Discovering Buddhism - The Spiritual Teacher (5 November 2009)

· · · silence, 6 minutes

6:02 lovely to see you. have you been? Report an error in the passage at 6:02 Highlight the passage at 6:02

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7:11 It's okay. Report an error in the passage at 7:11 Highlight the passage at 7:11

7:17 So it feels like we haven't met as a class for a long time, but I think it's just because the last class I was gone and you guys watched a movie, right? And then the time before that, there wasn't hardly anybody here, so we watched a movie. Report an error in the passage at 7:17 Highlight the passage at 7:17

7:31 So we haven't had like a regular class class for three weeks, I guess. And this is our last true class, and then next week is a special program, Geshitashi, teaching on the spiritual teacher, but it's not really part of our class. But I would like to be able to, if there are people in the class that are coming, I'd like to save you places up front, because I feel like it's... Report an error in the passage at 7:31 Highlight the passage at 7:31

8:01 Kind of why I invited him. So you guys can have special seating, but you have to let me know if you're coming and register tonight. So we'll talk about that later. So we'll start with an opening meditation and then open it up. And I have some other things to talk about, our retreat day and so forth. Trip to Lama Zopa's house. Report an error in the passage at 8:01 Highlight the passage at 8:01

8:31 So just finding your posture. And maybe starting with some transitional deep breathing, like, you know, imagining each breath sort of working its way through your body and mind and just either cleansing away any distractions or sluggishness it might find there, or actually you could imagine it dissolving them, almost like some sort of solvent or chemical that just dissolves everything in its path. Report an error in the passage at 8:31 Highlight the passage at 8:31

9:03 So just take it, and then you breathe it out. Or you can also breathe in white light and breathe out smoke, black smoke, filled with everything you don't need tonight, like a distracted mind. And Report an error in the passage at 9:03 Highlight the passage at 9:03

9:41 then just try to fix your attention on your breath and do a few rounds of ten, trying to keep your full focus on that object. Report an error in the passage at 9:41 Highlight the passage at 9:41

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11:46 As your mind settles down, starting to think about your motivation for being here tonight, of Report an error in the passage at 11:46 Highlight the passage at 11:46

11:57 course. Report an error in the passage at 11:57 Highlight the passage at 11:57

12:04 What makes something truly a dharmic activity is when we sort of increase our motivation to include benefiting others. May Report an error in the passage at 12:04 Highlight the passage at 12:04

12:18 whatever we gain from tonight's class or the remaining class after this next week, may Report an error in the passage at 12:18 Highlight the passage at 12:18

12:30 we be able to put it into practice or may it create seeds or imprints in our mind that then ripen. As the direct cause for each of us finding perfect spiritual teachers. The ones who will guide us all the way to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 12:30 Highlight the passage at 12:30

12:50 The ones who will love us more than we love ourselves. The Report an error in the passage at 12:50 Highlight the passage at 12:50

12:58 ones who will show us our mind and transform our mind so that we can truly benefit others. Report an error in the passage at 12:58 Highlight the passage at 12:58

13:21 If you're ready, you can end that meditation and start Report an error in the passage at 13:21 Highlight the passage at 13:21

13:28 with opening prayer. Report an error in the passage at 13:28 Highlight the passage at 13:28

13:42 Since I didn't put out... I mean, I didn't say to put out the gold book. We won't do an additional prayer, but we'll do it for the final class. No, it's all right. She hears everything. Report an error in the passage at 13:42 Highlight the passage at 13:42

14:01 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 14:01 Highlight the passage at 14:01

14:08 so we'll go to page 8, generating the mind of enlightenment. 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. So, Report an error in the passage at 14:08 Highlight the passage at 14:08

14:34 um... for the benefit of all sentient beings as long as space remains as long as sentient beings remain until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world Report an error in the passage at 14:34 Highlight the passage at 14:34

14:54 I wanted to start with mentioning, well, see if anybody had any things they wanted to talk about with words on My Perfect Teacher when people watch that. I also wanted to just do a couple of announcements. In addition to next week's class, I forgot to say that then we will have a final ending class on the 19th. Report an error in the passage at 14:54 Highlight the passage at 14:54

15:19 Mostly that class on the 19th. We will have a little bit of teaching time, but we're going to just spend the bulk of that class watching that film Mystic Tibet, which is about a pilgrimage that my teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, led in Tibet. And dang, have I missed it. It's a great film, too, and I've watched it a few times. Report an error in the passage at 15:19 Highlight the passage at 15:19

15:42 I watch it when I'm kind of feeling down or I kind of need a little hit. He's a completely different type of teacher than Tsongkhapa Rinpoche, but similar in the fact that not always entirely clear what the lesson is, so you just have to figure it out. It's a lifetime lesson. And then... In between next week's program and the final week's class, we actually are having the practice day early, so it's kind of a crazy couple of weeks. Report an error in the passage at 15:42 Highlight the passage at 15:42

16:20 Next week, Thursday, will be Geshitashi's talk on the guru. And then that Saturday, which is a week from Saturday, the 14th, is our retreat day, which is unusual. Then we have a final class after the retreat day to talk about the retreat day. Report an error in the passage at 16:20 Highlight the passage at 16:20

16:40 And then we have a trip to Lama Zopa Rinpoche's house. And I wanted to just ask again, John, I need to contact John. I think he's one person that got left off of that group email. And I need to find his email address. But anyway, it should be with his registration form, so I'll just have to go to that source. Report an error in the passage at 16:40 Highlight the passage at 16:40

17:03 But anyway, I think at this point we are at about five. five of us, and I can't remember if that included me or didn't. If it includes me, then we can all fit in one car, which I think would be preferable. If it doesn't, then I think we'll go to two cars and we'll just do three in each. Report an error in the passage at 17:03 Highlight the passage at 17:03

17:20 So that's on the 21st. I also just sent out an email this afternoon just to recheck that that date still works for them. That was a date that they had given to me as a possibility, so I just want to verify that that's still okay. So stay tuned. I know who you are, those of you who said that you could do it. Report an error in the passage at 17:20 Highlight the passage at 17:20

17:38 And almost everybody has offered their cars, so I don't know whose car we'll take, but it will be someone's car in that group. Probably not yours because it is so big. Report an error in the passage at 17:38 Highlight the passage at 17:38

17:51 Because there's also the space down there. I mean, they have space for cars, but it's just basically a really large house. It's not like anything other than that. So anyway, I'll probably just communicate with you guys by email. Regarding the practice day on the 14th, Who here knows now that they are coming to that practice day on the 14th? Usually like 10.30 to probably 10.30 to 3.30 or 4. Report an error in the passage at 17:51 Highlight the passage at 17:51

18:23 You know that you're not coming, okay. Report an error in the passage at 18:23 Highlight the passage at 18:23

18:29 Okay, but the rest, hands again. Yeah, oh, very good. You're going to make it? Cool, that's cool. All right, so let's, then the other thing is that it's potluck. Now all the hands go down. See, I got you. So just think about bringing something that's kind of real. And if somebody knows that they can't make anything and they just have to stop and get bread on the way over, just to everyone else to think, bring something real so that it always seems to work out. Report an error in the passage at 18:29 Highlight the passage at 18:29

19:01 We always tend to, we always seem to have fine food without somebody trying to coordinate. You do salad and you do vegetables and stuff like that. The one thing I do ask is that it is vegetarian. It needs to be vegetarian if we offer it to the public here, but otherwise, go for it. I personally can't eat wheat, but don't worry about that. It gets too weird with the special diets. Report an error in the passage at 19:01 Highlight the passage at 19:01

19:28 But anyway, just think about what you're going to bring. You could let me know, I guess, if you want. If you want to let me know what you're going to bring in advance, that'd be great. Otherwise, in that way, if I do, I can head it off the pass if I do see two of you bringing the exact same thing, but I can't imagine. Report an error in the passage at 19:28 Highlight the passage at 19:28

19:46 Soups are nice. Salads are nice. Vegetable dishes are nice. You know, grains are nice. Anything like that, you know, because then you can always make something out of anything. Report an error in the passage at 19:46 Highlight the passage at 19:46

19:57 Cookies are also nice. People always appreciate. Yeah, so Tiva, I was just saying that our... Next week, the class that Geshitashi is visiting from London is teaching is not really part of our class, but definitely clearly in the same title. I mean, it's connected, and that was really why I came up with that, asking him what he wanted. It fits the end of our class, but it also fits the beginning of his lamrim week, 10 days down at Vajrapani, because that's the beginning of the path. Report an error in the passage at 19:57 Highlight the passage at 19:57

20:32 So it's kind of like the end of our... It just kind of perfectly segued. So that's happening next week, but then we have one more class after that. And then on the 14th we have the retreat day, which is a Saturday, which I don't know if you can do. You usually have work and stuff, but you're welcome to come if you'd like. Report an error in the passage at 20:32 Highlight the passage at 20:32

20:54 And it's a potluck. Oh, I was going to hand out the list of presentation topics. On the practice day, the way that we... Do it is I mean, this is the way that I've sort of arrived at after a few years of these. I am in the morning. I just sort of guide you guys through various meditations or contemplations on the things that we've already talked about. Report an error in the passage at 20:54 Highlight the passage at 20:54

21:23 We're also going to have we're combining it with the refuge class. So some of you were in the refuge class and we didn't have a retreat day. So we're going to have a couple of meditations from that, which will. Wake you up because you won't recognize them. But it'll make you think about refuge, which is not a bad thing. Report an error in the passage at 21:23 Highlight the passage at 21:23

21:44 And I think the two are actually very nicely connected in terms of the level of maturity of the student in the classes. So we're going to sort of combine this a little bit. Then we break and discuss a little bit if anybody has any. Things that came up for them in those meditations. And then we have lunch together. And then after lunch we watch, I guess we won't watch the Refuge DB video because we did that right before the end of class. Report an error in the passage at 21:44 Highlight the passage at 21:44

22:14 But we will watch the DB video on the teacher. So there's just a little half an hour video, which they're very nice. They put together videos. And then I open it up. And then you guys each, those who want to, I don't force you, but it's really nice for everyone to do a little something of different topics. Report an error in the passage at 22:14 Highlight the passage at 22:14

