Discovering Buddhism - Establishing A Daily Practice (17 January 2013)

0:02 Okay, so we'll just start with a little meditation to kind of ground ourselves. So just get comfortable. As the class goes on, I'll talk a little bit more about, actually I'll talk a lot more about posture next week. Report an error in the passage at 0:02 Highlight the passage at 0:02

0:18 And don't worry if you've never meditated before, or if you don't even know what meditation is, that's cool too. But for tonight, just let your body relax, maybe take some nice deep belly breaths, make sure that you feel comfortable. If you're holding tension in your shoulders, you might stretch your neck or roll your shoulders a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 0:18 Highlight the passage at 0:18

0:47 It doesn't matter really for the context of this class how you place your legs or anything like that. The main thing is just keeping them comfortable for you. So that depends on the person. Report an error in the passage at 0:47 Highlight the passage at 0:47

1:04 Just sort of extending your spine and keeping your shoulders level. You Report an error in the passage at 1:04 Highlight the passage at 1:04

1:14 can have your hands in your lap or your hands on your knees. Report an error in the passage at 1:14 Highlight the passage at 1:14

1:35 And as we start focusing on our breath, you can imagine that each in-breath is bringing you whatever you need for tonight's class. Report an error in the passage at 1:35 Highlight the passage at 1:35

1:46 And maybe imagining it like pure white light dissolving all the obstacles you might have to being here. Resistance, tired, fatigue maybe after working all day or being in school all day. Report an error in the passage at 1:46 Highlight the passage at 1:46

2:07 So you can imagine it like light moving through your body, your mind dissolving. Whatever blocks it finds and Report an error in the passage at 2:07 Highlight the passage at 2:07

2:20 then breathing that out. So you just do this a few times. Breathing in light, breathing out negativities, blocks, obstacles, sluggishness. Think Report an error in the passage at 2:20 Highlight the passage at 2:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

3:23 a little bit about some of the pain or suffering that we have in our own lives or in our friends' lives or even that that we see on the street or in the news. Report an error in the passage at 3:23 Highlight the passage at 3:23

3:38 Maybe people we know who are sick, Report an error in the passage at 3:38 Highlight the passage at 3:38

3:44 people we see on the streets. Report an error in the passage at 3:44 Highlight the passage at 3:44

3:48 Addicted, homeless, Report an error in the passage at 3:48 Highlight the passage at 3:48

3:53 people we hear about who live in areas of war, drought, Report an error in the passage at 3:53 Highlight the passage at 3:53

4:03 and how hard it is to see this day after day, hear it day after day, and not be able to do something about it. Report an error in the passage at 4:03 Highlight the passage at 4:03

4:24 It's always good to remember that Shakyamuni Buddha started out exactly like us. Report an error in the passage at 4:24 Highlight the passage at 4:24

4:33 He had the same kind of mind that we have. He had delusions too. He had problems with laziness and patience, boredom, depression, anger. Report an error in the passage at 4:33 Highlight the passage at 4:33

4:53 But he looked around and he decided there had to be a way out of this suffering. Report an error in the passage at 4:53 Highlight the passage at 4:53

5:02 And he worked with his mind until he found it. Report an error in the passage at 5:02 Highlight the passage at 5:02

5:09 And eventually he began to teach exactly how to do it because he knew we could do it too. And Report an error in the passage at 5:09 Highlight the passage at 5:09

5:22 he taught that it just begins with this simple wish to take away the suffering of others and to bring them happiness. Report an error in the passage at 5:22 Highlight the passage at 5:22

5:39 So imagine that wish at your heart right now glowing like a white light. Report an error in the passage at 5:39 Highlight the passage at 5:39

5:50 Imagine it filling up first your heart and then your whole body. Report an error in the passage at 5:50 Highlight the passage at 5:50

5:59 It's like you're filled with love and compassion for all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 5:59 Highlight the passage at 5:59

6:17 And then after it fills you up completely, you can imagine it pouring out of every core of your body in all directions. It's like brilliant white light of love and compassion, your baby bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 6:17 Highlight the passage at 6:17

6:36 And imagine everything that it touches, it transforms. Report an error in the passage at 6:36 Highlight the passage at 6:36

6:46 Imagine it taking away some of that suffering that you just thought about. The suffering in your friends' lives, in your own life, in the lives of everyone around you, the lives of people you hear about. Report an error in the passage at 6:46 Highlight the passage at 6:46

7:08 Imagine it bringing them lasting happiness. Report an error in the passage at 7:08 Highlight the passage at 7:08

7:21 And just rest for a moment in this connection with all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 7:21 Highlight the passage at 7:21

7:33 The Buddha said it's possible for us. It's possible for us to do exactly what he did. Report an error in the passage at 7:33 Highlight the passage at 7:33

7:42 It's possible for us to perfect our minds. Report an error in the passage at 7:42 Highlight the passage at 7:42

7:59 And as this feeling begins to fade, then just find yourself sitting here in this class on your cushion or in your chair. Report an error in the passage at 7:59 Highlight the passage at 7:59

8:13 And try to feel real joy coming together in this class to learn how to develop a daily practice. Report an error in the passage at 8:13 Highlight the passage at 8:13

8:25 Something that's going to help us work with our mind on a regular basis. Something that's going to be the first wobbling steps to get us to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 8:25 Highlight the passage at 8:25

8:52 And then as your meditation begins to fade, you can open your eyes and we'll start with the opening prayers. Report an error in the passage at 8:52 Highlight the passage at 8:52

9:13 So you should have a white book in front of you. And we usually do the one on page 8, but I'm going to start with page 7 tonight. We're going to do refuge in bodhicitta, which should be in the bottom of the first column, page 7, number 3. It says refuge in generating bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 9:13 Highlight the passage at 9:13

9:39 Does everyone have a page seven? Report an error in the passage at 9:39 Highlight the passage at 9:39

9:46 Prayers before teachings. Do you have that one? That's right. No, that's okay. So on the bottom of that first column. Yeah, yeah. Keep be gassing, huh? All right, so we'll do it in English tonight, but we'll play with it. We'll do it sometimes in Tibetan. And right after that, we'll do the one on the following page, which is generating the mind of enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 9:46 Highlight the passage at 9:46

10:14 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma may become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 10:14 Highlight the passage at 10:14

10:37 May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By my merits from giving, oops, sorry, through listening to Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 10:37 Highlight the passage at 10:37

10:57 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha. Until I reach full enlightenment, inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 10:57 Highlight the passage at 10:57

11:27 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 11:27 Highlight the passage at 11:27

11:35 so this Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

11:39 is a class that I think it, okay. I'll start over. Hi. My name is Lobsang Chokyi. I'll talk a little bit about what to expect in this class tonight, along with some of the logistics of these Discovering Buddhism classes, the way that I present them. Report an error in the passage at 11:39 Highlight the passage at 11:39

12:04 But I had a conversation with Anne last night at Geshe-la's class, and she asked if this was the first class of the series, and I think sometimes it does. It doesn't sound that way. Establishing a daily practice sort of sounds like the beginning. It's actually smack dab in the middle. But that doesn't mean anything. Report an error in the passage at 12:04 Highlight the passage at 12:04

12:22 Please don't run. None of, you can take the Discovering Buddhism classes in any order and there's no prerequisites for any of the classes. And so what I'll do about halfway through is we'll do the normal thing where we kind of say who we are and what classes we've taken and things like that. So that way I'll... Report an error in the passage at 12:22 Highlight the passage at 12:22

12:44 First of all, I'll get a break and I won't have to talk during that part. But then secondly, I'll know where you're coming from and I'll know sort of how much you've had or how little. And so then I can tailor the class more for whoever's here. So don't worry about it. It's always all the Discovering Buddhism classes, I think, except. Report an error in the passage at 12:44 Highlight the passage at 12:44

13:08 When I teach the emptiness class and the tantra class, I ask for people to have had at least one discovery in Buddhism class. That's my own thing because I don't want to flip people out from the very beginning, so I usually ask them to have some background before they go straight for the top. Hey, Marcella. Report an error in the passage at 13:08 Highlight the passage at 13:08

13:32 And it's totally fine when people come in. So if you feel like you're running late for class, as you can notice, people do come in throughout. It's kind of like that and never feel, oh, it's too late, I can't go to class. You can come as late as 8 o 'clock and it's totally still, in fact, you can come at 8.30 and it's totally fine. I welcome you happily at any time that you can make it and I understand also if you have to leave early. Report an error in the passage at 13:32 Highlight the passage at 13:32

13:55 So we just want to be here for you. Report an error in the passage at 13:55 Highlight the passage at 13:55

14:00 So although this is the class, the eighth class of a 14 module program, which usually we try to offer, we try to start it over again like every two years. We've had quite a few interruptions because of the move, so it might be a little bit longer this time. But that's kind of the goal, depending on teacher availability, is that we try to We offer the Discovering Buddhism program kind of all the time so that if anybody is doing it for credit, which just means to get a certificate from the FPMT education office, which is kind of exciting when you get that in the mail. Report an error in the passage at 14:00 Highlight the passage at 14:00

14:38 Some people are working on that and that requires a little extra reading and a little extra integration practices and things like that. So we try to keep it going so that those people can finish it in a fair amount of time. Most people are not. You know, that being said, I think there's probably 5%. For a long time it was just one person, but I think we now have a few people that are working on it. Most people just come because they keep Thursdays open and they come to whatever class is on, Thursdays. Report an error in the passage at 14:38 Highlight the passage at 14:38

15:12 Or they like some key word in the title, you know, practice or death. Or meditation. So they just come. And there's no better reason. Some people just come because they're curious about Sechen Ling. So there's loads of good reasons to come and it doesn't matter if you're not doing the program. If people are interested in the program, I can also, you know, I'll sort of take a hand count. Report an error in the passage at 15:12 Highlight the passage at 15:12

15:42 Probably a few classes into it and if people are interested in hearing a little bit more about the program, I can meet with people outside of class or in class depending on interest. Report an error in the passage at 15:42 Highlight the passage at 15:42

15:53 But just to let you know that there is this program. It's a great program. I think it's really nicely organized and it's doable in that there's equal amounts, I think, of class time. Report an error in the passage at 15:53 Highlight the passage at 15:53

