and he's just giggling. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:50 Highlight the passage at 1:16:50

1:17:04 I think it's probably not such a great idea for the mouse, but I think... The mouse is so ignorant that he doesn't know that that's what he's doing. I've got a baby gate now. Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:04 Highlight the passage at 1:17:04

1:17:17 I think from your dog's point of view, they didn't really know any better. But maybe from your point of view, to protect them, that's probably a good idea. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:17 Highlight the passage at 1:17:17

1:17:31 Giving up the Dharma of the listeners or self-made Buddhas or the Mahāyāna teachings. So giving up the Dharma. There's all the different levels of it. Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:31 Highlight the passage at 1:17:31

1:17:39 And this one says, abandoning or despising the holy Dharma by criticizing the scriptures or practices of any of the three vehicles of the Shravakas, the Pratika Buddhas or the Bodhisattvas. And then it has more. If you have an inclination for Tantra, criticizing the Paramitayana. If you're inclined towards the Mahāyāna, criticizing the Hinayana or vice versa. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:39 Highlight the passage at 1:17:39

1:18:04 You should not criticize the difference in various teachings because Buddha taught with skillful means in various ways to guide disciples with different dispositions. So this does have a little commentary. This criticism is heavier than destroying all the stupas on the earth. So this is really getting into sectarianism, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:04 Highlight the passage at 1:18:04

1:18:24 No sectarianism. Not a good thing in Buddhism. And yet there is that all the time, right? And they do talk about like the different levels of The greater, the Mahāyāna versus the Hinayana, right? But you have to maintain your respect for all the different paths of Buddhism and know that they can all get you to at least liberation. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:24 Highlight the passage at 1:18:24

1:18:49 And the lowest actual Hinayana practitioner is much better than me. You know what I mean? I haven't developed any attainments at all. For even to be in the lowest, lowest scope, you have to... Believe in reincarnation and karma and you have to have a realization of death and impermanence. I don't have any of those things so I'm not even on the lowest, lowest scope yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:49 Highlight the passage at 1:18:49

1:19:13 I'm trying to have some sort of understanding and realization of impermanence and karma and beginningless and endless mind but I don't have them yet. So we have to be really, really careful when we talk about the different levels. I still want to practice the Mahāyāna because I want to get fully enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:13 Highlight the passage at 1:19:13

1:19:33 But I don't necessarily diss what practice you guys do. Do you see the difference? So I might feel that it is the best path for me, but as it says here, the Buddha taught with skillful means to all different types of minds. And all different kinds of minds need all different kinds of paths. And that's why all the paths, all the Buddhist paths were all taught by the Buddha. So they're completely valid paths. And I often think of that with all different kinds of religion, too, because we have so many kinds of religions out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:33 Highlight the passage at 1:19:33

1:20:08 And if somebody is really using their Christianity, Islam, whatever, to have an open heart, to care about people more and to work with their mind, then who am I to say? That it's a Saki religion, you know what I mean? So I think we should just try to check our minds on that. And I think it works the same way. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:08 Highlight the passage at 1:20:08

1:20:32 Really think about it before you say anything against any of the other Buddha's teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:32 Highlight the passage at 1:20:32

1:20:44 You must say, in order to break this one, you must say that the listeners aren't following the Buddha's teachings overall. Or that it's not a path taught by the Buddha. So it is a little harder to break than we might think. Taking away the golden robes from the ordained Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:44 Highlight the passage at 1:20:44

1:21:07 This one says, harming an ordained person, inflicting violence on them, stealing their robes, or causing them to lose their vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:07 Highlight the passage at 1:21:07

1:21:20 Don't do those. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:20 Highlight the passage at 1:21:20

1:21:26 So the motivation here is to hurt them. Obviously all of this has been done, I guess, the ordained in Tibet and in many countries actually, but in Tibet right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:26 Highlight the passage at 1:21:26

1:21:40 Again, I think we have to just really develop a respect for the ordained that we see of any tradition. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:40 Highlight the passage at 1:21:40

1:21:51 Committing any of the five heinous actions. Which is to kill your mother, to kill your father, to kill an arhat, which is somebody who has attained nirvāṇa, to cause disunity amongst the saṅgha, and to wound a Buddha, to draw blood, actually they say, to draw blood from a Buddha, with evil intent. You have to have that second part too. If you just draw blood, because you, you know, yeah, it doesn't break. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:51 Highlight the passage at 1:21:51

1:22:23 it. And then, yeah, exactly, exactly. Who knows who's a Buddha, right? So killing your mother and father, that's based on the fact that they gave you a human body with which you can practice the Dharma. Even if they didn't give you anything else, they gave you a human body with which you can practice the Dharma. Killing an arhat, of course, somebody who's attained nirvāṇa can benefit so many other beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:23 Highlight the passage at 1:22:23

1:22:52 And so to kill that being would be great. Causing a schism, which is why it's phrased here, and drawing blood from a Buddha, those two had to actually have been done at the time that the historical Buddha lived. So we can't do them currently. However, we can get awfully close, because centric circle-wise, we can definitely cause schisms within Buddhist communities. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:52 Highlight the passage at 1:22:52

1:23:23 And this is another one that's hard. Those of us that live in a Dharma center or monks and nuns, we have to often really be careful and try to live harmoniously because creating a schism is really, really big and bad. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:23 Highlight the passage at 1:23:23

1:23:40 And harming a Buddha, David's point, how do we know who's a Buddha? We don't know who's a Buddha, so we have to be really, really careful about that one too. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:40 Highlight the passage at 1:23:40

1:23:50 Number nine, there's two special ones, especially special. of the root vows number nine is one of them it is just wrong view Report an error in the passage at 1:23:50 Highlight the passage at 1:23:50

1:24:00 This booklet calls it cultivating and holding wrong views such as sectarianism, denying the existence of the three jewels, or denying the existence of law of cause and effect. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:00 Highlight the passage at 1:24:00

1:24:12 This one's just denying the law of karma by believing you can do anything and nothing will come of it. Denying past and future lives by saying they don't exist. And in this case, when you're talking about wrong view, it's not doubting. It's not like trying to figure it out. It's not like asking a lot of questions in class. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:12 Highlight the passage at 1:24:12

1:24:31 It's believing that these things don't exist from the bottom of your heart. So it's really strong, this wrong view. And I'll tell you when we get to 18 why these two are special. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:31 Highlight the passage at 1:24:31

1:24:46 10. Destroying a city, county, country, town. With the motivation to destroy those places based on any of the three poisons, attachment, aversion or ignorance. And this one they say, destroying any town or country by fire, bombs, pollution, black magic and so forth. When Geshe-la taught these, he actually said, you actually have to be in a position that you could destroy a town to even come close to breaking it. But when I was taught this, when I studied the bodhisattva velas, the very first... Report an error in the passage at 1:24:46 Highlight the passage at 1:24:46

1:25:23 One of the very first classes I took, actually, was on the Bodhisattva Vows, and I took Bodhisattva Vows fairly early. That teacher said you could think about the ways that we conserve things and whether we recycle and how we just, you know, we don't care for our cities and our counties and our countries and our towns, and we just waste things. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:23 Highlight the passage at 1:25:23

