Discovering Buddhism - Intro to Tantra (16 June 2011)

0:09 some old friends. Report an error in the passage at 0:09 Highlight the passage at 0:09

0:15 look so helpful. That's kind of the way we're all feeling after yesterday. Report an error in the passage at 0:15 Highlight the passage at 0:15

0:32 Useful later. Report an error in the passage at 0:32 Highlight the passage at 0:32

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:53 the subtle body beginning to manifest a different way. Report an error in the passage at 1:53 Highlight the passage at 1:53

2:19 cute. Report an error in the passage at 2:19 Highlight the passage at 2:19

2:33 Are you working upstairs? Thank you, Maria. Report an error in the passage at 2:33 Highlight the passage at 2:33

2:46 This is take a few moments to arrive. So maybe check your body. If you're feeling kind of some tension in the neck or shoulders, you might take a few minutes to stretch it out. Roll your shoulders a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 2:46 Highlight the passage at 2:46

3:14 Some nice deep breaths and arrive. Report an error in the passage at 3:14 Highlight the passage at 3:14

3:18 This party is probably outside looking for parking or getting off the 22 or running down the block as fast as you can. Or maybe that's just me. Report an error in the passage at 3:18 Highlight the passage at 3:18

3:38 We're going to start with a little tantric appetizer, a little visualization exercise. We're Report an error in the passage at 3:38 Highlight the passage at 3:38

3:57 going to use our breath to cleanse our mind of everything that's just been going on, trying to get here, whatever kind of day you've had, whether it's good or bad or busy or quiet. So Report an error in the passage at 3:57 Highlight the passage at 3:57

4:15 just take a moment to, with a kind of controlled breath, Report an error in the passage at 4:15 Highlight the passage at 4:15

4:23 breathe in through the nostrils. And hold it for just a moment and Report an error in the passage at 4:23 Highlight the passage at 4:23

4:35 then expel out that breath. Report an error in the passage at 4:35 Highlight the passage at 4:35

4:42 And as you're breathing in, imagine that each of those breaths that you're breathing in is completely permeated by white light and that it's in the nature of all the enlightened qualities of the Buddha. So clarity of mind, concentration, love, compassion, wisdom. And Report an error in the passage at 4:42 Highlight the passage at 4:42

5:12 so do a few breaths like that and reimagine. Breathing it in and kind of holding it for a moment. Imagine it begins permeating your mind and your body. Report an error in the passage at 5:12 Highlight the passage at 5:12

5:37 And when it begins to move through your mind and your body, it starts dissolving any obstacles it might find. So anywhere that you're blocked, if you're blocked in your heart, Report an error in the passage at 5:37 Highlight the passage at 5:37

5:52 in your mind, in your energy in any way, any tightness, any feelings of constriction, sleepiness, dullness. Report an error in the passage at 5:52 Highlight the passage at 5:52

6:09 Imagine that this light energy begins to loosen and dissolve all those blockages. And then you just sort of breathe that out like a fog or a black smoke. Report an error in the passage at 6:09 Highlight the passage at 6:09

· · · silence, 1 minute

6:58 And as you're breathing in all this light energy, brightness, wisdom, all these qualities, imagine that it not only helps your mind, but even your... A sense of your body's heaviness and solidity begins to change and lighten. Your Report an error in the passage at 6:58 Highlight the passage at 6:58

7:24 body starts feeling lighter and lighter, Report an error in the passage at 7:24 Highlight the passage at 7:24

7:30 as if it were beginning to transform from this gross physical thing into something spacious and light, Report an error in the passage at 7:30 Highlight the passage at 7:30

7:52 allowing your awareness to expand, Report an error in the passage at 7:52 Highlight the passage at 7:52

8:02 allowing you to experience your own mind's innate clarity. Report an error in the passage at 8:02 Highlight the passage at 8:02

8:26 And then shift your attention from this breath. To this experience, whatever experience you've managed to manifest, whether it's clarity or freedom or joy or spaciousness, Report an error in the passage at 8:26 Highlight the passage at 8:26

8:48 try to place your awareness right on top of that and hold it just for a moment, Report an error in the passage at 8:48 Highlight the passage at 8:48

8:59 imagining that your mind in this experience completely become one, unified. Report an error in the passage at 8:59 Highlight the passage at 8:59

9:33 And then recognize that each one of us, seated here, Seated in the center of a vast multitude of sentient beings, human and non-human, spreading out limitlessly around you. Report an error in the passage at 9:33 Highlight the passage at 9:33

9:55 And most of these beings are experiencing anything but that openness, light, blissful experience you might have just experienced. Report an error in the passage at 9:55 Highlight the passage at 9:55

10:14 Most living beings are trapped in what the Buddha called self-created prisons of karmic appearance. Report an error in the passage at 10:14 Highlight the passage at 10:14

10:27 Looking everywhere for pleasure, but experiencing nothing but frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, pain and suffering. Report an error in the passage at 10:27 Highlight the passage at 10:27

10:53 Because they're under the power of ignorance about how things actually exist and the power of delusions like anger and hatred, jealousy. Report an error in the passage at 10:53 Highlight the passage at 10:53

11:12 Every one of these beings without exception has the potential to experience. Completely liberated consciousness. Report an error in the passage at 11:12 Highlight the passage at 11:12

11:29 And every one of us, every one of them, has Buddha nature, this potential for full enlightenment, although it's buried now, completely obscured by our karma and our ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 11:29 Highlight the passage at 11:29

11:55 Tonight we have the good fortune to Report an error in the passage at 11:55 Highlight the passage at 11:55

12:02 begin a class where you'll be introduced to a method, a powerful method taught by the Buddha for arousing this blissful, spacious, Report an error in the passage at 12:02 Highlight the passage at 12:02

12:18 Potentially enlightened consciousness within yourself. Report an error in the passage at 12:18 Highlight the passage at 12:18

12:26 So we want to set our motivation so that it's not just for ourselves alone that we want to taste this. We want to use whatever experiences, whatever understandings we gain tonight and in the whole course so Report an error in the passage at 12:26 Highlight the passage at 12:26

12:46 that we can truly benefit all of those living beings surrounding us so Report an error in the passage at 12:46 Highlight the passage at 12:46

13:01 that we can help them discover their own potential when we discover our own potential. Report an error in the passage at 13:01 Highlight the passage at 13:01

13:18 So I motivate this class for that. For them, for anyone you know who's suffering, and for ourselves, Report an error in the passage at 13:18 Highlight the passage at 13:18

13:30 each of us, be able to tap and access that potential in our own minds in this lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 13:30 Highlight the passage at 13:30

13:45 And as you're ready, you can end your meditation, and we're going to start with opening prayer in the white book in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 13:45 Highlight the passage at 13:45

13:57 It's Report an error in the passage at 13:57 Highlight the passage at 13:57

14:02 on page 8. Report an error in the passage at 14:02 Highlight the passage at 14:02

14:31 With a wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge. To Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

15:09 So, that was a little. Tiny taste of some of the practices of Tantra. We're going to, in the course of this class, we're going to experience and discuss and try to understand some of the teachings of the Tantra that are open, that are open teachings. A lot of Tantra is considered secret teachings, and we'll talk about the reasons why for that as well. Report an error in the passage at 15:09 Highlight the passage at 15:09

15:42 But Lama Yeshe, who is one of our founders of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahāyāna Tradition, was a firm believer that Westerners particularly would benefit from having a little taste of some of the teachings of Tantra. And so we kind of... We get a head start in this tradition. A lot of traditions don't. So I try to make certain not to say anything out of line, but I think there's a lot that you can know about Tantra without entering Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 15:42 Highlight the passage at 15:42

16:25 And then by the time that you're ready to enter Tantra, then you'll have more of an idea than I did when I entered Tantra. I try to save you from all of my mistakes. Actually, I can kind of do that all the way along. I do that with refuge, too. I took refuge a little quickly, too. But I turned out all right. So I'm going to talk a little bit about just some basics about Tantra, and then we're going to go around and introduce ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 16:25 Highlight the passage at 16:25

16:51 And I'll start with introducing me at that point. But I just want to start with a little bit, something juicy. I usually just talk about logistics in the first class, and I started thinking that was really boring, especially for people that were doing more than one class. You always have to hear the same sort of logistical talk, so I started now, the first class becomes more juicy. So what is Tantra? Report an error in the passage at 16:51 Highlight the passage at 16:51

17:21 I like to use quotes from Lama Yeshe. So much of my... This class is actually going to come from Lama Yashi's book, Introduction to Tantra. So we're going to talk about that too, just to make sure that you guys all have access to it in some way. Report an error in the passage at 17:21 Highlight the passage at 17:21

17:37 Because any time you try to teach something like Tantra in a Discovering Buddhism course, I remember actually the very first time I taught it, this is I think my third time teaching it, I went to Venmo Rabin and I was like, what on earth do I possibly teach? She was like, use Lama's book. Of course. So I was like, oh, okay. So I just sort of used that as a guideline. He just does it so brilliantly. And even if you've read it, read it over and over and over again. Report an error in the passage at 17:37 Highlight the passage at 17:37

18:04 I try to reread it once a year, actually. There's just so much there. And, of course, like everything else, as our minds change, we get more and more out of it. So, yeah. But anyway, he said, according to Tantra, perfection is not something that is waiting for us somewhere in the future. Everything that we need in order to be complete is within us right at this very moment. It is simply a matter of being able to recognize it. Report an error in the passage at 18:04 Highlight the passage at 18:04

18:33 This is the tantric approach. Report an error in the passage at 18:33 Highlight the passage at 18:33

18:37 Tantra is a Sanskrit word which means continuity, like mental continuum. We're going to talk about the mind tonight too. Report an error in the passage at 18:37 Highlight the passage at 18:37

18:47 Or warp, as in weaving. So things woven together, which I think is very interesting. So Lama Yeshe uses the word totality a lot, just kind of like includes all inclusive. Report an error in the passage at 18:47 Highlight the passage at 18:47

19:05 He has his own way of, or he had his own way of using the English language, which I think sometimes, a lot of times people thought was a translation issue, but I, oh. To see like these ears kind of on the other side. Report an error in the passage at 19:05 Highlight the passage at 19:05

19:21 That actually happened last night in Puja. I ended up being completely blocked from Christine. Is Christine here? Yeah, I know. It was kind of annoying because I was like, I know she's there. I can see her shoulders, but I just, you know, it's like... Anyway. Report an error in the passage at 19:21 Highlight the passage at 19:21

