Discovering Buddhism - The Spiritual Teacher (15 October 2009)

0:04 Thank Report an error in the passage at 0:04 Highlight the passage at 0:04

0:23 you. two, three, three. Report an error in the passage at 0:23 Highlight the passage at 0:23

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0:39 I've got mine online, but you can ask them where they can probably buy it from here. Report an error in the passage at 0:39 Highlight the passage at 0:39

0:56 I can't do, I can't like. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 0:56 Highlight the passage at 0:56

1:23 Yeah, I mean, I can sit like, I mean, I'll stretch out it for a while, but. It's like a, so comfortable. That's great. Yeah, it takes a while. Of course. One thing is the one that's not enough. I know it's gonna have been here, maybe. No. No. Report an error in the passage at 1:23 Highlight the passage at 1:23

1:45 Thank you. That's great. That's great. And we're so fortunate that we can see. Oh, no! I love it! Report an error in the passage at 1:45 Highlight the passage at 1:45

2:17 Thank you, I love it. Thank you. What are you doing there? I told you. Yeah. The longest restaurant. But like you didn't have to keep that. I'm going to stay there forever. Thank you very much. here. Have they started? Is that Barry? Barry. Hello. Hi. Dana's on here tonight. Report an error in the passage at 2:17 Highlight the passage at 2:17

3:26 It's been a horrible week at work. I'm going to meet with her on Sunday. I left that envelope there, yes, that's for Isabel Bergman. Is that okay? Thank you. the prayer limit. Well, I know. You know, I've been missing that before. And also, we have... You don't want to buy fruit. Or you can make an offer for this fruit. There at Lewis had already purchased soap. Report an error in the passage at 3:26 Highlight the passage at 3:26

4:09 And then we canceled the soap. We got the spoon on our So I said, we can use the fruit for the kujik, except they're going to eat the bananas. Anyway, that was very long and unnecessarily recorded. Report an error in the passage at 4:09 Highlight the passage at 4:09

4:27 So that you know you don't have to purchase fruit. I'll find out what the fruit is, so we'll make sure we like it. Oh my god, the pile of cushions keeps getting larger. it, but... Report an error in the passage at 4:27 Highlight the passage at 4:27

4:34 but... Report an error in the passage at 4:34 Highlight the passage at 4:34

4:41 want to make sure you're a positive. That's right. Report an error in the passage at 4:41 Highlight the passage at 4:41

4:46 I'll bring a mattress down next week. Can we all bring mattresses? There we go. Just stack yours up like this. Each week, yeah. I hope it creates a cause for me that I can be worthy of sit on that. Report an error in the passage at 4:46 Highlight the passage at 4:46

5:03 Okay, so with frustrations that we are honoring or respecting Dharma itself, because Dharma is what's going to get us in light. And you also could focus on the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha, especially those qualities of the Buddha that you want, Report an error in the passage at 5:03 Highlight the passage at 5:03

5:33 that and Report an error in the passage at 5:33 Highlight the passage at 5:33

5:46 the realization that skew out to you guys. Report an error in the passage at 5:46 Highlight the passage at 5:46

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6:22 That little Report an error in the passage at 6:22 Highlight the passage at 6:22

6:33 mantra multiplies the frustrations. Report an error in the passage at 6:33 Highlight the passage at 6:33

6:41 The merit from the prostration. A thousand times. Report an error in the passage at 6:41 Highlight the passage at 6:41

6:49 Oh, um, Gina, could you? Gina. She's just always available to me. You guys just don't have the karma to see her. I don't know if it's worthwhile. Report an error in the passage at 6:49 Highlight the passage at 6:49

7:07 you're up, could you get, um, the very first shelf Report an error in the passage at 7:07 Highlight the passage at 7:07

7:14 Actually, I was going to read it in the morning, the box marks the first thing on top, Report an error in the passage at 7:14 Highlight the passage at 7:14

7:31 the second thing on top. Thank you. I thought I'd read another lamrim that had something about the guru in it. Report an error in the passage at 7:31 Highlight the passage at 7:31

7:50 It's your email address. I have that permanently in there. Report an error in the passage at 7:50 Highlight the passage at 7:50

7:57 It's the candy. Oh, caramel, caramel, caramel. Now I'm just going to get hungry every time I see you. That's not going to help at all. Can you turn the mic more so you're not picking up? I know it looks like it's attacking you. Hello. I know it does. It's a regressive turn. Report an error in the passage at 7:57 Highlight the passage at 7:57

8:27 Sure. Oh, then that doesn't work. We can put it just there. Report an error in the passage at 8:27 Highlight the passage at 8:27

8:34 Hello. Is everything on? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 8:34 Highlight the passage at 8:34

8:45 So let's just start with a little short meditation. Report an error in the passage at 8:45 Highlight the passage at 8:45

8:51 We'll just do a short meditation on the breath just to bring our mind to present. Report an error in the passage at 8:51 Highlight the passage at 8:51

9:07 So first remembering to check your posture, especially making sure that your spine is extended. If your shoulders are scrunched up around your ears, you might take some time to roll them out. Report an error in the passage at 9:07 Highlight the passage at 9:07

9:25 And I usually like to start with some cleansing breaths, imagining my breathing cleansing my whole body and mind so that I can just be present here. Report an error in the passage at 9:25 Highlight the passage at 9:25

9:38 So do that for a few breaths and then when you feel Like you are, like you've arrived, then place your whole focus on your breath at either the level of your nostril or the level of your abdomen. And just try to stay with it with your count of ten. And then start over and just do that for a few rounds of ten. And Report an error in the passage at 9:38 Highlight the passage at 9:38

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12:17 just start trying to find your motivation. Next class, Report an error in the passage at 12:17 Highlight the passage at 12:17

12:30 remembering that this class is on finding a spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 12:30 Highlight the passage at 12:30

12:37 Serving a spiritual teacher, the importance of knowing what to do so that we have a good relationship with our teachers. Report an error in the passage at 12:37 Highlight the passage at 12:37

12:50 And also knowing when we're ready to enter that relationship and when we become worthy students to find such a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 12:50 Highlight the passage at 12:50

13:07 So let's motivate to use this time to understand whatever we can in order to plant the seeds karmically. To find the teacher that's perfect for us, our mind, our journey. Report an error in the passage at 13:07 Highlight the passage at 13:07

13:36 And then when you're ready in your own time, you can end your meditation and we'll start with opening prayer. Report an error in the passage at 13:36 Highlight the passage at 13:36

13:51 And I'm going to read one to you first and then we'll do the one that we always do. This is one that was actually composed by the Seventh Dalai Lama. Report an error in the passage at 13:51 Highlight the passage at 13:51

14:10 Interesting. Anyway. So we have been reading different ones in the morning puja, and when Janet and I read this one, I was like, oh, I'm going to read this one to the spiritual teacher class. Report an error in the passage at 14:10 Highlight the passage at 14:10

14:28 In the hands of one's spiritual masters lie the root of every mystical experience. All happiness and suffering from now until enlightenment come solely from relying upon them. Report an error in the passage at 14:28 Highlight the passage at 14:28

14:43 See the physical world as the guru's body. Take sounds as the Guru's teachings. Mix thoughts and memories with his bliss and insight. Rely on this practice, king of all paths. Report an error in the passage at 14:43 Highlight the passage at 14:43

14:58 Fortunate are they who meet the doctrine of the all-kind, incomparable Tsongkhapa, who showed as precepts all sutras and tantras, fortunate indeed in opportunity obtained but once. Yet breath like mist is delicate. And life seemingly strong is ever near to passing. Quickly pluck the essence of Dharma. For definite it is you will die at the hands of the great enemy death. Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:28 Have not the three doors stood open to negativity? Then the inconceivable misery of the lower realms certainly will fall upon you. And if still weak, you will not be able to bear them. Some look and see in the innermost way they turn to a Guru Deva. An embodiment of the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha. With attentive concentration they focus on cultivating the white and dispersing the black. Report an error in the passage at 15:28 Highlight the passage at 15:28

15:59 Reveling in objects of greed and attachment is drinking poison mistaken for nectar. The luxuries, securities and comforts of the world are like dramas enjoyed in a dream. Report an error in the passage at 15:59 Highlight the passage at 15:59

16:13 No lasting happiness can be found in any samsaric position. How foolish to sit complacent in a hole filled with misery. Turn the horse of the mind upward. Reign him with the three higher trainings. Strike him with the iron whip of fierce effort and cut into the open road of liberation. Report an error in the passage at 16:13 Highlight the passage at 16:13

16:37 All beings, mothers who lovingly have nurtured us are floundering in the seas of confusion. The son who cares not for their anguish. Report an error in the passage at 16:37 Highlight the passage at 16:37

16:48 Are the waters of his heart not bitter? Wholly discarding selfish thoughts, hold close the ways which better the world, and strive to live the six perfections which yield Buddhahood ultimate benefit for all. Sever the mind from chaotic wandering, fix it firmly on its object with mindfulness, without falling prey to agitation or dullness, trained in meditation, blissful and clear. Report an error in the passage at 16:48 Highlight the passage at 16:48

17:19 The manifold things we perceive are deceptive projections of deluded thought. When we search for their ultimate essence, emptiness free of an essence appears. The things that manifest also fade, and only footprints of names remain. The other side of this is called dependent arising. What else need be known? Having first trained in these foundation practices, Seek out a tantric master, embodiment of Buddha Vajradhara, lord of the sphere beneath none. Gain the four ripening initiations and enter into the mystic mandala. Report an error in the passage at 17:19 Highlight the passage at 17:19

18:04 There's your whole path. Report an error in the passage at 18:04 Highlight the passage at 18:04

18:11 This kind of goes in slow motion until it's pointing over there. Report an error in the passage at 18:11 Highlight the passage at 18:11

18:22 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 18:22 Highlight the passage at 18:22

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19:52 Maybe I'll use specials or something. Maybe I'll go like that. Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

19:59 So, there you go. Report an error in the passage at 19:59 Highlight the passage at 19:59

20:03 right. Report an error in the passage at 20:03 Highlight the passage at 20:03

20:10 We're going to talk a little bit more about the qualities of the teacher, but we're also going to talk a little bit about karma and how our karma creates the qualities that we see in the teacher. So we have to work on our own karma in order to have a teacher that we want. Report an error in the passage at 20:10 Highlight the passage at 20:10

20:35 But first, does anyone have any questions about last week's assignment, either reading or meditation? Report an error in the passage at 20:35 Highlight the passage at 20:35

21:00 I know, now I have to go through yet another. It's like caramel, Marcella. Especially this time of year, you know, it's the caramel apples and everything. Report an error in the passage at 21:00 Highlight the passage at 21:00

21:15 It's a quick question, I think. If you want a teaching, you're supposed to ask three times, but you don't have to ask a teacher to be your teacher three times, right? Report an error in the passage at 21:15 Highlight the passage at 21:15

21:24 I think actually you kind of asked that last time, didn't you? We talked about it a little bit. I would say if there's somebody that you just feel really strongly is your teacher and they say no the first time, keep asking. Because maybe they are wanting you to be sincere. There she is. I was looking for her and I couldn't find her, of course. Report an error in the passage at 21:24 Highlight the passage at 21:24

21:46 We'll see. We might have to put her up there. And you know you're the one. Report an error in the passage at 21:46 Highlight the passage at 21:46

21:53 But I was confused because I thought it was something that happens. Probably, usually not. Usually. And then if they still don't, then there could be some reason. Like I remember I mentioned that one teacher that I'm aware of who knew that the person's main teacher was somebody else, and so he said no. Report an error in the passage at 21:53 Highlight the passage at 21:53

22:12 But I think he actually made some allusion to that. Everyone wants to say, I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 22:12 Highlight the passage at 22:12

21:58 usually, but if they Report an error in the passage at 21:58 Highlight the passage at 21:58