16:10 Meditation time, experience time. So it's a nice kind of a balanced program that presents you with all of the topics of the lamrim, which we'll talk about what that means too. Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

16:21 So this class meets Thursday nights for six weeks, and then we have what's called a practice day. Has everyone failed? Oh, Marcella needs it, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 16:21 Highlight the passage at 16:21

16:38 There's a practice day at the end. Which for us will be March 2nd. I understand that's a Saturday. I understand that some people can never come on Saturdays. Like they work on Saturdays or they have their kid on Saturdays or whatever it is. And that's totally understandable. That's fine. Or maybe some people already have something planned and can only come to the morning or the afternoon. Report an error in the passage at 16:38 Highlight the passage at 16:38

17:02 Totally fine to do that. But it's a really lovely little kind of mini retreat. That we do at the end of the class where we allow time for meditation and discussion and it kind of is a nice closure. So I like to announce it at the very beginning so that people can mark their calendars now and it's not some big surprise at the end. It will be a big surprise to somebody, I can guarantee you. Report an error in the passage at 17:02 Highlight the passage at 17:02

17:25 It always is. It's just like March 2nd. I never heard this. So I try to announce it when the class is first announced. I put it on the website. I announce it on the first night. Report an error in the passage at 17:25 Highlight the passage at 17:25

17:36 And then I announce it again as we get closer to it to give you an idea of what to expect. We also eat lunch together and things like that. So it's a really nice day. So if you can come, it is a great part of the class. I'm also going to offer a class tentatively scheduled for the 16th of February. That's called Getting Started Basic Buddhist Rituals. Report an error in the passage at 17:36 Highlight the passage at 17:36

18:02 And it contains all the things that I have found that students really want to know that wasn't part of this class. So the other times that I've taught this class, it's like people are like, but aren't you going to talk about how to set up an altar? Aren't you going to talk about how to do water bowls? Aren't you going to talk about how to do prostrations? Things like that. And so I put it all into like a little Saturday morning workshop and we'll do that on the 16th. Report an error in the passage at 18:02 Highlight the passage at 18:02

18:29 I have put it out to the directors, and so far it hasn't been okay, so it's either going to be just our class, because I have okay with that, or if it gets okay, then it might also be other people who just can do that day. So that's probably what it will be. And it's kind of, it's a fun class. It's a lot of hands-on. I call it a practicum, you know, because it's kind of all this stuff that you can't. Report an error in the passage at 18:29 Highlight the passage at 18:29

18:55 You can't find anywhere. It's not like book learning. We all get to get up and do our little water bowls together and all that stuff. So it's a fun class. Report an error in the passage at 18:55 Highlight the passage at 18:55

19:05 So I'll let you know more about that as it gets closer. But that's the 16th Saturday morning. Report an error in the passage at 19:05 Highlight the passage at 19:05

19:14 Some of you, as I'm recognizing and saying hi as I'm going around the room with my eyes, some of you know my format. I usually start out presenting material. Well, I always start with a meditation, often end with a meditation as well. Part of my reason for doing that is because I know what our lives are like. Report an error in the passage at 19:14 Highlight the passage at 19:14

19:36 And so even though I do give homework, most of the homework is actually, there's reading, there's some reading homework, but there's Meditation homework. I know that many people just never get to it. And so in order to allow somebody to have some experience in meditation, then they can get it in class. Report an error in the passage at 19:36 Highlight the passage at 19:36

19:55 I think it never hurts us to have time to meditate together. The morning. The first meditation is mostly just to allow ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 19:55 Highlight the passage at 19:55

20:05 To arrive, you know, from our busy days in our lives. And so I always like to start with just a sort of simple one to help us set our motivation. And then often I'll end with something that's a little bit more extensive and has to do more with what we've talked about in class. It may even be what your homework assignment is. And so that way at least you'll get that experience, even if you never look at your homework and you just kind of go into your life the way I go into my life. Report an error in the passage at 20:05 Highlight the passage at 20:05

20:33 So you never even pick it up. But I do give, so that's the next point. I do give homework. And the reason I give homework is because we're Westerners. We're used to homework. We go to class, we get homework. And I have found that even with Buddhist classes, it's like a really good way of getting it in. Report an error in the passage at 20:33 Highlight the passage at 20:33

20:52 As Tenzin Chokyi always says, getting it from the neck down. Because we often are just in our heads, right? We listen to Geshe-la and then we just go out and it never kind of goes into our heart. So homework really helps us to do that. So there'll be a little bit of reading, not much, I don't think, for this class. Report an error in the passage at 20:52 Highlight the passage at 20:52

21:14 And there'll always be a meditation assignment. Sometimes there's a contemplation assignment, which can just be in your car or on the bus. While you're walking, you kind of think about something. Don't stress on it. Don't think, I have to give seven hours a week for this class. It's not like that. It's just a little something to kind of make it go in a little deeper. If you never do the homework and you just show it for the class, that's totally fine. Report an error in the passage at 21:14 Highlight the passage at 21:14

21:40 You'll get a lot out of it. In fact, I would say if it comes down to a choice, just come to the class because you'll get energy from the other people in the class and they'll talk about what's going on and how they're relating it. And so I always get a lot of energy from the class itself. So just show up, even if you've never... Report an error in the passage at 21:40 Highlight the passage at 21:40

21:59 If you've looked at your notes and you've never even taken notes and you've never read anything, that's totally fine. Just show up. You'll still get a lot out of it. But if you have time, even a few minutes a day, to try to do a little bit of the homework will help it go in more. Report an error in the passage at 21:59 Highlight the passage at 21:59

22:17 When I first started in Buddhism, I had a Western teacher who gave homework like this. That was really how I began to develop a daily practice. so the homework is I Report an error in the passage at 22:17 Highlight the passage at 22:17

22:29 I think it's useful. It's sort of like when I get a homework assignment, I do it. I was a good little student, right? So I got my little homework assignment, and he actually had us time it, which I don't, I think I just, I'm really general. I'm just like, just take five, ten minutes. You know, but he was like, you had to write in every day. Report an error in the passage at 22:29 Highlight the passage at 22:29

22:47 For your seven days, when you did it and how long you did it for. So everybody had all their little times all over it and everything. But it sort of forced you to do it, right? I mean, you could just say, forget it, I don't want to do any of it. But for most of us, we were writing it down and trying to do it. And it started to carve out a little bit of a daily practice. Report an error in the passage at 22:47 Highlight the passage at 22:47

23:08 And then you begin to realize what a daily practice is and isn't. So we'll talk about... Because I think people have preconceptions about daily practice. Like that practice is always just the formal meditation. So if you're not doing that, then you're horrible, right? Because you're not doing a daily practice. Daily practice is a lot what happens in the field. Report an error in the passage at 23:08 Highlight the passage at 23:08

23:34 You know, I would say it's 90%. Now if your formal sitting practice is really good, how you do in the field would probably be good, you know. Report an error in the passage at 23:34 Highlight the passage at 23:34

23:44 If your formal practice is brilliant and you have this horrible reaction when you get really bad news, for example, lose your job, you know, get cancer, lose a loved one suddenly, you know, like all the hard things that happen in our daily lives. If our sitting practice, our formal practice and how we've taken in to our heart. Report an error in the passage at 23:44 Highlight the passage at 23:44

24:12 The teachings of the Buddha is good, is strong, then all that other stuff we can deal with. Otherwise, if we're just sort of running blind, it's going to be hard when the hard stuff hits. And the hard stuff will hit. I mean, it'll hit. At some point or another, it'll hit. And so sort of the more prepared you are, the better. And all Dharma practice really is. Report an error in the passage at 24:12 Highlight the passage at 24:12

24:37 I mean, Venom Rovina calls it, practice is just changing your mind. I think that's what she said. Practice is just changing her mind. And I'll quote her a lot because actually I really love some of the ways she puts things. But it's really just, it's kind of like working with your mind as though your mind were a garden. Report an error in the passage at 24:37 Highlight the passage at 24:37

24:56 And so some of the things we do in gardens are really quite formal and, you know, like turning the soil and trimming back the plants and all that stuff. And some of it's kind of like... You're just noticing a weed here and there as you're walking by. And that's a lot like what life is like, you know. You catch those weeds when you least expect them. Report an error in the passage at 24:56 Highlight the passage at 24:56

25:18 So we're going to get ready to do those weeds. But really, if we have sort of a lot of tools in our toolbox when those things hit, then we'll know what to do. And if we don't, that's a teaching too, right? If we really, really lose it and screw up, then... We can learn a lot from that, too. So this class will sort of help you on both fronts, the formal and the informal. Report an error in the passage at 25:18 Highlight the passage at 25:18

25:47 I'm wondering if we could turn the heat down now. It's starting to feel like it says it's 72. Report an error in the passage at 25:47 Highlight the passage at 25:47

25:57 They'll come in on Sunday morning and we're all just curled. That's warmer than we said it. Right, I know. It's like... Report an error in the passage at 25:57 Highlight the passage at 25:57

26:10 That's right. If anyone gets cold, we'll just raise a hand or something. Yeah, that's okay. Okay, so I think I said all of these things. Report an error in the passage at 26:10 Highlight the passage at 26:10

26:28 Most, I'm not going to even say anything like that. I'll say a little bit about me. I took refuge 17 years ago in 96, right? So that's 17, I think. Report an error in the passage at 26:28 Highlight the passage at 26:28

26:44 and um... And that's kind of when I consider, I mean, although, you know, like most people, I read quite a bit about Buddhism and, you know, even probably did some retreats and things like that. Not retreats, retreats, but like little weekend retreats or something like that. Classes and so forth. I remember I did actually my very first class I did at Se Chin Ling when it was still in Carol's living room over on, in Noe Valley. Report an error in the passage at 26:44 Highlight the passage at 26:44

27:14 And it was called Tibetan Buddhism from the ground up, and it was with John Lando. So that was my very first class. But I consider when I took refuge when I really started to engage, because it was sort of like when I took refuge, that's when I jumped into the pool. Like up until then, I was still walking around the pool. I walked around, maybe a toe in here and there, but I walked around, and then finally I took refuge, and then I just like dived in. Report an error in the passage at 27:14 Highlight the passage at 27:14