19:41 So Tantra also has a lot to do with our Buddha nature, which I sort of alluded to in that opening meditation, and that has all sorts of different... meanings in the different traditions too. There's a lot of confusions about that. Unfortunately, in the West, the word tantra has come to mean a lot of different things, and there's a lot of new age courses that have to do with sexuality and increasing sexual intimacy with your partner and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 19:41 Highlight the passage at 19:41

20:11 That's not what this class is going to be about, so if you wanted that, then you can get your money back if you walk back out right now. I can guarantee you that's not going to be it. Report an error in the passage at 20:11 Highlight the passage at 20:11

20:21 in the it's it's actually Tantra is one of those words like sūtra that's used for a lot of different things, but in this context it's a collection of teachings that are very advanced teachings that help us to transform our body at the subtle level as well as our mind at the subtle level. And so there's different methods and practices that go with that. Report an error in the passage at 20:21 Highlight the passage at 20:21

20:46 um and um We get into various things like transforming different delusional states of mind into powerful states of mind. So we'll talk about all of this. But it's basically, it's also called the quick path. We're going to talk about the reasons for that too, why it's considered a quick path. But it's intimately, there's that word, it's intimately connected with sūtra. Report an error in the passage at 20:46 Highlight the passage at 20:46

21:16 So it's not separate from sūtra. It's not a separate set of teachings. It's like the continuation of sūtra. So when we start practicing tantra, we just continue our studies and our meditations and so forth on sūtra. So it's not like we just go, okay, great, that was fun. Done with that. I get to all the juicy stuff now, and I never have to meditate on the lamrim. So we'll talk about what the lamrim is for those of you that aren't familiar with that term. Report an error in the passage at 21:16 Highlight the passage at 21:16

21:44 It's basically the sūtra, the sūtra teachings. So the Buddha gave a number of, actually he spent most of his life teaching what he learned once he got enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 21:44 Highlight the passage at 21:44

21:56 And he gave a number of wheels, he turned a number of wheels of Dharma, which just means he gave a number of teachings. And he taught, at first he taught a series of teachings that were very open. Report an error in the passage at 21:56 Highlight the passage at 21:56

22:14 Considering, I mean, they included the Four Noble Truths, the emptiness teachings, like the ones that he gave at the Heart Sūtra, Diamond Cutter Sūtra. Report an error in the passage at 22:14 Highlight the passage at 22:14

22:29 And in that case, sūtra just means teachings given in a large body of students, you know, like that. Sometimes both tantra and sūtra mean commentaries on those original teachings. So they can be used in that sense, too. Sūtra doesn't always mean that it was spoken by the Buddha. So you should check. Sometimes it actually is a commentary on something spoken by the Buddha. Tantra can be the same way. Report an error in the passage at 22:29 Highlight the passage at 22:29

22:55 You can have a tantra that came from the Buddha directly, like the Guismaja Tantra and the Kalachakra Tantra. And then you can also have tantras that are commentaries on those original teachings. Report an error in the passage at 22:55 Highlight the passage at 22:55

23:11 But the basic bottom line with both sūtra and tantra is... Us getting enlightened to help all sentient beings. That part they have in common. So that's why I say that they're intimately connected. And the basic bottom line before you enter Tantra is a firm grounding in the Sūtra teachings. So we're going to talk about the three principal paths again, the way that Lama Yeshe discusses them in Introduction to Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 23:11 Highlight the passage at 23:11

23:45 The three principle paths, for those who aren't familiar with them, are renunciation, which I think always gets a bad rap, which is a really powerful state of mind, but it sounds like you're going to wear a burlap dress and sit in the closet or something. I don't know. Which Lama actually calls emerging, which I like much better, emerging. Bodhicitta is the second of the three principle paths, and he calls that opening in the heart. Report an error in the passage at 23:45 Highlight the passage at 23:45

24:00 don't know. Report an error in the passage at 24:00 Highlight the passage at 24:00

24:15 And Correct View of Emptiness, which he calls dissolving, which I like also. These are very tantric interpretations, so we'll talk about them a lot in the next few classes. Report an error in the passage at 24:15 Highlight the passage at 24:15

24:29 So where does the teaching on tantra, where do they fit into the lamrim? They basically don't. The lamrim sort of leads right up to what's happening. Report an error in the passage at 24:29 Highlight the passage at 24:29

24:49 Make sure it wasn't my heart. I used to have it with Mary when we would meditate, actually, because she's had a heart operation, and if it gets really, really quiet, you can actually hear her valve. And I'm like, what the hell is that? Whoa, that keeps you on your toes. Report an error in the passage at 24:49 Highlight the passage at 24:49

25:10 so the The lamrim teachings or the sūtra teachings are basically preparation for tantra. I'm going to kind of go through, like I did last class, go through what those main topics are. The lamrim just means stages of the path to enlightenment. Lam meaning path and rim meaning gradual stages like steps. These are basically the sūtra teachings that Lama Atisha, who was... Report an error in the passage at 25:10 Highlight the passage at 25:10

25:42 An amazing scholar and teacher from India who came to Tibet, he gathered all the sūtra teachings in a specific order and sort of handed them to the Tibetans and said, this is how you meditate to get enlightened. He was the first one to do that. Since then, quite a number of Tibetans. They sort of like that approach and have written their own lamrims, all based upon the Buddha, of course, the original teachings. They haven't added extra topics or anything like that. Report an error in the passage at 25:42 Highlight the passage at 25:42

26:13 They've expanded topics. They're making those great outlines that especially galupas are really good at, the 1A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and all that. We do great lists. But they didn't add anything. They just expanded on it. And basically the idea is that we meditate on all these different stages like the spiritual teacher, having the opportunities of this precious human rebirth, impermanence and death, how karma works and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 26:13 Highlight the passage at 26:13

26:43 We meditate on all of those until we gain realizations in them, which according to General Renee is a lot quicker than I would think. Report an error in the passage at 26:43 Highlight the passage at 26:43

26:54 I was like, wow, really? Only two weeks on that one? We meditate on them until we gain realizations on them over and over and over in some cases until we gain realizations on them and then eventually we get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 26:54 Highlight the passage at 26:54

27:09 So that's a little bit about what tantra is and how it sort of fits into the classes that we've already been doing. The Discovering Buddhism program is basically a program of classes that is built on the lamrim. So most of the classes are part of these graduated steps to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 27:09 Highlight the passage at 27:09

27:31 The sort of the final, the lifting off place for all of us so that we can kind of boom, get a little lift into the next step, whatever the next step would be. So why don't we go around a little bit. I'll start with who I am and then I'll call on other people I know so that they, you know, I'm kidding, I won't. Report an error in the passage at 27:31 Highlight the passage at 27:31

27:51 You guys can decide when you want to go. And you can say whatever. I mean, I would just say please limit it to a minute or two. But just... I would just like to know a little, I know I do see some new faces, and so I'd like to see who you are and a little bit about what your background is, because it helps me figure out what to include in the classes. Report an error in the passage at 27:51 Highlight the passage at 27:51

28:09 Hey, how are you, Jen? I also see some returning faces. It also allows you to kind of begin to know each other, and I think that's one of the best things about the Discovering Buddhism classes is being able to bond with each other, so it's not even so much what you learned from me, but it's also what we learned from each other. Report an error in the passage at 28:09 Highlight the passage at 28:09

28:27 So my name is Lobsang Chokyi. I go by Chokyi, which means joy of the Dharma. I have been, I think I'm at this point sort of the main Discovering Buddhism teacher, but we also have Venerable Carol Karate who sometimes teaches, and I think she's going to be teaching the mind when that program starts again in September. Report an error in the passage at 28:27 Highlight the passage at 28:27

28:49 I sometimes lead the drop-in meditations and teach other things like prostrations and things like that. But that's pretty much it. I've been a Buddhist for about 16 years. I've been a nun for 11 years and I've been here for 11 years. Once I became a nun, I came here and never left. My main teachers are... Report an error in the passage at 28:49 Highlight the passage at 28:49

29:15 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who's right here, one of the founders, actually the founder of our center, because Lama Yeshe passed away in the mid-80s, and so Lama Yeshe has been the main, I mean, sorry, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been the main teacher of our tradition for a long time. So he's my main teacher. Most of what I know about Tantra comes from him, and also, of course, from Geshe-la. I studied with Geshe-Dakpa. Report an error in the passage at 29:15 Highlight the passage at 29:15

29:42 I did the whole discovering, I'm sorry. basic program with him, which is supposed to be a five-year And he taught grounds and paths of secret mantra, which was an amazing course. It took him years and years to do that in quite a bit of detail. Of course, Venerable Rene and Venerable Rabina, who I'll mention periodically because they are great mentors to me. Report an error in the passage at 29:42 Highlight the passage at 29:42

30:12 His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Chudan Rinpoche. And we're doing a long life bodhicitta for on Sunday. And two of my very important teachers have passed away, Kirti Sinsha Rinpoche and Riba Rinpoche. Riba Rinpoche is right there. And I got a lot of what I know from them. A lot of what I know and am comes from them. Report an error in the passage at 30:12 Highlight the passage at 30:12

30:37 I'm not a teacher. We're going to talk about sort of the role of the teacher comes up a lot in Tantra because it becomes quite important. In the Tantric teachings, once you enter Tantra, you end up taking gurus and things like that. So it'll come up. I am not one of those. I am not saying that as a humble thing. Report an error in the passage at 30:37 Highlight the passage at 30:37

30:57 I'm not that level. I'm not the fully qualified teacher with a capital T or the capital spiritual master or anything like that. I'm just somebody who has a certain amount of experience and study under my belt. And so I'm happy to try to share that with you. I'm really excited to be teaching this class because these classes always make me kick my own butt in terms of my practice. Report an error in the passage at 30:57 Highlight the passage at 30:57

31:24 And so I'm really excited to be doing that. But yeah, I do consider myself just like a Dharma instructor. If you're familiar with Alex Berzen's list of all the possible teachers, I'm the Dharma instructor. That sounds a little better. Report an error in the passage at 31:24 Highlight the passage at 31:24

31:43 Yeah, so that's a little bit about me. When you guys want to go? David. David's not shy. Oh, come on, David. Just do it. You know you want to. Report an error in the passage at 31:43 Highlight the passage at 31:43

31:57 Yes, you do. Jeremy doesn't want to. Hi, I'm Jeremy. I've been coming to the center since my birthday, September 12th. Oh, well done. Yeah, yeah. And I've been practicing the Dharma for about five and a half years. Started listening to Venerable Rubina on the long rim station on the internet and then some of Lama Yashi's talks and Lama Zopa. Report an error in the passage at 31:57 Highlight the passage at 31:57

32:28 And then a couple years later, we moved here to San Francisco, so I come study here. That was one of the reasons. And yeah, it's been great. Thank you. Thank you. And he has two very well-behaved dogs who came to Animal Liberation yesterday. They're poster children for well-behaved dogs. Report an error in the passage at 32:28 Highlight the passage at 32:28