22:16 So it wasn't like he just said no and turned away and ran away or something. He actually gave a good reason, you know, like, I'm not the teacher that you're seeking. Because I was confused by that conversation. I thought you said when you find a teacher, it's really what happens in your own mind. They might not even know. Absolutely. You might not even formally ask them. Report an error in the passage at 22:16 Highlight the passage at 22:16

22:36 And so that's up to you. But if you do formally ask them and you feel really strongly, this is definitely my teacher, and they say no, I would ask again. Okay. I mean, personally, I would just, you know, because I would want to impress upon them my sincerity. I want the karma, you know, correctly. I would also look at how I'd ask them. Did I just kind of over lunch? By the way, or did I do it very formally? Report an error in the passage at 22:36 Highlight the passage at 22:36

23:07 And if I didn't do it very formally, I would try then to do it very, very formally. And then if they still said no, then I'm my thing that I could do. But if you're just doing it in your head, then you don't need to. But it wouldn't hurt to do it three times in your head. Report an error in the passage at 23:07 Highlight the passage at 23:07

23:29 So this is kind of on the same subject. When you take refuge under a teacher and you establish the Dharma connection with them, do you still have to ask? Report an error in the passage at 23:29 Highlight the passage at 23:29

23:40 Oh, if they will be your... No, he's already, in that case, he or she has already given you refuge or lay vows or something like that, so you don't need to. If you think that that person is your root guru further on down the line, then I probably would. Report an error in the passage at 23:40 Highlight the passage at 23:40

24:04 Or at least tell them further on down the line, I consider you my main teacher, or I consider you my root guru, if that doesn't feel too weird to you. Report an error in the passage at 24:04 Highlight the passage at 24:04

24:16 If they are who you think they are, then they already know, but it just kind of formalizes it. That's a good question. Did you put her up there? Oh, well done. I know, sorry. I know, I know, but it's distracting. Everybody's like, ah, like you've never seen a cat before, right? It's like, ah! I even do it. It's just for the best. It's not like it's the most horrible room in the house, you know. Report an error in the passage at 24:16 Highlight the passage at 24:16

24:50 Oh, well, she's made a new friend, and so sometimes she disappears into Sandra's room for hours on end, so then I'm like looking all over the house and calling for her and all this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 24:50 Highlight the passage at 24:50

25:03 I figured since you grabbed the mic. I need to be clear, I understood we choose a spiritual teacher, but do we have in a certain period a few? Oh yes, definitely you'll have more than one. Because you were telling us your experience and I understood you had... First of all was somebody and then always you're adding the teachers? Well, we'll actually get to that tonight. She's always the plant, but yeah. Report an error in the passage at 25:03 Highlight the passage at 25:03

25:41 Yeah, it's definitely, I mean, there are stories, I think it was Atisha who had 162 gurus or something like that. I mean, to the point of gurus, where he considered them gurus. But there's a good quote and it's coming up. for tonight about whether whether we should follow in his stead but in terms of teachers one of the reasons of going through Alex It could be that all of the people in those eight categories actually... Report an error in the passage at 25:41 Highlight the passage at 25:41

26:24 For most of us, they'll probably be more than one. And they'll be all levels. And then even at the higher level, it is actually possible to have more than one root guru. It's not so common, but it is possible. And I can imagine the case, especially if your root guru manifests passing away. And then there you are. Then you might... Report an error in the passage at 26:24 Highlight the passage at 26:24

26:51 You might have an immediate reaction to his reincarnation, his or her reincarnation, but you might not. Karma changes. And you might, as I was saying that Pema Chodron was saying, that she and Tenzin Thalma both ended up finding other teachers that they felt, after a long search, after many years of search, finding other teachers that they felt connection with and that they now consider their main teacher. Report an error in the passage at 26:51 Highlight the passage at 26:51

27:21 And the same, actually, to some degree. I don't know if Ravina would consider Lama Zopa her root guru at this point, but she'd definitely consider him her guru after Lama Yeshu's passing. Report an error in the passage at 27:21 Highlight the passage at 27:21

27:35 But I have also heard of people having more than one root guru in life. And that, I think, would take a very, very, very developed mind for the disciple. And we'll get into why. I mean, as you can tell already from what we're describing in the relationship, you know, the question might be for you to contemplate, would I want this responsibility with that many gurus? Report an error in the passage at 27:35 Highlight the passage at 27:35

28:04 The responsibility meaning, I mean, the main way that we serve a guru is following their advice. So do I want ten people telling me what to do? You know, honestly. Especially when it can be, like I was saying last week, 100,000 frustrations, you know, or something like that. You know, it could be advice that is quite big for you to do, you know, or maybe good for you to run a center. Report an error in the passage at 28:04 Highlight the passage at 28:04

28:27 And what if they all have different organizations? I mean, especially in this day and age when not everything is interconnected, it's quite the same as it was, you know, in the olden days where they all might be in the same lineage. So it gets a little complicated. So definitely for us to think about that. Report an error in the passage at 28:27 Highlight the passage at 28:27

28:45 The ramifications of having more than one guru. But it is possible, of course, to have many, many teachers at all different levels, and it is even possible to have more than one. Definitely possible to have more than one guru, because somebody becomes your guru if you receive vows from them, or if you take a tantric empowerment of any level. Report an error in the passage at 28:45 Highlight the passage at 28:45

29:07 Some say top two levels of tantra, but some say any level of tantra. And that becomes more possible. The more advanced you get in your practice. You know, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, for example, or, you know, Geshe-la might give you vows, and His Holiness might give you tantric empowerment, and then somebody else might give you another tantric empowerment, and before you know it, you have nine or ten gurus. Report an error in the passage at 29:07 Highlight the passage at 29:07

29:32 And they are your gurus, and they are often gurus for life, if not many, many lives. So another reason to contemplate very deeply before you take those... Vows or take those impairments. But a guru is not the same as a root guru. So just remember that too. The term, yeah, root guru is the top of the heap, so to speak. It's a very special, special relationship. Report an error in the passage at 29:32 Highlight the passage at 29:32

30:01 And that's usually what we're talking about. We're talking about finding your teacher. We're talking about a root guru, a main, main teacher. So that's really what we're talking about. There are a couple of hands going up. I did see Chris's first, but then Kevin. Do you still have it, Chris? Oh. He's gone into, okay, he's gone into a coma. Go ahead. Yeah, she has it, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 30:01 Highlight the passage at 30:01

30:24 You can disguise your voice. Report an error in the passage at 30:24 Highlight the passage at 30:24

30:29 So... I had to do the voice synthesizer. So you said, have you become your guru and you've taken any sort of vows? Yes. So, like, just blanked out of my head when I took the 24-hour vows. So... Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:47 Yeah. So does that mean Geshe-la turned into my girl? He does become a teacher. Surprise. Surprise. It's true. That happened for me too. Sorry about that. Didn't know that. Okay, I didn't realize that though. Yeah, no, I didn't realize it either. The first person you take those from, once you've already taken them, then you have the lineage and so then that's not true. Report an error in the passage at 30:47 Highlight the passage at 30:47

31:08 And actually you have the lineage and so you can now give them to yourself too with the 24-hour rest. Right. But yeah, then that person becomes a teacher. Not your root guru. Right. Not a tantric empowerment. You know, not like any of those things. But he's not, he's just considered one of my teachers now, correct? Report an error in the passage at 31:08 Highlight the passage at 31:08

31:25 But not my guru? Or am I just like twisting it in my head? That's a good question. I would say that he is considered your guru now. But not necessarily a root guru. Not a root guru, okay. Yeah, like that. You may never take anything from him again. I've had that happen before. Report an error in the passage at 31:25 Highlight the passage at 31:25

31:47 I sort of... Report an error in the passage at 31:47 Highlight the passage at 31:47

31:52 took my refuge and it may come back together with him but I haven't Report an error in the passage at 31:52 Highlight the passage at 31:52

31:58 I still consider him of my teachers, and I still picture, when I, there are, in most practices we visualize what's called a merit field, and in that merit field. Report an error in the passage at 31:58 Highlight the passage at 31:58

32:12 there. In that merit field, when we visualize it, we visualize our own teachers, say to really try stick all of them So don't forget him because he is there now. Okay, I didn't know that. Oh boy, I've been missing out some things lately apparently. It's a backtracking to do. No, but you know, and what I do too is I even put in ones that I wouldn't necessarily consider teacher but I consider spiritual mentors in some way. Report an error in the passage at 32:12 Highlight the passage at 32:12

32:42 And I was mentioning that when we were talking about the eight that I would actually break it out into nine and I'd have part of spiritual mentor would be ones that I consider just sort of senior to me and they've given me help along the way but I don't consider them. teachers are gurus, and then the second half of that spiritual mentor. Report an error in the passage at 32:42 Highlight the passage at 32:42

32:58 I like mentor though, because I'm not talking about just somebody who shows me how to do the water bowls. I'm talking about somebody who literally has stepped in and acted almost in the way of a big sister for me or big brother for me. So it's more like what, for me, what Venom Rubino was, is. And there's a couple of other... Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:24 Monks and nuns who are senior to me and have sort of stepped in. They don't have to be monks and nuns, but in my case they actually all are, where they have sort of acted like a big brother or big sister to me. Report an error in the passage at 33:24 Highlight the passage at 33:24

33:37 It's border, it's close, but they aren't quite in a teacher position to me. So I don't know. I sort of made that one up, but it kind of works for me. Report an error in the passage at 33:37 Highlight the passage at 33:37

33:48 Now Chris just thought of a question. Okay. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 33:48 Highlight the passage at 33:48

33:52 So as you remember, when I was in Vacaville, the only lineage that was available was Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. And I knew that it wasn't my home, but I knew that Buddhism was, and I wanted to make that commitment. And so I took refuge and lay vows from, not from him directly, but I mean in spirit he presided over the ceremony. Report an error in the passage at 33:52 Highlight the passage at 33:52

34:22 That makes him one of my teachers. Do I have to see him as a Buddha too? That gets into something else and we'll talk about that one in the later classes. Okay. Yeah. No, but I would picture him in your merit field as one of your teachers. He played a pivotal role for you. Yeah, and I definitely believe he's qualified. Report an error in the passage at 34:22 Highlight the passage at 34:22

34:43 I wouldn't necessarily, for example, Courtney picked up a book by him, read it and put it back on the shelf. He wouldn't have necessarily had that same role, which is kind of my relationship with him has been. I've actually... I hold him with great respect, but I didn't have that particular relation. But in your case, you actually took it one step farther. So then that step farther, I would definitely say. Report an error in the passage at 34:43 Highlight the passage at 34:43

35:02 Even if you at the time knew this wasn't going to be your final tradition, you did make the leap of taking it. Stick him in there. Report an error in the passage at 35:02 Highlight the passage at 35:02

35:12 They say sometimes if we aren't progressing, like in certain practices, we might think if we've left somebody out. And as you progress on the path, you do have lots more teachers and it is possible to leave one out. Like now it seems like how could you leave someone out, you know, but it's possible. Report an error in the passage at 35:12 Highlight the passage at 35:12

35:31 And sometimes I have to like, I kind of in my mind came up with a schematic so I know where they all go. Believe me, at like 3.30 in the morning sometimes you need that kind of thing. So it's like, okay, okay, they're all there. You know, you just kind of like just run down it all so I make sure that they're all there. Report an error in the passage at 35:31 Highlight the passage at 35:31

35:49 And I think it was Lama Zopa who said he did leave somebody out and he came to one of his teachers and one of his teachers said, think back, go through, is there somebody who taught you something that you're leaving out? And so he thought back and he asked. So that's just a little word to the wise. Report an error in the passage at 35:49 Highlight the passage at 35:49

36:12 So here's a quote speaking of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. At the very least, one should entrust oneself to a spiritual master who has renounced. And is encouraging us to renounce a samsaric life. At the very least, one should entrust oneself to a spiritual master who has renounced and is encouraging us to renounce a samsaric life. Report an error in the passage at 36:12 Highlight the passage at 36:12