27:40 And it's true, I really did dive in. But the first teachings that I received were all lamrim. And lamrim just means in Tibetan stages of the path. So it's like a gradual path to enlightenment. Lam is path and rim is like graduated steps. Kind of like nice steps, not like some of the scary ones in North Beach. Report an error in the passage at 27:40 Highlight the passage at 27:40

28:06 It's just gradual. and so most They're based on all of the sūtra teachings that the Buddha taught. So basically all of the teachings that he gave about past and future lives, karma and how it works, how this is a precious human life, what a precious human life really is. Impermanence and death and so forth. So all those basic teachings. Lama Atisha came to Tibet around 1100 actually. Report an error in the passage at 28:06 Highlight the passage at 28:06

28:55 He was invited to Tibet and he took those teachings and organized them as meditations basically. that you med - oh, thank God. Report an error in the passage at 28:55 Highlight the passage at 28:55

29:09 I don't know how well I did with that. I'm going to have to look at that in my practice tonight. So he basically took all the sūtra teachings and he organized them sort of like an outline for his Tibetan students. And I think in a lot of ways our minds are very similar to the Tibetans. And I know personally for me when I first met the Dharma and I received these teachings, The fact that it was so methodical like that, like you meditate on this for a while and then you move on and you meditate on this for a while and then you meditate on this and that gradually it begins to affect your mind. Report an error in the passage at 29:09 Highlight the passage at 29:09

29:46 That really resonated with me. I was like, oh, that's really cool. I was raised as a Christian and there are many, many great qualities within Christian teachers and of course Christ himself and the saints and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 29:46 Highlight the passage at 29:46

30:03 But not sort of this methodology to become like them. And I really liked that. I was like, okay, this works really great. And I found that, you know, that I was actually seeing some change in my mind, even just working with it on a daily basis. But I think the most profound effect came when I was... I'm meditating on it in retreat, so we'll talk a little bit about what retreat is as the class goes on, like in the final classes. Because retreat, even tiny, even short day-long retreats or weekend-long retreats, week-long retreats as you can do it and so forth, allows you much less distracted time to try to go deeper with this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 30:03 Highlight the passage at 30:03

30:51 And we set the groundwork for it by how we do our daily practice. So actually sitting on a regular basis, even just for a few minutes and thinking about this stuff, allows you at some point to be able to go deeper with it and retreat and that's vital. That's actually where I think I've seen the most profound changes in my life. Report an error in the passage at 30:51 Highlight the passage at 30:51

31:17 Even in somewhat short retreats of a month or something like that. Don't freak out and think, I can't go away for a month. You build up to it. That's not a homework assignment. But I'm just telling you a little bit about my personal background. so don't be like it's Report an error in the passage at 31:17 Highlight the passage at 31:17

31:36 I can study a little bit in classes, and I did for a while, for a number of years, I studied quite extensively with various teachers, including Geshe-la at this center and did the basic program with him. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who's my main teacher, who's the spiritual director of this center and the whole FPMT organization. A number of other teachers, especially for the Lamrim, Riba Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 31:36 Highlight the passage at 31:36

32:04 Who has since passed away, Venerubina and so forth. And so you can take in those teachings, but it's when you start to work with them and make them yours, you know, that's when it becomes more juicy, I think. Up until that point, it's sort of like, it's interesting. It can be very fascinating. It can even be exciting. Report an error in the passage at 32:04 Highlight the passage at 32:04

32:35 But it's not yours yet. It becomes yours when you really start working with it in meditation. And that deeper work in meditation happens in retreat. My throat's dry, so it's the 72 degree. Which is great that that heater works so well, because when we first got in, it was probably 62. Report an error in the passage at 32:35 Highlight the passage at 32:35

33:00 All right. It's really important. Report an error in the passage at 33:00 Highlight the passage at 33:00

33:09 To do that work with the teachings in some way at some point, because otherwise it's taught that we can, not only can we not gain realizations, and I'll talk about what I mean by that word. When I say realizations, and there's not a general agreement about this, this is sort of my own take on it. When I say insight, that's like one of those aha moments where you're meditating on something and you're like, Oh wow, that's what compassion means, or that's what death is, or whatever. You just kind of get this, but then two seconds later you're eating a sandwich or something. Report an error in the passage at 33:09 Highlight the passage at 33:09

33:50 You forget it. It doesn't stay in your mind. It doesn't really transform your life. A realization transforms your mind and your life. It's kind of irreversible, or at least it's hard to reverse. That's in my sense. That's my use of the term. Report an error in the passage at 33:50 Highlight the passage at 33:50

34:07 So we're trying to gain realizations in these teachings that the Buddha taught because we want to remove suffering, right? Our own, first of all, even if we haven't gotten to the point where we want to remove yours, you know. We want to remove our own suffering, so we need some tools to do that. And then eventually it would be really great to be able to help the people in our lives who are suffering, right? And suffering in all those little ways. It doesn't have to be suffering on the street. Report an error in the passage at 34:07 Highlight the passage at 34:07

34:34 It could just be... The pain of losing a loved one or the pain of being really ill or the pain of whatever, broken bone or loss of job or struggling with any kind of addiction or anything like that. Report an error in the passage at 34:34 Highlight the passage at 34:34

34:53 So if we can do what the Buddha did, then... We can remove suffering and we can, starting with our own, and we'll have then the tools to show other people how to. And that begins with gaining realizations in these teachings on the Lamrim. And we do that in retreat. And we do that in meditation. And we start that with a daily practice. So that's what we're doing here in this course, is sort of setting the groundwork so that we can gain the kind of realization so that we can... Report an error in the passage at 34:53 Highlight the passage at 34:53

35:28 Help others. You know, I mean, that's really what it's all about. Beginning with ourself. So they say that if we just keep sort of collecting teachings, that we can actually harden our hearts so that we can't gain those realizations. And I find that very interesting. And I don't think it was probably as much of a problem in the old days. You know, it was probably very hard. Report an error in the passage at 35:28 Highlight the passage at 35:28

35:53 To get to teachings, unless you were a monk in a monastery, it was kind of hard to get to a lot of teachings, although in Tibet there were a lot of accomplished masters teachings, so that was great. But still, it's not like you could tape it or record it and listen to it over and over the way we do. We kind of, in the car, we'll listen to the same teaching over and over, or look at our notes. Report an error in the passage at 35:53 Highlight the passage at 35:53

36:17 A lot of them were actually illiterate, so they couldn't even take notes. They just had to remember. Oh, it just mortifies me. My memory is so horrible. But we can take notes. I mean, you know, I bring my computer to class from Geshe-Lis teaching or any of the Lamas. I don't want to lose it. So I take down every word. And then I review those notes. I bring those notes with me into retreat. I look at them. Again, it's not like they go on a shelf somewhere. Report an error in the passage at 36:17 Highlight the passage at 36:17

36:46 So the hazard of doing that is... The fact that they say that if we don't take those teachings and actually work with them in some way, contemplate them, think about them, and then meditate on them, then we can actually harden our heart against them in some way. And so they say that an insensitivity to the Dharma, which is what they say can happen in that case, is when you hear of a certain teaching and you think, oh, I've heard that one before. Report an error in the passage at 36:46 Highlight the passage at 36:46

37:21 I don't need that one. That's really too simple for me. I'm more advanced than that. You kind of have this a little hardness, a little bit, a little resistance. And that can happen, and I've definitely heard students say things like that. You know, it's sort of like, why do we always have Chodron Rinpoche teach the three principle paths? Report an error in the passage at 37:21 Highlight the passage at 37:21

37:41 Or, have you realized it yet? You know, why do we have these great Lamas, including Geshe-la, teach these texts over and over? Well... You know, we need to hear them and we need to actually realize them. And they never get impatient with us. They just present them over and over. And we'll ask the same questions, right, year after year. Even the same people. The same people raise their hand and say the same. And they just answer it really nicely, you know. Report an error in the passage at 37:41 Highlight the passage at 37:41

38:12 And it's not for their benefit. It's for our benefit. So, I mean, a hardness of the heart can keep us then from even attending. A class, right? That one just sounds too simple for me. I think I'm going to wait until something more juicy comes along. I do that, right? Report an error in the passage at 38:12 Highlight the passage at 38:12

38:31 But they say that if we hear a teaching that we've heard before and if it means anything, it's sort of we've integrated a little bit, we might actually get sort of a little, sort of like goosebumps or even tears come to our eyes. Kind of like... Um... Report an error in the passage at 38:31 Highlight the passage at 38:31

38:51 Or like a warm feeling, like you've just heard your favorite song. So you can hear your favorite song, right, over and over. You never get tired of your favorite song. Or at least your favorite song in the moment. And this is like that. So like if Geshe-la is talking about something and you've heard him describe this. Report an error in the passage at 38:51 Highlight the passage at 38:51

39:10 Three or four times. There's just one point when Geshe-la is leading a sulk, which is a certain kind of ritual, a certain puja that he does twice a month. And he does this one mudrā. And Pamo and I always look at each other because we just love watching him do this. And it's just a certain way that he does it. Report an error in the passage at 39:10 Highlight the passage at 39:10

39:28 And he kind of does it with this flourish. And we both just look at it and then we look at each other and we're just kind of like, oh, I love that. It's like our favorite part. Report an error in the passage at 39:28 Highlight the passage at 39:28

39:35 And it's kind of like that. It's kind of like that with these teachings, that if you hear them again and they've meant anything to you, then it'll feel good. And that's actually a sign that you've been doing something with them, that it's kind of going deeper into your heart. But if you're still kind of blaming everyone around you for your problems, or you're still, you know, separating yourself from others, Report an error in the passage at 39:35 Highlight the passage at 39:35

40:07 You know, lashing out at people when they yell at you and things like that. That's some sort of indication that you're not quite getting the Dharma. Because the Dharma should be helping us in our daily lives understand especially that we have to work on our own minds. So the problems that we are experiencing are based in our own mind. Report an error in the passage at 40:07 Highlight the passage at 40:07

40:30 And so if we're still kind of looking outside of us and blaming everyone around us. For whatever negative is happening, or even thinking that everyone around us is going to make us happy too. I mean the opposite, the flip. That's indicating that there's still this sort of gap between the Dharma and our mind. And the goal of practice and the goal of the Buddhist teachings is to close that gap. Report an error in the passage at 40:30 Highlight the passage at 40:30