32:50 My name is David and it's my current incarnation. So I must have studied Dharma somewhere in my last lifetime because it just pushed me to be here now. Report an error in the passage at 32:50 Highlight the passage at 32:50

33:04 I'm still working on it. I haven't quite got there yet. And I'm here a lot. We're glad he is. My name is Alonzo and I've been practicing the Dharma for about five years and coming to a lot of classes given by Chokyi, which is really great. And also studying an online course with Geshe Tashi, which has been really, really good. And the last class that we did here, I see a lot of my classmates, that one was a particularly good one for me as far as... Report an error in the passage at 33:04 Highlight the passage at 33:04

33:39 Really jump-starting and helping my practice, so I'm hoping to get that same thing out of this and meeting a lot of new people and getting your ideas. Report an error in the passage at 33:39 Highlight the passage at 33:39

33:50 My name is Eleanor. I can never do this without laughing. My name is Eleanor, and this is my third Discovering Buddhism class, and I'm very excited to be in number three. And, um... Report an error in the passage at 33:50 Highlight the passage at 33:50

34:09 And I'm still very new to Buddhism, and the more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know. Yeah, me too. Report an error in the passage at 34:09 Highlight the passage at 34:09

34:22 I'm Liza. I live nearby and volunteer as much as I can. I'm kind of with Eleanor in that the more I learn, the less I know. And I guess, unlike David, I haven't seen any past lives, so maybe I'm hoping to use Tantra to generate more conviction and things like karma. I'm trying to kind of bridge the sūtra and the tantra now a little better. My name is Henry and I've only been in this Buddhist interest for about a year and a half, a little more like a year and six months. Report an error in the passage at 34:22 Highlight the passage at 34:22

34:58 And I've taken a couple of Buddhist classes with Chokyi, which I like her for more human, more turning Buddhist practice into a human, you know, well. Making it more human than it appears. Report an error in the passage at 34:58 Highlight the passage at 34:58

35:30 My name's Kathy. Karma Paldin Chodin. And I hesitate to say that because that's from the Kagyu where I took an initiation. And I don't feel that I've really followed through. I haven't really followed through. And I feel that I need to go back to the beginning. Cheers. Report an error in the passage at 35:30 Highlight the passage at 35:30

· · · silence, 1 minute

35:53 To learn about taking these vows and initiations. Anyway, I have an enormous debt to a lot of teachers from different traditions, but I really love this Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 35:53 Highlight the passage at 35:53

36:11 So I'm Morgan. I've been coming here on and off for maybe six or more years. I've always just been really curious about Tantra. I have some family members that have taken it. Makes me nervous, but I just think it's because of the lack of education on it. Keep that nervous. Yeah, I will. You know me now. Report an error in the passage at 36:11 Highlight the passage at 36:11

36:31 You know me. It's coming, Chokyi. No, but I also think just like a lot of people said, I think it's really great just to be in the center. I just really enjoy it. The last class was really magnificent, not just. in the class but really outside and i assume this will be the same i don't buy that you're an instructor though because you seem to like kick a lot of people's butt in the gear Hi, my name is John, and I've taken several courses here with Chokyi, but I haven't been back in quite a while, so I'm very happy to be here for this course. Report an error in the passage at 36:31 Highlight the passage at 36:31

37:06 I very much wanted to do the emptiness course that was offered, but there was a time conflict. But Chokyi's a wonderful teacher. Her messages really stick in your head. So, yes. Thanks, Chokyi. My name is Alan. This is my second class. I finished the one on empty in this last month, and I'm hooked. And I've heard the word tantra before, and I really don't know anything about it, so I'm here with no preconceptions at all. Report an error in the passage at 37:06 Highlight the passage at 37:06

37:38 Cool. That's great. Must be the only one in the room. I'm Jessica, and... I love the center. I love everyone here. It's great. I can pay you guys afterwards. And I'm excited to learn this because, kind of like Morgan, I've been afraid a little bit of tantric vows and kind of that whole thing, so I'm excited to learn a little bit more before I ever make that kind of plunge. Report an error in the passage at 37:38 Highlight the passage at 37:38

38:10 Hi, I'm Gina. Did that timing just work out? I just got here. Were you saying why we come to the center or you as a teacher? No, we just actually elected you the president. Okay, rock and roll. I'm happy to be here, mostly because I know this is Christine's last DB class, so I expect there will be a party at the end. Report an error in the passage at 38:10 Highlight the passage at 38:10

38:29 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 38:29 Highlight the passage at 38:29

38:36 I'm Steve, and I've taken classes kind of sporadically with you, and I've learned lots and enjoyed them. Hoping to be a little more consistent in my attendance. So I'm really glad I got the email from you. So this is a good starting off point again for me. And I do try to meditate every day. Cool. Yeah, we'll talk about meditation. Not always successful, but yeah. Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

39:01 I'm John. I live here, so it's really convenient to go and take these classes when they happen. And it's also easy for us to come find you. Exactly. If I'm not here, it's like bang on the door. Hey, where are you? Report an error in the passage at 39:01 Highlight the passage at 39:01

39:16 Yeah, and I've been practicing Buddhism this time around for not quite two years. I've taken several DB classes from you, which have all been very good, and also almost all of Geshe-less classes as well. Report an error in the passage at 39:16 Highlight the passage at 39:16

39:43 Cool. Report an error in the passage at 39:43 Highlight the passage at 39:43

39:48 Almost all for the last couple of years, you mean. And, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 39:48 Highlight the passage at 39:48

39:51 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 39:51 Highlight the passage at 39:51

39:57 I'm Christine. The famous Christine. Well, I've been coming for two and a half years, but I was going through all the forms for the Discovering Buddhism class, and there's still one class I have to finish. So we don't get the party until she does that. Report an error in the passage at 39:57 Highlight the passage at 39:57

40:15 So I've been coming for two and a half years. We can still party at the end. Report an error in the passage at 40:15 Highlight the passage at 40:15

40:24 My name's Phil, and I took the last emptiness class. anyway. Report an error in the passage at 40:24 Highlight the passage at 40:24

40:28 I thought that was really awesome, got a lot out of it. And I've read some of Lama Eshi's books and I'm definitely a fan of, I think that's what turned me on to the tantra and I feel like I'm looking forward to learning it actually from an instructor as opposed to trying to wing it. Right, yeah, yeah. Really enjoyed the center. Cool, thanks. Hello, I'm Kristen. This is my first time here ever. Report an error in the passage at 40:28 Highlight the passage at 40:28

40:57 I love it. Wow, welcome. I have a little bit of background in Buddhism, not very much. I chose it for my high school senior project like five years back and my grandma goes to a mindfulness meditation every week. I had to do it for my project so then I actually got into it and I was like, whoa, I actually like this. But it's been a little while and I've been sort of off track and wanting to get back on a spiritual path so I'm glad to be here. Report an error in the passage at 40:57 Highlight the passage at 40:57

41:29 My name is Jason and I'm a religious studies student at Chico State University. And this is my first time here, but I went to a 10 day retreat at Tushita in Dharamsala taught by rubbing a curtain. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just an intro to Buddhism, like 10 day retreat. Was it in the past year? It was about a year ago, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 41:29 Highlight the passage at 41:29

41:54 Yeah, I think she just stopped doing that a few months ago. She's just, yeah, moving on. I think she's in North Carolina now. Yeah, so I'm happy to be at another class again. Very cool. I really enjoyed the last one. Excellent. That's great. Thank you, you guys. Sounds like we have an interesting mix of people. Report an error in the passage at 41:54 Highlight the passage at 41:54

42:14 Somebody's raised the bar for me now, so I can be even more nervous than I am. I always get nervous at the beginning of a new class. I do. Please don't get nervous. nervous. Report an error in the passage at 42:14 Highlight the passage at 42:14

42:26 No, I do. I always do. So let's talk a little bit about the Lamrim. Are you, Eleanor, are you the volunteer on Thursday still? I do, yeah. Okay. Did he give, did the major he, Charles, give you some printouts? No. Okay, good. Well, I'll just hand them out after class. But one of the things, I think some of you may already have it, but I was going to hand out Venerable Rubina's, speaking of Venerable Rubina, Venerable Rubina's condensed lamrim for people that I haven't given it to. Report an error in the passage at 42:26 Highlight the passage at 42:26

43:04 Now, some of you may already have it. I made 12 copies and we can see some of you, especially those of you that have taken the course before. This is actually the lamrim that she... Used to hand out in the Liberation Prison Project, because it's just a really nice condensed lamrim, and it just gives the whole thing in her inimitable style. And I just thought that would be a nice reading project. Report an error in the passage at 43:04 Highlight the passage at 43:04

43:27 And I want to, we do have some binders made. There are readings for this class and I do do homework in this class. So those of you that are coming from a school environment may balk at that. But of course most of the assignment is meditation. There's some reading involved and of course the main text will be Lama Yashu's book, Introduction to Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 43:27 Highlight the passage at 43:27

43:52 So the other thing that I will ask by the end of the class, by the end of tonight's class, I want to take a count on if there's anybody that would like us to order it because I don't even know how many copies we have and I kind of want to just see. We've got one. We've got six. We've got six? Right here. Of the binders? No, of the books. Oh, of Introduction to Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 43:52 Highlight the passage at 43:52

44:14 Okay, great. Okay, great. So we can just take a count to see if we need to order any more, but we can make sure to get it for you if you'd like it. Report an error in the passage at 44:14 Highlight the passage at 44:14

44:24 So, a little bit more and then I'll give you a break. So a little bit more on the lamrim. Normally, or traditionally I should say, in the Tibetan system, the monks would, you know, in the sort of traditional monastery system, they would study for like 15 to 20, 25 years before they would ever enter Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 44:24 Highlight the passage at 44:24

44:50 I mean, certainly before they would go into the Tantra colleges, they would get their Geshe degree first. So they'd learn and meditate and memorize these texts and debate the texts and so forth, inside and out, and then they'd enter Tantra. We do it slightly differently in the West. It's sort of like a lot of us enter Tantra before we even start learning about the Lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 44:50 Highlight the passage at 44:50

45:15 And so... It's good for us to take a little bit of time at the beginning to remember what the lamrim is and our reason for entering tantra. The main reason, of course, for entering tantra should be a bodhicitta motivation. And that's really, really, really important. A lot of times we forget to note that when we offer an empowerment on our website and we're sort of like, what are the prerequisites? Report an error in the passage at 45:15 Highlight the passage at 45:15