36:36 So does that mean that one spiritual master has to be a monk or none? No, it does not mean that. But it means that that person is aiming towards liberation. And they're trying to lead you to liberation too. So they aren't just like happy to be here and you know. Hanging out and stuff like that. Does it mean that they couldn't be having fun and take you to a movie or something? Of course not. You know, hopefully if you go to the movie then you see something in it that triggered some dharmic thing. Report an error in the passage at 36:36 Highlight the passage at 36:36

37:05 And actually when you see that film that I'm going to show you guys, well I won't be here that night, but for words of my perfect teacher, you'll see that there are different ways to be a Lama. in the 21st century. It doesn't have to look like formal teachings all the time or Milarepa, thankfully. But it might be Milarepa in a different way. Report an error in the passage at 37:05 Highlight the passage at 37:05

37:35 But it is their example, their living example, how they embody the teachings that becomes really, really important to them. Almost like I said with Lama Zopa, almost more important than the words. Although now... The words, of course, support that and who he is supports the words and all of that kind of meshes together. But when I first met him, it was actually more the way he is outside of the formal teachings, the way he offers things, the way he treats his students, the way he cares about a moth, you know, like, you know, that's dying on the ground or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 37:35 Highlight the passage at 37:35

38:12 All of those things. Touch my heart almost more than his formal teachings. So look at all of that too. Report an error in the passage at 38:12 Highlight the passage at 38:12

38:24 And hopefully they should make you feel like you can do it. You can get enlightened. It should be a very positive, encouraging kind of message. Report an error in the passage at 38:24 Highlight the passage at 38:24

38:36 So I just want to talk a little bit about karma because I think karma is, as with everything, hugely important with finding our spiritual teacher and we forget about it. And we forget about it with everything. I mean... Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

38:50 Constantly reminding ourselves of karma. Constantly. And it's just non-stop. We always want to go for some other approach. Report an error in the passage at 38:50 Highlight the passage at 38:50

39:00 So we always have to remember how karma works and that if we know how karma works, we can make it work for us. Karma is not fix. It's not destiny. If we're stuck in a really lousy situation, there are many approaches to change it. And it's not necessarily... Going to the store and buying a new blah blah or moving, which are sort of our usual responses to problems. Or screaming back if somebody's yelling at you on a regular basis. Report an error in the passage at 39:00 Highlight the passage at 39:00

39:31 So karma, just a little bit. So for those of you who just did the karma class or have done a class on karma before, this will be a review, but that's okay. Unless you fully realize karma, then it should be useful still. Remembering that karma is defined as... In Sanskrit, it just simply means action. So it's any action of the mind and then what those actions inspire in your body and speech. Report an error in the passage at 39:31 Highlight the passage at 39:31

40:00 So really the action starts in the mind, right? Report an error in the passage at 40:00 Highlight the passage at 40:00

40:08 Everything arises. Independence upon causes and conditions and Geshe-la always says the biggest cause, you know, we can think of all the causes and conditions that go into various things that we perceive and various experiences and it's really good for us to think of that on a conventional basis too, you know, the people who made the cup. Report an error in the passage at 40:08 Highlight the passage at 40:08

40:31 You know, the people that mined the clay or whatever, we call it within clay, who got the clay. People who marketed it, the people who sold it, the people who trucked it to one place or another, you know, people who painted this attractive New York taxi on it. All of that's important, but there is also a cause because if I wasn't a human with the knowledge of cup-ness, a cup, I wouldn't see a cup. Report an error in the passage at 40:31 Highlight the passage at 40:31

40:58 Bodhi wouldn't see a cup, for sure. So Geshe-la always points out that the biggest cause of causes and conditions is karma. And I think that's important. I think that's important, even if we don't fully understand it, to just try to remember it. I see this in a certain way because of my karma. We are the creator of that karma. That karma is not being thrust on us by somebody else, you know. Report an error in the passage at 40:58 Highlight the passage at 40:58

41:22 If I am experiencing something, it is due to my karma, including this body. This particular body, this pile of cushions, this room, this humidity, this microphone, everything that I am perceiving, so it's not just visual. When I use the word perceive, I think sometimes it ends up, we think of only the perceptions of other visuals around us. It's our entire experience. Report an error in the passage at 41:22 Highlight the passage at 41:22

41:56 As Lama Yeshe said, you are karma. You cannot separate yourself from karma. Your body, speech and mind are karma. I love that one. You are karma. You cannot separate yourself from karma. Your body, speech and mind are karma. Report an error in the passage at 41:56 Highlight the passage at 41:56

42:18 So we have to create the causes of what we want to perceive or what we want to experience. And if we continually follow our negative states of mind, Nothing will change. We'll just keep experiencing negative experiences and negative perceptions, like with habit. It's just we keep responding in the same old way. Report an error in the passage at 42:18 Highlight the passage at 42:18

42:49 We keep having the same old suffering. That's actually what saṃsāra is. That's all saṃsāra is, actually. Saṃsāra is not a place somewhere. Saṃsāra is that experience of continually creating the karma. karma through our deluded states of mind that cause us to continue to suffer, that cause us to continue to react with negative states of mind, that causes us to continually create negative karma, that cause us to continually suffer, that causes us to continually react with negative states of mind. Report an error in the passage at 42:49 Highlight the passage at 42:49

43:20 And just constantly, that's why they call it cycle or a circle of suffering, cyclic existence. Report an error in the passage at 43:20 Highlight the passage at 43:20

43:30 Every time we follow an afflicted state of mind, Report an error in the passage at 43:30 Highlight the passage at 43:30

43:37 It creates an action that is negative in that it creates a negative result, meaning a suffering result. It's not negative in any sort of large absolute way, like engraved in stone somewhere, but it's negative in that it produces a negative result for us. We suffer. Forget that other person for now. If I scream at all of you, it might not be pleasurable for you in the moment, but I've created suffering for myself just by doing that. Report an error in the passage at 43:37 Highlight the passage at 43:37

44:14 Unless, of course, I'm demonstrating something. The same, any kind of negative action that I do, I'm the one that actually will. Report an error in the passage at 44:14 Highlight the passage at 44:14

44:28 So again, karma is not about blame. This one gets turned around a lot in the West. Karma is not saying, if I say, and it's really better with karma to really apply it to me, apply it to ourselves, rather than looking at somebody and going, that's her karma. Because then it becomes almost like blame. We forget compassion sometimes when we analyze a situation. It's always easier to see somebody else's problems and their causes. Report an error in the passage at 44:28 Highlight the passage at 44:28

44:58 Looking at ours and beginning to analyze where our problems are coming from, from a karmic perspective, is very, I think, very juicy, very exciting, because we begin to see how we can work on that in ourselves and how we can stop our own suffering. And it stops being that blame idea, you know? And I think a lot of times in the West, it's almost like you cannot have compassion for somebody because they're suffering because it's their karma. Report an error in the passage at 44:58 Highlight the passage at 44:58

45:29 And that's missing the plot, as Urbina would say, you know, that's missing the plot. Yes, of course it is their karma, but that doesn't mean we can't love them through it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 45:29 Highlight the passage at 45:29

45:39 Let's not forget that we can love them through it. And this, with karma, when we're thinking about it, it's just the way that the mind works and that karma works. And the Buddha simply taught what he observed to be true. It's not that there's any great design or purpose, because that would imply a creator, right? There's not a creator within Buddhism. It's just how karma works. Report an error in the passage at 45:39 Highlight the passage at 45:39

46:10 And that's really important to understand, too, because I think there's this idea still, you may have given up all sorts of other religious forms. You may have given up creator beings. You may have given up even some underlying... Report an error in the passage at 46:10 Highlight the passage at 46:10

46:32 Unhuman, unpersonified form of God. But there's still this idea that somebody's running the show. You know, somebody's out there somewhere that they can, you know, fix your mind. Unfortunately, that's not true within Buddhism. We have to fix our mind. There are lots of somebodies out there. There are lots of Buddhism bodhisattvas that can help us. Report an error in the passage at 46:32 Highlight the passage at 46:32

46:53 But they didn't design our reality. We designed our reality. And there's no real purpose to it. We're just suffering because, you know, because we haven't figured it out yet. Or at least we haven't figured it out with enough gumption to change it. You know, so it's like that. At some point, that's what I kind of think of the difference between sort of recognizing something and really realizing something. Report an error in the passage at 46:53 Highlight the passage at 46:53

47:17 You might have an insight as to how it works, but really realizing it is when you're willing to then stop every negative thought that arises in your mind, which takes huge effort and diligence. It takes huge effort and diligence. And we'll get there. We will get there. Every single moment of mind produces another karma. Report an error in the passage at 47:17 Highlight the passage at 47:17

47:42 So we're constantly producing more karma. And it takes real mindfulness to make that karma that we're producing be positive. To actually try to develop positive thoughts and positive speech and positive actions. Report an error in the passage at 47:42 Highlight the passage at 47:42

48:00 Negative karma is actually created a lot when we're unaware, when we're not mindful, we're just following habits, usually diluted habits. Report an error in the passage at 48:00 Highlight the passage at 48:00

48:11 Sometimes we fall into positive karma, and aren't we just fortunate then? I feel like the first half of my Dharma career was sort of following along people, other people, and kind of ending up at these teachings, and later now I'm like, wow, how did I do that? And clearly it was my karma. I did have karma, but I wasn't aware. I was just using up. One of my teachers used to call the guy that, whoever I was in my last life, that created all the positive karma that I'm now seeing now to be, for me, a nun, having had amazing teachings and amazing teachers, living in a Dharma center. Report an error in the passage at 48:11 Highlight the passage at 48:11

48:49 I mean, really having these incredible conditions. And he named that person Joe. And he'd always be like, every good thing that happens to you, you can thank Joe, but you can't stop there. You've got to create more. So we've got to keep creating new positive for next life because we're just using it up. And we were just running through it. So we have to think about that. So relationship to your spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 48:49 Highlight the passage at 48:49

49:11 If everything that I perceive and experience and see and hear and touch and, you know, am exposed to and everything is created by karma, how do I create the karma to have a teacher? You know, with the kind of qualities that I want. If I want a good Dharma teacher, then I have to create those causes in my own mind, you know, mindfully, with awareness. Report an error in the passage at 49:11 Highlight the passage at 49:11

49:42 One of them, of course, is how we motivate and dedicate these classes. So taking time to do that when you sit for any kind of formal practice or study. I forget that when I study, actually. And that's a good one to always remember. Because then you're mindful, you're entering it with that thought of like, wow, you know, may whatever... Report an error in the passage at 49:42 Highlight the passage at 49:42

50:00 comes up for me when I'm reading this text or doing this study may plant seeds that then ripen as my own enlightenment or something like that. Really setting awareness, it also makes it more special than just picking up a newspaper, which is of course the way I normally do. I'm telling you for my own mistakes. Report an error in the passage at 50:00 Highlight the passage at 50:00

50:22 You can also, as I mentioned before, you can also create merit by supporting a teacher that you do know, even if you don't consider that teacher your teacher, for example, His Holiness the Dalai Lama or Geshe-la or their projects. And again, it doesn't have to be in a huge way. It could just be, you know, volunteering to get food for Geshe-la or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 50:22 Highlight the passage at 50:22

50:44 You know, like it could be something very small. Like I mentioned, one student here who gets him socks every year. She gets all of the socks every year, which is really sweet. It's totally a doable way to support. I think that that's actually the best way because then it's just like some little tiny way. Report an error in the passage at 50:44 Highlight the passage at 50:44

51:02 Shantideva in Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life always talks about with all positive habits, starting them in some really tiny way so that you don't bite off more than you can chew, like for generosity. Ultimately, bodhisattvas have to be willing to give up everything, entire bodies, everything, if it's beneficial. Report an error in the passage at 51:02 Highlight the passage at 51:02