40:56 Like gradually, over many, many years, and the Buddha would say many, many lifetimes as well, to keep working with these teachings until there's no separation between your mind and the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 40:56 Highlight the passage at 40:56

41:10 And that takes time. I mean, it takes a lot of time. So we have to keep studying them and keep studying them and keep hearing them and then thinking about them and then meditating on them. And so that's one. One thing that we're going to talk about in this class is how to meditate on the lamrim and what that looks like and what that feels like and how long we do it, you know, and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 41:10 Highlight the passage at 41:10

41:36 So the Buddha taught that dharma, you'll hear this word dharma tossed around a lot. Dharma is a Sanskrit word and it literally just means truth. but it, it's. It's taught that this is what holds us back from suffering. So Dharma and Buddhist teachings kind of would be synonymous here, but it's the Buddhist teachings especially that keep us from suffering. Report an error in the passage at 41:36 Highlight the passage at 41:36

42:05 You know, it's holding us back from the suffering that not following the Dharma has given us over many lifetimes. The main Dharma, often you'll hear... This term Dharma really getting down to, when we talk about the three jewels, taking refuge in the three jewels, the middle jewel is the Dharma jewel and that's the actual refuge. Report an error in the passage at 42:05 Highlight the passage at 42:05

42:33 Geshe-Lo was just talking about this the other night. That's the actual realizations within our minds and especially having this direct perception of emptiness or this direct perception of the nature of reality, which is often taught as wisdom. That's the actual Dharma. And so in some ways all of the other teachings sort of lead us to that goal, lead us to that realization of that goal. Report an error in the passage at 42:33 Highlight the passage at 42:33

43:04 But Dharma as a general term is just talking about all the Buddhist teachings, all the teachings that the Buddha has ever given. So the goal of Buddhism is to get us enlightened. Not because it's a really groovy place to be, not because it would be really neat to have a billion arms or to be made of light, but because it is the absolute best method for us to be able to help all living beings also become happy and not suffer. Report an error in the passage at 43:04 Highlight the passage at 43:04

43:34 I mean, that's the main reason that we do it. It's sort of the capacity, it's the most effective tool. It allows us to have the capacity to help others in ways we can't even imagine now. It's like way beyond our imagining. Report an error in the passage at 43:34 Highlight the passage at 43:34

43:51 So if we don't make some... If we create some sort of a daily practice then we risk this insensitivity to the Dharma of just collecting more and more teachings at this sort of academic or intellectual level and we risk ever being able to have that deep experience with these teachings that allow us to get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 43:51 Highlight the passage at 43:51

44:19 You know, so... When I read that, I was actually quite, I was like, wow, that's really scary that we could do that. Because I know of a lot of people who do listen and listen and listen and listen to the same teachings over and over, but they never take it to that next step. They never really think about it in terms of their own lives. They're just listening. It's almost like an addiction, I think. I would say probably it's a better addiction than most. Report an error in the passage at 44:19 Highlight the passage at 44:19

44:50 But unless you're thinking about it while you're listening and really grappling with it, and unless it comes back to help you at some point when you're facing some sort of difficulty, it can harden your heart. So be careful with that. If it is coming back to help you when you get bad news or stuff changes or the big stuff hits, however you want to phrase that. Report an error in the passage at 44:50 Highlight the passage at 44:50

45:17 Then it's working. Then you're thinking about it. And then it's okay. So I think it depends on the person. Bhavanka Rinpoche, I'm going to read you a quote from this section, How to Meditate on the Stages of Enlightenment, that's within his commentary on the lamrim. It says, once you're overcome by insensitivity to Dharma, your mind stream becomes ruined and you're incapable of being tamed, even by the lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 45:17 Highlight the passage at 45:17

45:47 or the blessed words of your guru, so apply yourself to the profound method for avoiding insensitivity to dharma. This is achieved through the blessings of your guru's speech, along with your own efforts to listen to dharma properly. So however much understanding you gain through hearing dharma, it's vital to generate soon afterwards the understanding which comes from reflection. Report an error in the passage at 45:47 Highlight the passage at 45:47

46:11 So it's like taking it below the neck. I mean that's really what he's talking about. Report an error in the passage at 46:11 Highlight the passage at 46:11

46:20 And Lama Zopa Rinpoche said, the lamrim is our last chance. The lamrim is the quintessential heart instructions that come through the lineage of the teachings of the Buddha. It's the most practical instructions that the Buddha gave in terms of how to actually transform our minds in the path. So if we can't move our minds with the lamrim, it's doubtful that there are other teachings that will do the trick. Report an error in the passage at 46:20 Highlight the passage at 46:20

46:46 And also there is a Tibetan analogy. They do this thing where when they work with leather and try to soften it, they use butter. They use butter for everything. They use it in their butter lamps. But they also use it to soften leather. And so they say that if you work it in... Okay, so they also use leather to carry butter. Report an error in the passage at 46:46 Highlight the passage at 46:46

47:17 And if the butter is just sitting inside of it, then it actually becomes as hard as a rock. But if you are slowly working it into the leather over time, then the leather becomes malleable and serviceable. And so it's very much the same way with how we work with the Dharma that we've received. Does our mind become more flexible or less flexible? Does it become softer and sweeter, basically, or does it become harder? Report an error in the passage at 47:17 Highlight the passage at 47:17

47:47 And so that's one thing that we have to constantly sort of check in with ourselves. So this class was created to be sort of like where the rubber meets the road. Report an error in the passage at 47:47 Highlight the passage at 47:47

47:58 Whatever you've learned so far in your Dharma classes, or even if that's very little, if you're just starting out in the Dharma, or whether you've been taking classes for a while, this is the class that tries to help you figure out how you can integrate them into a regular practice, both a formal practice, but then also just as you're living your life. Report an error in the passage at 47:58 Highlight the passage at 47:58

48:21 Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a lot of Practices that will go into where you're doing whatever, it's almost overwhelming, but whatever you're doing can become a Dharma practice. So lifting a cup can become a Dharma practice with Rinpoche. Opening a door can become a Dharma practice. So actually there are a lot of ways to make even the most mundane activities be ways of training your mind. Report an error in the passage at 48:21 Highlight the passage at 48:21

48:50 And that's really all the Dharma practice is. So let's go around the room, actually, and talk. I started. But just to take a few minutes. Report an error in the passage at 48:50 Highlight the passage at 48:50

49:08 Just say something about, say your name, and we'll probably have to keep asking ourselves our names. But just to say your name and maybe if you've, you know, a little something about whether or not you've taken classes before here or elsewhere. And if you have a feeling of what you'd like to get out of the class. So it doesn't have to be profound. You knew I would. It's a key spot. Report an error in the passage at 49:08 Highlight the passage at 49:08

49:40 Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, that's fine. I mean, if anybody has something private to say, they can always turn it off, right? I'll go like this. So this is a handheld mic. If it ever goes off, you know, push it on. It was on, I think, and it just, yeah, there it goes. Yeah, I think Lisa's starting. Report an error in the passage at 49:40 Highlight the passage at 49:40

50:04 So it goes on the bottom, you just push it. And it is nice. The reason that we record everything... It doesn't have to be. I know people who are afraid to say anything because it's not profound enough. That's not it. You're not going to be tested on what's recorded. But it's quite helpful if somebody misses the class. Report an error in the passage at 50:04 Highlight the passage at 50:04

50:20 We record it and we upload it to a website. And then people can download it. So if you ever miss a class, you can actually hear what happened. And if you miss the questions, the student questions or comments, it can be kind of frustrating. So that's why we ask for you to wait for the mic when you're going to make a comment or something like that. My name is Lisa. Report an error in the passage at 50:20 Highlight the passage at 50:20

50:41 I've been coming to, say, Chenwen, I guess, a year and a half now, but it was on Webster Street. I lucked out that when I started, I just happened to kind of stumble upon it, and it was the first class of the desk. That's great. Perfect time. Karma takes care. Right on schedule. I'm happy to be back for our classes. Just kind of looking, I like the idea that, I mean, I kind of have a hit and miss practice right now. Report an error in the passage at 50:41 Highlight the passage at 50:41

51:06 It'll be nice to get something more formal. And I like the idea of the... the Getting Started Day 2. Oh, excellent. It is fun. Report an error in the passage at 51:06 Highlight the passage at 51:06

51:19 is Marilyn Kirkpatrick, and I took the Karma class last year. And I've been studying for a number of years. Report an error in the passage at 51:19 Highlight the passage at 51:19

51:33 Excellent, good, welcome. My name is Marcella, I'm coming to St. Timeling for a little while, trying to give the opportunity to learn a little bit more and maybe practice. It's a miracle that I'm here. I have a year or so, and it's hard for me to find a babysitter. Report an error in the passage at 51:33 Highlight the passage at 51:33

51:58 I'm so happy to be here. It's okay if you bring him, too, if you'd like. I mean, you know, he's Daniel's pretty good. Hi, Report an error in the passage at 51:58 Highlight the passage at 51:58

52:12 I'm Paul, and this is my first class of the Tsai Chen Ling. Yes. Report an error in the passage at 52:12 Highlight the passage at 52:12

52:16 And I saw Venerable Rubina Horton last week. And you emailed me, right? Yes. And so many things that she said resonated with me and the way she spoke is really impactful. Sorry I won't be quite that energetic. So I've been inspired and raised in the Seychelles Ling before. Yes, yeah, yeah. Excellent. Report an error in the passage at 52:16 Highlight the passage at 52:16

52:40 Hi, I'm Ray and I've taken a few classes here at Seychelles Ling. I haven't taken a class. Yeah, yeah. So I just wanted to get back into thinking about bodhicitta. So it was the right opportunity. Excellent. And you were at Venomobina's talk. Really? Yeah, yeah. I saw you there. I'm Terry. I've taken a couple of classes, Report an error in the passage at 52:40 Highlight the passage at 52:40

53:08 almost two years doing this, but sort of off and on. And I'm just glad to be here. I'm glad that we're back doing the classes. I really like what you said about having sort of a mythology. That's what has really resonated with me, particularly in this PMT, is that, oh, okay, there's like a whole way to do this. Report an error in the passage at 53:08 Highlight the passage at 53:08