45:40 Well, bodhicitta motivation. Everybody's like, are there commitments? You know, it's like, wait. A bodhicitta motivation is really supposed to be starting with this wish to get enlightened in order to benefit every living being. That should be the bottom line. If we're entering it so that we can learn to turn gold and hold up this really cool sword, that's not it. Report an error in the passage at 45:40 Highlight the passage at 45:40

46:09 That shouldn't be the reason for entering Tantra. It shouldn't be to feel bliss and spaciousness and light either. I just sort of gave you that little taste of that at the beginning. But the main reason that we enter Tantra and do Tantric practices... It should be the same reason that we sit down and meditate. It should be the same reason that we come to class. It should be a bodhicitta motivation. So we're going to talk a little bit about what bodhicitta is again because I think it gets lost. Report an error in the passage at 46:09 Highlight the passage at 46:09

46:37 When we think that there's something more juicy. And Tantra is more juicy, or we think it is. I actually think bodhicitta is one of the juiciest things, but I know Morgan doesn't, so I have to sell him on it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 46:37 Highlight the passage at 46:37

46:52 I'm from D.C. It's not that far away. It ain't the same. I know, I know, I know. We try to pretend, you know. Report an error in the passage at 46:52 Highlight the passage at 46:52

47:05 Actually, I have a lot of friends in New York and they're pretty into bodhicitta, so I don't know if that one sells either. So, when Lama and Tisha took these topics, I come up with about, I mean people, you can count them in different ways, but I come up with about nine or eight or nine different topics. Report an error in the passage at 47:05 Highlight the passage at 47:05

47:10 you know Report an error in the passage at 47:10 Highlight the passage at 47:10

47:26 You can also, of course, break them out. Like for the bodhicitta teachings, you can get into Lojong and you can get into the Six Perfections and so forth. But just basically speaking, there's kind of eight and then we sort of have added three once it hit the West because there are certain differences in our understandings. Report an error in the passage at 47:26 Highlight the passage at 47:26

47:46 The first one being relying on a spiritual teacher, which is sometimes controversially called guru devotion, especially... Controversial if New Yorkers are in the room. Precious human rebirth is the second one. Report an error in the passage at 47:46 Highlight the passage at 47:46

48:06 Impermanence and death is the third one. And there is some variation on order when you get to third, fourth, fifth. Karma, sometimes called the law of cause and effect. But when Geshe-la teaches it, Geshe-la says that actually karma is subsumed into the law of cause and effect, but the law of cause and effect is... Report an error in the passage at 48:06 Highlight the passage at 48:06

48:04 and permanent Report an error in the passage at 48:04 Highlight the passage at 48:04

48:26 Bigger than karma, which I found very interesting. Suffering in saṃsāra, which sounds horrible, but in order to understand what our situation is, we have to understand the meaning of suffering. It isn't always broken arms and headaches. It's sometimes just a subtle dissatisfaction with every single thing that we have. Report an error in the passage at 48:26 Highlight the passage at 48:26

48:54 The causes of that suffering and the cessation of that suffering. So this is getting into the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Dependent Arising. Report an error in the passage at 48:54 Highlight the passage at 48:54

49:10 Bodhicitta, and like I said, all those activities connected with bodhicitta, like learning how to transform all the problems that we come up against, which is the Lojang teachings and the Six Perfections, which are considered them. Bodhisattva activities, once we become a Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva vows and all of that. And the wisdom, realizing emptiness, which includes the teachings on calm abiding and special insight, because those are the tools that we need to have that direct perception of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 49:10 Highlight the passage at 49:10

49:50 So then when the Lamrim teachings came to the West, then we added something on the mind. Which we'll talk a little bit about tonight because our understanding of the mind is so different than the Eastern in general and specifically the Buddhist understanding of the mind. And that's really, really important for the teachings on Tantra. We also added something on how to meditate because we didn't grow up with it. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

50:19 And most of us have been slugging away for many, many years and so we have to talk about that. And then also refuge got added as a topic because it's so different, that idea of entrusting ourselves to these teachings basically, to the experience of these teachings, which is the main refuge, the Dharma, the realizations of these teachings. Report an error in the passage at 50:19 Highlight the passage at 50:19

50:46 It's an interesting concept and so that becomes another topic on the path. They weren't part of the original lamrims the way that Atisha taught them or the way that Lama Tsongkhapa, who's the founder of this tradition, taught on them. So they were added later. And I always like to say that the lamrim teachings are basically a spiral, not a linear path. Report an error in the passage at 50:46 Highlight the passage at 50:46

51:13 The idea of a path, you sort of feel like it's to get from A to B, right? And then you get to leave it behind. But it's more like you just keep going around and around and around. And every time you meditate on these things, you get a stronger and stronger experience of them. And once you have a realization of that topic, it doesn't take long at all to bring back up that experience. Report an error in the passage at 51:13 Highlight the passage at 51:13

51:35 So once we gain realizations in these topics, you even just think about. Precious human rebirth and you get this feeling of lightness. You even think about impermanence and death and you kind of get this urgency like, oh my God, I really get to work. I'm running out of time, you know, because that's what that one brings up. So, yeah, so we stay with them for many, many years. Report an error in the passage at 51:35 Highlight the passage at 51:35

52:00 And in fact, some of the great masters that we've had the good fortune to meet in my life, Kirti Sintra Rinpoche, he actually meditated 15 years on the lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 52:00 Highlight the passage at 52:00

52:14 And Venerable René was teaching about some of these great masters and the advice. David and I and John just finished a retreat at Vajrapani with Venerable René, who's coming to teach tomorrow night on meditation on calm abiding. And he was talking about how this advice sometimes you would get from the masters to go and meditate on the lamrim for three years. Report an error in the passage at 52:14 Highlight the passage at 52:14

52:39 And then you come back and sort of ask for more, you know, correct me if I'm wrong, but you would ask for more advice and they would maybe let you do like a little two week, three month retreat on your deity and then three more years on the Lama Rim. Then you come back and ask for a little advice. You might be able to do another little short deity retreat and then three more years on the Lama Rim. And then finally you could do three years on the deity retreat. Report an error in the passage at 52:39 Highlight the passage at 52:39

53:04 So it just sort of gives us an idea of how impatient we are to sort of leave the lamrim behind. But yeah, we just keep going at it and keep going at it and keep going at it. And it sort of gives our life more grounding. And it gives, once we enter tantra, it gives our tantric practices more grounding to really keep it steeped in the lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 53:04 Highlight the passage at 53:04

53:29 So it's not something that we leave behind. So a little bit about logistics about this class. Like I mentioned, we do have homework. I do hand out homework every week. And obviously the best, the way that you're going to be able to take this class, make it the most meaningful and get the most out of it is by actually attempting to do the homework. Report an error in the passage at 53:29 Highlight the passage at 53:29

53:56 Even once to do one of the meditations. And to do the readings. And like I said, the main reading is going to, you're going to get a binder of readings and I may hand out, I will hand out actually some additional readings and also some charts. There's some charts on chakras and things like that I'm going to hand out later as we get to it in class. Report an error in the passage at 53:56 Highlight the passage at 53:56

54:19 But the main reading is going to be from Introduction to Tantra. So like I said, just read it and reread it and reread it. It'll help a lot. That being said, if you don't have time to do any of the homework or any of the reading, and you're just too busy, just come. Because if you just come, through osmosis, you'll get something out of it. There's this thought that you can download everything, and I think it actually can work against us. Report an error in the passage at 54:19 Highlight the passage at 54:19

54:46 You get so much more out of it. Obviously, sometimes you have to, and it's really wonderful that it's there. We do record all the classes, and we do upload it to a site called archive.org, and you can download all the classes, although they are sporadically put up. Report an error in the passage at 54:46 Highlight the passage at 54:46

55:05 We're hoping to change that soon if we can get David trained. um but um I think you get so much more out of it when you're here because you can ask questions that come up. You can also hear other people's questions and they might have the confidence to ask a question that you're too shy to ask. Not that many of you are shy, but some of you might be. And you just get more out of it. Even if I give you my notes, it's not going to be the same thing that happens in the actual class, and you know that. Report an error in the passage at 55:05 Highlight the passage at 55:05

55:36 So I just encourage you to come most of all and then if you have the time, even if it's not during the course time, but later to do the reading and the meditation assignments because I think you'll get something out of it. Report an error in the passage at 55:36 Highlight the passage at 55:36

55:50 Normally the format of the class is that I try to allow time for questions as much as I can. I usually have some presentation time at the beginning. I usually start with meditation, so don't worry if you come late, just come in. Don't worry about bothering people. I usually kind of do that as a way of bringing you here. Report an error in the passage at 55:50 Highlight the passage at 55:50

56:11 Because we all come from these kind of crazy lives and it just allows us to kind of come. So don't worry, if you come late, just come on in. And then I usually do some presentation of material. Sometimes I'll do a check-in before I start that and that's a good time to ask questions about stuff that's been coming up. And then I'll present some and then I'll ask for questions. Report an error in the passage at 56:11 Highlight the passage at 56:11

56:33 I would appreciate, just because I have such a lousy memory, which is why I have these notes in front of me. Not just yelling out questions, that's kind of distracting for me. So if you can hold it, unless I'm saying like a list of seven things and you're like, what's number six, that's okay. But otherwise, wait because it may be answered in the next few minutes and it just sort of also throws me off. So what I'll do is I'll just sort of present for a little bit and then I'll say, does that make sense? Report an error in the passage at 56:33 Highlight the passage at 56:33

57:01 Do people have questions? And then that's your cue. Then I have a kind of screwy thing. This class is nine. Classes in length, but it's actually going to last 11 weeks because we have two classes that we're missing, the 7th and the 14th of July, because I'm going back to D.C., which I know is different than New York. Report an error in the passage at 57:01 Highlight the passage at 57:01

57:32 For the Kalachakra, actually, for His Holiness. So it starts tonight, it ends with our practice day, which is a day long that we, hopefully as many of you as possible, do together on the final Saturday, Saturday the 27th, and we'll talk more about it as it gets closer. We have a kind of screwy schedule with those two missing classes, and then I made a horrifying discovery this week that my flight for D.C. Report an error in the passage at 57:32 Highlight the passage at 57:32

58:01 is not on the 1st as I thought it was, it's actually on the 30th. So now I have to ask you guys if there is any way possible that we might be able to, and I want you to go home and look at your calendars because I know a lot of you don't have your calendars. A lot of you probably have electronic calendars on you, but some of you probably are the old-fashioned kind of something at home. But we can go home and gather information and come back and make a decision next week. Report an error in the passage at 58:01 Highlight the passage at 58:01