51:20 But he's like, start with carrots and potatoes. Don't start with anything you're really attached to. Start with carrots and potatoes. You give carrots and potatoes to somebody. Give something small. And then you practice with that for a while. And then you give something that you care more about, like one of those cupcakes that Samantha brought. Report an error in the passage at 51:20 Highlight the passage at 51:20

51:40 Or one of Betty's cookies. And then you start like that. So you just sort of build up. And he talks about that with patience, too. You know, making a habit of dealing with the really small stuff. And then if you can deal with the small stuff, then you can start dealing with the big stuff. And then you can really deal with the really big stuff. Report an error in the passage at 51:40 Highlight the passage at 51:40

51:57 And then you can deal with literally somebody attacking you or whatever and be able to handle it with a calm mind rather than the way I currently could. Report an error in the passage at 51:57 Highlight the passage at 51:57

52:09 And one of the ways, too, is just being ready to serve. You know, even if this all takes place in your head. So, for example, Maybe you're too shy with Geshe-la to say, you know, I'll go get his medicine or something like that. You can just be ready to. Just stand by ready to. It's developing the mind of willingness. Report an error in the passage at 52:09 Highlight the passage at 52:09

52:31 Rather than actually going out and doing it. It doesn't mean you should always do that. If there's some opportunity arises and you just ignore it, like he drops his cane or something like that, and just be like, I'm ready, you know. You don't want to move across that border of just being lazy, you know. But if you aren't quite ready yet to do it, still you could develop the mind that's willing to. Report an error in the passage at 52:31 Highlight the passage at 52:31

52:53 Because often in these teachings on, for example, the six perfections, with generosity, we're developing the mind that... That wants to give everything to all beings. We haven't necessarily gotten there yet, but developing that mind is really what's most important because this entire path happens in our mind. Report an error in the passage at 52:53 Highlight the passage at 52:53

53:10 Does that make it less valid? No. Because everything happens in our minds, actually. It all originates there. So one of the ways, for example, since Dharma is what we're talking about, we want a teacher of. Report an error in the passage at 53:10 Highlight the passage at 53:10

53:31 might become how it might be Creating the causes might become us actually being willing to share the Dharma. Does that mean that each of you has to take a turn up here? No, not yet. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to go teach in a formal way and remember that when you do teach, it's good to be requested several times. Report an error in the passage at 53:31 Highlight the passage at 53:31

54:01 But, you know, maybe somebody in your life is facing a problem and that person seems open and then you could talk about something that helped you but not in a pushy way and not if there's any resistance at all because Buddhism has no place for prostitutes and we don't shove it down people's throat. But if somebody's open and the situation seems appropriate, sure, why not? Sharing something that works for you, definitely. Report an error in the passage at 54:01 Highlight the passage at 54:01

54:29 So really quick, the four principles of karma, which I should test the karma students, but I won't. Report an error in the passage at 54:29 Highlight the passage at 54:29

54:39 Kara? No kidding. Report an error in the passage at 54:39 Highlight the passage at 54:39

54:45 Karma is definite. If you do something positive, you get a positive result. If you do something negative, you get a negative result. No good action ever gets you a negative, painful result. No wrong action ever makes you... Rich, despite what we might think. So if we create the karma, then we will definitely find a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 54:45 Highlight the passage at 54:45

55:14 It's definite. It's definite in that sense. It's not fixed. Report an error in the passage at 55:14 Highlight the passage at 55:14

55:22 Karma increases. The results are, the second one, karma increases. The results are always bigger than the cause. Just like the seed, sunflower seed, then the flower that it results, or as they always say, at least on the East Coast, you say an acorn and an oak. I guess you could say that out here. I don't know how many. Maybe it's more the redwood seed than the redwood. That's actually hugely different, so that's probably good. A tiny moment of anger towards somebody can produce a lifetime of being surrounded by it. Report an error in the passage at 55:22 Highlight the passage at 55:22

56:00 The same time just left on its own or nurtured, even better. We nurture, right? With a positive, we nurture with good conditions. With a negative, we try to rip it out before it takes root. Tiny, tiny moments of supporting a... A Dharma Center or supporting a Dharma teacher or passing on the Dharma as we have learned it can result in you finding a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 56:00 Highlight the passage at 56:00

56:28 It's like that. If you don't, number three, if you didn't create the karma, you won't experience the result. Nobody else causes your suffering. Nobody else causes your pleasure, which is also a good one. Of course, we don't usually blame anyone for that. But if you're suffering at this moment, Report an error in the passage at 56:28 Highlight the passage at 56:28

56:52 You, in a past life usually, created the cause. And on the other hand, if you flip that around, if, you know, I won't experience the result unless I created the karma. So if I want to get enlightened, I have to create the karma. If I want to find a teacher, I have to create the karma. Nothing is random in Buddhism. It's not just like, oh, lucky you. Report an error in the passage at 56:52 Highlight the passage at 56:52

57:14 You know, you found somebody, great, you know. You created the causes. You just probably don't remember creating the causes in this life because you created them in a past life. And the final one is karma is never lost. Even the tiniest action, even if nobody saw you do it, positive or negative, you know, slipping that, you know, thousand dollar bill onto the altar of the Buddhist center or cheating on your income tax, you know, it's going to net a result. Report an error in the passage at 57:14 Highlight the passage at 57:14

57:46 At some point it will net a result unless you purify. In which case you still get a result, but it'll be modified, it'll be less, it'll be short-circuited because you did the purification. Report an error in the passage at 57:46 Highlight the passage at 57:46

58:02 Yeah, that's the only unless. I'm like, hmm, is there another unless? So it never just disappears, even if you forget about doing it. Because, I mean, most of the stuff that we're experiencing, we've forgotten about ever creating a cause for. Report an error in the passage at 58:02 Highlight the passage at 58:02

58:25 The biggest cause of having a good teacher, or rather a qualified teacher, is becoming a qualified disciple. So that's what we're really going to spend some time on now. Report an error in the passage at 58:25 Highlight the passage at 58:25

58:36 Starting with the three qualities of the student. Does anybody need me to repeat those four principles of karma? Karma is definite. Report an error in the passage at 58:36 Highlight the passage at 58:36

58:48 I'm back. I'm sorry. What other list have I done? Apparently I'm making a new list. done. Report an error in the passage at 58:48 Highlight the passage at 58:48

58:55 one over here? What one is that? Report an error in the passage at 58:55 Highlight the passage at 58:55

59:12 Oh, really? Oh, yeah, I didn't do it as a list, but that's okay. That's all right. You're a good Galupa child following along. Did you do a mind map with it? No, I'm kidding. Do you know that expression, those mind maps? Do other people know what mind maps are? We have like one anyway. Report an error in the passage at 59:12 Highlight the passage at 59:12

59:41 Never mind. Okay, it looks like Chris is helping. The karma one, karma is definite, karma increases. If you didn't create the karma, you won't experience the result, and karma is never. Report an error in the passage at 59:41 Highlight the passage at 59:41

59:57 So Master Aryadeva gave a list of three qualities of the student. Aryadeva. Arya is like Arya being, somebody who's directly perceived emptiness. Deva is like God. Kind of a nice name, huh? It gives you an idea of his qualities. Although he didn't list those. Report an error in the passage at 59:57 Highlight the passage at 59:57

1:00:27 What does? Geshe. Oh, Geshe? Geshe, yeah. Geshe is something totally different. We're not getting into that here. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:27 Highlight the passage at 1:00:27

1:00:38 Geshe is somebody who... Geshe is an earned title. So it's somebody who has completed a Geshe program. It didn't always end up being, it wasn't always like that. Actually sometimes, like when you'll hear the Kadampa Geshe's of long ago, which were students, disciples of Atisha. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:38 Highlight the passage at 1:00:38

1:01:03 At that point it just meant somebody who was like a spiritual master. But now it's actually an earned title that you get almost like a doctorate in philosophy. They compare it to a doctorate in philosophy or something like that, but I mean literally it can often take like 25 years. Yeah, and I don't think any of our documents, well, I guess people could take 25 years to get one, but they don't usually take 25 years to get. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:03 Highlight the passage at 1:01:03

1:01:32 Well, there's loads of geshes. Yeah, yeah. There's lots of geshes that have completed this program, but it's an earned title. That's the difference. For example, Lama is not an earned title. Lama is usually bestowed upon you, just like I'm sure actually this Arya Deva title probably was bestowed upon him. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:32 Highlight the passage at 1:01:32

1:01:52 Geshe is one that you... There's actually even many levels of Geshes. Take the final, Report an error in the passage at 1:01:52 Highlight the passage at 1:01:52

1:02:03 you debate certain in front of them. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:03 Highlight the passage at 1:02:03

1:02:12 Then you pass or fail, I guess, but you pass at certain levels. And the highest is what's called a Geshe. And I don't know what level Geshe-la is, but I know that Geshe Tashi, who's come Report an error in the passage at 1:02:12 Highlight the passage at 1:02:12

1:02:32 in a few weeks to teach, he's the resident Geshe in London. He's a Chlorampa Geshe. And he's a younger Geshe. I mean, he's my age, so it's all relative, I suppose, right? But there's also, I think there's, I don't even know how many levels there are, but I know there are many. So there's also, somebody has to be the lowest level, right? So there's the Geshes too. They probably don't broadcast it. Anyway, Master Arya Davis list. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:32 Highlight the passage at 1:02:32

1:03:03 The first is that we be, so I'm saying it this way, we should be rather than you should be, right? Because I want to be a good... I want to be a good disciple too. So all of this stuff reminds me. We should be what's called impartial or unbiased. And what they're talking about here is letting go of any preconceptions that might block us. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:03 Highlight the passage at 1:03:03

1:03:27 Also things that might, you know, like if we aren't able to see the teacher or the teaching correctly. If we don't understand something, remember it's always good to shelve it and try to figure it out later rather than just having a reaction and like shoving it out of our life, you know. It's like, whoa, I don't get that one. Okay. You know, mentally shelve it. Stick it in that file. I'm so computer at this point, but you know what I mean? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:27 Highlight the passage at 1:03:27

1:03:51 It's sort of, it's an apt, I think, a description. Take it and stick it in that file for, I'm going to figure this one out later. I'm going to study it. I'm going to bring it up to somebody, one of those mentors that I might be able to kind of like check in with and go, what was that all about? I don't understand that. Without having the immediate reaction of like, that's ridiculous. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:51 Highlight the passage at 1:03:51

1:04:11 You know, which a lot of Westerners we do. It's like, that's stupid. That's the stupidest thing you've ever said, you know. And it's just kind of like, don't do that. So impartial or unbiased just means being open, staying open. And if you are coming from a different system, which is less likely in the West, because a lot of times, well, that's not entirely true. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:11 Highlight the passage at 1:04:11

1:04:36 Sometimes when we come to Buddhism, we haven't fully rejected another system. We might still be riding the line or the fence. This often was the case in India. People were debating their philosophy against Buddhism. Sometimes they even said, in a debate in the old days, if you won the debate, the other person had to join your religion. So people were really debating to the death almost, not the spiritual death. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:36 Highlight the passage at 1:04:36

1:05:06 You know, if somebody came, like for example, somebody was a Hindu and then a Buddhist was debating them and the Buddhist won, then the Hindu had to become a Buddhist or vice versa. So you'd be pulling out all the stops, you know, and like your little coaches would be like, do that paragraph we were talking about last night, you know, because you'd want to like prove it. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:06 Highlight the passage at 1:05:06

1:05:28 But the thing about debate that we don't quite get in the West, the reason why it's so useful is you are trying to... You are trying to use everything that you know to understand something completely. So if the other person is able to show you your own reality more completely than the religion that you have been following, then you're happy to join it. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:28 Highlight the passage at 1:05:28

1:05:49 Because suddenly it's like, oh, that totally makes sense to me. And then there you go. We don't use our minds in the same way. But yeah, that's really what debate's all about. So it's not just trying to make somebody look stupid or, you know, there's not any of that. So somebody who's skilled at debate is very concerned about this person, but they want them to use their own logic to figure out reality. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:49 Highlight the passage at 1:05:49