1:25:45 And so that could be a way of breaking it. So that's usually the way I think of it, the kind of mindfulness of... But you can also think of like think about animal homes, you know, when you're like camping and so forth. Ant, entire ant colonies are quite easy to destroy and to just mindlessly destroy or birds or, you know, like all the different homes. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:45 Highlight the passage at 1:25:45

1:26:13 John, did you have a question? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:13 Highlight the passage at 1:26:13

1:26:21 Yeah, I was about to ask about, you know. What if you have an anthill? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I've seen elsewhere in other commentaries where they go and say, you know, causing harm to a large number of sentient beings living in one place. So, you know, that's an anthill or a beehive. You know, if you go and destroy it with vicious intent or even, you know, like going and getting rid of, you know, a cluster of daddy long legs and telling go away, go away. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:21 Highlight the passage at 1:26:21

1:26:53 Yeah, yeah. Does that count? Well, I mean, I think it wouldn't be necessarily breaking it at the root, but I do think if the evil intent was there, that it might not be a bad idea to purify it. Yeah. Because, I mean, that's actually, that was the main refuge vow, right? The main refuge commitment was not to do harm. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:53 Highlight the passage at 1:26:53

1:27:24 Intentionally to another living being, and there's no qualification of being a human. So if, you know, even if I get into the shower without looking around and something dies, I purify it, you know. Even if that wasn't my intention at all. But if I also did have any intention, then I definitely would purify it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:24 Highlight the passage at 1:27:24

1:27:28 So if… Report an error in the passage at 1:27:28 Highlight the passage at 1:27:28

1:27:48 But even unintentionally, I still purify it. I just feel like it's just safer. Like, I don't want to take it for granted that this being lost its very life, and that's its most, you know, prized possession. So, David, yeah. It's probably like a whole other sidebar thing, but, you know, if you have, you're wiping out mosquitoes to prevent malaria, which is killing lots of humans. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:48 Highlight the passage at 1:27:48

1:28:14 You know, there's, anyway. It's a whole other discussion, but I mean... No, until you have clairvoyance, though, it's really hard to make those kind of decisions. But I think then you would get into your intentions. Then you just have to get into your intentions and you have to weigh them, yeah. But obviously, then you would just have to be really careful not to have a negative mind towards the mosquitoes or any kind of rejoicing once they were dead. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:14 Highlight the passage at 1:28:14

1:28:48 Yeah, yeah, no, not to feel like, that's, you know, I guess you can feel relief, I guess, but not to feel any kind of happiness and satisfaction. Yeah. Motivation is so much of karma, so we just have to be, we have to get more and more in touch with and then be really aware of our motivation all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:48 Highlight the passage at 1:28:48

1:29:09 Teaching emptiness to those who are not prepared. This is a really scary one for me, you know. As a baby Dharma teacher. Because I have had a situation like this where somebody actually went through an entire class on emptiness and during the practice day had a freak out. Oh my God, I didn't see that one coming. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:09 Highlight the passage at 1:29:09

1:29:37 So this one has a teaching voidness to those who are untrained or not ready to understand it. This could be harmful due to causing fear and causing one to abandon bodhicitta, thus falling to the level of hinayana, meaning going for nirvāṇa versus enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:37 Highlight the passage at 1:29:37

1:29:56 This one says the qualities of a person you should not teach emptiness to are A. They have not studied emptiness carefully. B. Your description of emptiness would scare them. C. They have wishing bodhicitta if, as a result of your teachings, they would... I don't know what that means. If, as a result of your teaching, they would A, get scared, B, give up Mahāyāna, and C, take up Hinayana as a result of your emptiness teaching. Something's missing there. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:56 Highlight the passage at 1:29:56

1:30:27 However, so they have not studied emptiness carefully. Well, Geshe-la has taught Introduction to Emptiness and things like that on a Sunday morning, you know, and so has Rubina. So you just have to kind of be careful. I usually try to keep it at a pretty surface level until students have gotten a little bit, but however Report an error in the passage at 1:30:27 Highlight the passage at 1:30:27

1:30:45 Deeper, you know, for the wisdom, the Discovering Buddhism emptiness class, I would really love that it was close to anybody that once they, you know, like... If people had studied at least one other Discovering Buddhism course, especially the Karma class, that's what I would love is to have prerequisites for that class because I definitely at least want to put my foot down and say people can't join throughout the class. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:45 Highlight the passage at 1:30:45

1:31:14 You can join the first class. You might be able to say you can join the second class and that's it. Because otherwise the rest of the class can never go deep. I always have to keep it at that same level because... You know, somebody just joined on the sixth class or something, which is what people do all the time in the city. And I think at some point you have to be able to go deeper in these classes. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:14 Highlight the passage at 1:31:14

1:31:35 So this is part of the reason why, you know. So one teacher of mine said that when you talk about this thing of them getting scared as a result, he said it's kind of like the example that they use in the text is if you throw a stone at birds and they freak out. That's what you don't want to happen. You don't want everyone to be going, ah! If you've done that, you've broke the vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:35 Highlight the passage at 1:31:35

1:32:04 I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:04 Highlight the passage at 1:32:04

1:32:08 Check out the person carefully and try to see if they are ready before you teach them emptiness. It says teaching emptiness to non-Mahāyāna and freaking them out is a non-virtue but not breaking the vow. you know Report an error in the passage at 1:32:08 Highlight the passage at 1:32:08

1:32:05 know. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:05 Highlight the passage at 1:32:05

1:32:24 But you don't want to freak somebody out about emptiness. That's a direct quote. Causing one to turn back from total enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:24 Highlight the passage at 1:32:24

1:32:36 So that's really talking about somebody who is already on the Mahāyāna path and telling them that they won't be able to do it and that they should give up the Mahāyāna path and instead study the Hinayana path. Go for nirvāṇa. Forget it. David, you're never going to be a Buddha. You should just aim for liberation. I can't ever imagine doing that, but somebody must have at one point, and so they made it a rule. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:36 Highlight the passage at 1:32:36

1:33:12 So that's 12. Turning someone away from working to attain enlightenment, encouraging him to work merely for his own liberation. For example, if you say, if you practice this, you will never attain enlightenment. Wouldn't it be better for you to trade in Ayana? At least you'll be free from some Zara. I can't even imagine this conversation, but somebody must have done it. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:12 Highlight the passage at 1:33:12

1:33:40 You should see some of the nuns' vows as a result. There were some nuns back then who were just always getting into mischief. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:40 Highlight the passage at 1:33:40

1:33:53 Convincing others to give up their Pratimoksha vows, which is any of the, you know, like any of the ordination vows or the one-day vows or the refuge, no, yeah, the refuge vows also count, I think. Convincing them to give up the Pratimoksha vows or their vows of individual liberation. Um. That's somebody who already has the vows and is keeping them and you get them to give them up by telling them to come on over to the Mahāyāna that you don't need the pranamoksha vows because bodhisattva vows are all you need. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:53 Highlight the passage at 1:33:53