58:25 We don't have to do it tonight. What I would like to do is our third week class is supposed to be on the 30th of June. I'd like it to be Monday or Tuesday of that week, if that's possible. I know some of you do Emily's class, and so that's not going to work that Tuesday, but those are the only two days that might work. Report an error in the passage at 58:25 Highlight the passage at 58:25

58:46 So if we could just look and think and see who can do it. The Monday night is great, and if people can do it on the Monday night, that's great. I know there's always going to be somebody who can't, and I apologize for that. I didn't realize it for some reason I was thinking I left on the first I had to tell Jean about it too at work so it was just kind of a screwy thing I intended to leave on the first and they just didn't have any flights and So go home and look at your schedules and see if you might be able to do our third class on Monday, the 27th of June. Report an error in the passage at 58:46 Highlight the passage at 58:46

59:24 And then either email me as soon as you find out so you don't have to hold it in your head very long, or... We'll come back next week and tell me and we'll just take a vote and see sort of if we have a majority opinion that we can do it. If not, then I guess we can add an extra class to the end. It's just a little, it's a huge break to have three weeks, not have a class. So I was really trying to get an extra class in there, but we'll work it out. Report an error in the passage at 59:24 Highlight the passage at 59:24

59:56 Any questions so far on any of this? Report an error in the passage at 59:56 Highlight the passage at 59:56

1:00:02 The last Thursday? I think it would be two days before. The 25th, yeah, because the last practice day is the 27th of August. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:02 Highlight the passage at 1:00:02

1:00:17 Any other questions about anything so far? Are you verifying on the flyer? It's a mistake that Phil made. No, I'm kidding. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:17 Highlight the passage at 1:00:17

1:00:32 Okay, so why don't you take a break then? We'll come back and talk about the mind a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:32 Highlight the passage at 1:00:32

1:00:42 you want to bring all that paper in there, and then I'll have it with me. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:42 Highlight the passage at 1:00:42

1:00:50 you want to dump the teabag and just do regular water? Sure. Thank you. Cold or? Cold is fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

1:01:10 trying to ask questions. I'm trying to ask questions. Oh, I signed Signed up for? Oh great! The one on Labor Day weekend. I think it's... Maybe not. No, no, no. Yeah, yeah. I was actually trying to... I want Gina to do those, too, because she was saying she doesn't have any time left. You know, she's kind of feeling a little jealous of Christine, because Christine's going down to do Copan West, I think, and Vajrasapha, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:10 Highlight the passage at 1:01:10

1:01:48 Vajrasapha is over, right? Yeah. So that one, but I signed up for emptiness. And I'm debating about big love because I really want to go to I know, it's kind of more balanced, yeah. I know, but it's on a weekend, right? Yeah, I think so. I don't think it's even extended, is it? I think it's just a regular, I think it's just a regular. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:48 Highlight the passage at 1:01:48

1:02:09 yeah. That's good I know. I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:09 Highlight the passage at 1:02:09

1:02:26 know, I just feel pretty lame. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:26 Highlight the passage at 1:02:26

1:02:37 That was cute. You can ask, whoa, thank you. You have showers, yeah. You just, yeah, it's just, you hike up to the ridge. I have one, you can bark. And I even have a, well, I have seen probably three in literally 20 years of going downtown. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:37 Highlight the passage at 1:02:37

1:03:12 It's that one they always have the cat on in the ad. Yeah, they always have a cat sitting on it. Not that I'm like cat-centric or anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:12 Highlight the passage at 1:03:12

1:03:26 Do you want to try this one? This one is the bean baggy one. The buckwheat hole. So you have to make sure it's in the back. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:26 Highlight the passage at 1:03:26

1:03:45 The back is the thing. you very much. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:45 Highlight the passage at 1:03:45

1:03:33 We were talking about that it gets, she got lowered. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:03:52 That's nice, isn't it? See, and then you just get it in the right position and it just stays, yeah. Where did you get that one? Ordered it online, actually. Yeah, and then they also have ones that are crescent that are filled with buckwheat holes. I have one, I actually have one of those two. Yeah. Which one, like, what do you feel like, does it depend? When I, for calm abiding, when it was like, do you want me to just keep these at my institution over here? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:52 Highlight the passage at 1:03:52

1:04:20 Yeah, and then I'll just, I'll just, like. Cue you. This will be the sign. Love it, love it. And then the summary of the lamrim is up there. Do you want me to take that in as well? Which one? The summary of the lamrim. Yeah, go get that too. Can I try yours? It just seems like a weird shape for me. It is, but it impresses. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:20 Highlight the passage at 1:04:20

1:04:46 Does it matter what the back is? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:46 Highlight the passage at 1:04:46

1:04:52 We're losing our time. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:52 Highlight the passage at 1:04:52

1:04:59 I'm rude. Rude. I know. Yeah, no, this one doesn't work for me. It's nice, though. It is. I don't like it. It's like I'm aware of it underneath my thighs. It's just that that's what I like about these is because they don't really cut. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:59 Highlight the passage at 1:04:59

1:05:28 I thought of that. I saw a number of people. Well, like Michelle, Morgan's mom, who did the retreat also, Jampa Sangma, who was in front of me. She had one of those, and I thought, you know, actually, as I age, that might be a really good one to move in. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:28 Highlight the passage at 1:05:28

1:05:43 Or not, you just also get really used to it. Like, I can't sit on anything else now. In a way, I've kind of spoiled myself. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:05:43 Highlight the passage at 1:05:43

1:06:05 I can sort of see this one. was alternating between that and they had an extra one of Report an error in the passage at 1:06:05 Highlight the passage at 1:06:05

1:06:06 And that one, too, is if you're actually, sometimes you stretch, like, you know, for a few weeks, Talking, I'll kind of slide back on it, bring my knees out, and then when I sit, sometimes I'll actually have it just way on the forward edge, and it compresses way down. Right. So it's not that high. Yeah. But it gives, like, because I had, you know, the work on my hip and stuff, it just gives that nice support. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:06 Highlight the passage at 1:06:06

1:06:29 Yeah. No, it feels actually, the more I'm sitting with it. The longer you sit on it, it's like, oh, good. Yeah, because it kind of, like, you kind of sink into it. Yeah. Yeah. it's interesting Report an error in the passage at 1:06:29 Highlight the passage at 1:06:29

1:06:45 she's in a chair right now Report an error in the passage at 1:06:45 Highlight the passage at 1:06:45

1:06:50 The one thing that's also nice about this is it doesn't weigh as much. shh try this way are you sure? yeah that's why I'm brown that's why I'm brown that's why I'm brown that's why I'm brown we kissed Report an error in the passage at 1:06:50 Highlight the passage at 1:06:50

1:07:08 It's okay to talk about you behind your back. I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:08 Highlight the passage at 1:07:08

1:07:17 Actually, let's start this. This is the little roster for just so I have all of everybody's information in one place. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:17 Highlight the passage at 1:07:17

1:07:29 What Report an error in the passage at 1:07:29 Highlight the passage at 1:07:29

1:07:33 are you doing out there, Eliza? This is not time for the bump. She's doing a little bump. The benches, you know, you can kind of see, but that's great. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:07:40 yesterday. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:40 Highlight the passage at 1:07:40

1:07:50 Yeah, you told me. Yeah, because you're taking off, right? Yeah. What week? When are you? July... Oh, that's actually further down. Yeah, further than I thought. July 20th to August. So Report an error in the passage at 1:07:50 Highlight the passage at 1:07:50

1:08:07 what I'm going to do is, it's got all the John Mendo lectures and guided meditations. And I've got, you know, all my readings and stuff loaded on here. Right, yeah. And then the Museum in the End will actually have a two-day chin-raising retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:07 Highlight the passage at 1:08:07

1:08:25 It's part of that, an online one. Yeah. How funny. Yeah, yeah. You'll be in the little chapel on the cruise ship doing it. Well, they're all doing it at home. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:25 Highlight the passage at 1:08:25

1:08:38 Yeah, because it's like, you know, five in the morning, eight at night. That guy is still in there. Yeah, yeah. What's he doing in the chapel? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:38 Highlight the passage at 1:08:38

1:08:49 Oh, they don't? So I'll find him quiet. I always find him quiet. Yeah, yeah. But then that way, I have questions. And so who teaches it? John Lando. John Lando. That'll be cool. Yeah. questions, I'll let you know if you want to. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:49 Highlight the passage at 1:08:49

1:09:04 so I'll do the reading, you know, I'll do as much reading excellent before I go and for these classes, and then, you know, I'll do that, and then we'll get back. Yeah, well he's just got this wealth of experience that'll go into it. I mean, he's the one who did the Images of Enlightenment. He did the text for the Images of Enlightenment. He's just been around for a billion years. He studied with Lama Yeshe. Yeah, so he'll be great for sure. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:04 Highlight the passage at 1:09:04

1:09:31 Totally, yeah. And then it's kind of cool because you're going to do the emptiness class with him and Emily and Tensichoki too, so that's kind of cool. You already kind of know him. Yeah, I know his voice. But then do you have like a mentor or something that you have? Because you don't have access to him, right? You have somebody else that you have some sort of a... Report an error in the passage at 1:09:31 Highlight the passage at 1:09:31

1:09:53 Well, you can do kind of like online questions and stuff with. Oh, is it like just a group? Yeah, you know, you can kind of, like, post stuff and get it back. So I might do an email or something. I won't know anything else. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:53 Highlight the passage at 1:09:53

1:10:10 It's all sort of, you know, because I won't have, like, constant access. I don't use email on the ships because it's, like, really expensive. Billion dollars, yeah. Yeah, so, like, when we get to support, you know. Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Well, you know. And so when do you get back? August 18th? Oh, so maybe you'll make it for the final class or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10:10

1:10:40 Well, the practice day, but also maybe even the final class, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Or final two classes. Oh, that's good, that's good. So that's nice, you can come to the first couple and then... You're back. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:40 Highlight the passage at 1:10:40

1:10:50 Yeah, so I'll just, you know, I'll try and work on my bi-location in the interim. Right. No, that'd be good. That'd be good. Okay, so you ready? You want to start doing your ding-ding? You're good at that. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:50 Highlight the passage at 1:10:50

1:11:05 Sorry, you told me I was expecting. And you had Jessica this time to set you up a little chair and everything. And on the practice day and somebody was ringing, remember? I don't know if you were there on the practice day and somebody was ringing and it was just driving her crazy. I was just like, no! Report an error in the passage at 1:11:05 Highlight the passage at 1:11:05

1:11:35 don't get the phone. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:35 Highlight the passage at 1:11:35

1:11:55 See, this is the other thing. Can you put your foot back like that with that? Because I do that a lot of times. And you can just, like here, you just kind of can do it like this, and it's not a big deal. That's the other thing. I guess you could do one leg like That's all I ever do is one leg. I don't do the other leg. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:55 Highlight the passage at 1:11:55