22:35 So I'm just going to hand out a list and I think on the break I'll just run up and run it off because it's not that difficult a list. Just different topics that have come out of the class that might give you an idea of what to talk about. You also might choose another one, but just tell me just so I make sure that it's somewhat related. Report an error in the passage at 22:35 Highlight the passage at 22:35

22:53 Believe me, that has happened. So just something that works for your mind. It could be one of those many, many lists. And you're kind of presenting it in a way like, I don't know anything. Like none of us know anything. So just like that. So you're explaining it to a group of your friends, pretend, and they don't know anything. Or you could choose one of the meditations and lead it, which I always think is really nice. Report an error in the passage at 22:53 Highlight the passage at 22:53

23:20 I don't think we can ever have too much meditation time. Just something that jumped out at you, something that maybe clicked with your mind about the spiritual teacher. This particular topic. And don't get freaked out. It's not like you have to stand up and stand at a podium. I mean, I don't even stand up and stand at a podium. You don't have to do PowerPoint. Report an error in the passage at 23:20 Highlight the passage at 23:20

23:46 You don't have to wear a suit. We're just going to sit in a circle. And I mean, some people just honestly, they just do this, you know, and they just read their notes the whole time. And then it's like, does anyone have any questions? They're like... Report an error in the passage at 23:46 Highlight the passage at 23:46

24:02 Most of the time people just have fun with it and people get nervous but not really. It's kind of like some people go over the top. Karen, she's definitely, she always would make like a big glitter poster or sasas to hand out and then there's nothing you could do. She would go first and then all the other students would be like, you know. Most people don't do that. Most people just like read their notes or something that they wrote the night before. Report an error in the passage at 24:02 Highlight the passage at 24:02

24:34 And then there's always one who just blows everyone away and we're like, wow. Just have fun with it. I mean, it really is basically a way to kind of close the class. That's really what it's about. It's just like, you know, looking through. If you've taken notes, even if you haven't taken notes, I've given you notes, right? Report an error in the passage at 24:34 Highlight the passage at 24:34

24:51 So you have something to work with. Some of your homeworks are something that you can pull together to be five, ten minutes. It doesn't have to be long at all. And then we just dedicate, and that's the end. So it kind of goes like that. So it sort of depends on how many people come and how many people do it. That sort of is why I'm not exactly sure. But we should end by 3.30. Report an error in the passage at 24:51 Highlight the passage at 24:51

25:15 I mean, that's usually pretty much it. Unless we get a really long winded. Then we'll all be like... So I'll run up and do that. Report an error in the passage at 25:15 Highlight the passage at 25:15

25:29 And then the next Discovering Buddhism class actually doesn't start until after the holidays. It starts in... No matter what we came up with configuration-wise, it just didn't seem like it was going to fit a whole class. So we decided just to put it off because the next one also is establishing a daily practice and it seems perfect for those January resolutions. Report an error in the passage at 25:29 Highlight the passage at 25:29

25:55 So starting a daily practice during the holidays, no matter what you practice, just seemed kind of ridiculous. But we are starting. By the way, we are starting a film series, not next week, but the week after on Wednesday nights, and you guys are welcome to come. We're just going to hang out, eat popcorn, watch movies and think about if they have anything at all to do with the Dharma or not. So I like that. Report an error in the passage at 25:55 Highlight the passage at 25:55

26:21 Okay, so that's enough of me. Does anyone have any questions about the homework, which a lot of you left last time that I was here, so I'm not sure if anybody... Actually did that one, contemplating the ten qualities of a qualified spiritual teacher. Or the movie, Where's My Perfect Teacher? Report an error in the passage at 26:21 Highlight the passage at 26:21

26:45 Marcelo, could you grab the mic? Christine. Report an error in the passage at 26:45 Highlight the passage at 26:45

27:00 It's group effort. It's sort of more of a general question. It's not really for the homework. But having a hard time with the concept of guru devotion seems to go against the principle of equanimity. Where you hold everybody equally. But then part of the reading says that really the ultimate goal is to see everybody that way. So can you talk more about that? Report an error in the passage at 27:00 Highlight the passage at 27:00

27:22 Because that fits in my mind better. If I think that's the ultimate goal. I think this word devotion. Well, I mean, devotion is like a softening of the heart. And we actually, ultimately, we will have that for everyone. I mean, it's sort of like we try to have this sort of softening of the heart, caring, tenderness when we do, for example, the bodhicitta meditations and when we visualize all beings as our child or all beings as our mother. Report an error in the passage at 27:22 Highlight the passage at 27:22

27:57 Then we're trying to soften our heart towards all beings. The reason that we have, we develop a devotion for the guru is so that basically we'll follow his advice. I mean, it's really, that's, that devotion is helpful because the more that we feel that sort of gratitude towards the guru, the more likely we are to follow the advice that will get us enlightened, which means that then we can get everybody else enlightened too. Report an error in the passage at 27:57 Highlight the passage at 27:57

28:27 So there's sort of an underlying motive for it. When we develop the motivation to care for all other sentient beings with that kind of deep loving kindness or affection, the ultimate goal is to feel this gratitude and to work for their benefit, you know, so that we can get enlightened for their benefit. Report an error in the passage at 28:27 Highlight the passage at 28:27

28:52 So ultimately it almost has the same goal, you know, to develop this devotion. But with the guru, it's really getting at that. He or she is the one who's going to help us get there. They're really bridging with our own wisdom, right? They're actually showing us our own guru, our own wisdom, our own yeshe. Report an error in the passage at 28:52 Highlight the passage at 28:52

29:14 But ultimately at first we really need somebody externally to inspire us and to kick us in the butt and to push our buttons and all those things that gurus do. Report an error in the passage at 29:14 Highlight the passage at 29:14

29:29 And the devotion keeps us from just walking out, which of course we might want to a few thousand times a day, or might keep us from just ignoring their advice or dissing them or criticizing them or all those other things that arise. So actually devotion, there's a logical purpose for it. It's not just to just... Report an error in the passage at 29:29 Highlight the passage at 29:29

29:54 You know, whole hog follow whatever they say without thinking about it. It's to actually sort of grease the wheels a little bit so that they can turn more easily. You know, it's like if we have that softness, that tenderness in our hearts towards them, then it's sort of like if we really love our mother and then she yells at us, it's easier to take than if we don't love her. Report an error in the passage at 29:54 Highlight the passage at 29:54

30:19 If we don't feel devoted to her and then she's like really, you know, stern with us, then we'll just be like, ah, she's mean, forget it, you know. But if we really have some sort of caring and devotion to her, then we're like, well, maybe she's doing this because there's some reason, you know. We won't just write off what she says, you know. So really that devotion has a purpose. I think in the West, degree devotion gets a little bit, you know. Report an error in the passage at 30:19 Highlight the passage at 30:19

30:44 Maybe rightfully so, people are very wary about it because I think there have been gurus, especially in America, especially in California, that have abused it. But that's the purpose of that devotion, is to allow us to, after we've taken the time to find, which is why nine-tenths of this course is before you even get there, after we've taken the time to find somebody who's a qualified spiritual master, How then do they help us to become one too? How do they get us enlightened if not by showing us the stuff and having us do it? Report an error in the passage at 30:44 Highlight the passage at 30:44

31:25 So if we don't have any strong respect and if we are not inspired by them and if we aren't, I mean that term devotion, it really, there isn't a way, I don't think there's a way to do it with it. There's a lot of traditions that say that there is no devotion. Tibetan Buddhism is the one that really pushes the devotion. Report an error in the passage at 31:25 Highlight the passage at 31:25

31:48 From my personal experience, I feel like this is where I'm speaking from. That's what keeps me in the game. If I wasn't so devoted to Rinpoche, I think there have been many times I would have walked. I wouldn't trust his wisdom as much. It kind of gets me closer to his wisdom. The harder lessons than I would have if I didn't feel a devotion. So I don't know, that's a lot of blathering, but that's kind of where I'm coming from, because I don't really know why this tradition more than any other really stresses the importance of the guru. Report an error in the passage at 31:48 Highlight the passage at 31:48

32:30 It's in all Buddhism, but it's definitely within. Report an error in the passage at 32:30 Highlight the passage at 32:30

32:36 And I think even more so in tantric, the tantric teachings, you know, the importance of the master and the importance of devotion to the master. But this has been my experience is that devotion kind of helps it all work. Whereas if I didn't and it was simple respect or awe or I don't know, I wouldn't be able to go that extra mile. Report an error in the passage at 32:36 Highlight the passage at 32:36

32:58 And sometimes I have to go that extra mile. And I have a feeling I'm going to have to go a few extra miles before the deed is done. So that's kind of where I think it comes from. But, you know, ask anybody else and you're going to get a different answer, I think. Thank you. Yeah. I think it's really related to bodhicitta, though. Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:18 It's somehow related. I think bodhicitta is the fuel for your general practice. And I think guru devotion is the fuel for... For this particular aspect of your practice, you know, it's like they're both fuels, you know, and they both are deep and they're both the softening of the heart, you know, so I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 33:18 Highlight the passage at 33:18

33:39 Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. So is the ultimate goal not actually to feel the same way for all sentient beings, to respect them and be devoted to them the same way? Report an error in the passage at 33:39 Highlight the passage at 33:39

33:51 Probably not be devoted, yeah. Probably, I think it's to care. Is to have that tenderness for all beings. So, I mean, you can see it differently, like with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and even with Lama Zopa, but since His Holiness is a little more public, you see that genuine caring. Like, he'll just stop everything for whoever is in front of him. You know, the cab driver, guy cleaning the hall. Report an error in the passage at 33:51 Highlight the passage at 33:51

34:19 You know, Professor Thurman, you know, it's like, you know, his mother. So they, you know, they're all there and he has the same exact amount of concern, caring, you know, he really is honestly concerned about that person for that moment that that person is in front of him. And that's what I think we're trying to get to because honestly, we want to get to the point where we care about them so much that we're willing to give it all away for them. Report an error in the passage at 34:19 Highlight the passage at 34:19