1:06:18 So you're kind of, all right, well then what you just said is, have you thought about the larger ramifications of what you just said? That means that, so it's like think, think, and they're coming at it and you have to just like be able to. To come back at them, it's beautiful to watch debate, actually. It's very interesting. Impartial or unbiased. Intelligent is the second one, and that really doesn't mean that the rest of us are pitched out. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:18 Highlight the passage at 1:06:18

1:06:48 It's talking about the particular wisdom of discernment, being able to discern right and wrong, correct and incorrect. We have to be able to figure that out. We have to have enough discernment or discrimination to be able to see the difference between the two. And the third, diligence. We need a level of diligence. And actually the way it's described is tirelessly working to put the teachings into effect. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:48 Highlight the passage at 1:06:48

1:07:23 And then I of course give you another quote of Mr. Tirelessness himself, my holy precious guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche said, If you're not applying the antidote when delusions arise, if you allow yourself to have delusions, you're not practicing Dharma. I add the exclamation point. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:23 Highlight the passage at 1:07:23

1:07:42 Diligently prevent them without even a second's delay. And it's amazing how many of us profess to be Buddhists who aren't really watching every second. It's hard. It's almost like what I'm discovering is sort of like you have... 14 years of thinking that you're a Buddhist and then something wakes you up and you're like, wow, and then you go down to another level. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:42 Highlight the passage at 1:07:42

1:08:09 And I have a feeling it's probably like that until you die. And then probably you start over the next life doing the same thing. You know, because it's almost like too much if you get it at first that by the time you kind of come around about 14 years, then you're like ready to dive back in again. So it's, I mean, Buddhism is not easy. This is not an easy path you have wandered into. However. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:09 Highlight the passage at 1:08:09

1:08:29 However... The results are amazing. So again, the three qualities, impartial, intelligent, and diligent. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:08:44 And then Master Chandrakirti, his student, or he was actually giving commentary on Arya Deva's work and he added two more, of course. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:44 Highlight the passage at 1:08:44

1:08:55 He added that we should be appreciative and respectful when we listen to the Dharma. I should say when we should be appreciative and respectful to the Dharma and to our teachers. So it's not necessarily only when we're listening. It's all the time. Appreciative and respectful. And the next one that he added was being attentive. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:55 Highlight the passage at 1:08:55

1:09:20 We should listen with an attentive mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:20 Highlight the passage at 1:09:20

1:09:29 Appreciative and respectful to the Dharma and to our teachers. And attentive. We should try this. I don't know where this list actually came from. I'm sorry. I'll save that right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:29 Highlight the passage at 1:09:29

1:09:43 But it's a list, and I knew that you'd like another list. We should try to avoid the following states of mind. The affliction of arrogance, which they say is actually, this is taught to be the biggest block on the spiritual path. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:43 Highlight the passage at 1:09:43

1:10:01 Because if we think we already know it, then we won't learn anything. We'll be continually, in our mind, it'll be this huge block of just thinking how you could prove this person wrong. Coming up with your response, right? If it's just a 101, you're just constantly getting ready to come back with some smart comeback. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:01 Highlight the passage at 1:10:01

1:10:23 So arrogance. Affliction of contempt. And we talked about that one a little bit. But looking down on, making fun of, belittling a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:23 Highlight the passage at 1:10:23

1:10:36 The opposite of respecting a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:36 Highlight the passage at 1:10:36

1:10:44 And then what they say, not bringing to mind the following five conditions. It's one of those subset ones. Sorry, Karen. In other words, I have chosen this person as my teacher, and I'm going to no longer listen to this person because of these following five judgments are in my mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:44 Highlight the passage at 1:10:44

1:11:03 I think this person has fallen from ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:03 Highlight the passage at 1:11:03

1:11:11 Remember that it might be your own perception. It may not be actual reality if there is such a thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11:11

1:11:24 It may not be reality in any kind of absolute large. Oh, ethical, ethical discipline. Sorry. How can you, unless you can see their mind. Hang on. You've got to hold the line a moment. There's going to be a lot with this one, so hang on. So the first one is that he or she has fallen from ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:24 Highlight the passage at 1:11:24

1:11:46 In other words, you've already chosen this person as your teacher, so that's where these five are going to become dangerous for you. He or she is a poor lineage. This judgment could be referring to their standing in society, that lineage, or it could also be their spiritual lineage. Like you suddenly decide you don't like their teachers or their school or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:46 Highlight the passage at 1:11:46

1:12:08 He or she is unattractive physically. I know, that seems kind of petty, but I suppose it's useful to know. That's not a good thing to do. He or she is inarticulate and Report an error in the passage at 1:12:08 Highlight the passage at 1:12:08

1:12:26 he or she or he or she. She speaks harshly or unpleasantly. So suddenly the So I'm going to repeat those five and then I want to say something about them. He or she has fallen from ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:26 Highlight the passage at 1:12:26

1:12:47 He or she is of poor lineage. He or she is unattractive physically. He or she is inarticulate. And he or she speaks harshly or unpleasantly. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:47 Highlight the passage at 1:12:47

1:13:05 The point here is not that you can't make a decision not to follow somebody. You might go to a teaching, for example, or you might already have made a decision that somebody is your teacher. And then you might begin to notice things about them that you no longer resonate with. It doesn't work for you. There are ways to change your relationship with that teacher that continue to be respectful. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:05 Highlight the passage at 1:13:05

1:13:33 And that's what we end up learning, is how do we do this in a really respectful way if I no longer karmically resonate with this particular being? It's not seeing that person from their own side as ethically, whatever, going through the list, of poor lineage, unattractive physically, inarticulate. It means that my karma has shifted. So you can think of it in those terms and keep respectful to that person in your mind. One other thing that is really important here to mention, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:33 Highlight the passage at 1:13:33

1:14:05 If you have an opinion about somebody, watch your mind and realize that it is coming from your own mind and you might not know what's going on with that person. And if somebody else in the room, you might not know that somebody else in the room considers that person as their guru. So very much watch what we say. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:05 Highlight the passage at 1:14:05

1:14:29 Especially what we say about anybody that might be somebody else's Lama. Even if you don't resonate with that person, and you know that I'm not going to follow this person for whatever reason, watch what we say. Because somebody else, in fact everyone else in the room except for you, could feel like this is their teacher. And I've actually had this happen where people have said something very negative about my Lama, and it's quite painful. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:29 Highlight the passage at 1:14:29

1:14:57 About any of my lamas. It's quite painful. Even if I feel like they just don't understand, it's still painful. And if we, as even baby Buddhists, don't want to cause pain to somebody else, then think about it. Why are you saying anything? Is there some perceived help that you can give or some benefit? If not, shut up. It's just like that, honestly. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:57 Highlight the passage at 1:14:57

1:15:21 Because usually that's not what it's about. Usually it's just your opinion and you think about it. And often you just don't know. So it's very important for us to know that unless we can read the teacher's mind and know really what they're doing, the Buddha said actually, that was one of his first injunctions, do not judge another until you are enlightened, meaning fully enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:21 Highlight the passage at 1:15:21

1:15:45 So does this mean we can't use our discernment? No. That's number two. We have to have discernment. We have to have discrimination as we study the Dharma and as we find a teacher for sure. But it really means to watch our speech a lot and also to remember karma. I'm perceiving this person in a certain way. Maybe I don't have the karma to see them as an enlightened being, but maybe they are. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:45 Highlight the passage at 1:15:45

1:16:10 It's like the way Tenzin Chokyi was saying it, leaving open that possibility that you might not know. I think that's a great way to put it. It's sort of like, sure, you can have your feeling of like, okay, I'm not going to follow this teacher, but I might not know, even if it seems totally obvious. This person just seems thoroughly, you know. Somebody else, they didn't seem that way too. And so it's just really good to remember that you might not have the whole picture. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:10 Highlight the passage at 1:16:10

1:16:42 Yeah, go ahead. Oh, not bringing to mind the five conditions. Not bringing to mind the five conditions. And in this case, this is really talking about, as a disciple, we've already chosen somebody to be our teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:42 Highlight the passage at 1:16:42

1:17:06 The other thing is, now, What if you feel that a Lama, and we're going to get into more of this sort of in a juicier way if this is your particular Lama, but what if this is just a Lama that you feel like might be doing something dangerous and somebody who is a student of that Lama comes to you and sincerely wants your advice on whether or not they should stay with that Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:06 Highlight the passage at 1:17:06

1:17:34 This is totally different than just... Kara and I are shooting the breeze about our feelings about this person and that person. That's really a different scene, which we're not really supposed to engage in. This is something really different. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:34 Highlight the passage at 1:17:34

1:17:47 Somebody comes to me and I have a feeling from my worldly perception, because I'm not a realized being, that this person might be a dangerous teacher. And this person is actually asking me questions. First of all, I have to really check my mind. Why am I even going to engage in this conversation? Is this going to be beneficial? Secondly, what is their relationship with the teacher already? Is it their root guru? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:47 Highlight the passage at 1:17:47

1:18:15 Tread very warily at this point if it is their root guru. I would even say I would talk to Geshe-la or somebody else first before I would ever engage in this conversation. And it has happened. It has happened with me. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:15 Highlight the passage at 1:18:15

1:18:34 It's not just 30 years ago, yeah. It still is a big thing. Trungpa, you're talking about Trungpa. Yeah, yeah. And actually, when a number of FPMT students were talking about Trungpa like this, without any thought to benefit, just blah, blah, blah, Lama, she glared and yelled and said, how dare you criticize the actions of a bodhisattva? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:34 Highlight the passage at 1:18:34

1:19:04 I don't know. How do I know? I don't know. Maybe it was skillful means in his 60s. I don't know. So then I just like, after that, I was like, okay, cool. I don't know anything. You know, and also with him, I know that for me, when I think about his students and I look at like Pema Chodron, I just am like, well, her opinion is, I don't know who this being was, but I just know how much he held my mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:04 Highlight the passage at 1:19:04

1:19:32 So she's just like, I think she's amazing. I never met him. You know, I started to say, I died before he came. He passed away, he manifested, passed away before. So that's another really good example of, we just don't know. There could be something else going on there. How did she say it? Something like, stay open to the possibility, or something like that. I have to listen to that again. I want to write down that quote, because it was just, the way she said it was just perfect. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:32 Highlight the passage at 1:19:32

1:20:06 It was like, consider this and stay open. And it was just kind of like opening the window to I might not have the whole scene, you know? Right, so just like you don't agree with this, what you actually see or hear. Totally you can decide. Exactly. It's how you look at it with your mind. All of this stuff is really how you look at it with your own mind. If that teacher, for example, and we will talk about this in later classes, if that teacher is doing something that feels like it's not... Report an error in the passage at 1:20:06 Highlight the passage at 1:20:06

1:20:35 If it's not working for you and you've already chosen them as a teacher and you're like with them, say, and you know you're traveling or you're studying with them closer or something, then there are still ways that you can decide, okay, this isn't working for me right now. It doesn't mean I don't know that this person could be very well a Buddha. This person could be a bodhisattva. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:35 Highlight the passage at 1:20:35

1:20:58 From my side, I don't know. And so from my side, I'm going, you know, I'm going to sort of remove myself from the situation very respectfully, you know, and then like that. So we'll talk about how to do that if that should arise for you, because there are ways to do, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's very important to know because we're entering this relationship also with ordinary beings. It's a catch-22, and so it's not really a catch-22. There are ways, but it's always with respect, always knowing that you might not have the full picture. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:58 Highlight the passage at 1:20:58

1:21:29 And I just mentioned this other side of you might not have the full picture about somebody else's teacher too. And it may be somebody who you feel like you have the full picture of and you really just don't, unless you are clairvoyant. And even if you're clairvoyant, the Buddha said, until you are like me, until you're fully enlightened. So it's not even like high level bodhisattva. You're never off the hook on that one until you get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:29 Highlight the passage at 1:21:29