1:12:13 We're discussing the fine art of different cushions. Really important investment as a Buddhist. One of the most important things to think about. Try different ones. And people can bring in, if people have unusual cushions, you can bring them into class like this and people can try them out. Because otherwise it's just like you get them online a lot of times and you don't really have a chance to try them out. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:13 Highlight the passage at 1:12:13

1:12:37 I tried, I had a friend who had this, this one's called the wedge, I had a friend who had it and I tried it out and then I was like, that's great. So then I just ordered it online. But you have to be able to try it because you don't know how your butt is going to do on that. And the crescent's great. Yeah, I actually still have a crescent that now Bodhi thinks of her cushion. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:37 Highlight the passage at 1:12:37

1:13:01 I think she's creating a lot of good imprints for her next one. So speaking of those karmic empress, let's talk about the mind a little bit. And we'll probably end up continuing the discussion about the mind next week. But mind in Buddhism is really different than the way the brain is talked about in the West, or the mind even is talked about in the West. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:01 Highlight the passage at 1:13:01

1:13:26 According to the Buddha, our mind, I could say mind is beginningless and endless, but I think it's more powerful to say our mind is beginningless and endless. My mind is beginningless and endless. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:26 Highlight the passage at 1:13:26

1:13:39 In the Judaic Christian traditions, we think about that for God, but it's kind of powerful to think of my own mind being beginningless and endless. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:39 Highlight the passage at 1:13:39

1:13:52 And the way that the Buddha described mine is mere clarity and knowing. Clarity and knowing, that's often the way it's defined. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:52 Highlight the passage at 1:13:52

1:14:06 So it's actually more process than a thing, you know? It's the process of reflecting and engaging with everything that it comes into contact with. We think about the mind coming into contact with things or objects or phenomena or experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:06 Highlight the passage at 1:14:06

1:14:30 So mind is not physical matter at all. It's made of something completely different. It's a completely different substance. And it's not produced by our parents in the same way that our body is produced by our parents. Our body is produced by, it comes from our parents, sperm and egg, but our mind is something else. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:30 Highlight the passage at 1:14:30

1:14:54 It's described as colorless, formless, shapeless, which is where the clarity comes from, colorless. And it's mere process or experience, and in that way it's almost like energy. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:54 Highlight the passage at 1:14:54

1:15:12 And that in and of itself, you could probably spend some time just trying to experience what that really means. We're so unused to exploring our own mind and that experience. And a lot of meditations that we do in Buddhism, especially in Tantra, is to try to access some experience of the nature of our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:12 Highlight the passage at 1:15:12

1:15:39 Of course, in emptiness, we also try to... There's a lot of correlation between emptiness or the lack of solidity and lack of permanency that we place on everything. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:39 Highlight the passage at 1:15:39

1:15:55 There's a lot of that in our mind too because our mind is just constantly changing, constantly changing, moment to moment to moment to moment to moment. And in fact, that's really all mind is. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:55 Highlight the passage at 1:15:55

1:16:08 It's taught that the mind is permanent which just means in Buddhist lingo that just means that it lasts forever not that it's unchanging. In Western language when we say something is permanent we mean that it's unchanging and that's not the same when we're speaking about Buddhist anything. So... Some of these terms, I'll try to remember to define them a little bit as we discuss them because there are certain things that sound very similar, like mindfulness, something that we might be used to, but it has a completely different use here, so we have to relearn certain terms. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:08 Highlight the passage at 1:16:08

1:16:52 So everything has a cause, and mind has a cause, and according to... Shakyamuni Buddha, the cause of our mind is the previous moment of mind, and the cause of that previous moment is the moment before that, and the cause of that previous moment is the moment before that. And so it goes limitlessly back, and so it goes limitlessly forward, kind of like the number line. The earliest moment of our mind in this life had a previous moment, and that previous moment was in the last moment of our last life. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:52 Highlight the passage at 1:16:52

1:17:36 It's the same continuum. So there's this term mental continuum. Sometimes we'll use mental continuum. I like mental continuum. I think it makes more sense than mind in some ways because I think we layer mind with a lot of other meanings. Geshe-la just likes the word continuum. He doesn't like mental added to it. But it is just this continuum of experience, of mental experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:36 Highlight the passage at 1:17:36

1:18:03 Like I said in the last class, it's sort of like a string of pearls without the string and without the pearls. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:03 Highlight the passage at 1:18:03

1:18:13 So it's the same continuum. It's not someone else's mind. It's actually part of the same continuum, but that whole life of that other being was completely different than the life of this being that you are in this life. And then as you move into your next life... It's completely different, but that continuum remains the same. And then one of the other images that we use from mine that I think is quite useful is thinking about a moving stream or river, and every day we come and look at the river and we think we're looking at the same river, but it's really completely different than it was the day before. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:13 Highlight the passage at 1:18:13

1:18:55 You know, the water's changed, everything's changed about it, but yet we look at it and we think it's the same thing, and it is the same continuum. It is the same continuum, and in that way it's very much like our minds. And again, like water, the nature, according to the Buddha, the nature of our mind is completely pure and clear. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:55 Highlight the passage at 1:18:55

1:19:21 It's pretty messed up now. So you're not the only one if you feel like your mind doesn't feel so pure and clear. But its nature is completely pure and clear. So they say, the teachings say that... All of these afflicted states of minds like anger and jealousy and hatred and ill will and obsessive attachment and so forth, all are adventitious, meaning they are not an integral part of our mind, which means they can be removed, which is the good news. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:21 Highlight the passage at 1:19:21

1:20:01 So they compare it to like if pollution is in water. You know, we can see that it's not actually part of the water. It can be removed. Sometimes it takes years, sometimes centuries to remove it from the water. The same is true for our minds. But the nature of our mind is pure and clear. And once those polluted states of mind or those negative states of mind are removed, it can be, once again, it can be quite pure and clear. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:01 Highlight the passage at 1:20:01

1:20:28 And so this comes up a lot in Tantra. We have to keep coming back to that. And a lot of times we almost have to convince ourselves that the nature of our mind is pure and clear because we may not feel so much like it's pure and clear. I often don't feel like my mind's pure and clear. And sometimes we actually have to place some, like at the beginning when we were doing the meditation, place that concentration or as much concentration as you have. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:28 Highlight the passage at 1:20:28

1:20:54 On an experience of clarity or of spaciousness or of the vastness of our mind or of the limitless potential of our mind or the bliss of our mind even. Because we aren't so experienced in that, right? We haven't had that experience very much. So a lot of these meditations we just have to take that extra moment to stop, place the awareness right there and try to hold it even if it's for 30 seconds. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:54 Highlight the passage at 1:20:54

1:21:21 Because our... And I'm one of the worst offenders. Our habit is to bulldoze past it and miss that blissful or spacious or vast experience of our own minds because we're so disconnected from that experience of our own minds. We look for it out there, right? We want the stronger and stronger caffeine or stronger drugs. We want whatever is going to take us to this sort of blissful state all the time, and we think it's out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:21 Highlight the passage at 1:21:21

1:21:53 But it's not. According to the Buddha, that's the whole reason to study the mind. That's the whole reason to do these practices, is we're just basically getting back into touch with what we already have or what our innate nature is. So when we attain nirvāṇa, which according, this is the Mahāyāna path to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:53 Highlight the passage at 1:21:53

1:22:19 When we attain nirvāṇa, we're not quite there yet in this tradition. In the Theravadan tradition, that nirvāṇa is the goal. But the state of nirvāṇa is removing all the afflicted states of mind completely forever. So it's a pretty amazing, powerful place. It doesn't mean that... Sometimes I actually even describe it as the passionless state. So it doesn't mean that you're comatose. It actually means that you're blissful and content and peaceful and stable for probably the first time ever. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:19 Highlight the passage at 1:22:19

1:22:56 So it's actually a really, really positive state of mind. According to the Mahāyāna tradition, we want to keep going and attain full enlightenment. So full enlightenment is... Is being free of all those negative states of mind and also having perfected all of the positive states of mind. So compassion and wisdom and love and contentedness and peace and concentration and all those really wonderful states of mind that we may have little touches of or maybe no touches of. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:56 Highlight the passage at 1:22:56

1:23:34 At this point, we've completely developed them. To the point where they can't be developed any further. And those two together, with all of the imprints to continue experiencing the positive and none of the imprints to ever experience the negative again, that's enlightenment. So basically, the short-term answer of what enlightenment is is just really perfect mind. And that's what we're shooting for. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:34 Highlight the passage at 1:23:34

1:24:04 Why? Because it is the best tool with which we can then benefit every living being without exception. And that's what bodhicitta is, is understanding that that's simply the best tool to get the job done. Because from that state of enlightenment you also then attain all these different levels of clairvoyance that you can look into a student's mind and know what would be the most beneficial thing for them. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:04 Highlight the passage at 1:24:04

1:24:31 You can know what their karma is. You can know what's going to resonate with them in terms of practices and things like that. So we want those powers not, again, to impress our friends, but to be able to help those sentient beings all the time. And, of course, my favorite of the powers of a fully enlightened Buddha is being able to manifest all these different bodies limitlessly without thought or effort to any living being that you have karma with. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:31 Highlight the passage at 1:24:31

1:25:01 To help that living being simultaneously. So you can just do limitless emanation bodies without any thought, without any conceptual thought, without any effort in whatever form would most help them. So Jessica could end up, I could emanate as Jeremy sitting next to her in class and I might. You know, do something annoying with my hands that would make her have to practice patience. Or I might be David and I might emanate and then suddenly have an extra cushion that would help Jessica's meditation practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:01 Highlight the passage at 1:25:01

1:25:37 You know, so there could be these amazing beings manifesting in our life and there are, according to the teachings, that we just don't have the karma to see who they really are and we just think that they're just ordinary people in our lives. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:37 Highlight the passage at 1:25:37

1:25:52 They can be actually enlightened beings. So the mind works in two main ways, according to the Buddhist teachings, through perception and through conception. Through perception is with a non-conceptual state of mind. Usually with a sense cognition, there are certain levels of mental cognition that can be a direct perception. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:52 Highlight the passage at 1:25:52

1:26:19 Usually, and I'll talk about this in a second, usually it's incredibly brief before the conceptual mind pops in. So perception and then conception is any conceptual state of mind. Um, and, um, It doesn't directly access whatever the data is or whatever the phenomena is directly. As perception does, it does it through a mental illness. That was interesting. A mental image. It's a form of mental illness, I'm sure. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:19 Highlight the passage at 1:26:19