34:46 We're willing to become a Buddha for them. Which is hard. It's not easy. So we want to have, if moms have it for one kid, we want to have that same amount of love and concern and caring for all beings. So imagine what that would be like. I mean, it's almost like beyond conception. It's like a heart thing. But the reason, the logic behind it is to get our butt moving. Report an error in the passage at 34:46 Highlight the passage at 34:46

35:15 Yeah, so that we can, that we'll really do it. And then once we can really do it, then actually there's no effort. Then it's effortless. That's the cool thing about enlightenment. But to get there, we need the effort and we need the merit. When we generate bodhicitta, then it's just like non-stop merit. It's a non-stop merit machine. Because there's just that, having that scope, even the desire, wishing bodhicitta, even baby bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 35:15 Highlight the passage at 35:15

35:44 To even have a desire for a minute to have that for all living beings, for all living beings without exception, not even just people, you know, animals, insects, spirits, you know. To even have that desire to include every single being and leave none of them out for any reason ever and to work for their benefit day and night no matter what. Report an error in the passage at 35:44 Highlight the passage at 35:44

36:10 It's huge and it's insane and it's what we're trying to do. But that's it, yeah. Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 36:10 Highlight the passage at 36:10

36:24 You have a look of concern. Just like we may have to leave now. sorry. Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

36:37 this question for the homework that you gave us, that here's it. Do we have to feel excited or just practical, like starting to see a method to find a spirit teacher? What's the feeling that we have to feel? Because I feel excited. I feel happy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's fine. It's not like a method or practical. Report an error in the passage at 36:37 Highlight the passage at 36:37

37:04 But not so excited that you jump in before you're ready. That's the only, yeah, that's where it becomes important. Yeah, yeah, I think that's... That's kind of my basic bottom line, is trying to give you guys as much information so you know what it is that you're looking for, and you know when you're ready, as I can. Report an error in the passage at 37:04 Highlight the passage at 37:04

37:23 And then after that, you're on your own. Because I think a lot of Westerners do jump in sooner than perhaps they should. So jump in with your eyes open, though, no problem. Report an error in the passage at 37:23 Highlight the passage at 37:23

37:37 I jumped in with my eyes pretty wide open, maybe slightly. clouded. Clouded. Clouded by excitement. But, you know, it's pretty serious stuff. It's like jumping into marriage too early, except imagine marriage lasting for all of your lifetimes until you get enlightened. That's really what we're talking about. So it's like, yeah, it's great to be excited, especially if you know this is the path for you. Report an error in the passage at 37:37 Highlight the passage at 37:37

38:03 And then you just start really looking and really feeling and remembering that it could take time. And then again, it might not. Karma takes care. You could walk around the next corner and see your teacher. You just don't know. So it's pretty cool. Report an error in the passage at 38:03 Highlight the passage at 38:03

38:20 I'm excited by it. I think it's actually one of the juicier topics. But it's a tricky topic. It's a tricky one. It's a little trickier than, for example, karma, which is also juicy, or bodhicitta, which is also juicy, or emptiness, which is also juicy. Actually, emptiness is a little. Tricky too. Because if people take it the wrong way and they go off into nihilism, it can be like, no! So, yeah, you just have to tread wisely. Report an error in the passage at 38:20 Highlight the passage at 38:20

38:47 You know, really increase your wisdom too, along with that excitement. But nothing wrong with being excited. Report an error in the passage at 38:47 Highlight the passage at 38:47

38:55 Okay, anybody else? Do people like the film? That's cool, huh? That's great. I need to get it back from you. She like ran off with it. It's not even mine, actually. It's Jack's from Jack and Judas. I'm saying that into the mic. Kara took it home. Report an error in the passage at 38:55 Highlight the passage at 38:55

39:18 Kara Royston. Okay, Jack, get her. You'll get an email tonight from Jack. Report an error in the passage at 39:18 Highlight the passage at 39:18

39:34 Who are you and why do you have my film? Okay, Jack, get her. Report an error in the passage at 39:34 Highlight the passage at 39:34

39:33 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 39:33 Highlight the passage at 39:33

39:37 Yeah, it's great. I really enjoyed it. Sorry? Yeah, yeah. I know. She came here. She came here for, I think it was Rubina talk. And it was so funny. I said that. I don't think you were there. The one week that, yeah, and I was talking about it because I really thought I knew her from some other teaching. And the thing that was weird is she thought she knew me from some other teaching. Report an error in the passage at 39:37 Highlight the passage at 39:37

40:04 And then I realized and I was like, I have to confess to you that I'm just like such a groupie of this film that I thought I knew you, but I don't really know you. She hasn't come back, so I know. Report an error in the passage at 40:04 Highlight the passage at 40:04

40:17 Yeah, the London connection, I was figuring. Yeah, that's cool. I'm glad she's going to hear. We'll all be groupies. Yes, exactly. We love you. She's a celebrity. I know. Well, we thought of her in Mount Shasta because, of course, Tensitoki gets out at one point and she goes, oh, look at the mountain. I was like, the mountain. Report an error in the passage at 40:17 Highlight the passage at 40:17

40:39 She has this great Cockney accent. and Report an error in the passage at 40:39 Highlight the passage at 40:39

40:45 The mountain. I know, we can't say it. There's no mountain here, so it's all right. No, she's great. She's actually like my favorite one in the movie of all the disciples. She's just so accessible. That's why I felt like I totally knew her. I love how she thought she knew me, though that was the weird part. Report an error in the passage at 40:45 Highlight the passage at 40:45

41:06 Anyway, okay, so we're going to get into more juicy stuff tonight. Are we going to talk about... More about sort of developing faith in the guru once you've found him or her and seeing the guru as a Buddha. Actually, I think we're going to get more into that in the final class, which comes from the tantric tradition. Report an error in the passage at 41:06 Highlight the passage at 41:06

41:25 A lot of these teachings come from the tantric tradition. But of course, in Tibetan Buddhism, it's all sort of part of it. You know, they talk about Vajrayana Buddhism. We don't use that term as much talking about it in the Galukpa tradition, but it is definitely Vajrayana tradition once you get into Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 41:25 Highlight the passage at 41:25

41:47 The teachings on the teacher, finding and studying with and how you relate to a teacher all come from the Tantric tradition in this particular lineage. So there you go. Report an error in the passage at 41:47 Highlight the passage at 41:47

42:04 Again, everything I'm telling you is so you guys will know and so that when you do jump in, you jump in with your eyes open and then you know how to be a good apprentice, you know, with that idea of being an apprentice to a good mentor and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 42:04 Highlight the passage at 42:04

42:22 So that's my whole purpose. When I started out teaching this class, that's what my point of view is. Report an error in the passage at 42:22 Highlight the passage at 42:22

42:34 In the lamrim, especially the way it was presented or the way it was gathered together and taught in 1921, I think it was by Pabanka Rinpoche, he talks about how to serve a spiritual teacher in four steps, of course. It's a list of four. This is for Kara. We've actually already done the first two. He gives the advantages and the disadvantages. Report an error in the passage at 42:34 Highlight the passage at 42:34

42:52 Kara. Report an error in the passage at 42:52 Highlight the passage at 42:52

43:03 And we did those in class two. And then he talks about serving through thought, and we're going to do that after. And then serving through action, we're going to do that first. Report an error in the passage at 43:03 Highlight the passage at 43:03

43:15 And serving through action, there are three ways that we serve a spiritual teacher through action or a Lama or a Guru, whatever you want to call him or her. The first is offering him or her gifts or material things, making offerings to the Guru. Not from the point of view that the groom needs anything, because usually they don't. And often they'll actually really work your mind by giving it to the person behind you as a gift. Report an error in the passage at 43:15 Highlight the passage at 43:15

43:44 After you've spent all of your money in about four days picking it out. And that's to work on your attachment and your pride and whatever else is going on. There are some really funny stories about that one, actually. Report an error in the passage at 43:44 Highlight the passage at 43:44

44:00 Michelle has a good one where she spent a really long time making Geshe-la a beautiful tzatzah and she put... Things in it from Mount Kailash and all this stuff. And she took it and offered it to him and he was so happy and she was so happy. And then she went downstairs and another student went in and came down with the satsang and said, look what Kechela came to me. Report an error in the passage at 44:00 Highlight the passage at 44:00

44:23 And look how there are these things from Mount Kailash. She had to just completely like watch her mind and just go, yeah, that's great. Report an error in the passage at 44:23 Highlight the passage at 44:23

44:34 So when we make offerings to a guru or to a Lama, it's not for their benefit. It's because for us, they are the most powerful object. And anything that we do for them or give to them or anything done in relationship to them becomes magnified a billion times. It's like a lot. So yeah, if we think of them in conventional terms, we might want to get them socks. Report an error in the passage at 44:34 Highlight the passage at 44:34

45:03 You know, that's a nice thing. But if we're really thinking about them in terms of the one who's going to take me to enlightenment, the main thing is just making offerings, whatever it is. Whatever it is. So it's, you know, candy bar. It's rice, if they love rice, you know. I remember one time we did a refuge ceremony and the person who was coming to take refuge with Geshe-la brought in this 50-pound bag of rice. Report an error in the passage at 45:03 Highlight the passage at 45:03

45:27 And I thought, wow, that's pretty cool. He eats it all the time. It was kind of like old Tibet or something. It was like, how did you get that in here? Obviously not on the bus, you know. So with the idea of knowing that he or she doesn't really need anything, still giving, giving, giving. Why? Because we have this gratitude, you know. This person's going to get me to enlightenment. And it just is an opportunity for us to make merit. Report an error in the passage at 45:27 Highlight the passage at 45:27

45:57 I mean, that sounds weird. There's a lot of times people think, you know, wanting to make a lot of merit is like, Brownie points or something. If we want to get enlightened for the benefit of all living beings, who's harmed by that? Thinking about how karma works and using it, there's nothing wrong with that. Report an error in the passage at 45:57 Highlight the passage at 45:57