53:36 Because if I just jumped in, I would be so overwhelmed. In fact, I know a Methodist minister who went to Bhutan. And, you know, she's very, you know, she's been to theology school and that is the most complex religion she said that I've ever encountered. Report an error in the passage at 53:36 Highlight the passage at 53:36

53:58 So I really take that with heart and so I'm just, you know, really glad to have this. Excellent. It's nice to see you again. Report an error in the passage at 53:58 Highlight the passage at 53:58

54:09 My name is Jage and I just took the karma class and... I'm trying to get in Sunday, see Geshe-la, and just sort of recent for me, and it's actually a 10-year break. I started with Seichenling with you, the first person I ever met at Seichenling at Glen Park, and I'm really excited. At this point, I feel a lot more strength insofar as my practice, and I'm trying to hopefully get a daily practice going, so this class comes at a perfect time. Report an error in the passage at 54:09 Highlight the passage at 54:09

54:42 Excellent. Report an error in the passage at 54:42 Highlight the passage at 54:42

54:45 My name is Laura, and I'm kind of a lazy practitioner, and I think in large part it's because I don't know how to get started, so this is the perfect opportunity, as long as they've given me some practices to do, and I just don't know how to even do that. So I'm really needing to get on that. Report an error in the passage at 54:45 Highlight the passage at 54:45

55:11 Hello, I'm John. I've been... All right, that's great. Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:16 Over three years, like three and a half years or so. And I've taken a bunch of classes. Report an error in the passage at 55:16 Highlight the passage at 55:16

55:30 So I think for myself, I have some knowledge up here. And whereas I go and try and contemplate it throughout the day, I actually go and contemplate it. Report an error in the passage at 55:30 Highlight the passage at 55:30

55:52 So I don't really have a real formal meditation practice. So I think that would be one of them for sure. So that's why I kick Report an error in the passage at 55:52 Highlight the passage at 55:52

56:12 it off. That's right. That's why it's offered in January. Report an error in the passage at 56:12 Highlight the passage at 56:12

56:20 John used to live at the center too. He's one of our residents. I'm Tammy. I took my first class a year ago, and then I just took Lama. Report an error in the passage at 56:20 Highlight the passage at 56:20

56:35 And yeah, I'm also excited about integrating. And I like the idea of formal but also of so much of my life is on the go and kind of thinking about how to integrate it. Right, right. Good. Nice to see you back. My name is Anne. And I've been coming to the center for a couple years, just a little over a couple years. I love these blocks. I totally do. Report an error in the passage at 56:35 Highlight the passage at 56:35

57:07 And I was like, I don't like homework, but they totally change your mind. Report an error in the passage at 57:07 Highlight the passage at 57:07

57:16 So yeah, I'm Report an error in the passage at 57:16 Highlight the passage at 57:16

57:24 excited about this because I've been in the last few months kind of coming into my own rhythm of my own kind of of time for meditation and things, it's been really wonderful to have that kind of recording space, regularly. Report an error in the passage at 57:24 Highlight the passage at 57:24

57:48 it's like totally on my own. I don't know, so it would be cool to about daily practice, and inspired by everyone. Report an error in the passage at 57:48 Highlight the passage at 57:48

58:04 Yeah, I was really happy when you said you were going to be coming to the class, at least when you can. So that's good, yeah. My Report an error in the passage at 58:04 Highlight the passage at 58:04

58:17 name is Paolo and I've been doing classes at Tsai Chen Ling for a while. I really enjoy kind of sitting in and listening and getting inspired all over again from very basic classes all the way through all of the teachings because I found in my own practice that Even though I go through this lamrim that Chokyi was mentioning, the steps, when you get to a certain point, you feel like you have to start all over again. Report an error in the passage at 58:17 Highlight the passage at 58:17

58:52 And so it never hurts for me to start at the very beginning as a new student and start again. So I'm really thrilled to be with all of you. At some point, Palma is going to start teaching too, so she sits in on these classes and tries to figure out how she'd put it too. so um and yeah she And Pa Moha does have a lot of experience both in Buddhism but also at Tse Chin Ling, so if people have questions about the center, he's also a good person. Report an error in the passage at 58:52 Highlight the passage at 58:52

59:21 And we might also have at some point either of the two co-directors, Teresa or Carol might sit in, so I'll introduce them when they come and they're also good people to ask about the center. Report an error in the passage at 59:21 Highlight the passage at 59:21

59:33 So why don't we take a quick break? What about like a, just a five. Five, ten minute break. People need to go to the restroom. It's through the kitchen. There's also hot water in the back. And we kind of get to know each other, meet each other a little bit. Meet somebody you haven't ever met before. You can walk up to somebody and say, hi. Report an error in the passage at 59:33 Highlight the passage at 59:33

59:55 Yeah. That's your first homework. And did everyone fill out that roster that was going around? Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 59:55 Highlight the passage at 59:55

1:00:18 Oh, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:18 Highlight the passage at 1:00:18

1:00:38 No puns. the good with hot water. Actually, you could the water. Oh, I think she's gonna put out water. I could, you could top it off. Yeah, you can spritz it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:38 Highlight the passage at 1:00:38

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:01:35 It's Report an error in the passage at 1:01:35 Highlight the passage at 1:01:35

1:02:02 empty. I think she's filling it. She's heating it with the electric kettle. I can hear. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:02 Highlight the passage at 1:02:02

1:02:16 From after tonight, we're going to have Jenna, who's going to be our Thursday night volunteer so she can refill it during class. So when it's time for the break, we get to have more hot liquids. It's all right. You have other roles. I wanted to mention, too, I forgot to mention, and I'll mention again when those guys come back. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:16 Highlight the passage at 1:02:16

1:02:40 There are calendars back there for sale, Liberation Prison Project calendars that have different Dharma dates if people are interested. We have quite a few of them. If people would like to buy them, just talk to Lama, right? 13, including tax? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:40 Highlight the passage at 1:02:40

1:03:11 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:11 Highlight the passage at 1:03:11

1:03:16 Yeah, yeah. No, it does have great quotes too, yeah. That's right. That's right, that's exciting. Actually, there's a number of really good ones. This one's nice because it's kind of in the art format. Rigpa has a nice astrological calendar, too, but it usually begins on Losar, I think, and I think there's one from South India that does the same. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:16 Highlight the passage at 1:03:16

1:03:44 They all start on Losar because that's sort of the beginning of the Tibetan year, whereas this one, they know that we actually start in January for whatever. our strange arbitrary reasoning is. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:44 Highlight the passage at 1:03:44

1:04:10 keep reaching for my water. It's wandered away. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:10 Highlight the passage at 1:04:10

1:04:42 What are you looking for? Oh, oh, no, that's Thank goodness we have an electric kettle. What would we do if we couldn't have hot drinks? Shocking. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:42 Highlight the passage at 1:04:42

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:06:27 A little ding-ding bell. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:27 Highlight the passage at 1:06:27

1:06:33 I have no idea where the little ding-ding bell went to. I know it moved. I know it got moved here because I had it during something. Oh, I think it must have been Medicine Buddha Puja or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:33 Highlight the passage at 1:06:33

1:06:48 I think John has my cup. Okay. Do you know where the little bell is that usually isn't kicking around? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:48 Highlight the passage at 1:06:48

1:07:02 That's all right. I'll just... We can have you play your time from your phone. I think we're done with the 10 minutes action. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:02 Highlight the passage at 1:07:02

1:07:26 There's hot water going around if people want to top off. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:26 Highlight the passage at 1:07:26

1:07:33 It's lovely, actually. I love hot water. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:07:48 Okay, I think we're going to... Start again if people have taken enough of a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:48 Highlight the passage at 1:07:48

1:08:17 Yeah, you'll notice there's little Snick Snacks back there too. I know, it's exciting. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:17 Highlight the passage at 1:08:17

1:08:29 Oh, just go for it. Come on, you know you want it. I meant to mention, actually, there was just talking a little bit about... Myself, I think I got sidelined on something which is very normal for me. I actually ask when I'm doing a class that people don't ask a question in the middle of me saying something because I will totally forget what I'm saying. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:08:52 And I do it anyway, even if you don't ask questions. Even if you're completely quiet and look down, I still forget what I'm saying. That's why I have these notes. But I started to say, so I took refuge 17 years ago and... Became a nun, it'll be 13 years ago, May, so coming up on my 13th birthday. Started working for the center 13 years ago, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:52 Highlight the passage at 1:08:52

1:09:16 There's a correlation there. But my experience with developing a daily practice obviously started closer to the refuge, I think, because you do begin with these classes and doing the homework and things like that. We had a nun's house. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:16 Highlight the passage at 1:09:16

1:09:33 Before we had the residential center, so when we were over on Juiced, if anybody was around during that time, that ancient time, we had a nun's house because there was a summer that a number of us all got ordained. Quite a few of us got ordained in a single summer. And so we had four nuns at that point at the center. And so a few kind sponsors got together and we had a nun's house. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:33 Highlight the passage at 1:09:33

1:10:00 And so there was one woman in the nun's house. A good friend of mine, still a nun, doing the 108 nunyes currently in Institute Baja Yogini in France. 108 in a row. Anyway, she had a concentration practice and so every morning in the house we had to, between 5.30 and 7 we had to be completely quiet. So that she could work on her practice. So we all left up right at five, whatever, two minutes before 530 and ran and got our tea because we couldn't even pee or get tea during this time period. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:00 Highlight the passage at 1:10:00

1:10:42 And then you were just seated. And so you might as well have a really nice practice. I had the best practice of my entire life during that time. It was like this really nice, you know, once we all just agreed to support her in her practice, it became the nicest time for me because you just couldn't even move. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:42 Highlight the passage at 1:10:42

1:11:00 I mean, you couldn't get up. You could obviously move on your cushion and stuff. But it was when I was the director of the center and I was... In over my head in terms of work and working outside and so forth, but it was practice wise it was incredibly powerful because I had nothing else to do. So that discipline of just like the same time every day doing it because she was so disciplined. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:00 Highlight the passage at 1:11:00