1:26:56 That was very interesting. That was for you, Cathy. You're going to analyze me now. interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:56 Highlight the passage at 1:26:56

1:27:08 So perception is either the first mind moment that you connect with an object or have contact with an object. And it's completely pure, unadorned perception. In Sanskrit, that's also called a promana. A promana, you may have heard that term. The very next moment conception kicks in. And we cease being able to perceive the object as it is. Usually in terms of mental awareness, according to the low rig teachings, it's literally the tiniest fraction of a second before conceptual mind kicks in. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:08 Highlight the passage at 1:27:08

1:27:50 We have very, very developed conceptual minds. Even with our sense perception, conceptual mind kicks in very, very quickly. So we see a cup and we might see, you know, we think that we're seeing just a plain old cup, but all this other crap is coming in. And it's not just crap from this life, it's also crap from many, many lives that gets layered on. It's like, oh, I love porcelain. And then all of a sudden all this stuff happens, our mind begins changing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:50 Highlight the passage at 1:27:50

1:28:19 For example, if a person is coming toward you, you have this sort of... moment of recognition you know and it might be like oh wow great there's gina i really love gina here she comes yay how exciting or it might be like oh god here comes gina i owe her 50 bucks oh my god where can i hide So there's all this stuff that happens and you stop being able to perceive this being coming towards you. It's like all your own stuff is happening. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:19 Highlight the passage at 1:28:19

1:28:46 It's sort of like if you've ever had the experience, and I think many of us have, where you walk into a party or something or a big group of strangers and you just start making, you don't know anybody and you just start making all these assumptions about every person there. I hate the way she said that. Oh my God, look at what she's wearing. You've never met any of these people and you just begin, all this stuff comes up that according to the Buddha, again, isn't just from this lifetime, it's from. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:46 Highlight the passage at 1:28:46

1:29:13 Lifetimes and lifetimes and lifetimes and all those karmic projections are coloring our interactions with all of those people even before a word is spoken between us. And this happens of course all the time. So this is how saṃsāra or psychic existence is caused by our minds because we have all these misperceptions of reality and of other beings and ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:13 Highlight the passage at 1:29:13

1:29:42 And Lama Zopa Rinpoche says even more important than that misperception is our belief in that misperception. And then due to that confusion or ignorance, then we create, are all these different delusions arise? Are these different afflicted states of mind arise in relationship to those objects? So anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, you know. And then we act on that. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:42 Highlight the passage at 1:29:42

1:30:10 With our body or our speech or our mind and that action creates karma. Then that karma is carried in our mind stream, not physically. Karma is a working of the mind also. But that karma then ripens when causes and conditions come together and that creates this thing called psychic existence that causes us to suffer from lifetime after lifetime after lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:10 Highlight the passage at 1:30:10

1:30:34 So saṃsāra is in a place. It's not like we... We go to saṃsāra or we leave saṃsāra and we go to nirvāṇa or something like that. Saṃsāra is really our minds. So as long as our minds are samsaric, we could be in a pure land and we'd still have a samsaric experience. Or vice versa, if our minds were nirvanic and we were here, which is of course the case with His Holiness or Lama Zopa Rinpoche or something, they can be in... Report an error in the passage at 1:30:34 Highlight the passage at 1:30:34

1:31:07 This neighborhood and have a completely different experience of this neighborhood because their mind is nirvanic. They no longer have those delusions arising and the irritations of people or the colors of the carpet or the sound of the person's voice. The little stuff or the big stuff, the rages, the lust, whatever it is that causes our craziness in our mind from day to day and life to life. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:07 Highlight the passage at 1:31:07

1:31:35 That's really all saṃsāra is. So we create it. And we don't have any control over this at this point. We are under the control of those deluded states of mind and the karma that they create. We're completely controlled by them. We're prisoners of them, in fact. And so... The only way to end this cycle is to recognize what's happening, but recognizing what's happening is only half the bottle. We actually have to do something about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:35 Highlight the passage at 1:31:35

1:32:08 This is like when Geshe-la gave the vows yesterday morning. It's not enough just to take the vows. Now you have to keep them. And the same is true on understanding the teachings on karma and emptiness. It's one thing to learn it, but then we have to start applying it little by little by little, working with our mind day in and day out. Like actually catching ourselves if we're holding on to anger, which I was catching myself on the bus today. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:08 Highlight the passage at 1:32:08

1:32:35 That's where I usually do my bell book. It's like, hmm, I'm holding on to anger here. Okay, what's that about? If we don't catch ourselves and actually apply the teachings, then we just keep following our karma and delusions. Again, through yet another lifetime, like we've done from lifetime after lifetime after lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:35 Highlight the passage at 1:32:35

1:32:58 Fortunately, the Buddha developed all these different methods and analysis and meditation and the different teachings in Sūtra and Tantra to help us change the outcome. His main goal was to get us out of this mess. um, Report an error in the passage at 1:32:58 Highlight the passage at 1:32:58

1:33:18 We can purify karma. We can change karma. We can change our actions to create different karma. Our awareness can help us change karma. We can decide to make positive karma like we were trying to do all day yesterday. It was a holy day, so we were trying to do a lot of positive karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:18 Highlight the passage at 1:33:18

1:33:37 And we can remember that when the negative states of mind arise, that those negative states of mind are not who I am. And I think that's a huge one. That's a huge, huge, huge one. Remembering again that those deluded states of mind, those afflicted states of mind, klesha in Sanskrit, are not me. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:37 Highlight the passage at 1:33:37

1:34:00 And I sometimes have to start with that one. This crappy state of mind that I'm in is not me. And it can go away. And that's a huge one. That's a really, really huge one. Because we identify ourselves really strongly with our delusions. Or else we just... Repress the delusions and don't think about them. Neither of which is really very helpful. And from a Buddhist approach, neither of which is really honest. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:00 Highlight the passage at 1:34:00

1:34:28 So Tantra takes all these teachings on the mind and we start getting into these different levels of the mind, which I'm going to start getting into next week. The different levels of the mind being the subtle most level of the mind, which is the part of the mind that goes from life to life to life. They say the subtle most or the subtlest level of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:28 Highlight the passage at 1:34:28

1:34:59 The subtle level of the mind is that part of the mind that we at this point access only through dream images and through really deep states of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:59 Highlight the passage at 1:34:59

1:35:11 And then the gross level of the mind is the one that we have the most contact with. And that's all those crazy states of mind, including all the deluded states of mind. But it's also just things like our identity of this life, you know, sort of the main memories of this life, the plans and things like that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:11 Highlight the passage at 1:35:11

1:35:31 So there's a number of sort of not necessarily the more neutral aspects of that gross mind too. It's not like we have to get rid of our gross mind and not know who we are. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:31 Highlight the passage at 1:35:31

1:35:42 But in Tantra what we're trying to do is access the subtle and the most subtle levels of the mind that we'll do a couple of different exercises to sort of get an idea of how to get down to those different levels of mind. And if anybody here has been meditating for a while, you do start sort of accessing those deeper states of mind in meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:42 Highlight the passage at 1:35:42

1:36:11 Normally, according to the Buddhist belief, we do actually sort of, as we fall asleep at night, we do actually, as we dissolve the sort of gross mind, it moves into the subtle mind, and then when we wake up, it sort of manifests back out into the gross mind again, but we mostly miss it. We sort of like dogs. We just sort of conk out when it gets tired. We get tired. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:11 Highlight the passage at 1:36:11

1:36:38 Part of what the yogi does is try to train ourselves to catch as the mind. It dissolves into a more subtle place so that we can catch it. At the time of death, the same thing happens. And if we aren't trained, then again, we just miss it. It just happens so quickly and we don't know even what to look for. Most of the time, we're pretty distracted by everything else that's happening around us, as one can imagine. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:38 Highlight the passage at 1:36:38

1:37:07 So again, what the yogi tries to do is to train him or herself to be able to watch. That process as it's happening and use that process as a meditation instead of just to rush by it the way we normally do. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:07 Highlight the passage at 1:37:07

1:37:27 So I want to hand out the homework and the syllabus and get a head count on if there's anybody. So has everybody filled in the roster? Has that gone around to everybody? That's just, I know that you've registered and so forth, but I don't always get, in fact, I never get that information. So I started doing this so that I have a way to reach all of you at a certain time if I should ever need to. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:27 Highlight the passage at 1:37:27

1:37:55 You know, like if there's something, well, I kind of do actually. I used to do it less often. I used to do it only if the class had to get canceled for some reason, but now if I find a good article or something like that, then I might just send it out to everybody at once. So I'll create a little list of that. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:55 Highlight the passage at 1:37:55

1:38:14 So that's one of the things that I use that for. But one thing, we only made of the binders, I think Charles said that there were only six actual plastic binders left. And so then there's six more that are just stapled together. For those who don't mind about not having the petroleum products. And then if somebody would like to just have it electronically, I can do that too. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:14 Highlight the passage at 1:38:14

1:38:42 Otherwise, then we'll get a hand count on who needs a copy of the binder. And then I'll just bring it and we'll just make copies next week. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:42 Highlight the passage at 1:38:42

1:38:54 Sorry? Are we out of homeworks? Yeah, could you do? John will take a homework. How many homeworks do we need? Is that syllabus? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:54 Highlight the passage at 1:38:54

1:39:11 Okay, who does not have a syllabus? Report an error in the passage at 1:39:11 Highlight the passage at 1:39:11

1:39:22 Oh, wait. Okay, now, let's try again. Okay. One, two, three, four, five, six. Okay. I would assume the same number of homeworks, John. John? John? Do you want to take a homework, too, and just make six copies of that? Report an error in the passage at 1:39:22 Highlight the passage at 1:39:22

1:39:45 Give her, wait a minute, before, Eleanor, before you do that, could you hand him the homework? Sure. And then he can just do that at the same time. Thank you, John. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:45 Highlight the passage at 1:39:45

1:39:57 Okay, plastic binder readings first. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:57 Highlight the passage at 1:39:57

1:40:16 Okay, Eleanor, you are. You won! Report an error in the passage at 1:40:16 Highlight the passage at 1:40:16

1:40:27 Okay, non-plastic binder. Whoa, whoa, look at the hands go up. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:27 Highlight the passage at 1:40:27

1:40:38 Electronic or making one for next week. And you know, like if you don't have it this week, then you can't do a reading out of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:38 Highlight the passage at 1:40:38

1:40:49 Henry, when you're done with that, then go ahead and pass it up. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:49 Highlight the passage at 1:40:49

1:40:56 Oh, thank you, Charles. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:56 Highlight the passage at 1:40:56

1:41:00 Who is that man behind the curtain? I'll be here on Saturday. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:00 Highlight the passage at 1:41:00