46:15 There's really nothing wrong with that. Making merit is a good thing. The second way of serving a Lama through action is through service. Report an error in the passage at 46:15 Highlight the passage at 46:15

46:29 Helping in some ways. Serving in a Dharma center. you know Report an error in the passage at 46:29 Highlight the passage at 46:29

46:35 That's what I intend. That's why I'm here. Helping with one of their projects, if you know. I mean, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a ton, a million projects probably. Report an error in the passage at 46:35 Highlight the passage at 46:35

46:47 Constantly coming up with new projects all over the place, in this country, all over the world, in India, many in India. And I think His Holiness also has many, many projects that he is connected with. Most teachers have some activities and projects that they're trying to get done, sometimes a multitude of them, and there are lots of ways to help. Report an error in the passage at 46:47 Highlight the passage at 46:47

47:14 It doesn't have to be getting a job for their organization and leaving your job behind. It can just be somehow helping with that particular action, putting up flyers, telling people about that action or something. Report an error in the passage at 47:14 Highlight the passage at 47:14

47:30 So, um, Giving ourselves up to his or her service. The final, which is the most important one, is actually, anybody have a guess? Report an error in the passage at 47:30 Highlight the passage at 47:30

47:45 No, no, three ways to serve a Lama. There were four ways, total ways to serve a teacher, and of those, this is serving through action. And in that, the subset is three. I know you hate this, I'm sorry. Should I get the... The whiteboard. We can go through it on the break. Okay, so I'll do it again. Okay, the four, how to serve a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 47:45 Highlight the passage at 47:45

48:09 The four from Bunker Rinpoche were the advantages that we discussed in class two. The disadvantages that we also discussed in class two. Serving through thought and serving through action. Serving through action has three. Got it? Report an error in the passage at 48:09 Highlight the passage at 48:09

48:29 And those three are? Material, offering gifts or material things with that knowledge. Offering service and practicing Report an error in the passage at 48:29 Highlight the passage at 48:29

48:57 in your daily life what you've been taught. That is supreme. Taking what they've taught us and putting it into actual practice. Actually, if that's the only one you did, that's the winner. That's the winner. I mean, their main purpose, if they are who they seem to be, and even if you just see them as who you think they are, actually you get all the credit of whether they are or not. Report an error in the passage at 48:57 Highlight the passage at 48:57

49:25 It's all happening within our own minds and our karma is created by that. But if we do everything that they say and their main purpose in life is getting us enlightened, no problem. No problem. Of course, it's sometimes not as simple as that. Report an error in the passage at 49:25 Highlight the passage at 49:25

49:47 Remember, too, that when we serve a teacher, we are serving the teacher actually not so much for their sake but for the sake of getting enlightened. So it really benefits us. We're the ones who actually get benefited by serving the teacher, whether we serve them with gifts or whether we serve them with our practice. Report an error in the passage at 49:47 Highlight the passage at 49:47

50:12 And of them... Of these three, definitely our practice is the most important. Report an error in the passage at 50:12 Highlight the passage at 50:12

50:22 Geshe, it seems like lately, has been at least manifesting some appearance of a little impatience with us after many years of not putting everything into practice. Some of the teachings, the Shantideva teachings especially, he's been... kind of... Report an error in the passage at 50:22 Highlight the passage at 50:22

50:44 Kind of nudging us a little harder than he used to do, which I think is actually a good sign. It means he's thinking of us more as students. And we should be thinking of him more as a teacher and following his advice. I think it probably is a difficult thing for teachers not to, you know, when their students aren't following. Report an error in the passage at 50:44 Highlight the passage at 50:44

51:07 Their advice after we receive it so many years in a row and we don't put it into practice. I remember Vena Rubina saying one time that she really had to think long and hard whether or not it was more beneficial to come to the prisons where everybody just immediately did everything and just immediately meditate. Report an error in the passage at 51:07 Highlight the passage at 51:07

51:28 If she said meditate 14 hours, they would meditate 14 hours. If she said do 100,000. Prostrations, they would do 100,000 prostrations. Or come here, where we're all like, and then we just leave and we don't do it. So it's kind of an interesting predicament. But once we decide somebody's our teacher, we really, really need to try to follow their advice or have some good reason not to. Report an error in the passage at 51:28 Highlight the passage at 51:28

51:57 And then what do we mean by serving a teacher? This idea of serving a teacher. Really, it goes back to that idea when we were first talking about the etymology of the word Lama. We were talking about how it's really more like an apprentice and a master or a mentor. That idea of really once you've found this person, just offering yourself up. Report an error in the passage at 51:57 Highlight the passage at 51:57

52:26 Okay, show me how to do this. Really show me how to do this. And this is the thing that makes people... It doesn't mean that you're giving up your free will or your wisdom or your judgment. You get to keep those things. But you really have to work with them in a very deep way a lot. Not necessarily that they're there in front of you, but more that you're working with their teachings to you. And you have to see everything that they're doing as a teaching to you. And a lot of it is just them. Report an error in the passage at 52:26 Highlight the passage at 52:26

53:00 They'll say something that seems to be in passing. Or they'll say something to someone else in front of you. And then you'll have to go back and be like, no, I was there. So I had the karma to see that. So what was that to me? Why, you know, and you're really trying to, the way that all those students always were in Zan Tsongkhapa Rinpoche's movie, it's like, why did he do that? Report an error in the passage at 53:00 Highlight the passage at 53:00

53:20 Why didn't he want to come with us? You know, why did he disappear in the airport bathroom? You know, what was that about? What kind of a teaching? Or the fact Luke, I think it was, was saying that. He, you know, he made him everything, you know, he was involved in every aspect of his life and answering the phone and he'd be involved in all the appointments and he was all kind of puffed up and then all of a sudden he just disappeared and wrote them off for like a year. Report an error in the passage at 53:20 Highlight the passage at 53:20

53:48 Never answered emails, never answered phone calls, like what was going on there, you know, clearly working with pride. It's okay, it's just that live wire over there. Report an error in the passage at 53:48 Highlight the passage at 53:48

54:03 So really trying to take everything that they do as a teaching, which I think is very, very profound. It's not just the formal stuff. Sometimes, and it is the formal stuff, so it's both. A lot of times people will go up to their teacher and ask them a question that they've just spent two hours teaching to a big group, and they'll be like, I just said that. Report an error in the passage at 54:03 Highlight the passage at 54:03

54:27 Go back and look at your notes. I just answered that question for you. A lot of times I notice with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Tenza Chokyi actually mentioned this about him especially, but I think His Holiness also in her teaching will come out of it and will feel like it was a direct teaching, like it was something that was so, how could he have known that I was just struggling with this issue for so long? Report an error in the passage at 54:27 Highlight the passage at 54:27

54:53 And then three other people would be like, wow, that was so cool because he... He was obviously directly talking to me and you're just like, yeah, well, we all think that, right? And it's very interesting because sometimes it'll be 100 people in the room and we all will have this experience of sometimes stuff that you haven't even mentioned to anybody and it'll be covered in great detail and you're just kind of like, wow. Report an error in the passage at 54:53 Highlight the passage at 54:53

55:18 He definitely does this thing at the beginning of a teaching where he's just silent for a long time, sometimes unbearably long, where he's doing this thing like this. Report an error in the passage at 55:18 Highlight the passage at 55:18

55:30 It's just kind of going through the whole room like that. And at first I was like, what? Get started. In fact, sometimes people have, like, it feels like you're yelling out, whether you really are yelling out, it might be just your mind. He's really checking out the minds of the people that are there. Report an error in the passage at 55:30 Highlight the passage at 55:30

55:49 Before he teaches, he's trying to decide what to teach about, which is why it's often difficult, you know, in Sansan Kinsha Rinpoche's movie he was talking about, they want this title, you know, so that it draws people in, but a lot of teachers decide what they're going to teach based on the students. Report an error in the passage at 55:49 Highlight the passage at 55:49

56:11 The Buddha did that. The Buddha taught according to the who was there, exactly who was there. And then we read a sūtra and everybody in that vicinity all became, 7,000 of them became arhats, 6,000 of them became, it's always these ungodly amounts of numbers. But he knew their minds and he was teaching directly for them. So teachers do that, they check out the minds of the people that are there. Report an error in the passage at 56:11 Highlight the passage at 56:11

56:48 So now we're going to talk a little bit about how the role of faith when we're talking about a guru. And this is, of course, talking about a qualified spiritual guru that you have taken time to find and you know that this person has the qualities that you're looking for. And you've held them up to the traditional qualities, the list of the traditional qualities. I remember actually spending a long time on those ten qualities, really trying to... Report an error in the passage at 56:48 Highlight the passage at 56:48

57:16 Think about them in relationship with Lama Zopa when I was realizing that I was his student. And so they aren't outdated. That list is not an outdated list at all. It's a very practical list, and it's a way that you can check your teachers. We can't always see their minds, because we aren't clairvoyant, at least I'm not. Report an error in the passage at 57:16 Highlight the passage at 57:16

57:38 But it's a way you can definitely check, as I was telling you, you can definitely check their... Circle of Disciples, you can also look at their teachers. There are ways to check up to see if they fit what it is that you're looking for. Report an error in the passage at 57:38 Highlight the passage at 57:38

57:57 So this idea of faith. Faith could, I like the word trust as well. I think faith, a lot of times people hear the word as blind faith, and it's not. It's cultivated faith. We're cultivating faith in this person by understanding their qualities. and by Report an error in the passage at 57:57 Highlight the passage at 57:57

58:16 Feeling grateful for those qualities or seeking those qualities and then recognizing those qualities and admiring those qualities. Master Asanga said that there are three types of faith. And these are that when we're talking about faith, which he also called trust or belief, he defines faith actually as the constructive mental action. Report an error in the passage at 58:16 Highlight the passage at 58:16

58:43 of focusing on something existent and knowable. considering it either existent or true, and considering a fact about it The constructive mental action of focusing on something existent and knowable, considering it either existent or true, and considering a fact about it as true. Report an error in the passage at 58:43 Highlight the passage at 58:43