1:34:28 See, these are bad people. We're all like messing around with other people's vows, okay? Don't do that. Someone might be keeping their vows very, very nicely and that really works for their mind and they don't want to take like the next step and take bodhisattva vows, you know. First of all, The way that the Buddha gave these different sets of vows, there are reasons that they sort of talk about them in levels. And sweetly, the way we should be taking them is to take refuge as sort of the foundation. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:28 Highlight the passage at 1:34:28

1:35:02 And then live in that for a while, and then lay vows, and then live in that for a while. And you can even take those one at a time, you know, with somebody like Geshe-la and Lama Zopa both say that you can take them one at a time with them. And then live in those for a while, and then take bodhisattva vows, or you might take ordination vows in between, which is the same level. And then take bodhisattva vows and live in those for a while, and then take tantric vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:02 Highlight the passage at 1:35:02

1:35:29 A lot of people just leap right into Tantra and take all the other vows in between. The reason we're having this class tonight is because we just got scared that somebody would come on Sunday with no background at all. And Sunday night, if you don't have any, it's rare this way, but if you don't have any other background, you'll walk out of there if you stay for the whole thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:29 Highlight the passage at 1:35:29

1:35:56 You will come out having taken refuge, even though they won't specifically say so, and bodhisattva vows for life. And bodhisattva vows, actually, you keep them for life after life after life until you get enlightened. So you don't even lose them on your deathbed. They just stay in your mind, which is kind of interesting. Yeah, very sweet. Which is, I think, why we get drawn to them in the next life. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:56 Highlight the passage at 1:35:56

1:36:19 We must have carried them, or at least attended teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:19 Highlight the passage at 1:36:19

1:36:28 Disparaging the Hinayana. What does this one say? Causing others to hold the incorrect views that you might hold regarding the Hinayana teachings, such as saying that by practicing the Hinayana, one can never give up attachment or be released from suffering and delusions. If the other person believes you, it is a transgression. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:28 Highlight the passage at 1:36:28

1:36:55 Yeah, so basically by saying that you can't... Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:55 Highlight the passage at 1:36:55

1:36:58 Really reach nirvāṇa by studying the Hinayana. There is a vow, 14 and a half, which isn't in here, but it's another version of praising yourself and criticizing others. And this one, there's more detail in this one, and the motivation has to be jealousy. Jealousy for honor, again, that somebody else is getting. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:58 Highlight the passage at 1:36:58

1:37:27 So you're criticizing someone else. Praising yourself for that. It says, you must be a person who is teaching, studying or reciting Mahāyāna texts and you say to someone that you are not doing these things for praise or gain but some other person is. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:27 Highlight the passage at 1:37:27

1:37:47 You're some bad people. You say that someone else is undertaking a bodhisattva activity for personal gain and that you aren't a bodhisattva for personal gain. What you say is a lie and you say it with this motivation of personal gain or reputation. It duplicates Val 1 but from another sūtra source and somewhat different. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:47 Highlight the passage at 1:37:47

1:38:10 So it's slightly different. It's probably best just not to praise yourself or criticize others for any motivation. To say a lie about the profound, number 15, proclaiming false realizations of voidness. Although you have not understood emptiness, Teaching others, if you meditate like this, you'll be like me and you'll understand emptiness directly. So you can't even fake it. You can't pretend that you've seen emptiness if you have not seen emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:10 Highlight the passage at 1:38:10

1:38:42 Now you can talk about the experience of emptiness if you, you know, preface it by saying this is what I've heard or read or studied. This is my understanding of what it will be like. I have not, you know, or whatever. Now, of course, sometimes when our teachers say that, we think they're just being really humble. And there's not any way really for us to know. But you can watch that person and see if somebody has had a direct perception of emptiness, they should be living so strongly in the laws of karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:42 Highlight the passage at 1:38:42

1:39:15 Because to have a direct perception of emptiness means that you understand that relationship between karma and emptiness and you would be living like your life depended on karma. So we can kind of guess a little bit about our teachers by looking at how they live. You can also kind of see their faults if they aren't living so closely to that. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:15 Highlight the passage at 1:39:15

1:39:40 To accept the property of the three jewels. That sounds... Yeah, this one sounds a little bit the same. Accepting the gifts as gifts, material you know has been stolen or embezzled from the three jewels or a bhikshu, a fully ordained monk, I would say, or nun too, don't steal any nun stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:40 Highlight the passage at 1:39:40

1:40:03 To receive Dharma items taken or stolen from the three jewels. This one actually, you know what, I think about this one sometimes. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:03 Highlight the passage at 1:40:03

1:40:13 You know how a lot of people have things that they got that, when you think about them, they clearly must have been stolen from all of the billions and billions of monasteries in Tibet, and then people get them for a really good deal when they're in China or something, you know. It's kind of like, be careful. It's like blood money in a way. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:13 Highlight the passage at 1:40:13

1:40:36 I remember Geshe-la actually saying, this is an aside, but I remember him saying, I was just thinking about this the other day, he said, when you buy things from China, it's slave labor. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:36 Highlight the passage at 1:40:36

1:40:48 And I remember that just being like, yeah, wow, that's heavy. Because so much of the stuff that we have in America is made in China. It's like, we really have to be careful of that. Yeah, yeah, I know. Where's this one made? Oh good, the thing's off of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:48 Highlight the passage at 1:40:48

1:41:12 Okay, so 17. Causing those engaged in calm abiding meditation to give it up by giving their belongings to those who merely recite text. Also making bad disciplinary rules that cause disharmony in the spiritual community. So this came about, I think, when they began, this started happening a lot in Tibet before the fall of Tibet, actually, where they began sort of giving more power and prestige in the monasteries to those who merely practiced recitation of the texts, the sutras, would go out because they could go out and actually earn some money in the community, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:12 Highlight the passage at 1:41:12

1:41:54 And those who were just... Those practicing were kind of layabouts in a way. They would be like, oh, he doesn't do anything. He just goes in his room and meditates. And this one's like, wait a second. So they made rules that you could take away the belongings of those who were meditators and give them to the ones who were out earning money for the monastery and stuff like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:54 Highlight the passage at 1:41:54

1:42:20 This one phrases it, to institute a bad rule. When making rules for Dharma practitioners to take away the possessions of meditators because they don't have enough scriptural knowledge and to give those possessions to those who are studying scripture, you are disrespecting the meditators. You break the vow when you take the meditators' goods. The motivation is dislike, anger or hatred. So this one comes from that actually happening. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:20 Highlight the passage at 1:42:20

1:42:49 Number 18 is the second of those two that... I call this sort of special ones. Giving up aspiring bodhicitta. You personally decide that you don't want to become enlightened to benefit others. You give up and say, I'm not going to help all sentient beings. And this one says, abandoning bodhicitta by thinking I cannot help sentient beings or I do not want to help this particular sentient being. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:49 Highlight the passage at 1:42:49

1:43:16 Yeah, so... I remember Geshe-la teaching these vows and he said, yeah, the moment after you have the thought, you are no longer a bodhisattva. We can lose our bodhicitta so easily at this point. They say that it's really, really fragile. And if we hold on to anger, if we reject even one sentient being, it damages our bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:16 Highlight the passage at 1:43:16