1:11:27 I'm a lazy practitioner too. People think because of the none thing that that's not the case. But I have to be given deadlines. I have to be given homework. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:27 Highlight the passage at 1:11:27

1:11:37 Rinpoche, you know, the same thing. This is good to do this year or do seven before next year or whatever. And then I'm like, okay, give me the homework. Give me the deadlines. I can do it. Tell me I can't move between 5.30 and 7 and I won't do it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:37 Highlight the passage at 1:11:37

1:11:54 So we've done that again. I think at Webster Street a number of times a few of us got together and meditated together at the same time every day. We did one that was in the morning and then one I think when Mary was... I think we would sit together in the evening sometimes. Yeah. And then I just moved into Palma's house and now we're starting the same thing. We're going to try to do it in the mornings. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:54 Highlight the passage at 1:11:54

1:12:16 And it's kind of like gym buddies, right? You know, I mean, it's it's happening in your head or say in your mind. So it's not like a. Shared thing in that respect. It's still you working on your practice, but you're supporting each other and making sure you show up. Because it's so easy not to, right? There's so many other things to do. And even good things to do. I mean, when we were all living at the center and working at the center, you could work around the clock doing virtue, but you're still not working on your mind in that formal sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:16 Highlight the passage at 1:12:16

1:12:50 And so having a meditation buddy is a good thing. Now, obviously... You guys all don't live together, but there have been really nice ways of sharing it where maybe you guys are both meditating and you check in once a week, how's your meditation practice going? And you just support yourselves that way. Or even by, you know, it could be somebody in a different... Report an error in the passage at 1:12:50 Highlight the passage at 1:12:50

1:13:15 or something like you were showing like somebody named so-and-so is meditating now 11 minutes a day she was doing the insight the insight timer so she's telling me like the different people who are meditating while we were meditating which is kind of nice So there can be support that way and sometimes these... Report an error in the passage at 1:13:15 Highlight the passage at 1:13:15

1:13:38 The gadgets, the very same gadgets that can be distracting to us can actually support our practice or we can use them in a way that can support our practice. So you can have Dharma Buddies in that sense. Who here has some kind of a daily practice now? And you know, you don't need to share the details of it, but just either you're trying to or you do have some sort of meditation or daily practice right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:38 Highlight the passage at 1:13:38

1:14:09 Okay, so it's basically like half and half. I would say like half and half. Okay, so we'll work with that. I have a little handout for people who have never started a meditation practice. If people would like that, I'm going to, at the end, I'll sort of go through the various handouts, the handout options that we have. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:09 Highlight the passage at 1:14:09

1:14:29 There are, I always call them binder readings, but of course there are virtual binder readings as well, electronic versions, so that people can, if people would like to get their binder readings as a binder, or if you would prefer to have a PDF, I'm going to kind of take hand counts afterwards. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:29 Highlight the passage at 1:14:29

1:14:50 And if you haven't ever taken a class before, although it sounded like maybe you did come, you did go to Venerable Bena's talk and then also maybe to a few meditations too. I also have a handout that, a virtual handout, that is Venerable Rabina Corrigan's like... Kind of a brief overview of the lamrim that I think is quite useful if you've never taken a class before and if you'd like that, it's completely optional. So I'll ask for a hand count on that as well. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:50 Highlight the passage at 1:14:50

1:15:24 Actually, you know what I'll do? I won't even ask for a hand count. I'm just going to send that around too and you can put in what you want. That way we don't have to do that. So who needs what? I'm so proud of myself. Who needs what sheet? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:24 Highlight the passage at 1:15:24

1:15:40 Put down not just your name but put your email too because if you're getting a PDF of anything. So the binder readings, the PDF binder readings and then the physical binders are obvious. DB materials, that's nothing. So right now we're not doing that one. But the meditation. and and okay Report an error in the passage at 1:15:40 Highlight the passage at 1:15:40

1:16:05 There's a meditation handout that I can email you and then there's Venable Rubina's Lamrim. So just put down your email address if you want any of these things. If you want the physical binder, you can just put your name. That would be great to you. Now I know to move this instead of having it go into my throat like this. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:05 Highlight the passage at 1:16:05

1:16:27 I'm learning. I also am going to have, I do a syllabus that basically just tells you Kind of what we're doing each week and then what the reading is. If you aren't able to come, like I said, we are trying to get it uploaded quickly. We have a volunteer who does that and it doesn't always happen as quickly as we would like, but it is recorded so you won't lose it entirely unless we forget to record it, which happens. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:27 Highlight the passage at 1:16:27

1:16:59 It's usually like on some really profound... profound thing too like the last night of the wisdom class or something and that's the one that the all the volunteers like sit down and forget that one but Usually we do record it so eventually you can listen to it. If you aren't finding it uploaded as fast as you would like, contact me and my email address is on the bottom so feel free to contact me with any kind of question like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:59 Highlight the passage at 1:16:59

1:17:27 If you'd like to make an appointment with me to talk about stuff like practices Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave you on how to begin, I'm happy to do that. You know, sometimes life is crazy and so it has to wait, but it will happen at some point during, I won't even say that, at some point during the next few months. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:27 Highlight the passage at 1:17:27

1:17:49 This syllabus also has what I'm thinking of as Required reading. But then it also has, and when I say a daily meditation practice booklet FPMT, we actually did order a couple of them, right? Or did we? Did we? We talked about getting them. You don't need it because I'm going to be giving you the same information like in your homework. I just sort of, sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:49 Highlight the passage at 1:17:49

1:18:15 People in the education department. So you will get that. We are using that as the basis of all of our homeworks, I think, pretty much. So you don't need to actually purchase a separate booklet. But if you'd like to, we can probably order it. So I don't know if that... We did order a couple. Okay. Right, right. They're nice and glossy and colorful. So if you decide that that's what you would like. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:15 Highlight the passage at 1:18:15

1:18:43 But you will be getting the basic information. But, um... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:43 Highlight the passage at 1:18:43

1:18:46 There's also a note on it that says, if doing the class for DB credit, then liberation in the palm of your hands. There's certain days. When it says days four, five and six, liberation in the palm of your hands and liberation in our hands, which are the same exact teaching, just different translations. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:46 Highlight the passage at 1:18:46

1:19:07 It was a lamrim teaching that was taught in 1921 by Pabanka Rinpoche. Who is sort of the guru of our gurus. He's in our direct lineage from this organization. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:07 Highlight the passage at 1:19:07

1:19:28 He taught it. It was an oral teaching that was taught in Tibet over, I think, a 24-day period. And he just basically went through the whole lamrim. organization. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:28 Highlight the passage at 1:19:28

1:19:41 Trijang Rinpoche, who ended up becoming one of the tutors to the current Dalai Lama, was his main teacher, was his main student, sorry, and wrote it all down. And it was actually published during his lifetime and was a bestseller, which tells you a little something about Tibet at that time. So that's kind of like the source book of this whole discovering Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:41 Highlight the passage at 1:19:41

1:20:09 And it's offered, like I said, in these two versions. One is like it's really thick, one volume version that's called Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. And it's kind of in British English, English, English. And then Liberation in Our Hands is kind of more American English. And it's just, both of them are just great. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:09 Highlight the passage at 1:20:09

1:20:32 I own them both. And I think you can kind of see differences in the way that they're put. And if you decide you kind of Want to go with Tibetan Buddhism. They're really nice source books to have for life. There are also direct translations of the lamrim itself, many lamrims I should say. Lamrim, like I said, is sort of like a genre. So it's like anything that depicts the stages of the path to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:32 Highlight the passage at 1:20:32

1:21:03 It can be... A tiny poem, and we will read some of those in here. You know, like some of you might be familiar with the three principal aspects of the path or foundation of all good qualities. Those are lamrim texts and they're just like a one-page text, basically. And then Lama Atisha's text was Lamp on the Path, and that's quite short, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:03 Highlight the passage at 1:21:03

1:21:26 It's not very long. And that covers the whole lamrim as well. Lama Tsongkhapa, who is the founder of this tradition. who is, Report an error in the passage at 1:21:26 Highlight the passage at 1:21:26

1:21:39 He's currently seated on that table and his disciples are sitting in front of him, which is not quite appropriate. We might want to have words with them, actually. They're sitting sort of in front of him and he's sitting next to Tara. But that's Lama Tsongkhapa. And he was amazingly prolific with his commentaries on the lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:39 Highlight the passage at 1:21:39

1:21:58 And so he wrote the text that Geshe-la is currently giving commentary on, commentary on the commentary. Which is really big in Tibetan Buddhism. Which is a middle length version of the lamrim. And he also wrote this long, great lamrim, which is called the lamrim chemmo. You might hear of it. That's been translated twice. There's a three volume set and then the five volume set is still being done by Geshe Sopa. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:58 Highlight the passage at 1:21:58

1:22:32 I think it's one volume left. I think they're trying to do it before Geshe Sopa passes. Geshe Sopa I think is 90 now or something like that. So there are two versions of that out there too. I'm just putting this out there because there's sometimes confusion and sometimes people think that that's all the same text and it's not. One is a direct translation or, yeah, one of them is a direct translation of the lamrim, and then others are commentaries on it. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:32 Highlight the passage at 1:22:32

1:23:02 And so it's different. They're all good. You know, I mean, I think I own all of them. And I refer to all of them. And if you're doing any deep work with a particular topic, for example, you're meditating on death and impermanence over months, you kind of want to look at how different teachers think about it and talk about it and what worked for their mind and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:02 Highlight the passage at 1:23:02

1:23:26 Because you kind of, you want to keep it fresh. And that's often... One of the, I wouldn't say problem, but a challenge. It's a challenge in this work on the mind is how to keep these topics fresh and how to keep them, how to make them yours. Because we'll learn how to review the topics on the path and then you've got to take it using something that's going to touch your heart. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:26 Highlight the passage at 1:23:26

1:23:56 For example, contemplating The death of somebody that you were very close to is going to have a much more profound effect on your heart than just reading about death and impermanence in a more general way. Do you know what I mean? So, for example, one of the things I think that led directly to me getting ordained was when I went to, I've attended two month-long courses at Kopa Monastery in Nepal. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:56 Highlight the passage at 1:23:56