1:21:56 And then probably when we get enlightened, we're like, oh yeah, that's what he meant. You know, then we get it, but not until that moment. So I would, at that point, if somebody came to me about their root guru, I would probably either send them to Geshe-la or I'd talk with my teachers and say, you know, what am I going to do? Report an error in the passage at 1:21:56 Highlight the passage at 1:21:56

1:22:13 This is the situation. I don't think I'd handle that one. That one seems too scary to me. Sometimes you don't have that option. You know, what if you're, I don't know, you know, this person's in the situation. I don't know. But if you have that option, I would totally turn to somebody else. Somebody far more wise than me. Because then they can at least see what's the most beneficial thing for this person's mind in this moment, which might allow them enough space to make a better decision later. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:13 Highlight the passage at 1:22:13

1:22:41 Because they literally could be so upset that anything you say could just do the wrong thing. And that's just, oh my God, that sounds so scary. Okay. So how do we become a good student? Let's go back. I just wanted to mention that because when I was going through my notes, I was just like, wow, this brings to mind the times that I have heard people dissing other people's teachers. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:41 Highlight the passage at 1:22:41

1:23:00 And especially now that Buddhism is coming more and more to the West and more, what some people would see as just senior Western students have become teachers for some of us, right? Some of the people who have been around for 20, 30, 40 years now, some of us consider those people gurus. And some of the older students just see them as their friends. And we're in that kind of weird, dangerous territory there where you can really hurt people with their speech. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:00 Highlight the passage at 1:23:00

1:23:35 So does anybody remember the faults of the three vases that we're supposed to avoid when we listen to Dharma teachings? Report an error in the passage at 1:23:35 Highlight the passage at 1:23:35

1:23:46 Three vases. We're supposed to avoid these three faults. Do you remember? Just say one of them. How about saying one? You have to turn and say it into the mic. You can disguise your voice. Any of them, just say any of them. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:46 Highlight the passage at 1:23:46

1:24:05 The vessel with the hole at the bottom, like a cup with a hole at the bottom. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:05 Highlight the passage at 1:24:05

1:24:14 Do you remember one? Courtney, do you remember one? Do you remember? Yep, upside down, upside down. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:14 Highlight the passage at 1:24:14

1:24:30 Okay, so the upside down vessel or vase is if we listen to things with a completely distracted mind. My personal favorites. We're not focused, we're not attentive, we get caught up in our own thoughts. Making a to-do list. That's a good one of mine. Especially when I was the director. And there were times that actually Geshe would be, I would look up for my to-do list and he would be like, looking at me, I was so horrified. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:30 Highlight the passage at 1:24:30

1:24:55 Did it stop me? No, of course not. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:55 Highlight the passage at 1:24:55

1:25:00 Distracted. You were distracted while you were writing a to-do list? Not attentive, not focused. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:00 Highlight the passage at 1:25:00

1:25:14 So you're caught up with your own thoughts, your ideas. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:14 Highlight the passage at 1:25:14

1:25:20 Obviously, if we don't listen to the teachings, it's impossible for us. That's not what makes sense. Dirty vase is if we attend a teaching and our mind is already filled with preconceived ideas, beliefs, notions, arguments. That can't be true because, you know, so we don't even listen to the full presentation of logic. We're just already, you know, be tainted by our own theories. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:20 Highlight the passage at 1:25:20

1:25:50 Maybe it's not even coming from a different religion. We just have a lot of opinions. And then the cracked vase, or the holy vase, is when all the teachings go in just fine, but then they just leak out. And that's so we don't retain anything. We don't remember anything. That's another personal favorite of mine. They say that this one's caused, if we don't actually study and contemplate and especially meditate on the teachings, then they actually can serve in the end to harden our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:50 Highlight the passage at 1:25:50

1:26:21 They won't soften our minds. They won't go in. They won't integrate. We won't become the Dharma, you know. And actually, we even could think that they don't work, which is more dangerous almost than forgetting them, you know. And Geshe-la said the other day, which I thought was interesting, somebody asked this question in one of the classes, and Geshe-la said one of the classes is running from teaching to teaching to teaching and not putting any time into integrating those teachings, which is a real problem in the West. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:21 Highlight the passage at 1:26:21

1:26:52 And then this particular person, he said, am I right? I was like mortified. I was just like, oh God, please don't ask me that question. Is that right? He said. I was like, is that right about you? And the person was great though. He just laughed. And I was like, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:52 Highlight the passage at 1:26:52

1:27:10 I was like, oh my God. And Tenzin Chokyi actually said at another time, she actually said that one of the problems in the West, because of the age of the internet, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:10 Highlight the passage at 1:27:10

1:27:22 We listen to teachings over and because we can record teachings, right? We listen to them over and over. We listen to them in the car. We listen to them while we're walking, which seems great, right? It's amazing. I didn't even go to this one and I can hear it over and over and over again. But if we don't actually take time to contemplate and meditate on it, then all it can do is it actually at some point it shifts and it no longer becomes a fresh teaching. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:22 Highlight the passage at 1:27:22

1:27:45 It's just the words actually become meaningless and actually our heart gets hardened. They say it's like, Those leather bags that the Tibetans keep butter in. After a while, that butter, if the butter gets worked into the leather, the leather becomes soft. If it doesn't, it gets actually very hard, almost like a vase or a vessel. We don't want that to happen to our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:45 Highlight the passage at 1:27:45

1:28:15 We're just purposefully putting it back. Okay, so then they give these, and then we'll take a quick break. Actually, why don't you take a break and we'll just end with this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:15 Highlight the passage at 1:28:15

1:28:26 The six ideas on which the Dharma student should rely. I like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:26 Highlight the passage at 1:28:26

1:28:51 No, he's, yeah, all the blue and white ones are okay. No, it's okay. I Report an error in the passage at 1:28:51 Highlight the passage at 1:28:51

1:29:04 think he probably likes blue. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:04 Highlight the passage at 1:29:04

1:29:08 That wasn't a good sound. It might be single. She's reorganizing the entire kitchen. I think this one is actually Geshe-la. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:08 Highlight the passage at 1:29:08

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:29:19 She's reorganized, she's like throwing out all the stuff that none of them, because now there's really, at this point, in the building right now, it's single Michelle and I on the food plan. If we don't like it, it gets dumped. It's actually the easiest time for us to do this, so it's like, all right, any of you guys eat the Easy Mac? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:19 Highlight the passage at 1:29:19

1:29:36 No. Get rid of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:36 Highlight the passage at 1:29:36

1:29:51 It's so humid. It's like being in the south. Hawaii or Mexico. I know, Florida. Florida, yes. My sister is going to visit the Tibetan place in Florida. What's it called? The name of the... Deer Beach or something like that? I'm sorry, I don't know the name because she couldn't tell me because she's new. She's going to go for the first time. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:51 Highlight the passage at 1:29:51

1:30:20 Is it FPMT, the FPMT Center, do you know? No, I don't. I'm going to tell you later. Yeah, yeah. Stay tuned. She told me about the gesche. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:20 Highlight the passage at 1:30:20

1:30:31 There is a gesche. Gesche, yeah. Some people, I think Jeffrey Hopkins actually spells it gesche with an A-Y, and in some ways that makes more sense. But we actually say Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Geshe. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:31 Highlight the passage at 1:30:31

1:31:03 Geshe. who was talking to her said that he is one of four that have in the United States. There are four about his level. He's one of the, I don't know, I'm going to write it down. Yeah. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:03 Highlight the passage at 1:31:03

1:31:17 I thought if I was totally desperate or choking I would have done it, but since I didn't hit that point, oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:31:17 Highlight the passage at 1:31:17

1:31:45 it's the cookie time. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:45 Highlight the passage at 1:31:45

1:31:52 I know, I told her, I was like, spiritual teacher night is great, we're learning a bunch of stuff, people are stressing out, they can go out immediately and just... Now you can choose this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:52 Highlight the passage at 1:31:52

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:31:49 She knew that we had just inhaled those, so she made, like, Report an error in the passage at 1:31:49 Highlight the passage at 1:31:49

1:32:02 she messed up I spent I know, exactly. She just made them today, too. She, like, came by. I know, Betty's amazing. Especially when you consider that she works full-time as a transplant nurse and hospice in her spare time and, like, cares for all of the flowers and everything out front. And then, on top of that, decides to bake cookies for us. And pistachio. And pistachio nut bread, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:02 Highlight the passage at 1:32:02

1:32:30 I think we may still have a little tiny bit in the kitchen, unless Single tossed it along with... Everything else, I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:30 Highlight the passage at 1:32:30

1:32:44 Tenzin Chokyi. She's Tenzin Chokyi. I'm Lobsang Chokyi. Chokyi. No, it's a little, yeah, it's more like cookie. It's like, oh, oh, almost. Chokyi. Yeah. always had confusion, your and then I will... Report an error in the passage at 1:32:44 Highlight the passage at 1:32:44

1:33:00 It's a little, it's tricky, it's like a French sound more than an American sound, that's what makes it so weird. It's like fleur, it's like that sound in fleur, fleur de l 'oeil, I can't think of another French word. It sounds like Chokyi is coming. It's true. I forgot to put that down in my announcements, but yes. Friday night and Saturday and Sunday this time, so it's a three-day, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:00 Highlight the passage at 1:33:00

1:33:29 But that's next week. So we'll actually have another class. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:29 Highlight the passage at 1:33:29

1:33:36 So that makes it a full. So then we have a class Thursday night, class Friday night. Yeah, she'll be talking about emptiness too. And the thing that's so great is she'll give us ways practically to both become familiar and meditate on it. You know, it never is just out there like some ethereal abstract thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:36 Highlight the passage at 1:33:36

1:34:00 It's always like, what does that really mean, you know? Everybody wants to know that. Yeah, yeah. And it's so practical. I mean, it helps us. That is the only way that we'll ever remove those afflicted thoughts, Report an error in the passage at 1:34:00 Highlight the passage at 1:34:00

1:34:15 understanding emptiness. So it's so important. It stops our own suffering, you know. It stops us from thinking that that cookie is the source of all my happiness, endlessly grasping onto it, running back out there and having three more at 10 o 'clock. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:15 Highlight the passage at 1:34:15

1:35:03 Something about the angle just goes right under, that's good. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:03 Highlight the passage at 1:35:03

1:35:16 I didn't say how many minutes, so that was my fault. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:16 Highlight the passage at 1:35:16

1:35:24 That's right, take that, ding it, right next to there. Are you guys ready? I Report an error in the passage at 1:35:24 Highlight the passage at 1:35:24

1:35:38 have Report an error in the passage at 1:35:38 Highlight the passage at 1:35:38

1:35:46 some good quotes to end the class with. Six ideas on which a Dharma student can rely, and often actually the first three are taught a lot. I thought it was interesting that the last two aren't taught so much, but the first three you hear of a lot. Actually, the first four, I should say. The first four are taught a lot. Seeing your, and you have to wait, because I'm going to actually, I'll explain the first one in its entirety, so don't freak out too much. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:46 Highlight the passage at 1:35:46

1:36:19 Seeing yourself as a sick person. Yeah. Very easy. In other words, recognizing your need for help. Recognizing that you have a certain condition that you're in, terminal dukkha, terminal dissatisfaction, terminal suffering that we've caused. So just recognizing that you need help. But in this case, thinking about yourself as being the sick person. Two, thinking of the teacher as being like a skilled doctor. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:19 Highlight the passage at 1:36:19

1:36:54 Somebody who can recognize your symptoms and who can tell you how to get rid of them. So a doctor in that sense, not somebody who's going to charge you a lot of money. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:54 Highlight the passage at 1:36:54

1:37:06 Somebody who's skilled at what they do and they can help you get rid of your suffering. And thinking of the Dharma as the medicine, so applying them will actually help you get rid of your symptoms or your suffering or your terminal dukkha. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:06 Highlight the passage at 1:37:06