1:41:14 Oh, it's not even stapled. Oh, wait, wait, wait. So I need a count then on who needs, but I don't have my pen, so I need to, or can I use a pen for somebody? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:14 Highlight the passage at 1:41:14

1:41:26 Mine went around. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:26 Highlight the passage at 1:41:26

1:41:30 Okay, so who needs electronic binder? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:30 Highlight the passage at 1:41:30

1:41:39 Electronic binder will be you, Alonso. I'll probably put it on the list when it comes up. Gina? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:39 Highlight the passage at 1:41:39

1:41:48 Christine? Anyone else need an electronic binder? Pay attention, boys. This is when the school moron comes out. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:48 Highlight the passage at 1:41:48

1:42:01 There must be more. There must be more. Who else needs an electronic binder? Oh, that's it. Okay. Does anybody else need a print binder? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:01 Highlight the passage at 1:42:01

1:42:13 Ms. Environmental. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:13 Highlight the passage at 1:42:13

1:42:19 No, that's okay. Who else needs a print binder? it's good. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:19 Highlight the passage at 1:42:19

1:42:14 Environmental? I can't find my computer Report an error in the passage at 1:42:14 Highlight the passage at 1:42:14

1:42:26 It seems like we should have six people that need a binder of some sort, because we needed six on the other things, so something's wrong. Does everybody have a binder? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:26 Highlight the passage at 1:42:26

1:42:48 You want it also, okay. No, that's fine. If people also want one, yeah, then you're welcome to have, okay, good. I feel like there's still somebody missing, but that person will wake up in a couple minutes. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:48 Highlight the passage at 1:42:48

1:43:01 So the syllabus you'll notice on that one on the third week it says 27th, 28th because I just realized it when I was making the syllabus so we'll have to figure that out next time. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:01 Highlight the passage at 1:43:01

1:43:17 If it ends up with it seems like because a number of you are in Emily's class right so that's just it can't happen so then I guess it's just we just have to see really 28 is not going to be an option so I guess we just have to see if people can do the 27th. And we'll just put it all there and just see if we get, if we have less than half the class that can make it, then we'll have to figure out something else. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:17 Highlight the passage at 1:43:17

1:43:40 Yeah, sorry about that. So announcements really quick and then I can take some questions too. I wanted just to underscore that Venable René Foussi, the Swiss monk, is going to be coming tomorrow night and teaching very spontaneously, we found out this week, on meditation. I requested that he do something along the lines of how to... Report an error in the passage at 1:43:40 Highlight the passage at 1:43:40

1:44:03 How to find time to meditate when there's no time to meditate. I think I think I think Teresa sort of reworked the title a little bit. But yeah, I wanted it so that it was like for those of us that have been practicing for a while and still somehow can't find time to meditate, then it kicks us in the butt. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:03 Highlight the passage at 1:44:03

1:44:21 And then for brand new people, they can also figure out how to carve out time for a practice. So it's kind of for everybody. He's really a powerful teacher. He's spent. meditate. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:21 Highlight the passage at 1:44:21

1:44:32 Quite a bit of time in deep retreat. He's very light and funny and accessible too, as people are who spend a lot of time in retreat. But he's just a great teacher. So please, please, please come. It'll be 7 to 9.30 tomorrow night here. I think it'll probably be a pretty full house, so come early if you can. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:32 Highlight the passage at 1:44:32

1:44:53 And then also, not to beat a horse to death, I guess that's a terrible thing for everyone. But we still need help this weekend for the Long Life Pooja for Jodan Rinpoche. We're doing cleaning and set up on Saturday. Anytime from 10 to 6, just come. And whatever we're doing at that moment will fit you in. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:53 Highlight the passage at 1:44:53

1:45:16 And then the long-life puja itself, which is just basically a big glorified puja that is, we do it all for the Lama, but in reality, karmically, it's really for us. The students who do the long life puja actually extend our own lives. That's the way it works karmically. So they always very kindly agree to this whole charade, basically, and then we do this whole procession, we offer them all these gifts and stuff, but karmically it just allows us to have a long life so that we can practice and make the karmic connection with teachers again in this life and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:16 Highlight the passage at 1:45:16

1:45:53 So that'll be Sunday from 10 to 1. If you just want to attend, if you want to help, we're going to be starting as early as 8 o 'clock. And I do know that it's Father's Day and I do know that it changed from the previous date and it's kind of difficult when people already cleared their lives. But anyway, we are asking you to come. Okay, so questions about anything that we talked about? Report an error in the passage at 1:45:53 Highlight the passage at 1:45:53

1:46:22 Everyone's like, can we get out early? Okay, go on. But first we have to dedicate. So we're going to dedicate tonight's class just really quickly to whatever we may have gained from this class, from any part of the class, no matter how tiny and no matter how big. May it become the cause of each of us being able to discover this hidden treasure in our own minds, this potential to become a Buddha, a fully awakened being. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:22 Highlight the passage at 1:46:22

1:46:59 And to gain access to this vast, still, pure nature of our own minds so that we can work with that, so that we can be able to benefit more and more and more and more sentient beings beginning with ourselves. Thank Report an error in the passage at 1:46:59 Highlight the passage at 1:46:59

1:47:24 you very much. Is there anybody here who would like us to order a copy of Lama Yashi's Introduction to Tantra? I think there are some. Did we run out of those? There's still some out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:24 Highlight the passage at 1:47:24

1:47:38 We can take a number of people interested in the book and then minus the number out there. How many are still out there? There's still the six? Everyone's like too shy to take one? Okay, who would like a copy of Introduction to Tantra? Report an error in the passage at 1:47:38 Highlight the passage at 1:47:38

1:47:56 Eight, nine, probably ten. We'll say just in case somebody changes their mind. Oh, that was a ten. So that means we should probably order like four or five then. Okay, so I'll say it. Yes. Can you hand it to this? Okay, so now you've got enough, right? In theory? Because he's making more. Yeah, okay, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:56 Highlight the passage at 1:47:56

1:48:21 So why don't you just start and just go straight back, like no skipping, and we'll see what happens. I know it's a risk for you guys because you guys are lost. She's even giving herself one. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:21 Highlight the passage at 1:48:21

1:48:38 Thank you. It's what? Report an error in the passage at 1:48:38 Highlight the passage at 1:48:38

1:48:46 Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he's got some old. He's taught here before, so he has some old students here. And I think any of us that just did the retreat were just like, yeah, whatever else I'm doing, it's no longer happening. So all of those people. And there's quite a few Stachelingers that did that retreat. We're all going to be there, right? It'll be like the little funeral Renee fan club. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:46 Highlight the passage at 1:48:46

1:49:13 I know, I adore him. Oh, Stages of the Path. And those aren't even stapled either. That's awkward. Well, that was the assignment this week. I think it's actually in the homework. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's actually what Report an error in the passage at 1:49:13 Highlight the passage at 1:49:13

1:49:36 they're just talking about. They just realized, she just realized she hadn't handed that out and that it wasn't stapled. So they're going to run back there really quickly while you guys are meandering out of the room and then hand it. And so does everyone need a copy of that or do some people have it from another time? Report an error in the passage at 1:49:36 Highlight the passage at 1:49:36

1:50:02 Because I can also do electronic copies of that. Who would like an electronic copy of that? Oh wait, I have to start a new chart. Hang on. This is the binder. And this is the lamrim, venerable arena. Electronic. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:02 Highlight the passage at 1:50:02

1:50:22 And then print. Okay. Who wants electronic? Christine. John. Gina. David. Alan. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:22 Highlight the passage at 1:50:22

1:50:40 Morgan. again, John. So we might have some left over. You're doing the homework? Oh, good. Because I was like, that's awfully short. I know it's condensed, but... All right, thanks, you guys. You still get out six minutes early. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:40 Highlight the passage at 1:50:40

1:51:12 So now nobody's leaving. Christine, do you want the notes? Yeah. You just don't get the final announcements because that's what I used right on the back. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:12 Highlight the passage at 1:51:12

1:51:33 Most people are getting that electronically. On the electronic one? Okay. Sure. Print lamrim is being handed out. Print lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:33 Highlight the passage at 1:51:33

1:52:08 So you got one. So do you still want electronic, Alonzo? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:08 Highlight the passage at 1:52:08

1:52:15 I'll take a long room. Well, dag on it. Handing it out. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:15 Highlight the passage at 1:52:15

1:52:28 You want it electronically too? Report an error in the passage at 1:52:28 Highlight the passage at 1:52:28

1:52:36 Jeremy, go ahead, take it. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:36 Highlight the passage at 1:52:36

1:52:40 Do you still want it? You still want it electronically? Okay. Okay, so everybody who needed one got one? Okay, good. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:40 Highlight the passage at 1:52:40

1:52:59 yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:59 Highlight the passage at 1:52:59

1:53:03 It's okay because it's always good to have it all around. So don't feel like you have to buy it from us, but it's good if we can order it. It's kind of nice for us to have it here. And then it's always nice to have it just for sale. It's one of those basics that we should always have. I'll just have her order fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:03 Highlight the passage at 1:53:03

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:53:54 I guess she just got it for her. We used to have one, and then Michelle gave it to Ben Rovino when she began getting more. It's just a gift from us. And then we didn't have one for a long time, and so I guess she felt like it was really good for us to get one. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:54 Highlight the passage at 1:53:54

1:54:11 She's a protector, I think, but she's a female protector. And she's riding on a mule. I don't know a whole lot about her besides that. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:11 Highlight the passage at 1:54:11

1:54:24 She's Raph. I'm like, what happened to Raja Zappa? Yeah, I know, I know. Where is Raja Zappa? We have to switch him around, I guess. Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:24 Highlight the passage at 1:54:24

1:54:33 sometimes I don't know where by yourself it went. I don't have to ask you more. No, I just put your question in the last five. You made this one comment. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:33 Highlight the passage at 1:54:33

1:54:44 Everything's recyclable, even our personality. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:44 Highlight the passage at 1:54:44

1:54:49 know, like all that, I mean, I may be talking to you, but I'm like, do you? on. Yeah. Thank you. Take on. So you take, yeah. That's hard. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, no, I'm glad she made it. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:49 Highlight the passage at 1:54:49

1:55:56 A lot of times people are kind of like this. Yeah, that's what I wanted to do. I thought it was going to work It's more like you're proposing. When you manifest as Tara, you are just accessing your own perfection of that particular quality, but also your perfection of all the qualities. So it doesn't, it's not so much your personality, it's your shirt. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:56 Highlight the passage at 1:55:56

1:56:32 Thank you. sort of depends on how you would define personality. Because I think of personality and identity are more things of this life. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:32 Highlight the passage at 1:56:32