1:24:29 The month-long courses there, the November courses cover the whole lamrim in a month. It's not strictly retreat because you have an afternoon discussion group and you have meditation practice in the morning, you have frustrations. I mean, it's really nicely set up. Jenna, who is going to be our Thursday night volunteer, just got back from that. She just did the one-month retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:29 Highlight the passage at 1:24:29

1:24:35 and you're you're they do Report an error in the passage at 1:24:35 Highlight the passage at 1:24:35

1:24:55 So we can check in with her and see how it was. I already know because I met her for lunch and she's like on fire. So I went to one and I came back and within a month of me coming back a really close friend of mine died in a car accident. Just completely suddenly as those things happen. Amazing person, great person. I was studying to be a midwife at that point and so was she. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:55 Highlight the passage at 1:24:55

1:25:21 So she had already birthed like... You know, a thousand babies. She'd helped a thousand babies into the world. She's only 27. And it just profoundly hit me that, well, first of all, all the teachings of the Lamrim came up, you know, that life is precious, that you don't know when it's going to end. And so to use it to make the most meaning. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:21 Highlight the passage at 1:25:21

1:25:44 It became really important to me. So I was just kind of like, I get it. I get it, Laurel. Okay, I get it. This is the lesson I'm getting from this. And so I decided I would go back to Nepal and India for a year and just try to do a lot more experiences like that month. That was kind of my goal. And I did. So I saved up everything and I went over. And right before I went over, I thought, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:44 Highlight the passage at 1:25:44

1:26:10 I kind of am feeling like I'm going to get ordained, but I don't really know. And it's kind of too weird to think about wearing a weird outfit like that all the time. And I'm just going to think about it during that year. So halfway through the very first retreat I did, I was really clear. I remember the exact moment. And I came out of the session. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:10 Highlight the passage at 1:26:10

1:26:28 It was a Vajra Safra retreat, three-month Vajra Safra retreat at Tushita in Dharamsala. And I came out and I thought, okay. This is what I want to do with my life. So now, how? But at least I knew that I wanted to do it. So it's kind of like that. I think it's like you get a little bit of Dharma. Things happen. You deal with them based on that Dharma. And then you take the next step. And then, you know, with your little bit of understanding, you kind of deal with whatever life throws you or karma throws you, as the case may be. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:28 Highlight the passage at 1:26:28

1:27:01 And then you do your best with that. And then you... You know, assess and then you take a couple steps, you know. And so it's often a couple steps up and a couple steps back. And that's just Dharma practice. It's not like, okay, now I found it. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:01 Highlight the passage at 1:27:01

1:27:16 Straight line to the stars. Well, maybe it is, I think, with some people, but it has not been that way with me. It's a little rockier. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:16 Highlight the passage at 1:27:16

1:27:25 But His Holiness says, like, if you can see some, if you can generally see over the course of your involvement with the Dharma. Or even from the beginning of the year, you know what I mean, to now, if you can see some change in your mind and how you are able to deal with problems, then that's a good thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:25 Highlight the passage at 1:27:25

1:27:47 Then that means that it's having some effect on your mind. And I can honestly say that, you know, I definitely still lose my temperature. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:47 Highlight the passage at 1:27:47

1:27:56 Lose my temper, you know, I'm not perfect and definitely a little lazier than I would like to be. But I can see a profound change in my mind over time, you know, and I can see that I don't hold on to things in the way that I used to hold on to things. That was my personal favorite, was holding on to things. In fact, I came into this world with a resentful mind. My first words were, you didn't take me to the circus. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:56 Highlight the passage at 1:27:56

1:28:24 I didn't even say like an individual word. I said a whole profound resentful sentence. That was it, you know, with the look and everything. So I had a little bit to work with and I think I am working with that. I don't feel like resentment is one of my big things anymore. I have other exciting things. Attachment, laziness, you know, all those other things. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:24 Highlight the passage at 1:28:24

1:28:51 So anyway, so with practice and with teaching and different teachings and teaching as a practice, I mean that's actually one of my, this is I think the most profound practice is to have to sit up here and talk to you guys about my practice and also everything that my teachers have given to me to try to somehow Digest it and hand it back to you in some way that gets you as excited as I got excited. That's a tall order because I've had some amazing teachers over time. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:51 Highlight the passage at 1:28:51

1:29:28 And I have to say I was quite nervous tonight because last year was a retreat of a different kind for me. I was dealing with a lot of health issues and so I took a leave, as some of you know. And so this is my first time back, and I was really kind of nervous. I've had to keep coming back to it during the week, the couple weeks of preparing for this class and thinking, you know, am I going to be able to do it? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:28 Highlight the passage at 1:29:28

1:30:01 Am I going to remember how to teach and all that stuff? And I had to keep coming back to bodhicitta and just trying to remember that actually it isn't about me. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:01 Highlight the passage at 1:30:01

1:30:13 Surprising as that may be. So whenever I can remember that, then it's okay. So I really appreciate and thank you guys for showing up and giving me the chance to do this again because it's quite useful for me to be able to share with you things that have worked for me and also hopefully to... Energize you as I have been energized over the course of my practice. So what we'll be doing in this class, we'll end this class with a sort of a brief look at this meditation that we'll kind of work with the whole time. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:13 Highlight the passage at 1:30:13

1:31:00 It's a Shakyamuni Buddha meditation. So it's a very simple meditation and some of you will already be familiar with it. You'll see as we're going to go into it tonight. I'll just introduce it to you. Basically kind of giving us a little bit of experience if we don't already have some visualizing Shakyamuni Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:00 Highlight the passage at 1:31:00

1:31:21 Who's the historical Buddha? He's the one who we always think about. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:21 Highlight the passage at 1:31:21

1:31:28 And also... What he stands for, kind of. And then we'll add different things to that over time. So we'll start with the same, we'll kind of work with the same meditation, but then we'll also add certain practices to prepare for it and certain practices at the end and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:28 Highlight the passage at 1:31:28

1:31:50 Next week, I think, is one of the fullest classes. It's a little bit kind of like, why did I put that in the second class? But it kind of chronologically kind of has to go that way. I was talking about it with Ann last night. We were like, maybe I could come up with some really juicy ways to present this material. Because it's a lot of how to set up your formal practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:50 Highlight the passage at 1:31:50

1:32:12 So there's a lot of those glukba lists. You know, it's like six of that and three of that and five of that. So I'm going to do my best to present it in a way that It feels living and not just like a blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm actually going to write some of it down because I think it sometimes helps to look at it. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:12 Highlight the passage at 1:32:12

1:32:35 I mean, it does for me. I'm a really visual person. So I actually, I wish we had a blackboard, but we don't. So I'm going to get like a, you know, one of those big butcher pads and write it down because I think that's useful to see it in writing. You guys will all get it so you don't have to write down every word. You'll get it in print, so that's okay. But basically it's, Report an error in the passage at 1:32:35 Highlight the passage at 1:32:35

1:32:55 It's a lot of the way that Rinpoche presents how we do the practices to make our formal practice more successful or more effective. And so it's useful for me to give to you, but don't flip out. I'll probably say that over and over because I think I probably flipped out. But just to take it in and then we'll talk about how to make it more brief and how to... Report an error in the passage at 1:32:55 Highlight the passage at 1:32:55

1:33:23 How to get the essence or the cream of it without doing every single step, since most people will look at it and be like, I've got to go to work by eight, you know, like how am I going to do all this stuff, you know, or I have an eight-year-old, right, so it's like how am I going to, or a partner or whatever, so I can't. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:23 Highlight the passage at 1:33:23

1:33:38 So we're going to figure out ways to kind of do it in a lighter way, and then at some point in retreat you can take more time and do it. You know, more extensively if you want to. That's kind of the way I do a lot of my practices is I'll do them in the more basic way, spend a little bit more time on at least one, and then in retreat I'll take much more time. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:38 Highlight the passage at 1:33:38

1:33:59 And it's nice to take time and it's great, you kind of feel like that spaciousness, but our daily practice often is a little bit more rushed and so it's sort of like how do we still get the essence without curling up into fetal position and rocking, you know, so. So we'll talk about that next week. We'll also look at what meditation is and what we should be meditating on to have a good practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:59 Highlight the passage at 1:33:59

1:34:26 So, for example, Geshe-la was talking about the two main types of meditation last night, analytical meditation, what's called analytical meditation, and concentration meditation. And I think if you did any of the drop-in meditations, we used to talk about that a lot because they're both important. And Geshe was talking about how you really can't do one without the other. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:26 Highlight the passage at 1:34:26

1:34:50 Analytical meditation is based on what's called special insight, but it's actually unique to this tradition, to the Galipa tradition. And it's basically thinking in a really controlled way. So it's not just like sitting in a chair and just like... Okay, you know, you're still sitting in meditation posture, you're reviewing a certain sort of topic and you're coming to a certain point or certainty about that topic through that review and then you're trying to apply whatever amount of concentration you have which could be two and a half seconds or... Report an error in the passage at 1:34:50 Highlight the passage at 1:34:50

1:35:33 So you need the concentration meditation or the analytical meditation won't work. So a lot of times people make the choice to do one or the other. We actually kind of need to work with them a little bit simultaneously because otherwise the analytical meditation just becomes this intellectual process. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:33 Highlight the passage at 1:35:33

1:35:52 And the point is to gain some sort of certainty to reach some sort of aha and then to hold your concentration there for a couple of seconds, almost to set it. It's like to set it in your mind a little bit. Like the old way, if anybody here ever did photography in the old days with film, when the image sets on the paper and it kind of comes to life on the paper. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:52 Highlight the passage at 1:35:52

1:36:15 We want it to come to life on our minds that way by setting it a little bit. So we'll talk a little bit about meditation and especially in this class, lamrim meditation is analytical meditation. So we'll talk about that. How long you do them for? How to know whether you've gained a realization when you should move on and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:15 Highlight the passage at 1:36:15

1:36:39 And we'll talk about what you do between sessions, which is basically the rest of your life, you know, the other 23 and a half hours of the day. And believe me... Nothing is left out. It's like how to look at your eating, how to look at your sleeping, how to look at your walking, how to look at when you're landing at SFO. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:39 Highlight the passage at 1:36:39

1:37:01 Nothing is left behind. So there's no downtime really that you're not practicing the Dharma or that you don't have an option to practice the Dharma, I should say. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:01 Highlight the passage at 1:37:01