59:15 This actually comes from the... A low rig for people that are familiar with that. There's a study of Tibetan Buddhism of the mind, mental factors, and faith is a mental factor. You know, they've categorized, the Tibetans are great, they've categorized the mind in such exhaustive detail. And faith is simply one more mental factor, just like all of the other states of mind. Report an error in the passage at 59:15 Highlight the passage at 59:15

59:41 It happens to be a virtuous state of mind. And so they define these. these manufacturers, and then they divide them out and So faith is quite quantifiable. It's not just blindly following somebody. That's the point. So this specifically excludes presumption or blind faith. There's no such thing as blind faith in Buddhism. He says that there are three ways of believing. Report an error in the passage at 59:41 Highlight the passage at 59:41

1:00:12 A fact to be true which relates to how one gains faith to the spiritual master's good quality. The first is what's called clear-headedly. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:12 Highlight the passage at 1:00:12

1:00:22 Sorry, I just love that. Clear-headedly. I'll give you the details in a moment. The second is based on reason. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:22 Highlight the passage at 1:00:22

1:00:33 And the third is with aspiration. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:33 Highlight the passage at 1:00:33

1:00:42 Clear-headedly is after we've examined the teacher's quality or their behavior, their character, what we can see. We focus on the good qualities while believing that the teacher has them. The more that we do this, the more that we cleanse our mind of disturbing emotions such as arrogance and doubts and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:42 Highlight the passage at 1:00:42

1:01:09 And we stop or we try to train ourselves to stop focusing on any negative faults. This is after you've chosen this person as a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:09 Highlight the passage at 1:01:09

1:01:23 So when we are cultivating faith, we've actually already decided this person is our teacher. So we're not checking up anymore. This is actually after that phase. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:23 Highlight the passage at 1:01:23

1:01:35 And we're going to talk about this in a moment. But it's this idea of training our mind to not do that thing that we always do, which is to criticize, criticize, criticize, only see the faults. And that is something that we ultimately want to do for all beings, including ourselves, which some of us actually have. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:35 Highlight the passage at 1:01:35

1:01:53 A harder time with than other people. And that's definitely what we do in Tantra. Act as if, as Venerabina says, we act as if. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:53 Highlight the passage at 1:01:53

1:02:06 Fake it till you make it. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:06 Highlight the passage at 1:02:06

1:02:11 Yeah, so in this case we're aiming it towards the spiritual teacher. And we're going to talk in the final class what happens if, you know, your teacher... Is doing something wrong. So we'll talk about that. So this isn't talking about that. This is more our just our, you know, that kind of, why is he saying that again? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:11 Highlight the passage at 1:02:11

1:02:34 You know, hasn't he said that so many times? Or, you know, whatever. You know, why does he repeat so much? Lama Zopa Rinpoche repeats all the time. I'm actually thankful for it because if I'm taking notes, it's like a way to check up. And apparently he's told every teacher he's ever brought to a center. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:34 Highlight the passage at 1:02:34

1:02:51 Westerners really need a repeat. And it's good because our memories aren't like what they're used to, even in India, much less in Tibet. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:51 Highlight the passage at 1:02:51

1:03:01 I've heard, though, that the younger monks don't have the same strength of memory because they also now have computers and things, and they write notes and things like that. They don't take it in the same way. So if the memory isn't trained, then it's not so great. But, yeah, so. So repeating, but no, that's the kind of fault finding I'm talking about is that kind of just nagging critical mind of just like, you know, here he goes again, you know, bodhicitta, bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:01 Highlight the passage at 1:03:01

1:03:34 Something like that. So we begin to train ourselves not to follow that mind and instead to look at their good qualities, think about their good qualities. That's clear-headedly. know. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:34 Highlight the passage at 1:03:34

1:03:48 Based on reason, we recall having good qualities and this means bringing one's good potential into the actualization through the process of cause and effect and remembering that our spiritual masters have become spiritual masters through cause and effect. In other words, they are the result of their own work, their own hard work. We can become like that too. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:48 Highlight the passage at 1:03:48

1:04:19 So So that kind of eliminates that, oh, he's so special. Yeah, he might be special, but he got that way. Same is true for the Buddhas. And we don't want to get to the point where we see them as self-existent Buddhas. They became Buddhas. They were exactly like us. And I like to actually state that a lot, and I like to think about that when I'm sitting there, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:19 Highlight the passage at 1:04:19

1:04:42 Taking refuge or something like that. It's like they were like us. They actually had really messed up minds as bad as mine. And that's actually really comforting. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:42 Highlight the passage at 1:04:42

1:04:52 And if you're really having trouble with one particular afflicted state of mind, they had it too. If you're getting irritated or if you're jealous or if you're impatient or if you're depressed or whatever, they had it too. And they transcended it through hard work. And this is exactly true for our gurus. They are the result of their own hard work. So don't forget karma when you're thinking about it. And karma is often, this is what they're talking about when they're talking about basing it on reason. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:52 Highlight the passage at 1:04:52

1:05:30 Aspiration is getting it that I can do the same. I can become like that through my own hard work. I can get all their qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:30 Highlight the passage at 1:05:30

1:05:44 Which serves as, of course, the basis for action, right? Hopefully. Not just getting up and going, that was great, you know. And then hopefully it gives us some enthusiasm for practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:44 Highlight the passage at 1:05:44

1:05:59 And it's the same thing that since I'm not prostrating these days because of my knee, which of course you all should still be prostrating, but that's another story. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:59 Highlight the passage at 1:05:59

1:06:10 When we prostrate, there's always that element of aspiration. I always like to think about the quality in the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha, the quality of enlightened speech, enlightened body, enlightened mind when I prostrate. And I want that too. I want what you have. That's the translation of Chakselo. I want what you have. So it's not just like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you're so holy, you're so holy. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:10 Highlight the passage at 1:06:10

1:06:34 It's like, no, I want this particular quality and I want it. I want it and I'm going for it, you know. So there's this element of action. So it's not just, you know, yes, you're so holy, so holy, and it has nothing to do with me. You know, we've got to always keep ourselves in the picture, not from a pride point of view, but more from a we'll get there too. We will get there too. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:34 Highlight the passage at 1:06:34

1:07:00 Tensichoki did this great meditation this past weekend. She was up at Mount Shasta. That's actually part of why we went. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:00 Highlight the passage at 1:07:00

1:07:11 And the final meditation that she did, I think some of you might have experienced with her in another workshop. I know she did it for Copan West last year, but it was visualizing your own enlightened self and having a conversation with that holy being. And it was a very, very cool meditation. First of all, to just let it arise however. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:11 Highlight the passage at 1:07:11

1:07:40 That enlightened self looked, you know, and then also what they might have to tell you that you need to hear. And then you were also envisioning, although she didn't use the word because it wasn't an entirely Buddhist group, but basically you're envisioning your pure land too. Like what would your perfect environment be, you know, and what's there. And sometimes you get surprised by what's there. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:40 Highlight the passage at 1:07:40

1:08:07 Aspiration is really important, you know. We've got to do it too. It's now on our shoulders, you know. So again, I'll say those three for Kara. Clear-headedly, based on reason, and with aspiration. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:07 Highlight the passage at 1:08:07

1:08:26 Ten Teachings Sūtra has this great quote, of course, that you guys don't have to write down, but I just think it's really beautiful. I have wandered for a long time through cyclic existence and they search for me. I have been asleep, having been obscured by delusion for a long time and they wake me. They pull me out of the depths of the ocean of existence. I have entered a bad path and they reveal the good path to me. They release me from being bound in the prison of existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:26 Highlight the passage at 1:08:26

1:09:00 I have been worn out by illness for a long time and they are my doctors. They are the rain clouds that put out my blazing fire of attachment and all the rest. So this is why we honor them. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:00 Highlight the passage at 1:09:00

1:09:17 And then there is the what happens if you choose someone or they choose you, karma takes you, connects you. You choose somebody as a teacher and then... You begin to see faults and you can't get it out of your head. This isn't talking about like dangerous faults, you know. This is talking about just annoying faults. We're supposed to train ourselves not to focus on them, but Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche actually has given this teaching a couple of times and he gave it again in Asheville. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:17 Highlight the passage at 1:09:17

1:09:53 He's here. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:53 Highlight the passage at 1:09:53

1:09:57 You do it then, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:57 Highlight the passage at 1:09:57

1:10:01 He talks, but he did it also at Copan in 98 in the teaching that I got it that he was my teacher. But he talks about, he said he actually got this particular teaching from His Holiness, although I haven't heard His Holiness giving this, but then he probably would give it in a more monastic setting where most of the people attending were monastics. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:01 Highlight the passage at 1:10:01

1:10:28 Or, you know, actual disciples of his rather than public teachings. But he said that when we see the ordinary aspect, meaning having faults, that's the way he defines it. When we see the ordinary aspect in our guru, we have to remember that if they are who they seem to be, they're doing that, even that, for me. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:28 Highlight the passage at 1:10:28

1:10:53 Because if they were too perfect... I would never think I could follow them. It's like Woody Allen, right? I can never be a member of any club that allowed me to be a member. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:53 Highlight the passage at 1:10:53

1:11:06 So if they're too perfect, then we wouldn't follow them. And if they have too many mistakes, then we wouldn't follow them. But they show just enough so that we think that they're ordinary. Tsongkhapa Rinpoche talks about this too when he's talking about They want us to be perfect, but then they want us not to be too perfect, so it becomes a problem. So he said, you know, if he was too perfect, if he appeared in perfect form, I'll just read his words because it's much better than my own. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:06 Highlight the passage at 1:11:06

1:11:41 This ordinary aspect, meaning showing faults, is the only way I can see the guru. He's so precious and kind to manifest in this form like this. My mind is so obscured, I can't see anything but this present form having mistakes, so it's the only way to guide me. If he appeared in perfect form, I wouldn't be able to see him or receive teachings from him. He's talking about in sambhogakaya form. I wouldn't have the karma to. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:41 Highlight the passage at 1:11:41