1:43:41 So we have to be really, really careful of sort of... Shoving somebody out of our sphere of concern, basically. Because what's bodhicitta? We're trying to work for the benefit of every living being without exception. Once we start putting up the exceptions, then we lose our bodhicitta. Because the definition has been destroyed. So why are these two, number 9 and number 18, Report an error in the passage at 1:43:41 Highlight the passage at 1:43:41

1:44:10 Why are these two the special ones? These two are the absolute worst two to break. Wrong view and giving up bodhicitta. You don't need the four conditions for these two. If you really have strong wrong view and you've really decided to give up bodhicitta, you've just lost it. There's no conditions that have to be there. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:10 Highlight the passage at 1:44:10

1:44:33 Except for the fact that there has to be a really strong, definite feeling. It's not just like, oh, this is really hard. Okay, I'm going to do it anyway. It's not like you kind of falter a little bit. When I come down to do frustrations, John and I are always trying to egg each other on. We're just like, full of joy, you can do it. And we all get a little discouraged or tired or whatever at times, and we need to support each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:33 Highlight the passage at 1:44:33

1:44:58 That's not giving up. Bodhicitta, you know, bodhicitta's like, I'm done, you know, can't stand, that guy was enough, forget it, I can't work, I mean, that's what Ananda did, right, there's that story where the guy asked for his eye and he took it out with his left hand and offered it to him and he said, I can't take that with your left hand. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:58 Highlight the passage at 1:44:58

1:45:18 And he was like so discouraged, he was like, these beings are just so fickle and ridiculous, I can't work for them and he lost his bodhicitta and he had to start over again. and develop his buddy cheater luckily he did get enlightened So when we get discouraged, we have to try to build ourselves back up again and quickly and not give up on people. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:18 Highlight the passage at 1:45:18

1:45:41 So there are four conditions that we need in order to break a root valve, except for 9 and 18, that we just break pretty much the minute we have it. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:41 Highlight the passage at 1:45:41

1:45:57 These four are not to consider what you're doing. Let's see, does it have them here? The four conditions, okay, yeah. Here, I'll read this one first since you have this one. You know that you're breaking the vow, but you don't care. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:57 Highlight the passage at 1:45:57

1:46:09 So you obviously need to know the vow to know that you don't care, right? And that's another reason to study the vows, right? Because if we don't know the vows, then we won't know that we're breaking them. I mean, that sounds really obvious, but it's amazing how many people don't study the vows. Because you lack faith in karma, you think that doing a negative action doesn't matter. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:09 Highlight the passage at 1:46:09

1:46:37 Due to ignorance, you may not think that the action is negative and you will act contrary to the vow. Recognizing that the action is negative makes the transgression incomplete. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:37 Highlight the passage at 1:46:37

1:46:48 Oh, so the moment you go, oh gosh, this is bad, then it makes it incomplete. So the moment you kind of just like... Oh shoot, yeah, oh that's what she was talking about. Then you have that recognition in it. Because remember, all of these things happen in our minds. It's not like somebody else is keeping score. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:48 Highlight the passage at 1:46:48

1:47:07 So when our minds suddenly, it's sort of like when we catch ourselves doing any negativity after we've studied karma, and our mind has some recognition of that and some regret, even while we're doing the action, even if we can't stop ourselves from doing the action, we're already nullifying the action by the regret that's in our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:07 Highlight the passage at 1:47:07

1:47:25 So if we can, the more aware that we can become, the less negativity we can do. It's kind of cool that way, actually. So not to consider that you are going to, let me read it this version, not to consider what you are going to do or doing something as wrong. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:25 Highlight the passage at 1:47:25

1:47:48 Sorry, that phrasing is not so great. If you think it's wrong to do the deed at any time during or before you do it, even for a moment, you don't break the bell. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:48 Highlight the passage at 1:47:48

1:47:58 So if you catch yourself at any point, you can do it. To be willing to do it again. That's the second one. This one says not abandoning the thought to do the action again. If you do not regret the action and generate the wish to avoid it in the future, or even if you have the wish to do the action again, then this contributes to a complete transgression. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:58 Highlight the passage at 1:47:58

1:48:20 If you wish to never commit such an action ever again, then the transgression is incomplete. If you regret doing it even for a moment, then you don't break the vow. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:20 Highlight the passage at 1:48:20

1:48:34 You enjoy doing it or feel some sense of satisfaction that you did it. Again, if you regret doing it, then you don't break the vow. That comes up again. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:34 Highlight the passage at 1:48:34

1:48:43 This one says rejoicing. Geshe-la says you don't have to rejoice. You just have to feel some sense of satisfaction. So it's not just like, yay, I did it! It's more just like, hmm, hmm, hmm, yeah. It's more like that. How good it was that I could show off my good qualities. If you feel upset or regret the action, then the transgression is incomplete. Having no shame or consideration. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:43 Highlight the passage at 1:48:43

1:49:10 These are actual mental factors that are considered positive when it's talking about keeping us from doing negative actions in Buddhism. These come up a lot. I like the translation. I actually like shame and consideration now. I've gotten used to them. But usually when I introduce them, I talk about shame as being more like integrity. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:10 Highlight the passage at 1:49:10

1:49:29 Who I think of myself as, like as a nun or bodhisattva in training, I am not going to do certain actions that I feel like goes against that in my own mind. So if I consider myself a bodhisattva in training, then I am not going to do certain actions like destroying that ant colony out back because it goes against my view of myself. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:29 Highlight the passage at 1:49:29

1:49:53 That's what shame is talking about. It's talking about it in the same sense of being shameless. You know, the opposite of that, of shame, is shameless. If we're shameless, we end up breaking a lot of vows or doing a lot of negative activities. If we have some sense of shame, if we can kind of temper ourselves a little bit or have integrity, if you want to call it that, then we'll keep ourselves from doing those negative actions. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:53 Highlight the passage at 1:49:53

1:50:21 Consideration is talking about... For other people, like especially for me as a nun in a community of laypeople, I have to be really, really aware of what I do and how it might impact their faith, which is kind of heavy. Same is true with students. If I have students around, I have to watch what I do at least as well as I can because I'm not perfect. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:21 Highlight the passage at 1:50:21

1:50:48 But I would do things like I wouldn't. I wouldn't do a negativity if I could summon that up. I'd be like, well, what if my students saw me or something like that? The same is true, you could say, for a consideration of my teachers. I could say, what would my teachers do if they saw me do this? So I can use all of these things to keep me from doing the negative action. It's me using a mental factor, basically summoning up this thought to keep me from doing a negative action. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:48 Highlight the passage at 1:50:48

1:51:15 That's considerations for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:15 Highlight the passage at 1:51:15

1:51:20 So sometimes I've done things like if I'm doing a study retreat or something, and I remember one time I was doing a study retreat and it was just in someone's home. They were just giving me their home for a month or something like that. And there was a TV and I didn't want to watch it. I put Lama Zopa on it. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:20 Highlight the passage at 1:51:20

1:51:39 I actually made it into an altar, but I hung Lama Zopa across. It was like this huge widescreen TV because I just didn't want to go there. um and there So that's the fourth one. So it's not to consider what you're doing. I like the way this is phrased better. You know that you're breaking the vow, but you don't care. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:39 Highlight the passage at 1:51:39