1:37:27 Number four is remembering that you have to actually apply them. This one is... I mean, I think this one actually takes years to get. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:27 Highlight the passage at 1:37:27

1:37:40 You have to actually apply the teachings. You've got to do the work. It's not like you're going to get any sort of mystical cure of just being in the presence of a holy being. I remember one time we were supposed to be chanting a mantra, and Lama Tsongkhapa stopped and said, you have to say it. Because I'm sure some people were just like... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:40 Highlight the passage at 1:37:40

1:38:05 You know, because we do that, right? Westerners do that. We're just kind of like, great, blissing out on the energy or whatever. It's like, you have to actually say it. It's kind of cute, actually. It's true. Number five. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:05 Highlight the passage at 1:38:05

1:38:24 I'm saying the first part is how they have it written in the text, and then I'll explain it. Think that the Tathagatas, or the Buddhas, are excellent beings. This means, actually, that... The Buddhas experienced these teachings and through their kindness passed them on to us. So excellent beings meaning that they have practical experience of these teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:24 Highlight the passage at 1:38:24

1:38:49 Thinking of the Buddhas as excellent. And then number six is wanting these teachings to last a long time. I think these last two don't get taught very much. I think they're kind of interesting. And I would add, do whatever you can to make this happen. You know, whether it means, like, in whatever way it means. There's so many ways at this juncture in our, you know, bringing of Buddhism to the West. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:49 Highlight the passage at 1:38:49

1:39:22 There's so many ways to support the teachings, whether it's as simple as maybe you learn Tibetan, you know, maybe you help with the translation project, maybe you help support, you know, the Dharma teachings or a Dharma center or a Dharma event, something like that. Maybe, you know, there's actually an input project where ancient texts are input into computers so that you can, you know, find things. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:22 Highlight the passage at 1:39:22

1:39:52 Things can be found with the way that a computer can find things rather than the way that those texts are currently out in the bookstore, which are not for sale, by the way. Those are our texts at the center. But when Geshe-la tries to find one of those texts, he has to look at those little flaps, you know, at every single one. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:52 Highlight the passage at 1:39:52

1:40:08 That's pretty much what the state of my library is like too. So there are lots of ways to support the teachings so that they can last a long time. Many, many, many texts actually have been lost, permanently lost, with the destruction of Tibet by China. But fortunately for us, there were so many to begin with. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:08 Highlight the passage at 1:40:08

1:40:30 So we aren't going to get bored. There's still plenty to do. And some of those texts that were thought to be lost are turning up in interesting places. You know, they'll end up going from Tibet to Mongolia and from Mongolia to Russia, for example, and they're found in Russia and things like that. So things, you know, and then like it may be found in some grandpa's library because... Report an error in the passage at 1:40:30 Highlight the passage at 1:40:30

1:40:55 His friend was a great explorer and brought it back to him and he thought it was pretty and stuck it in his library and all of a sudden it's the only one left on the planet. So that's definitely still happening in our lifetime. It is still being found. This stuff is so amazing how it can just be literally wiped out within one generation. So those six ideas. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:55 Highlight the passage at 1:40:55

1:41:17 Think of yourself as the sick person. Think of the teacher as the skilled doctor. Think of the teachings or the dharma as the medicine. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:17 Highlight the passage at 1:41:17

1:41:26 Remembering that you have to take the medicine. Thinking of the Buddhas as excellent beings and Report an error in the passage at 1:41:26 Highlight the passage at 1:41:26

1:41:39 wanting these teachings to last a long time. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:39 Highlight the passage at 1:41:39

1:41:46 So a couple of quotes to end with and then we can take some questions or even discuss. From the Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom, the short Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom, the Buddha said, and so the wise who seek the high state of enlightenment with a fierce wish deep inside should smash all pride within them. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:46 Highlight the passage at 1:41:46

1:42:11 And like a mass of sick men who flock to medicine for a cure, take themselves to a spiritual guide and serve him single-mindedly. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:11 Highlight the passage at 1:42:11

1:42:23 And so the wise who seek the high state of enlightenment with a fierce wish deep inside should smash all pride within them. And like a mass of sick men who flock to medicine for a cure, take themselves to a spiritual guide and serve him single-mindedly. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:23 Highlight the passage at 1:42:23

1:42:44 And the Lamrim Chen Mo, the great Lamrim, quotes the Buddha as saying, sit on a lower seat, display the luster of quiet self-control. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:44 Highlight the passage at 1:42:44

1:42:57 Watch with joyful eyes as if sipping words sweet as nectar. Generate respect and focus your attention. With an enthusiastic and stainless mind, just as a patient attends to their doctor's words, listen to the Dharma with reverence. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:57 Highlight the passage at 1:42:57

1:43:20 Sit on a lower seat. Display the luster of quiet self-control. Watch with joyful eyes. This is telling you how to attend a teaching. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:20 Highlight the passage at 1:43:20

1:43:31 As if sipping words sweet as nectar. I love that. Generate respect and focus your attention. With an enthusiastic and stainless mind, just as a patient attends to their doctor's words, listen to the Dharma with reverence. So if you were dying and you had found the one doctor who was rumored to have the answer to your illness, you'd be paying attention, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:43:31 Highlight the passage at 1:43:31

1:43:59 That's the kind of tension that they're talking about here. And Jason Kapa, who wrote the Lama Rinpoche commented on this and he said, watch with joyful eyes is like a baby when it sees its mother's face. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:59 Highlight the passage at 1:43:59

1:44:16 I know, I love that one. Nectar refers to all that the Dharma will do for you. It can lead you to everlasting freedom from saṃsāra, the end of birth, old age, sickness and death. You should listen without distraction. Your mind should be filled with clear, pure faith. So that's what I was talking about, stainless. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:16 Highlight the passage at 1:44:16

1:44:38 Unclouded by delusion, doubt, worldly attitudes, or selfish motivation. Can we do this like tonight? Probably not, you know, but it's like goals. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:38 Highlight the passage at 1:44:38

1:44:50 Clear, filled with clear, pure faith. First we have to get that, right? Unclouded by delusions. Clearly, if you find that you're angry or upset, do something about it. Like, catch yourself. That's why they bring you this stuff. Doubt. Worldly attitudes, right? You're thinking about what you're going to do tonight. After class. Selfish motivation. If I knew, if I could say that Tibetan title perfectly, then people would, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:50 Highlight the passage at 1:44:50

1:45:17 I mean, the stuff that passes through our minds. It's just sort of like, bring your awareness to what's going on in your mind at a teaching. In short, you should listen the way a patient with a serious illness attends carefully to every word of his doctor and then immediately acts upon the advice he's given. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:17 Highlight the passage at 1:45:17

1:45:34 Yeah, damn straight, right? If you were in the office of the doctor who could save your very life and you had been told you've got two weeks to live, four weeks to live, a year to live. That night, you're going to start that medicine, right? You're not going to forget and watch TV or something. It's not like that. So we have to think that that's what they mean by this use of the word doctor. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:34 Highlight the passage at 1:45:34

1:45:55 I don't think Tibetans went to doctors as much as we do. And now here we get to the punchline of tonight's class. Is it better to have a lot of teachers or just a few? Report an error in the passage at 1:45:55 Highlight the passage at 1:45:55

1:46:07 Jason Kapa said, in these times, as long as our minds are untrained, i.e. we don't know how to treat a teacher, We haven't practiced it. And we still see their faults and we still lose faith. It's better to have fewer teachers. So as long as our minds are untrained, i.e. we don't know how to treat a teacher and we haven't practiced it, and we still see faults, and we still lose faith, if all those things can be said to be true about you, probably best to keep it minimum. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:07 Highlight the passage at 1:46:07

1:46:44 Geshe-la added to this, If you Report an error in the passage at 1:46:44 Highlight the passage at 1:46:44

1:47:02 know how to serve a Lama well, meaning that you'll practice his instructions, then it's our duty to have as many Lamas as possible. If not, it's better to have just one. if you Report an error in the passage at 1:47:02 Highlight the passage at 1:47:02

1:47:16 If you know how to serve a Lama well, meaning you'll practice his instructions, then it's our duty. Why does he say our duty? Report an error in the passage at 1:47:16 Highlight the passage at 1:47:16

1:47:29 And if we want to get enlightened, why? To help. To have the perfect means to help every being perfectly according to their needs. Then it's our duty to have as many teachers that we can. That's why Atisha had like 162, right? Because he could do it. He knew how to do it. For the rest of us, it's better to have just one. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:29 Highlight the passage at 1:47:29

1:47:51 And then just pour yourself into that relationship. And then as you go, you might add others, but not until you're ready. I didn't. I took on tons at first. So another reason why I like to teach this class. Do as I say. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:51 Highlight the passage at 1:47:51

1:48:11 But I stopped. I'll be the one person who's not getting into the car and rushing off to the latest empowerment. I'm like, great, you guys are perfect. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:11 Highlight the passage at 1:48:11

1:48:26 And I think that the point of Guru Devotion, this idea of Guru Devotion, really learning how to devote and to serve ourselves, serve a Lama, devote ourselves to a Lama, it's like a way that ultimately we're actually going to have that for all beings. First we start with just this one holy being and we learn how to see that being and how to take care of them and how to... Report an error in the passage at 1:48:26 Highlight the passage at 1:48:26

1:48:54 Listen to them and all that, but ultimately we'll actually be able to see all of our teachers in that same way and we'll be able to see all of each other in that same way, right? Not getting angry, watching how our critical mind arises and knowing that it comes from us, realizing that the faults that we see are coming from us and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:54 Highlight the passage at 1:48:54

1:49:15 Practicing with that one holy being is the way we start and then we get better at it and then it sort of spreads out. Tantra is like that too. We start first with ourselves. Trying to see ourselves as a holy being, which is actually harder than it sounds. Lama Tsongkhapa said, there is a single key for finding a perfect start to reach your every wish, both happiness in the short run and ultimately. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:15 Highlight the passage at 1:49:15

1:49:43 And the highest words ever spoken, speak it always the same. It is your Lama. And so you must devote yourself to meditation upon him, upon the essence of all the three different kinds of refuge. Ask him for all your goals. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:43 Highlight the passage at 1:49:43

1:50:05 Does anybody have any questions about anything? Report an error in the passage at 1:50:05 Highlight the passage at 1:50:05

1:50:12 I have two questions. First, a Lama is considered an enlightenment person. Lama, simply put, means... It's the Tibetan version of guru. Okay. It can mean different things in different traditions. In our tradition, usually we don't use it. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:12 Highlight the passage at 1:50:12

1:50:37 I should back up. Usually in our tradition, a Lama or a guru is talking about somebody who's a high-quality spiritual teacher. Somebody who, when you say fully qualified, for example, meaning they have those ten qualities that we talked about last week. Very, very high. A person is called a Lama or a Guru. However, in the Enigma tradition and some other traditions, maybe the Kagyu as well, if somebody's done a three-year retreat, they are called a Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:37 Highlight the passage at 1:50:37

1:51:07 So you should be careful. Don't just assume. I think it was... Pabanka Rinpoche said, not just anyone who calls himself Lama. So just be careful that that term is used in different ways in different traditions. And even within our own tradition, I've started hearing it used if somebody's done a three-year retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:07 Highlight the passage at 1:51:07

1:51:28 Or if somebody's simply a teacher of a certain level and his teacher or her teacher might give them that title. So just find out. If you hear somebody called a Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:28 Highlight the passage at 1:51:28

1:51:42 We got an email today about a certain conference and I was trying to look up one of the Lamas that was associated with it. I was like, who are his teachers? I couldn't find his teachers. I was looking on the website, his website, his organization's website. I was trying to find a Wikipedia thing. Who is this guy's teachers? And he could be a perfectly fine Lama. But I want to know who his teachers are. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:42 Highlight the passage at 1:51:42

1:52:03 I want to know what tradition he's coming from and where he's, just some background on him. And I think all of us. It doesn't mean not to like this person. I'm just simply trying to find out who the heck he is, you know, before I'm going to decide if we should go to a conference or something. You know, it's just like, who is this person? Report an error in the passage at 1:52:03 Highlight the passage at 1:52:03