1:12:08 If he appeared too imperfectly, I wouldn't want to receive teachings from him. In this ordinary form, I see him as just ordinary enough and I'm able to receive teachings from him. This is due to his kindness to me. So when these thoughts arise and you see faults and mistakes in the guru, you think, this is due to my own karmic obscurations and also due to the kindness of my guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:08 Highlight the passage at 1:12:08

1:12:33 He can't reach me any other way than showing this aspect. How kind. He's doing this for the benefit of my ordinary mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:33 Highlight the passage at 1:12:33

1:12:42 And then he taught this practice that he said he received from His Holiness. He said, you can actually, if you find, if this becomes an obstacle for you, you can actually do a mala. You can almost recite it like a mantra. How precious, how kind. How precious, how kind. If you see these kind of faults in your mind, it's so diluted like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:42 Highlight the passage at 1:12:42

1:13:06 So it's just interesting. I think it's a very interesting practice. Again, he said, I'm not teaching you these things. He said it again this time. I'm not teaching you these things because I am a Buddha and I want you to see me as a Buddha. I'm teaching you this to protect your mind. So he says, if I teach, if that's my motivation, then that's okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:06 Highlight the passage at 1:13:06

1:13:28 So that's my motivation. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:28 Highlight the passage at 1:13:28

1:13:34 Yeah, so I think that might be a good place for us to take a break, unless anybody has any questions right before. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:34 Highlight the passage at 1:13:34

1:13:48 Anybody? Is it time for eating a lot of cake in the cafe? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:48 Highlight the passage at 1:13:48

1:14:02 Nobody's leaving, so I don't know. Are you going to ask a question or are you just doing your hair? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:02 Highlight the passage at 1:14:02

1:14:13 I Report an error in the passage at 1:14:13 Highlight the passage at 1:14:13

1:14:17 thought you were coming to offer me tea. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:17 Highlight the passage at 1:14:17

1:14:21 You can sit with us. I'm starting a new section. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:21 Highlight the passage at 1:14:21

1:14:29 That was great. So what do you do if your teacher asks you to do something that you perceive is wrong? Notice the way I'm wording it, that you perceive is wrong. So it could possibly be that your perception is incorrect. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:29 Highlight the passage at 1:14:29

1:14:51 The way that Lama Tsongkhapa teaches it, he said that the student should respectfully and politely refuse to do what the teacher has instructed. However, don't use that as your excuse to then diss them or disrespect them in some way, either to somebody else or just in your mind. Always keep that... Possibility open that you don't really know what's going on because we don't most of the time. And if they are even a tiny bit what they might be, we may not know the full story. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:51 Highlight the passage at 1:14:51

1:15:32 So just always to keep that possibility. Somebody asked in the first of the weekends with Tenson Chokyi, somebody asked this question, and I thought her answer was great. I actually wanted to listen to the tape again and write it down verbatim because I didn't have a pen at that point. But the main gist was do what you think is right based on what you can see and what conventional reality, basically. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:32 Highlight the passage at 1:15:32

1:15:58 We have to act in conventional reality because that's where we are. But always with this idea, this possibility that you may not know it all. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:58 Highlight the passage at 1:15:58

1:16:09 I know in the past what I've had to do is really get it that I am a deluded being. What do I know? And I'll even say that to myself. What do I know? Be very, very respectful of that teacher. like just some Report an error in the passage at 1:16:09 Highlight the passage at 1:16:09

1:16:26 And this is true also. You might decide that when you're checking up with a teacher and you're trying to decide if this is your teacher. Again, and I've mentioned this once before, you might decide that this is not your teacher, but always be respectful because it's somebody's teacher. It's most likely somebody's teacher. So just be respectful. And always with this idea that you don't see it all. You might not see it all. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:26 Highlight the passage at 1:16:26

1:17:00 At least that. At least you might not see it all. Even if you can't admit that you don't see it all. Karma as it is, if we understand and have any trust in karma, as we clear obstacles, our karma actually allows us to see more and more. We actually begin to see, for example, instead of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being just a really nice grandpa, we see him as a really great teacher, and then we see him as an amazing teacher, and then we see him as a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:00 Highlight the passage at 1:17:00

1:17:30 There's probably a few steps in between. And that takes karma. And there are many people on the planet who don't see him as any of those. They actually see him as incarnate evil. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:30 Highlight the passage at 1:17:30

1:17:45 And even Tibetans. There are even Tibetans that don't see him as so wonderful. So it's a karma thing. There is not an inherently existent Dalai Lama either. So we have to create the karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:45 Highlight the passage at 1:17:45

1:18:03 I hate that thing. So how do we work with our teacher? Just a little bit about that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:03 Highlight the passage at 1:18:03

1:18:12 One of the things, what some of the suggested readings for this class, or encouraged readings, were the life stories of great disciples and teachers. Part of them are, they're a little hard to take sometimes, but I'm, right now, my outside job, I go on Wednesday mornings and I read Miller-Rapa's autobiography to this 94-year-old woman who's called the center and asked if somebody would come and do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:12 Highlight the passage at 1:18:12

1:18:41 And I love it. I absolutely love it. And I've read Milarepa's life story before. I don't think I've ever read the autobiography. So where it's coming from Milarepa's own mouth, which I actually prefer. This is the old text, the Evans-Wentz text, which is the first translation. So there's lots of these and thous and all that stuff. But once I got used to it, what I really love is... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:41 Highlight the passage at 1:18:41

1:19:06 Other than the fact that I'm reading it over and over again because she can't remember what we said last time. Or she's blind so she really wants to hear it and it's dense. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:06 Highlight the passage at 1:19:06

1:19:18 He's such a scholar, Evans Wentz was such a scholar that he would have like seven notes in one sentence and you forgot what the sentence was so you have to say it over and over. I would never read it with this much detail if it was just me. So I feel like I'm getting this enormous, it's just such a brilliant thing to be doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:18 Highlight the passage at 1:19:18

1:19:36 But doing it at that rate, I'm also really getting the story in a completely different way. And I'm getting that, you know, a lot of the hardships, all of the hardships that Marpa put Milarepa through were completely to cleanse his karma. And I don't think, I think you get that from other stories, but I don't think when you read the life story of Melarepa as written by other people, you get it as much. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:36 Highlight the passage at 1:19:36

1:20:05 Because the cool thing about the autobiography is that he gets it. He gets it because he knew how horrible he was. Melarepa was actually, in the early part of his life, quite violent. I mean, not necessarily of his own choosing. His mother actually really encouraged him to learn the black magic, to wreak vengeance on those that had done them wrong within the family. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:05 Highlight the passage at 1:20:05

1:20:31 And he did, and he killed people. He knew how to cause hailstorms, and he knew how to wreak all sorts of havoc. So if he's going to get enlightened in one lifetime, oh, somebody's coming in that lives here. That's okay. I'm like, uh-oh, somebody new coming to class. So if he wants to get enlightened in one lifetime, it's not just simply a matter of finding out what the steps are and following them. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:31 Highlight the passage at 1:20:31

1:21:00 He has to really purify all that stuff that's just from this lifetime. If he also has propensities to be that good at it, he might have done it in other lifetimes too. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:00 Highlight the passage at 1:21:00

1:21:12 So he really has to purify this immense amount of negative karma. Gurus know that and that's the whole point of finding somebody who's a qualified guru is not just somebody who's a really good piano player but somebody who's a master and who knows what you're capable of even if you don't know what you're capable of. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:12 Highlight the passage at 1:21:12

1:21:36 So Marfa in the story of Milarepa And finally gives in because his wife, especially who doesn't know what he's doing, is just so upset by the way he's treating Milarepa that he finally calls them all together and says, look, there's a reason. And if I had been allowed to finish this, he could have become a Buddha right now. But I had to cut it short because everybody was getting so upset. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:36 Highlight the passage at 1:21:36

1:22:05 But this was what I was doing. And I went through piece by piece what he was purifying. And how he was purifying the murders and how he was purifying the use of the black magic and so forth. And now he was free to put into practice the teachings and go and get enlightened, which of course Milarepa does. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:05 Highlight the passage at 1:22:05

1:22:26 It's important when we read these life stories of these teachers and disciples that are so... Inspiring, but also so extreme to remember that every one of those disciples actually became not just masters, but Buddhas. They actually did it. They actually put it into effect. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:26 Highlight the passage at 1:22:26

1:22:50 Word by word, they did exactly what their teachers asked them to do, which weren't always the most usual things. and we're We're able to get enlightened. Often those were tests. They often had them do certain tests. You know, the building and the taking down and the building and the taking down of the towers were somewhat like that for Milarepa. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:50 Highlight the passage at 1:22:50

1:23:14 There's some really wild stories. I think it's of Tilopa and Naropa. Naropa was Marpa's guru. Things you would have him do where he would just get... The beating out of him, go steal the soup from that wedding, you know, and he'll be like, all right, you know, and partly it's testing not just whether or not he'll do it, but whether or not it'll affect his faith in the teacher, and then he'll go and do it, and then of course the wedding party jumps out and beats him up, and then the Buddha, I mean the Buddha, the teacher immediately just like all of his wounds disappear. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:14 Highlight the passage at 1:23:14

1:23:50 disappear in an instant you know and he's just kind of like yeah okay what was that all about then they keep walking you know and then the next thing will happen where I'd be like you know go In those cases, a lot of times the teacher is testing the faith. Is he still going to respect him when he goes and does this thing? And then the student kind of has to live up to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:50 Highlight the passage at 1:23:50

1:24:15 So those are special instances. Most of us have not had to do those particular things, and it's important to remember that. It's also important to get to the gist of it and to really look at what's going on in the student's mind and try to figure out what might be going on in the guru's mind. Why would he be doing this, you know? But it is important to remember that... Report an error in the passage at 1:24:15 Highlight the passage at 1:24:15

1:24:44 The whole point of the guru is, the whole reason that we even get a guru is to help us look at our mind and to help us clear out. You can actually leave all those lights on because people sometimes hang out. Yeah, no, that's okay. It's like we're all going to bed, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:44 Highlight the passage at 1:24:44