1:52:03 Not abandoning the thought to do it again. Rejoicing or admiring yourself for doing the action, or as Gesha would say, feeling some satisfaction and having no shame or consideration. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:03 Highlight the passage at 1:52:03

1:52:16 So we have a few minutes to talk about some of these if people have any questions. To break the vow in its entirety, you need all four of these. So if you have a moment of conscience or regret, then you don't break the vow in its entirety. Part of the reason that so many people come when, you know, The Lamas come to town and offer jainungs and empowerments is that we want to take our bodhisattva vows again because we don't necessarily keep them all as purely as we'd like. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:16 Highlight the passage at 1:52:16

1:52:53 And so taking the vows again, you can take the vows over and over. There's no limit on how many times you can take it. And when you take the vows over, it purifies all the vows that you've broken. The way they'll say it is like you can actually take it every day. There's a little... Report an error in the passage at 1:52:53 Highlight the passage at 1:52:53

1:53:10 There's a practice that you can do that's actually in the Lama Tsopa booklet, and you'll get it if you do this at the Jainang. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:10 Highlight the passage at 1:53:10

1:53:21 It's the same one that we read to take the vows. You can actually read that to yourself every day to retake the vows. But one of my teachers said it's kind of like if you break your leg, it's never quite as strong as it was the first time. So we take it, we break it, we take it, we break it. After a while, it's just not as strong as it could be. There are really specific ways that we'll talk about in the class to purify the vows, the root vows versus the secondary vows and the things that need to be in effect and blah, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:21 Highlight the passage at 1:53:21

1:53:59 And we'll get into that more in depth in the longer course. This is the main thing is that you need all of these four factors. So it's good to really know what these four factors are and do the same thing that you do with the vows and read the different translations of them so that you know what they are. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:59 Highlight the passage at 1:53:59

1:54:17 I actually have this sort of little, I'm really big on these charts, this little cheat sheet bodhisattva vows thing that's kind of like a bunch, they're all like this size, they're kind of like index cards that are on a little ring and I just keep them with me. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:17 Highlight the passage at 1:54:17

1:54:35 It has the four factors on there as well. There's additional sort of commitments that you also take, so they aren't even fully vows, but they're part of the whole bodhisattva training, and I keep those on there too. So I'll try to introduce all of that for the longer class, because all of those things are good to know. There's the four white deeds and the four black deeds and all this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:35 Highlight the passage at 1:54:35

1:54:37 and it gets into there's there Report an error in the passage at 1:54:37 Highlight the passage at 1:54:37

1:55:03 But yeah, the most important aspect is knowing them, getting to know them and becoming familiar with them and just making it a really important practice in your life to be familiar with them. Because otherwise you'll never be able to live in them. They'll never become second nature to you if you haven't really spent much time becoming companions with those vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:03 Highlight the passage at 1:55:03

1:55:27 So it's like that. Any questions about any of this stuff? Christine, do you want to? Mary, do you want to pass it to her? Report an error in the passage at 1:55:27 Highlight the passage at 1:55:27

1:55:36 Is there a more limited context for number one? Because otherwise, how could you go on a job interview or submit a resume? Report an error in the passage at 1:55:36 Highlight the passage at 1:55:36

1:55:46 Oh, well, it has to be remember the motivation. So in this one, the motivation is attachment or desire. So it's more that you are... Report an error in the passage at 1:55:46 Highlight the passage at 1:55:46

1:56:00 would Oh, what you say should be a lie in order to break this one. That's kind of interesting. So you're actually, you can say your best qualities without putting somebody else down or without lying about yourself. So that's what it's saying. So you have to actually say things that are truthful. So if you're praising yourself for a job interview, you have to say things that are truthful about yourself that are good qualities, and that's okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:00 Highlight the passage at 1:56:00

1:56:24 Self-confidence is okay, but if you're... Praising yourself and putting and you're putting down somebody else sort of in the process or you're doing it with like a really strong afflicted mind or something like that. Then I think you're lying about yourself and so forth. But yeah, it's true. We do kind of skirt a lot of these. Yeah. And actually going to a job interview might be one. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:24 Highlight the passage at 1:56:24

1:56:47 But just be really as as honest as you can. But your version says you have to lie. So if you're not. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, does this one say anything about that? It doesn't actually say anything about that. Yeah, so I'll try to study them more before the longer class, but yeah, that's what this one says. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:47 Highlight the passage at 1:56:47

1:57:06 To do this, you actually have to lie about that, so that's kind of interesting. Yeah, so at least keep it honest. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:06 Highlight the passage at 1:57:06

1:57:18 Don't say that you know how to do something that you have no idea. At least that's workable. Yes, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:18 Highlight the passage at 1:57:18

1:57:28 Yeah, sometimes we have to sell ourselves, so how do we do that in a way that's not dishonest or dissing somebody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:57:28 Highlight the passage at 1:57:28

1:57:39 Anything else? Any other questions? It's a lot. I know it's a lot of sort of a long, couple long lists. And if this is all completely new to you and you never studied it before, just give it time. You know, we are going to do the longer class. I invite all of you to come and, you know, we'll sort of... Report an error in the passage at 1:57:39 Highlight the passage at 1:57:39

1:57:59 Make our way through it together. But the main point of these vows is to, and Geshe-la says really you can't even hold the bodhisattva vows until you generate bodhicitta, which I find thoroughly discouraging, so I just tossed that one out. The way I learned it, my understanding of it from other teachers is that it becomes like training wheels. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:59 Highlight the passage at 1:57:59

1:58:28 To help us develop the mind of bodhicitta and then enhance that mind once we started generating it and strengthen that mind. And so for me that feels more encouraging, you know, because otherwise I'll just be like, I'll never be able to take them. Can't do that. That's probably breaking one of the vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:28 Highlight the passage at 1:58:28

1:58:53 Yes, isn't it? Cash 22. I know Report an error in the passage at 1:58:53 Highlight the passage at 1:58:53

1:58:54 is, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:58:54 Highlight the passage at 1:58:54

1:58:59 but um But, yeah, and in fact, sometimes, you know, in His Holiness, He'll give it to like a huge, you know, 30,000, 40,000 people. He'll say, at least take it with wishing bodhicitta, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:58:59 Highlight the passage at 1:58:59

1:59:13 That's just sort of taking it with this mind of, I want to be able to do this. I want to be able to hold these. When you take these vows and you take it with engaging bodhicitta, whatever your understanding of that is, it's more like, I really want to... I really want to take them and use them as my method of getting enlightened. And that's the way I learned to take it. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:13 Highlight the passage at 1:59:13

1:59:37 And that's what I still believe is like sort of the strongest motivation when you're taking the vows for those of you that are going to take the vows on Sunday night. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:37 Highlight the passage at 1:59:37

1:59:48 Which will all be over in like two and a half seconds and I encourage you to take them again. It's like you're like all ready for this really dramatic thing and then it'll be like blah blah blah blah in Tibetan. Yeah, exactly. You'll be like, what happened? We are still going to encourage, request Geshe-la to offer the Bodhisattva vows when he finishes Shantideva's text, hopefully at the end of this year. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:48 Highlight the passage at 1:59:48