1:37:14 Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche literally lives this. We do our best to try to remember it once during the day. And that's great. That's actually really good. We have to understand the difference between ourselves and an already very realized being. And there is a gap right now. So every little bit that we can remember. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:14 Highlight the passage at 1:37:14

1:37:39 You know, oh my gosh, that's a gorgeous, you know, those lights in the city are gorgeous. Like on the way over, there's just really beautiful, like the hills covered with lights, offer them up, you know. You see like a beautiful sunset or sunrise, you know, offer it up. Like it just, little things can happen in your life that you can make a part of the Dharma and that's what we're going to talk about in... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:39 Highlight the passage at 1:37:39

1:38:03 Probably I think it's like classes four and five, a little bit about that. And then at the very end we'll just sort of summarize the whole thing and then save a lot of time for questions and answers and things like that. Any questions so far on all the blathering that I've done when I'm ready tonight? Any questions coming up for people? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:03 Highlight the passage at 1:38:03

1:38:27 Want to make sure that something gets covered or thought something might be in this class? They're horrified that it's not. All Report an error in the passage at 1:38:27 Highlight the passage at 1:38:27

1:38:40 right. So let's go ahead and just end with this meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha. And I'll just sort of guide you through it. Like I said, you will get this in your homework tonight. And it's a very simple version. And then we'll just kind of keep elaborating on it. So it'll become more and more popular and more and more familiar to you as time goes. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:40 Highlight the passage at 1:38:40

1:38:34 right, Jeremy. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:34 Highlight the passage at 1:38:34

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:39:06 So just again, just get comfortable, whatever that means for your legs, for your hips. If you feel like you need to sit in a chair now because your body's tired after sitting, feel free. If you sit in a chair, it's good to have your feet firmly on the ground and not relax in the back of the chair. And if you're seated on the ground, then the main thing is just extending your spine. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:06 Highlight the passage at 1:39:06

1:39:36 Bringing your shoulders back and kind of taking a second at the very beginning to just check in with your body and see where you might be holding, see where you might be tense. And that may happen periodically, so kind of returning to that a couple of times during the meditation if you find that you're sliding forward or your body feels tense. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:36 Highlight the passage at 1:39:36

1:40:04 And this is true at home too. Maybe starting out with some nice deep belly breaths. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:04 Highlight the passage at 1:40:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:40:52 And you can focus on your breath coming in, breath coming in. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:52 Highlight the passage at 1:40:52

1:41:23 Start with imagining yourself being surrounded by all beings, whatever that means for you. It can be in the form of humans or you can also imagine animals. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:23 Highlight the passage at 1:41:23

1:41:47 Imagine in general how they want to be happy, just like you. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:47 Highlight the passage at 1:41:47

1:41:57 But also how they suffer, just like you. And they don't want to suffer. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:57 Highlight the passage at 1:41:57

1:42:18 You can think about their dissatisfaction, or maybe mental or physical pain, their hopes and dreams, Report an error in the passage at 1:42:18 Highlight the passage at 1:42:18

1:42:35 whatever makes them happy. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:35 Highlight the passage at 1:42:35

1:42:49 And try to feel some connection with them, even if you don't know them at all, which is true for most of them beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:49 Highlight the passage at 1:42:49

1:43:17 And then imagine in the space in front of you, a little above you, is an image of Shakyamuni Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:17 Highlight the passage at 1:43:17

1:43:30 Made of golden light, luminous and vibrant. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:30 Highlight the passage at 1:43:30

1:43:47 His energy is pure, unconditional, compassionate love and wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:47 Highlight the passage at 1:43:47

1:44:03 His face is peaceful and smiling, and he radiates love to you and everyone around you, whether human or non-human, Report an error in the passage at 1:44:03 Highlight the passage at 1:44:03

1:44:20 all the living beings in this world, in this planet, in this city, in this whole universe. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:20 Highlight the passage at 1:44:20

1:44:46 He's seated on a lotus topped with two radiant discs, the sun representing wisdom and the moon representing bodhicitta, his mind of infinite love and compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:46 Highlight the passage at 1:44:46

1:45:10 The lotus sits on a golden throne adorned with jewels and supported by four sun lions. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:10 Highlight the passage at 1:45:10

1:45:22 I imagine that this is all made of light. He wears Report an error in the passage at 1:45:22 Highlight the passage at 1:45:22

1:45:34 the saffron robes of a monk. He's seated in. Cross-legged posture. In the palm of his right hand, he's resting on his right knee in what's called the earth-touching mudrā, while his left hand rests on his lap in meditation mudrā, holding an alms bowl filled with nectar. His Report an error in the passage at 1:45:34 Highlight the passage at 1:45:34

1:46:08 face is radiant and smiling compassionately at you and at all living beings without any bias. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:08 Highlight the passage at 1:46:08

1:46:20 And imagine that this pure light radiates from every pore of his body. Reaching everyone in the entire universe without exception. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:20 Highlight the passage at 1:46:20

1:46:36 Try to hold this energy until it is somewhat stable. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:36 Highlight the passage at 1:46:36

1:46:44 And just stay open to His energy, His love, His wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:44 Highlight the passage at 1:46:44

1:47:00 And if you feel like it, you can imagine asking for a blessing on the path right now in your mind stream. Whatever you need in your life. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:00 Highlight the passage at 1:47:00

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:47:38 And imagine that He's happy too. Agree? Report an error in the passage at 1:47:38 Highlight the passage at 1:47:38

1:47:52 We're going to recite His mantra a little bit. And you can join in if you want. It's up to you. The main thing is to try to hold that visualization as much as you can. And if you have a request, go ahead and make it. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:52 Highlight the passage at 1:47:52

1:48:13 Thayatam. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:13 Highlight the passage at 1:48:13

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:50:33 He shrinks, but he's facing the same, Report an error in the passage at 1:50:33 Highlight the passage at 1:50:33

1:50:41 melts into a stream of golden light and enters your crown, filling up your heart entirely with his blessings, his heart instructions, his advice, realization, Report an error in the passage at 1:50:41 Highlight the passage at 1:50:41

1:50:58 blessing your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:58 Highlight the passage at 1:50:58

1:51:03 And imagine that your body, speech and mind become completely inseparable. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:03 Highlight the passage at 1:51:03

1:51:27 This meditation and this class, the enlightenment of everything, getting with ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:27 Highlight the passage at 1:51:27

1:51:39 We each attain that state so that we can help others. And Report an error in the passage at 1:51:39 Highlight the passage at 1:51:39

1:51:48 that the gap between our minds and the Dharma completely closes over time. So that our minds become perfect and we get more capacity to help others with an exception. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:48 Highlight the passage at 1:51:48

1:52:19 Some closing prayers on the page. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:19 Highlight the passage at 1:52:19

1:52:26 I'll just do them in English, the right hand side of that page. We'll do number 5, number 6 and number 7. Due to the merits of these virtuous actions, may I quickly attain the state of a Guru Buddha and lead all living beings without exception into that enlightened state. May the supreme jewel bodhicitta, That is not arisen, arise and grow. And may that which has arisen not diminish, but increase more and more. And the land encircled by snow mountains, you are the source of all happiness and good. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:26 Highlight the passage at 1:52:26

1:53:07 All powerful chanresi, tensing kiazo, please remain until saṃsāra ends. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:07 Highlight the passage at 1:53:07

1:53:16 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:16 Highlight the passage at 1:53:16

1:53:20 So there was a list going around. Who wants what? Have people all seen that list? Report an error in the passage at 1:53:20 Highlight the passage at 1:53:20

1:53:31 Don't leave unless you have signed up for something if you indeed want it. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:31 Highlight the passage at 1:53:31

1:53:39 Basically, the readings and any additional optional readings are on that list. Also, maybe, Marcela, would you mind handing us out your homeworks? Report an error in the passage at 1:53:39 Highlight the passage at 1:53:39

1:53:53 And the class syllabus, so one of each for each person. Here, I'll take the paperclips if you want. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:53 Highlight the passage at 1:53:53

1:54:05 Any other questions before we go? No Report an error in the passage at 1:54:05 Highlight the passage at 1:54:05

1:54:11 questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:11 Highlight the passage at 1:54:11

1:54:17 Yoga. That's what yoga was really created to do, was to help people meditate. Repeat the question. So the question was, could you recommend any good exercises to help with sitting? And it's really yoga. And also just doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:17 Highlight the passage at 1:54:17

1:54:40 And feel free to sit in a chair, too, for some of it, if you need to. Especially, I mean, it's a small class and we've got tons of chairs, so we can have a cushion and a chair each, you know. So don't feel bad about that. But yeah, it's just like anything else. It kind of gets easier with practice. And then also, yeah, yoga. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:40 Highlight the passage at 1:54:40

1:55:00 Yeah. And just certain stretches, like kind of pelvic opening stretches. Yeah, that's really why they were created. And the first place was to be able to sit. And we'll talk more about the posture next week. But we won't, you know, I don't, a lot of us get into the Dharma late in this culture. And so it's sort of like you get into the Dharma late and then all of a sudden you're supposed to do what with your legs? So there, you know, you can do a little bit, like especially in retreat, you do a little bit toward it every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:00 Highlight the passage at 1:55:00

1:55:34 And you get better, but then some of us have reached the point where we kind of know that I'm never going to sit in full posture. And so then I just try to sit in a way that my legs aren't going to be a distraction. So that's kind of where I get to. And I came up with what works for me and you'll just come up with what works for you. Same with choosing a cushion. You'll find a cushion that works for your body. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:34 Highlight the passage at 1:55:34

1:55:56 I take mine everywhere. I like lug it from home for all the classes here and stuff because it just works for mine. Palma came up with her little deal that she does with her cushions. She does three cushions. It works. She actually doesn't move at all. I'm much more of a fidgeter. But yeah, I think you just come up with what works for you and then you just sally forth from there. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:56 Highlight the passage at 1:55:56

1:56:25 Yeah, sure. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:25 Highlight the passage at 1:56:25

1:56:30 The form that everybody signed up? Okay, good. Good. Thank you. Thanks, you guys. See you next week. Same time, same channel. Good night. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:30 Highlight the passage at 1:56:30