1:25:06 We wonder why do people put themselves through this? If the teacher points out all the yucky stuff and all the difficult stuff in my mind, who would want to put themselves through that? Well, actually we do if we want to get enlightened. We do. We actually need to see the yucky stuff and we refuse to look at it on our own sometimes. And it may be painful, but that's the whole point of having a girl. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:06 Highlight the passage at 1:25:06

1:25:34 As one of my friends said, if you found somebody and you trust that they have more wisdom than you and that they can get you enlightened, why the hell not follow their advice? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:34 Highlight the passage at 1:25:34

1:25:49 It's not like this isn't somebody that we've picked out of. You know, um, Report an error in the passage at 1:25:49 Highlight the passage at 1:25:49

1:25:56 A college catalog to teach us how to bake a cake or something. It's not like that at all. It's beyond anything that we can imagine, really. And so, yeah, it can be painful and it can... You know, feel yucky to kind of have your stuff exposed, but it doesn't mean that it's dangerous. Most teachers these days aren't sending us into wedding parties to steal the soup and get beaten up. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:56 Highlight the passage at 1:25:56

1:26:25 Mostly it's just our own. Looking at our minds, that's usually what it is. It's like looking at our own minds a lot. It's the same thing that we do when we go into retreat or we meditate, but amped, you know. And that's, if I want to get enlightened, I have to look at my ego and I have to look at the things that are keeping me from loving and caring for all sentient beings equally. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:25 Highlight the passage at 1:26:25

1:26:51 So, you know, gurus exist to push my buttons. That's what they're there for, you know. And they will. And you can see a little bit of that with the students of Zonso Kinsey Rinpoche. He was definitely pushing some buttons. Or he'll do the thing, like Louise was mentioning, putting the two people together that just don't get along. This is something Rinpoche does a lot, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:51 Highlight the passage at 1:26:51

1:27:22 Putting people together that don't get along and then they're forced to get along or not. Or something is brought out in that relationship that you get why the two of you, you know, are stuck together for something or do some project together. I think teachers do that, actually. Regular teachers do that, you know. Our mothers do that. You guys clean this room together, you know. So. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:22 Highlight the passage at 1:27:22

1:27:48 So it's important to know. I think there's this idea of when you get a guru that it's some sort of a fuzzy warm thing and it's not so fuzzy and warm really because that's not really their purpose isn't to be fuzzy and warm. Their purpose is to actually push your buttons and get you enlightened. If you even have buttons to push, you know, and there are of course some people that don't have buttons to push and they'll probably get enlightened a lot faster. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:48 Highlight the passage at 1:27:48

1:28:16 So I think I'm going to end with... I wanted to get into practicing guru yoga. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:16 Highlight the passage at 1:28:16

1:28:26 I think I will just a little bit talk about practicing guru yoga because your meditation is a form of guru yoga, the meditation that you'll have actually this week and through until we have the final class. Well, even after if you want to. Some of you might be familiar with it. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:26 Highlight the passage at 1:28:26

1:28:45 The Shakyamuni Buddha meditation that we've done in other classes, so I think you've done it. I think those of you that have come on Saturday and Tuesdays might find it familiar. We're actually thinking about it as a form of Guru Yoga. Guru Yoga is a tantric practice, so we won't get into it in a lot of detail, but it's a form basically of visualizing that the Buddha Is the guru. In other words, in this case, it'll be Shakyamuni and knowing that they are one with your particular guru. And if you don't have one, just think of it as your future guru or think of it as somebody that you respect, like the Dalai Lama or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:45 Highlight the passage at 1:28:45

1:29:26 And then we go through the process of making requests for whatever it is that we need, you know, which could be removing blocks that we're having, problems that we're having in our lives or in our practice or in our work or in our mind. Um, um, and. And then the guru slash Buddha giving us those blessings, those inspiration, that blessing in the form of inspiration and dissolving the obstacles that we have. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:26 Highlight the passage at 1:29:26

1:29:59 In this case, it's sort of also reconciling this view that we have sort of this... Dualistic view of ourselves as being both incredibly deluded and messed up, but also we have Buddha nature and we have innate wisdom and we have innate compassion and they just need to be activated and we just need to recognize that. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:59 Highlight the passage at 1:29:59

1:30:26 So it's actually a way of reconciling that dualistic view of ourselves as well. And so guru yoga can also be a really profound practice for Report an error in the passage at 1:30:26 Highlight the passage at 1:30:26

1:30:40 Beginning to transform this view of ourselves, getting us closer to the tantric practices where we really begin to visualize ourselves as a Buddha for the benefit of all beings. So it begins transforming that relationship of ourselves. It's like a bridge to that inner wisdom that we talked about. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:40 Highlight the passage at 1:30:40

1:31:08 Yeah, so I think I'll just, I can talk you through the other parts. I don't need to say it in advance. We'll just do it in the form of the meditation and then you guys can work on the meditation and bring back questions, I guess. But some of you will find it already familiar. So why don't we just get back into position. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:08 Highlight the passage at 1:31:08

1:31:33 We lost Kara. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:33 Highlight the passage at 1:31:33

1:31:46 We'll just begin preparing slowly and eventually she'll waddle in. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:46 Highlight the passage at 1:31:46

1:31:53 So go ahead and find your posture again. Maybe do some cleansing breaths, allowing, you know, whatever sleepiness or overactive mind that you might have, whatever might act as an obstacle for you being present for this meditation. Just imagine it dissolving and then just breathing it out into the night, just like smoke coming from a chimney. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:53 Highlight the passage at 1:31:53

1:32:37 We're going to include some of the normal preliminary practices for meditation, which I haven't talked so much about, but we're going to do them together as part of the meditation, and then they are part of the meditation for your homework, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:33:13 And it's important when we do practices, the practice of Guru Yoga, that at the end the Guru always dissolves into us, so we'll do that. And the reason is because we're requesting all these qualities, we're requesting all these blessings. And so then we visualize that that's actually happening. That's actually the whole purpose of Guru Yoga. And Guru Devotion actually is to become one with the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:13 Highlight the passage at 1:33:13

1:33:47 Really see that there's no difference between our mind and enlightened mind, except for these obstacles that we've created for ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:47 Highlight the passage at 1:33:47

1:34:10 So begin with imagining yourself surrounded by all beings. You can imagine almost like an ocean of sentient beings spreading out in all directions. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:10 Highlight the passage at 1:34:10

1:34:24 Imagine them in the form of humans for this visualization. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:24 Highlight the passage at 1:34:24

1:34:44 You can also begin to imagine their different hopes and dreams as well as their sufferings. Remembering that that basic meaning of suffering or dukkha is actually dissatisfaction. All sentient beings have this dissatisfied mind. And many sentient beings are suffering so grossly as well. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:44 Highlight the passage at 1:34:44

1:35:15 But think about also what makes them happy and Report an error in the passage at 1:35:15 Highlight the passage at 1:35:15

1:35:24 feel some connection to all of them, even if you don't know them. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:24 Highlight the passage at 1:35:24

1:35:40 And now imagine the space in front of you, a little above you, is Shakyamuni Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:40 Highlight the passage at 1:35:40

1:35:53 He's completely made of golden light, Report an error in the passage at 1:35:53 Highlight the passage at 1:35:53

1:36:00 vibrant, luminous. As bright as the sun. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:00 Highlight the passage at 1:36:00

1:36:11 And his energy is pure, unconditional love and compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:11 Highlight the passage at 1:36:11

1:36:22 His face is peaceful and smiling. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:22 Highlight the passage at 1:36:22

1:36:29 And he's smiling down at you and all the beings surrounding you. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:29 Highlight the passage at 1:36:29

1:36:42 He's seated on this brilliant white multi-petaled lotus, Report an error in the passage at 1:36:42 Highlight the passage at 1:36:42

1:36:50 also made of light. And on top of the lotus are two discs, a sun disc representing wisdom and a moon disc. Representing bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:50 Highlight the passage at 1:36:50

1:37:09 And all of this rests on a throne adorned with jewels made of gold. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:09 Highlight the passage at 1:37:09

1:37:22 Remember everything that I describe is made of light. It's like a rainbow. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:22 Highlight the passage at 1:37:22

1:37:43 He's wearing the robes of a monk. He's sitting in full lotus posture where the feet are resting on the opposite thighs. The palm of his right hand rests on his right knee in what's called earth-touching mudrā. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:43 Highlight the passage at 1:37:43

1:38:07 His left hand rests in his lap in what's called meditation mudrā, holding an alms bowl filled with nectar. Again, everything's like a rainbow. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:07 Highlight the passage at 1:38:07

1:38:32 When he smiles down at you, he's smiling equally at all sentient beings with no favoritism. In pure delight, Report an error in the passage at 1:38:32 Highlight the passage at 1:38:32

1:38:46 he's just happy with us. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:46 Highlight the passage at 1:38:46

1:38:55 Imagine that light streams from his body out of all the pores of his body in all directions. Reaching the entire universe. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:55 Highlight the passage at 1:38:55

1:39:19 And then we start with taking refuge in the Buddha, thinking especially that just like us, he used to have a mind that was deluded, angry, depressed, but he practiced hard until he became enlightened. He transformed his mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:19 Highlight the passage at 1:39:19

1:39:48 So he's a worthy object, a refuge, because he's done it himself. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:48 Highlight the passage at 1:39:48

1:39:57 The Dharma represents his method, his teachings. And the song are those who put those into practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:57 Highlight the passage at 1:39:57

1:40:11 So when we go for refuge, it's like understanding the situation that we're in and relying on him, relying on his method, relying on those who practice it to get us out of this mess. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:11 Highlight the passage at 1:40:11

1:40:30 Generating bodhicitta is looking around us at all these sentient beings that we're so connected with and wanting to do it for them and wanting to get enlightened for them. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:30 Highlight the passage at 1:40:30

1:40:56 And then we do what's called the seven limb practice, thinking about first one quality of Shakyamuni Buddha that we really admire and bowing down to that quality. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:56 Highlight the passage at 1:40:56