2:00:17 Or the very beginning of next year. So I would, if you have a chance, whether you take these vows or not, come and attend that ceremony. Even if you haven't taken them, it's still a blessing on your mind to see other people taking them. Just like with refuge, it's a blessing to attend a refuge ceremony. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:17 Highlight the passage at 2:00:17

2:00:36 We will definitely request Geshe-Lo when he gets back to offer refuge again. So those of you... If you are taking refuge for the first time on Sunday night, you'll have a chance of taking it in a slower environment. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:36 Highlight the passage at 2:00:36

2:00:53 And Geshe-la teaches always about the refuge commitments when he gives it, too. So we'll make sure that that happens when he gets home, too. And I could be thoroughly wrong. Lama Zopa Rinpoche may stop everything and suddenly go really slowly into all of the commitments and all the vows. We could be up all night studying the vows. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:53 Highlight the passage at 2:00:53

2:00:51 um, um, Report an error in the passage at 2:00:51 Highlight the passage at 2:00:51

2:01:10 Most likely, the point on Sunday night is that Medicine Buddha Jainang, so he's probably going to spend more time on that than he is on this. This is sort of part of, it's included in, but it's not the main point. But they say that when we take bodhisattva vows, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas are just so happy. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:10 Highlight the passage at 2:01:10

2:01:37 They say that actually the earth shakes. So if we feel an earthquake, it's because they're really, really happy. And it's just because this sort of baby bodhicitta has grown in our heart and it's like this, it's the beginning of us becoming Buddhas, you know. So that makes them really, really, really happy. So that's one of the reasons why you just take this minute to rejoice at the end and just feel really happy that you did it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:37 Highlight the passage at 2:01:37

2:02:04 And then you have to keep them. So anyway, any other questions on these? And I know it's a lot. You're welcome to take the books and look at them and they're yours to keep. For the longer course, I'll have more translations that I'll make available to you guys, different commentaries and so forth. I'll do my best to get more and more and more information in. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:04 Highlight the passage at 2:02:04

2:02:08 So, Report an error in the passage at 2:02:08 Highlight the passage at 2:02:08

2:02:34 This is what we could pull together for this week. Okay, anything else? No. Okay, so let's dedicate, let's take a moment to dedicate the merit of discussing these vows and the refuge commitments and the mind of refuge, which all of this is so amazing that we were able to do this in two hours. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:34 Highlight the passage at 2:02:34

2:02:59 And that whatever happens, that all of this plant seeds in our minds and those seeds ripen into Buddhahood for each one of us, that we all can do it. We can become bodhisattvas and we can take the whole path to enlightenment so that we can help other living beings perfectly without bias, without hedging, without aversion. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:59 Highlight the passage at 2:02:59

2:03:26 And just help them be able to have all the means. All the skillful means to help them. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:26 Highlight the passage at 2:03:26

2:03:35 All right. Thank you very much. Thanks. Are we finished on the dot? Can we have a round of applause, please? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:35 Highlight the passage at 2:03:35

2:03:55 Did everybody get a booklet? Report an error in the passage at 2:03:55 Highlight the passage at 2:03:55

2:04:01 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. That's so cool. I just filled out ten. That was exactly right. Oh, my God. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:01 Highlight the passage at 2:04:01

2:04:17 Oh, if anybody has any time on Friday night. And would like to help us set up at the place. I got your email, so I'm sorry about that, but you just play about your... We still need people, so talk to me after class. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:17 Highlight the passage at 2:04:17

2:04:42 Bye, Mira. Thank you. Oh, good. That's right. I'll recognize you. we'll just have one a little different than Report an error in the passage at 2:04:42 Highlight the passage at 2:04:42

2:04:46 ok, ok. I'll show you more. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:46 Highlight the passage at 2:04:46

2:04:55 that was good. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:55 Highlight the passage at 2:04:55

2:04:59 the Bruda, Report an error in the passage at 2:04:59 Highlight the passage at 2:04:59

2:05:07 Were you going to ask about this? Yeah, we do. We definitely do want to. Thank you. Say that again. The other commitment is a mantra commitment. Good night, Christine. Oh, okay. It's a mantra commitment, and we don't know how many, but usually the way he does it is he lets us choose how many. Well, we'll also, for a long on Sunday, Report an error in the passage at 2:05:07 Highlight the passage at 2:05:07

2:05:37 If you don't have any other commitments, I would say go ahead and do, you know, 21 or Mala or something like that. If you have a lot of commitments, then just do one. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:37 Highlight the passage at 2:05:37

2:05:49 Keep it a manageable amount. But if you don't have a bunch of commitments, it's a nice mantra to do. And they say it actually benefits if you're walking along, you can say it out loud, and it benefits the other living beings, even if we can't see them. So that's kind of cool when you think about it. Like when you're hiking, that's a good one to do when you're hiking or riding your bike or whatever. Because all the little insects and everything get benefited by hearing this mantra. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:49 Highlight the passage at 2:05:49

2:06:13 But we don't know how many. Most likely that's the way he does it. But I have seen him suddenly say, you know, one mala or something. He'll like give it a mountain and you just kind of have to be okay with that. He won't say three-year retreat or something like that. If he was going to do a retreat commitment, he would have said, Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:13 Highlight the passage at 2:06:13

2:06:38 Is that the bed? Yeah, yeah. You want to take it up there? You can free her, too, actually. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:38 Highlight the passage at 2:06:38

2:06:48 Thank you. So, say that again. The commitments. So, the mantra. There's just a mantra. The mantra commitment is... you gotta do that. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:48 Highlight the passage at 2:06:48

2:07:00 Usually, he'll let us decide how many we do. So you can do as little as one or as many as one. But whatever it is, you have to do it every day for the rest of your life. So make it one that you can do. And I was just saying, if you don't have a lot of commitments, go ahead and do some amount so that it's something more than one. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:00 Highlight the passage at 2:07:00

2:07:21 But if you have a lot, then you're doing one. I actually find it harder to know if you want, then you're going to get Mala to some degree. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:21 Highlight the passage at 2:07:21

2:07:29 And then I was just mentioning that they say is that you know, it's really nice and nice and nice I do it when I walk with my dog. The dog is affected, the cat is affected, like animals or insects and birds. So it's a nice one to do. Hi Bubba, can you just wake up? Hello Bubba. I know. I know. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:29 Highlight the passage at 2:07:29

2:07:58 But that's all we know. I was just teasing him. He used to do more retreat commitments with empowerment and things, and I think not so many of us. I actually did them or something because he stopped somewhere along the way. I'm not that old a student. I remember when I first started taking environments with him, he would give retreat commitments in law and I guess I think students didn't do it or something. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:58 Highlight the passage at 2:07:58

2:08:29 So now I just do so many. I actually kind of like retreat commitments because it makes me do it. You know, it's like homework and then I have to do the homework. Sorry, she got that. No, I wanted her to. I'm going to do it. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:29 Highlight the passage at 2:08:29

2:08:43 She's going to mark that table as her own. Yeah? What? Oh, what? Report an error in the passage at 2:08:43 Highlight the passage at 2:08:43