1:52:18 So we should all get in the habit of kind of figuring that out. Check up exactly what Lama is, she says. Okay. My second question is, a Lama was born with that level or became? So Lama and Guru are bestowed titles. They are bestowed upon the person. Bestowed meaning sort of granted or given to them by someone else. In this life. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:18 Highlight the passage at 1:52:18

1:52:48 In this life, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:48 Highlight the passage at 1:52:48

1:52:53 Rinpoche means that they are a high being that has taken birth voluntarily to help others. Usually Bodhisattva, at least, if not Buddha. They're already high level. If that name Rinpoche is attached to their name, it usually means... They are a recognized, I should say, they are a recognized high being of a certain level, high level bodhisattva at least, or Buddha even, who has voluntarily come back into saṃsāra to help us, teach us, manifest a certain type of existence for us to generate faith. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:53 Highlight the passage at 1:52:53

1:53:34 So some people have them all, right? Geshe Sopa is a good example. Geshe Sopa is Geshe Sopa Rinpoche and he's awesome. So a guru, because she's Sokpa, not Lama. So some of them are all of them. It's like that list of gurus. Some of them are all of them and some of them are one of them and some of them have various, you know. But Lama usually is something that is, I mean, sometimes that's the thing too. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:34 Highlight the passage at 1:53:34

1:54:03 I think in Tibet and in the other Tibetan cultures, you know, like Sherpa culture and Lahore and Ladakh and those sort of border areas, you would have a village Lama. Who started calling that person a Lama? That I don't know. I think probably their teacher or maybe the head of the monastery or something. But it could have been like the community, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:03 Highlight the passage at 1:54:03

1:54:30 You know, in the old days I don't think, it's not like anybody went to seminary in Christianity either. Somebody just started calling that person a preacher. It's kind of probably the same. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:30 Highlight the passage at 1:54:30

1:54:40 But nowadays it's more something is bestowed upon you, almost like an honorific, like an honorable name, Lama and Guru. For us, so we might call somebody because that's their title, but for us in our relationship with them and deciding that they're our guru or our Lama, that's a different process. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:40 Highlight the passage at 1:54:40

1:55:02 So, for example, Lama Zopa Rinpoche is a really good example. It's almost like his name at this point, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, I think probably since he was quite young. He was recognized when he was, I think, two or three, pretty young, as the reincarnation of a Lama. So they started calling him a Lama even as a little kid. Is he your Lama? Who knows? That's a different, but that's his title now, so it would be odd. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:02 Highlight the passage at 1:55:02

1:55:32 I do hear some people who will call him Zopa Rinpoche because they don't have that relationship with him. Geshe-la, for example, will call him Zopa Rinpoche. He's sort of, Geshe-la, he's sort of his boss in a way. You know, he asks Geshe-la to come and teach here. And so Geshe-la has done that. Geshe-la has a lot of sincere respect for him, but I don't think he considers him as a teacher. So for Geshe-la, he calls him Zopa Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:32 Highlight the passage at 1:55:32

1:55:58 He doesn't call him Lama Zopa Rinpoche. So yeah, it's interesting like that. Yeah, yeah. It always is, it startles me to hear that. Because it's almost like it's his name to me now. Yeah, and then there's this teacher here, Geshe-lama Kanchuk, who's seeking his reincarnation now. In his case, I actually think Lama was a name. It was just a name. So Geshe Lama Kuncho, he has both names, but I think in his case it actually, the Geshe was earned, but the Lama I think was just part of his name. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:58 Highlight the passage at 1:55:58

1:56:33 And actually that sometimes happened in Nepal where anyone Tibetan was called Lama. Like Tenzin Lama, who used to be Geshe-less translator. That became his legal name, but it really is just because he was Tibetan. It's almost like a racist thing in Nepal. It's like, oh, you're Tibetan, your name's Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:33 Highlight the passage at 1:56:33

1:56:51 And he kept it. And he even still goes by it. That's his legal name in America. So it's like, you know, it's kind of odd. I feel kind of bad still. So now I'm trying to train myself to just call Tenzin because it's kind of a thing. It's not even his name. Big question. And it's confusing because all these titles we're not familiar with. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:51 Highlight the passage at 1:56:51

1:57:13 Have you had a chance to read Alex Berzin, the downloadable? Yeah, if you get a chance to read that, he does go into the terms and what they all mean and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:13 Highlight the passage at 1:57:13

1:57:28 Anybody else? Any other questions? Report an error in the passage at 1:57:28 Highlight the passage at 1:57:28

1:57:33 What kind of vessel for you being just now? Miss Royston? Report an error in the passage at 1:57:33 Highlight the passage at 1:57:33

1:57:43 I love calling on you because you have the greatest expressions. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:43 Highlight the passage at 1:57:43

1:57:51 I know, I know, there's a lot of rules on there. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:51 Highlight the passage at 1:57:51

1:58:02 Say what? Report an error in the passage at 1:58:02 Highlight the passage at 1:58:02

1:58:06 Oh, like what do you do first? Come to a class. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:06 Highlight the passage at 1:58:06

1:58:13 Honestly, come to a class, ask a lot of questions, come to the drop-in staff. And then if you're moved to take refuge, that's the first one, that's considered the gateway, then talk to somebody. I didn't do that either. I have to make sure that happens. I did talk to my friend, who shall remain nameless, who told me that anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:13 Highlight the passage at 1:58:13

1:58:38 So ask a lot of questions. Find out what's involved and what your relationship with the Lama will be once you take refuge. And then take refuge. Really exciting and definitely very pivotal on your path. Then as you are able, then it's good to take. You've got this, didn't you? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:38 Highlight the passage at 1:58:38

1:58:57 Some of the lay vows, at least. And usually, most lamas now allow you to take just the ones you can, like not killing. Maybe try that for a year. Find out what that means in its entirety. Discuss it with somebody so you know it's breaking the root. Breaking the vow of the root is actually killing a human, so it's kind of difficult to break. But it still gives you that feeling of getting used to it. So you sort of build. They build on each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:57 Highlight the passage at 1:58:57

1:59:26 And then after you've taken the lay vows for a while, and actually before any of that, it might be taking the 24-hour vows. And actually, that's even better to do after taking refuge, but we do offer them widely, and it's fine. And if you didn't take it thinking of that person as your guru, then that person's really probably not your guru, because you didn't know that at the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:26 Highlight the passage at 1:59:26

1:59:50 Easy out. It's up to you. If you would rather like... Now that you know, if you want to strengthen that foundation with that particular teacher, that's fine too. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:50 Highlight the passage at 1:59:50

2:00:07 Yeah, so then usually the next one is kind of a huge leap. Unless you become an ordained person, that's in the same set of vows as the lay vows. It's called the Pratimoksha vows. Then the next set of vows is the bodhisattva vows, and you can study those before you take them and learn them inside out. That's what I did, and that time I actually did it right. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:07 Highlight the passage at 2:00:07

2:00:32 Study them, know what they are, and then take them totally open-minded, with your eyes wide open, as I say, so you know what you're doing. And then work with them. With all of these, sort of work with it bit by bit. Work with refuge, work with your lay vows, work with the bodhisattva vows for a while. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:32 Highlight the passage at 2:00:32

2:00:49 Then when you feel ready and your bodhicitta feels strong enough, meaning you're doing this for all sentient beings and you don't want to waste another moment, that's when you enter Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:49 Highlight the passage at 2:00:49

2:01:01 And usually actually even with Tantra they say enter the lower levels and then work your way up. It's all the way along. It's kind of like you're building this foundation. A lot of Westerners go... Report an error in the passage at 2:01:01 Highlight the passage at 2:01:01

2:01:13 I did. It all worked out fine. And actually they say for some of us we enter tantra early and then we learn the lamrim through tantra. That's exactly what happened for me. It's not entirely true. I actually had a few years of lamrim before and I thought I had a good foundation. But I think in retrospect I probably would have waited too. Didn't have that karma. But you asked, so I'm telling you. It usually goes like that, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:13 Highlight the passage at 2:01:13

2:01:43 Yeah. That's good to know. Because, of course, also with tantric vows, which are really difficult to keep, and that's why we purify them every day, it's really good to have a good, strong, ethical foundation before you even begin to enter tantra. And, of course, bodhicitta should be your whole motivating factor. You shouldn't be getting entered for any other reason. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:43 Highlight the passage at 2:01:43

2:02:10 Any other questions? Report an error in the passage at 2:02:10 Highlight the passage at 2:02:10

2:02:14 So next week, we have class. And then next weekend, Tenzin Chokyi is back again and she is teaching on the Heart Sūtra, which is really about emptiness. It's a big time commitment because it's a Friday night, all day Saturday, most of the day Sunday. It's so worth it. It's totally worth it. You will not regret it. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:14 Highlight the passage at 2:02:14

2:02:40 I asked Gina and Maria to give me quotes and they both sent back. Actually, Gina sent me a whole list of possibilities that I could combine or use as I wish to send out in the EU bulletin tomorrow. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:40 Highlight the passage at 2:02:40

2:02:54 So very, very great, accessible, also very funny, warm teacher. Also happens to be my oldest friend. So she's coming next weekend. Um... Report an error in the passage at 2:02:54 Highlight the passage at 2:02:54

2:03:10 The following week, so the next week we have class, the following week we'll have a film from the Thursday night class and I won't be here. The Thursday before Halloween, the 29th. Yeah, so that's Words of My Perfect Teacher. It's a great, great movie. Keep all your questions and bring them the following week and we'll discuss them. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:10 Highlight the passage at 2:03:10

2:03:27 guess Report an error in the passage at 2:03:27 Highlight the passage at 2:03:27

2:03:40 Alright, so let's dedicate. I didn't put out the gold prayer book, so we won't do that, but next time we'll actually do some long life prayers for His Holiness and for Lama Zopa and for Geshe-la. But this time we'll just dedicate any positive energy, any good karma that we created, any merit we created tonight to... Report an error in the passage at 2:03:40 Highlight the passage at 2:03:40

2:04:04 each of us in this room being able to find the teachers that will help us, all the teachers that will help us, and especially that one special teacher that will help us discover our own wisdom, our own compassion, grow them leaps and bounds, and our own bravery to take on this path. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:04 Highlight the passage at 2:04:04

2:04:25 I'll take it all the way to enlightenment so that we can perfectly benefit all of it in peace. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:25 Highlight the passage at 2:04:25

2:04:37 Oh, Report an error in the passage at 2:04:37 Highlight the passage at 2:04:37

2:04:47 homework. I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:47 Highlight the passage at 2:04:47

2:04:53 Oh, yeah, it's all the different student things. So if you missed them, like what are disciples, all those lists of three and five, you have them now. I'm writing you. You can contemplate them. Woo-hoo. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:53 Highlight the passage at 2:04:53

2:05:09 Marcela, what's your friend's name again? Oh, you did? Okay, good, good, good. Check you out. You're very good. So next week, you and I are doing a puja right before. Okay. you very much. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:09 Highlight the passage at 2:05:09

2:05:22 Oh, that's something else. Is it okay if I announce that? We're doing a puja next week for a friend, Isabel Berman, who passed away on the 18th, right? Is that correct? Yeah, on the 18th. Friend of Marcella's. And so we're going to do a Medicine Buddha puja for class if anybody wants to come. It takes about an hour. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:22 Highlight the passage at 2:05:22

2:05:44 We're going to set up. What do we decide? We're going to meet at 4.30. Around 4, 4.30, set up, and then do the puja at like 5. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:44 Highlight the passage at 2:05:44

2:05:55 We'll see how it all goes. So we'll do it and then there'll be a little half hour before class. So if people want to come and learn it, Report an error in the passage at 2:05:55 Highlight the passage at 2:05:55

2:06:05 yes, invite as many people as you want. Learn it. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:05 Highlight the passage at 2:06:05