1:41:12 So it might be his limitless compassion. It might be that really great quality that I love that Buddhas can send out emanation bodies in any form, anywhere, simultaneously, without effort, without thinking about it. Wherever it's needed, as many times a day as necessary. So think about a quality like that and bow down to it in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:12 Highlight the passage at 1:41:12

1:41:46 That's prostration. Remember that tiny element of aspiration there too. I want what you have. And Report an error in the passage at 1:41:46 Highlight the passage at 1:41:46

1:42:07 then think, what would I offer for that quality? It wouldn't be one flower or one candle. It would be skies of light offerings or skies of... Flowers of all description, the most incredible music, the most beautiful sunset. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:07 Highlight the passage at 1:42:07

1:42:33 Imagine, you know, entire skies filled with diamonds and offer it. And Report an error in the passage at 1:42:33 Highlight the passage at 1:42:33

1:42:59 then we confess something. It can be something tiny. Some way in the last 24, 48 hours that we haven't been what we want to be. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:59 Highlight the passage at 1:42:59

1:43:13 Maybe we were just slightly impatient with somebody. Maybe we were more than slightly. Maybe we lost our temper or didn't do something that we said we were going to do. Whatever it is, confess it in your mind and then make some determination to do better. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:13 Highlight the passage at 1:43:13

1:43:45 The Buddhas already know everything. It's just to get it off of our chest. And Report an error in the passage at 1:43:45 Highlight the passage at 1:43:45

1:43:59 the next of the seven limbs is rejoicing. That's when we think about something we've done really well and we're really happy with it. Or think of something that somebody else has done really well. So it might be just coming to this class. You'd be really, really happy that you came. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:59 Highlight the passage at 1:43:59

1:44:36 And then the next two are joined. We ask the Buddha in all of his forms, as all of the teachers, to stay with us and to teach us, never to leave us. And Report an error in the passage at 1:44:36 Highlight the passage at 1:44:36

1:44:56 then we dedicate this little prayer to our own enlightenment for the benefit of all these beings that surround us. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:56 Highlight the passage at 1:44:56

1:45:11 And then we make what's called a heartfelt request, asking for some form of blessing or inspiration. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:11 Highlight the passage at 1:45:11

1:45:24 So there's a little prayer and I'll just say it and I've reduced it. It's quite a bit longer but I just made it one line. I prostrate and go for refuge to the Guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. So here you can think of anything that you particularly need, something specific. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:24 Highlight the passage at 1:45:24

1:45:46 Maybe you want more teachings on emptiness to suddenly manifest at Sechen Ling. Maybe you want the teachings on what to do at the time of death. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:46 Highlight the passage at 1:45:46

1:46:00 Maybe you feel really blocked when it comes to your practice or meditation or study or your work with others or in your relationship with someone. Whatever it is, ask for it. Just open up your heart and ask. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:00 Highlight the passage at 1:46:00

1:46:45 And then imagine that Guru Shakyamuni is very pleased. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:45 Highlight the passage at 1:46:45

1:46:54 And then imagine that he shrinks in size to the size of, as Lama Yeshe calls it, a tiny golden bird's egg, right above the crown of your head, Report an error in the passage at 1:46:54 Highlight the passage at 1:46:54

1:47:11 completely made of light. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:11 Highlight the passage at 1:47:11

1:47:18 And from his heart, pouring into you through the crown of your head, is light and nectar containing all the qualities that you need, all the blessings that you need, all the inspiration. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:18 Highlight the passage at 1:47:18

1:47:39 And as this light touches your heart, it ignites all of the potential that you have. And you're completely filled with the light of your own Buddha nature. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:39 Highlight the passage at 1:47:39

1:47:56 And your physical body is transformed into light. And your very thoughts become an expression of your own spiritual being. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:56 Highlight the passage at 1:47:56

1:48:15 And this light expands until it begins to pour out of every pore of your body into all directions. Touching the hearts of all the living beings surrounding you. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:15 Highlight the passage at 1:48:15

1:48:39 And their light begins to flow into you. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:39 Highlight the passage at 1:48:39

1:48:45 So for a moment, just experience this complete connection between you and every living being and you and Guru Shakyamuni, Buddha. And Report an error in the passage at 1:48:45 Highlight the passage at 1:48:45

1:49:10 the Buddha sends even stronger radiant light into your heart and it completely transforms all your negative mental habits, your patterns. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:10 Highlight the passage at 1:49:10

1:49:24 All your dissatisfaction and pain, physical and mental. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:24 Highlight the passage at 1:49:24

1:49:33 Any sense of separation between you and all other living beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:33 Highlight the passage at 1:49:33

1:49:43 And just imagine that your mind feels clear and loving and light. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:43 Highlight the passage at 1:49:43

1:50:05 And we'll recite Guru Shakyamuni's mantra for a few times. Just imagining this light continues to pour into you and through you to all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:05 Highlight the passage at 1:50:05

1:50:19 Thaya Thao Mune Mune. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:19 Highlight the passage at 1:50:19

1:50:32 Taya Tao You've Report an error in the passage at 1:50:32 Highlight the passage at 1:50:32

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:52:02 been sending out in all directions back into your own heart. And Report an error in the passage at 1:52:02 Highlight the passage at 1:52:02

1:52:11 then imagine that Shakyamuni Buddha dissolves into golden light and that light flows through you, through the crown of your head and Report an error in the passage at 1:52:11 Highlight the passage at 1:52:11

1:52:25 your heart until your body, speech and mind. Become completely one with Guru Shakyamuni Buddha's holy body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:25 Highlight the passage at 1:52:25

1:52:41 You experience tranquility and great bliss. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:41 Highlight the passage at 1:52:41

1:53:00 And then take a moment to dedicate the merit from this meditation and this class to each one of us being able to actualize this potential that we all have to become a Buddha. And knowing that that depends on finding the right teacher that we all. Are able to find the right teachers in this life. Qualified spiritual teachers that can take us all the way. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:00 Highlight the passage at 1:53:00

1:53:47 Anytime as you're ready you can end your meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:47 Highlight the passage at 1:53:47

1:54:09 Anybody feels awake enough to hand these out? So this is your meditation this week. Maria is going to get there first. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:09 Highlight the passage at 1:54:09

1:54:24 Does anybody have any questions? About that meditation or just experience that you'd like to share? Report an error in the passage at 1:54:24 Highlight the passage at 1:54:24

1:54:43 Do we have enough? First time in history. It's a good thing Gina left. I can email it to her. Any questions? No? Okay. So how many people here know that they're coming for Geshitashi's talk? Report an error in the passage at 1:54:43 Highlight the passage at 1:54:43

1:55:09 Seven. And except for... Chris, do you want to be on the floor or do you want to be... to blow. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:09 Highlight the passage at 1:55:09

1:55:14 In a chair? Okay, why don't I say, I'll say on the floor, and then I'll just make sure that you have one in the back as a chair. So six. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:14 Highlight the passage at 1:55:14

1:55:28 I think, I can't remember if Gina's going to be there, but I'll just have to see who else is, because Courtney's not here. Gina's not here. John's not here. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:28 Highlight the passage at 1:55:28

1:55:40 Sam's not here. Sam probably won't be here, because she's still got mono. Sorry, just announced that into the mic. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:40 Highlight the passage at 1:55:40

1:55:49 We love you. We miss you. Okay, I'll do, I'll just do, I'll do like eight on the floor just to be safe because we can always give them away afterwards. Okay, that'd be great. Good. Well, we'll see you next week. He's arriving on the day before. He's arriving on Wednesday. It's exciting. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:49 Highlight the passage at 1:55:49

1:56:13 Thank you so much. Have a great week if I don't see you before then. Announcement too, this Sunday I think is the second of the Six Perfections. It's going to be Iman Fala and he's going to be doing Ethics. Ethics in the modern age. And he's the perfect one for Ethics because he's just so laid back. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:13 Highlight the passage at 1:56:13

1:56:36 Yeah? Sujath is so great. Did she talk about her work and all? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:36 Highlight the passage at 1:56:36

1:56:47 Excellent. I'll have to listen to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:47 Highlight the passage at 1:56:47

1:56:52 Oh. She did last time too. She showed this great film about restorative justice and I was just like, oh my god, I know. I'm not a dry eye, I know. I know. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:52 Highlight the passage at 1:56:52

1:57:04 Do Report an error in the passage at 1:57:04 Highlight the passage at 1:57:04

1:57:16 we want to have the mic still on? Do we want to? And it Report an error in the passage at 1:57:16 Highlight the passage at 1:57:16

1:57:37 was perfect that it happened on Halloween and the next day was generosity. I'll have to listen to it. She's always so great. I know, I was bummed I was going to miss that one. And it was the kickoff of the series called What to Do. know. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:37 Highlight the passage at 1:57:37

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:57:54 Gina said it was about 10 people. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:54 Highlight the passage at 1:57:54

1:58:00 And then the one after Iman is Carol, who's actually the founder of our center, Venable Carol, started the center 20 years ago. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:00 Highlight the passage at 1:58:00

1:58:10 So she's back at Berkeley again. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:10 Highlight the passage at 1:58:10

1:58:17 All right, kids. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:17 Highlight the passage at 1:58:17

1:58:30 Sleeping Report an error in the passage at 1:58:30 Highlight the passage at 1:58:30

1:58:41 on bed that first night. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:41 Highlight the passage at 1:58:41

1:58:47 Bodhi or Shantide? ha, ha, ha! Report an error in the passage at 1:58:47 Highlight the passage at 1:58:47

1:58:44 then, uh... Report an error in the passage at 1:58:44 Highlight the passage at 1:58:44

1:58:50 Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva. she actually doesn't, she seems like a he, but she's really, she actually doesn't sleep like that. She has in the past, but she's used to kind of like, no, you move around, you're kicking, no. I don't think so. Wait, Buddy's? Buddy's the one who comes down and talks all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:50 Highlight the passage at 1:58:50

1:59:34 A boy. No, it's Buddy's a girl. I know, she gives up. She gives up Buddy's Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva. Shanti is... Report an error in the passage at 1:59:34 Highlight the passage at 1:59:34