2:08:56 Uh-huh. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:56 Highlight the passage at 2:08:56

2:09:01 Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:01 Highlight the passage at 2:09:01

2:09:06 We don't really have omniscience, we don't really know where they're going. Bye, thank you. That's the problem, is that we don't have the wisdom to know where they're going to go, so they might be going to a horse river. You know, so we just can't tell. That's the problem with things like euthanasia and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:06 Highlight the passage at 2:09:06

2:09:25 Our intention is good, and so from that angle it's good, but because we don't really know, their negative karma might ripen and they might actually go to a horse river and become a spirit or a hell being or something like that. So it's better not to. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:25 Highlight the passage at 2:09:25

2:09:43 Better to let them just purify the negative karma by experiencing it. You can keep them comfortable, like hospice, you know? You know, like with humans we have hospice and so we do pain relief and things like that. But better not to end their life because we just don't know where they're going. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:43 Highlight the passage at 2:09:43

2:10:07 Oh, I was not curing you. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:07 Highlight the passage at 2:10:07

2:10:17 We create karma all the time, so there's not a finite amount where I'm creating more. So what I've always heard is, because some people used to say that about like parking space, maybe I shouldn't take a good parking space when I find it because that's a big problem and I'm using it up. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:17 Highlight the passage at 2:10:17

2:10:34 It's better just if any kind of good that happens to you, whether it's a healing or say even a vitamin works and gives you energy or you find a pregnant space or whatever, then just offer that up. Offer it up to the three jewels. Oh, great. I was really fortunate this came through my good karma and I'm offering it up to all the three jewels. Because that way you're kind of creating the cause to have it again, rather than you're not using it up. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:34 Highlight the passage at 2:10:34

2:11:03 So it's not like, You're going to use all the gas and have no gas. Because you keep constantly creating new. So the more positive things that you do, then you're creating more and more and more virtue. And then you're more positive. So you're okay. You keep creating more. I just think in my mind, I offer it. And I do that with anything pretty, too. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:03 Highlight the passage at 2:11:03

2:11:24 Like if I'm walking and I see a beautiful view, I'll just be like, oh my, oh, I'll offer this up. That's all. I just do that. Yeah. Or really good food or really good tea to Oma home. You know, just anything really nice and special or nice experience. Sometimes when somebody's about to give me a massage, Oma. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:24 Highlight the passage at 2:11:24

2:11:43 Yeah. Totally offer it up. Yeah. Because it doesn't mean we can't enjoy things. We just kind of have to know where they come from. And they come from our positive. Our moms know that. If we understand how it works, then we can do it with it. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:43 Highlight the passage at 2:11:43

2:12:04 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:04 Highlight the passage at 2:12:04

2:12:08 I'm ready. It's very cool. I mean, that's pretty strong. strong and absolutely too. It was like me with the retreat thing. I was like, there's no way to misunderstand. See that fast in the house. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:08 Highlight the passage at 2:12:08

2:12:28 didn't even mention the bells. Can I, Sandra? I It's really cool. It's great about everything. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:28 Highlight the passage at 2:12:28

2:12:57 you going to be crying on Sunday night? Are you going to be crying? I better make sure to pack some t-shirts. Can you sit there and rejoice because all the bodhisattvas are rejoicing? I mean, just even thinking about We were all just crying. It was just a bodhisattva ceremony. That's all. We all just studied it. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:57 Highlight the passage at 2:12:57

2:13:24 So we've just done the 10 days of studying and then definitely, and then at the end we took what's on the bus together and it was just so incredible. I mean, I still tear up when I do this. I know, I'm just sitting there. It's really good. I know, like I said, it's just going to sort of boom, boom, boom. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:24 Highlight the passage at 2:13:24

2:13:44 Okay, we're done. But that's why it's great for you to have this and you'll have more for the next class. I'll put that together. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:44 Highlight the passage at 2:13:44

2:13:54 You will have a little sheet, and what we thought we did, because now we can't get it together, we can print something else from everybody, although we may be able to do something else, it depends on budget, but what we thought we'd do is just take a list, and I can send people the information through email, and that way they have it that night, because that's, I'll just go home, I don't care what I'm going to just send it to them, because I'm assuming it's probably only 20, Report an error in the passage at 2:13:54 Highlight the passage at 2:13:54

2:14:19 and then we can print it. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:19 Highlight the passage at 2:14:19

2:14:32 that's reaching your mind and compassion. I mean, it's, it's really cool. It's really cool. I'm back here. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:32 Highlight the passage at 2:14:32

2:14:47 So, what? Report an error in the passage at 2:14:47 Highlight the passage at 2:14:47

2:14:53 Feels better? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:53 Highlight the passage at 2:14:53

2:15:10 I got you. I know. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:10 Highlight the passage at 2:15:10

2:15:30 Well, Report an error in the passage at 2:15:30 Highlight the passage at 2:15:30

2:15:34 Marcella cleaned it all. She's been drilled with it ever since. Yeah. She's like, I like this. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:34 Highlight the passage at 2:15:34

2:15:51 Framework. crispy. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:51 Highlight the passage at 2:15:51

2:15:31 busy in my job. I'm busy. One more Report an error in the passage at 2:15:31 Highlight the passage at 2:15:31

2:16:00 Thank you. Thank you. a really quick question, it's a really good question. So what's yours? Report an error in the passage at 2:16:00 Highlight the passage at 2:16:00

2:16:18 Yes, from over to the other, yeah, barring. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:18 Highlight the passage at 2:16:18

2:16:24 yeah, meteors and like that. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:24 Highlight the passage at 2:16:24

2:16:31 So, yeah, I don't know. I mean, it just, Report an error in the passage at 2:16:31 Highlight the passage at 2:16:31

2:16:46 It's there, you know, it's like, and you know, we're all going to do it too, so. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:46 Highlight the passage at 2:16:46

2:16:56 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:56 Highlight the passage at 2:16:56

2:17:03 There's a level where you really kind of get into it. I had a very good conversation with somebody about that, which you kind of like. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:03 Highlight the passage at 2:17:03

2:17:05 Now, you know what he wants to do, he'll tell you something's pretty. Cool. Okay, I get it. Alright. What's wrong? Alright. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:05 Highlight the passage at 2:17:05

2:17:22 Good night. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:22 Highlight the passage at 2:17:22

2:17:27 loud! Report an error in the passage at 2:17:27 Highlight the passage at 2:17:27

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:17:59 Oh, that's a little bit of a commission, eh? I would think Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:59 Highlight the passage at 2:17:59

2:18:11 We're probably going to some place closer to like here or Milly Valley or Castro. She came one time before, but she needs something a little more... For beginners. I think she came and Geshe-lo was here and it was just like she didn't know what he was talking about. She has no background in anything related to Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:11 Highlight the passage at 2:18:11

2:18:51 We do have some beginner, beginner questions. Yeah, well, Tuesday and Thursday meetings. And then tonight, well, this was going to be a special time tonight. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:51 Highlight the passage at 2:18:51

2:19:09 What are the questions that you just gave us? Is she going to come celebrate you? No problem. I would think Oh, my wife? No, she's actually working. Report an error in the passage at 2:19:09 Highlight the passage at 2:19:09

2:19:27 she working? Yeah, she's doing it. Report an error in the passage at 2:19:27 Highlight the passage at 2:19:27

2:19:33 So, yeah, I'm just going to go. Report an error in the passage at 2:19:33 Highlight the passage at 2:19:33

2:19:43 Oh, yeah. Well, I listen to just over and over and over. That's like all I listen to for a year. It was him. Oh. don't know, but the old story is more basic, Well, Report an error in the passage at 2:19:43 Highlight the passage at 2:19:43

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:20:27 write over here. You know, and you just never know. Because he picked you. And you had that part of you. Because part of you already have come in. You're in 18, 17, but it's coming out. So you just don't know. That's it. I love their story. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:27 Highlight the passage at 2:20:27

2:20:51 He's got those funny rock stars. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:51 Highlight the passage at 2:20:51

2:20:59 He's got his funny glasses on, big sunglasses. like they're going to be with him, I'll listen to people through the other Report an error in the passage at 2:20:59 Highlight the passage at 2:20:59

2:21:11 like one in the future. He was just like, didn't know anything about the class. Just so great. and then from that to teaching, just amazing. What an amazing story for those two. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:11 Highlight the passage at 2:21:11

2:21:29 to know that one circle is So those are general practices, changes it with everyone that dies. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:29 Highlight the passage at 2:21:29

2:21:41 It could have a different type of teaching. But, you know, I mean, for a thought, you know, Report an error in the passage at 2:21:41 Highlight the passage at 2:21:41

2:21:54 it's nice to be with society. Yeah, being with a bee. Yeah. It happens. You never know. Yeah. Well, see, maybe she might want to come. Yeah, mention that. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:54 Highlight the passage at 2:21:54

2:22:14 She doesn't have patience. No, but the first day won't work alone. The first day won't work alone. Yeah, it's 4 to 6.30 or 4 to 6 and then it's 6.30 until whatever. Yeah, so the first one. The second day probably will be over at midnight. And how can you do something with this kind of spiritual being? Report an error in the passage at 2:22:14 Highlight the passage at 2:22:14

2:22:42 I'm going to try to do this with a He's going to be teaching in the South Bay, verse 12, 13, and he'll be following. Report an error in the passage at 2:22:42 Highlight the passage at 2:22:42

2:22:58 Especially the Golden Light Sūtra, the oral transformation. Yes, yes, yes. Report an error in the passage at 2:22:58 Highlight the passage at 2:22:58

2:23:05 Don't miss that. Oh, really? It's so precious because I don't really want to really think of the transformation. And I think that the golden line sūtra, and she's so great to bring people, and there are many, many people to take this side. You say, if you want this, or yourself, please don't present golden line sūtra. Uh-huh. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:05 Highlight the passage at 2:23:05

2:23:28 It is so valuable to go to Lama Tsongkhapa. So if you have oral consummation, it's massive. And he really wanted to give these options to him. So we really don't have a hundred and twenty thousand percent of him. I mean, I encourage him. Of course, you've got to decide that we can get that word. But we have, you can start reading the online search. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:28 Highlight the passage at 2:23:28

2:23:58 It's so touching. I think we have a few too. Okay. So, that was... Okay. I'll definitely check that out. Please. Please. What's this? I don't know, who is this? Report an error in the passage at 2:23:58 Highlight the passage at 2:23:58

2:24:28 It's true, Report an error in the passage at 2:24:28 Highlight the passage at 2:24:28

2:24:35 it's a stream. How does the stream hit the stone? Oh, I don't know this girl, I know who you're the best neighbor. what? Your consciousness. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:35 Highlight the passage at 2:24:35

2:24:55 that's what I'm worried about, this number 18. Oh, uh I do not want to help this particular Cynthia. There's one person that comes to mind for me and I'm just like... No, no, no. When that word is meaning forever, you can say, not now. I try. I try to help this person. What if you cannot? Yeah, that's why you stop. What if I can't help him? Somebody will help. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:55 Highlight the passage at 2:24:55

2:25:28 What I mean, they say, I don't. You know, help is not temporary. I can't, I couldn't right now. But you cannot say forever. You can say, oh, I cannot do, I cannot help right now. But when I have capacity, I have enough pain, I have enough ability to help. But when I'm sure I don't want to help this person, which we need. Report an error in the passage at 2:25:28 Highlight the passage at 2:25:28

2:25:51 Never. going to go into the room Well, I can't do that. I cannot deal with this one. I cannot see this person. It's okay. No, no, no. It means forever. Forever. For lifetimes. Yeah, for lifetimes. Temporarily, of course, we can say. Even one method is avoid. If we can deal with it, we avoid it because we're not ready. We don't have enough patience. Report an error in the passage at 2:25:51 Highlight the passage at 2:25:51

2:26:18 We don't have enough, you know, ability to deal with. We avoid. It's one of what matters. So, it's this. Temporarily. Temporarily, we cannot deal with. But we cannot say we give up forever. As long as it's not forever, you're fine. As long as it's not forever. Yes. It's temporarily said I cannot, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:26:18 Highlight the passage at 2:26:18

2:26:41 I cannot deal with you this lifetime, but I'm going to keep my married and brighten my wish. Next time, when we see you, I'm ready to help you. I've been trying to, he's a senior engineer, and he's never wrong. He's not scared. Oh, he's very scared. I know, I haven't figured out, and I just like, I just try to not have a deal. Report an error in the passage at 2:26:41 Highlight the passage at 2:26:41

2:27:11 okay? Hold it. Hold it. It's not just me. Oh no, he'll say, well, I'm the only one that can code that. Well, then go code it. Well, yeah, that's exactly what I think. But that's not true. See, that's not reality. That's delusional. And so, should I say, well, actually, that's not true. There are other people on the scene that can help do that work. You're not the only one that can do that. Why do you have to tell? Report an error in the passage at 2:27:11 Highlight the passage at 2:27:11

2:27:52 No. Report an error in the passage at 2:27:52 Highlight the passage at 2:27:52

2:27:58 So for those people, you know, they so constantly use this, you know, don't fight with this. Report an error in the passage at 2:27:58 Highlight the passage at 2:27:58

2:28:10 And you have that tendency to use this, too. So it won't work. It's like, you know. I just have to treat. Report an error in the passage at 2:28:10 Highlight the passage at 2:28:10

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:28:58 But it's just that Report an error in the passage at 2:28:58 Highlight the passage at 2:28:58

2:29:03 you're learning from everything. Yeah. It's a lot for me. I've been trying, I know, I've been trying with this guy too. Maybe he can teach me something. I'll keep it open. Yeah. He can teach me something. I mean, he's so good. Report an error in the passage at 2:29:03 Highlight the passage at 2:29:03

2:29:22 Yeah, but then like, I mean, I'm not trying to like say that. You Report an error in the passage at 2:29:22 Highlight the passage at 2:29:22

2:29:35 can learn from it. Like how much of the time I actually don't want to be free. How much of the time I don't want to let go and forgive. How much of the time I don't want to love. Yeah. It's my life. How much of the time? It seems easier to hold a grudge. Report an error in the passage at 2:29:35 Highlight the passage at 2:29:35