Discovering Buddhism - Establishing A Daily Practice (21 February 2013)

0:00 If anybody wants to, Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:06 on bodhicitta that Venable Rubina composed and used to send to the prisoners in LPP. Report an error in the passage at 0:06 Highlight the passage at 0:06

0:16 And before I say this, I want to make sure that I'm correct. This will be your homework tonight. Actually, it's slightly different. Report an error in the passage at 0:16 Highlight the passage at 0:16

0:29 Yeah, it is slightly different. But it's the same practice. And the one in front of you is a very short, easy version of it. So if you want to like keep that on you at all times. Once you get comfortable with sort of the longer one that has a little bit more explanation, you know, like what you're visualizing at each point and blah, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 0:29 Highlight the passage at 0:29

0:50 That's useful for at home and then this one's a little more useful for out in the field in case you yell back at that boss. So. Report an error in the passage at 0:50 Highlight the passage at 0:50

0:59 So we'll just start. I'm just going to guide you and basically you don't even have to look at it at all until we get to the point of the mantra and then you'll have the cheat sheet in front of you so that you can follow the mantra if you don't have it memorized. And believe me, you actually can memorize this mantra. I know the first few times you say it, it's like, no way am I going to have this one memorized, but you can. Report an error in the passage at 0:59 Highlight the passage at 0:59

1:20 You can get it. It has a nice little tune. You'll see. Alright, so just take some nice deep belly breaths and let go of your day. Let go of any conversations you've been having or any worries, anxieties, things that maybe happened at work or school, in your house, with your family, your friends, loved ones. Report an error in the passage at 1:20 Highlight the passage at 1:20

1:53 Maybe just focus on your breath a little bit and Report an error in the passage at 1:53 Highlight the passage at 1:53

2:22 just set your own motivation for this practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:22 Highlight the passage at 2:22

2:51 What's called the four opponent powers. So the first is the power of regret. You can see them in different orders. In this case we're going to go with the order that they're normally taught and in some practices we actually do them in a slightly different way. We're going to start with the power of regret. So for this power we just sincerely regret from the depths of our heart anything we've done that might harm somebody. Report an error in the passage at 2:51 Highlight the passage at 2:51

3:23 I always like to think. About something specific that I've done today or in the last day or two. So this isn't about guilt. This is just about looking, thinking of maybe something unskillful that I did. Report an error in the passage at 3:23 Highlight the passage at 3:23

3:43 With this understanding of karma. Report an error in the passage at 3:43 Highlight the passage at 3:43

3:52 We can't bear the thought of our own future suffering. And that's caused by the negative actions or unskillful actions that we do. That creates that karma. That being right and says our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 3:52 Highlight the passage at 3:52

4:10 So who wants suffering? Who don't want? What we're trying to do with this practice is to clean out, to weed our minds, rid of all the causes of that suffering. Report an error in the passage at 4:10 Highlight the passage at 4:10

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5:15 Power is the power. Report an error in the passage at 5:15 Highlight the passage at 5:15

5:30 Firstly, we rely upon the doctor's medicine we take to purify. Report an error in the passage at 5:30 Highlight the passage at 5:30

6:01 And secondly, we also rely upon other beings, the same beings that we find, to try to develop compassion for them, to Report an error in the passage at 6:01 Highlight the passage at 6:01

6:16 purify for them, for their sins, for everyone that we find. I don't know if I've ever had this, I don't know if I've ever had this, I don't know if I've ever had this. Report an error in the passage at 6:16 Highlight the passage at 6:16

6:37 So that we know we can only benefit others, not harm them. Report an error in the passage at 6:37 Highlight the passage at 6:37

6:55 So visualize Shantideva at the crown of your head. And you can know that he's your own Lama, your own belief, manifesting in this aspect where you're going to harm him. Report an error in the passage at 6:55 Highlight the passage at 6:55

7:12 Even if you don't know who your teacher is right now, you can still imagine him. Report an error in the passage at 7:12 Highlight the passage at 7:12

7:22 He's made of radiant, blissful white light, grass-legged on a white lotus. Report an error in the passage at 7:22 Highlight the passage at 7:22

7:33 Which although born out of mud, is not untainted by the blood of mud, just like our own enlightened potential, which is born out of our delusions but untainted by the blood. His Report an error in the passage at 7:33 Highlight the passage at 7:33

7:56 face is radiant, his eyes are peaceful, full of love and compassion for us. Report an error in the passage at 7:56 Highlight the passage at 7:56

8:13 His hair is black, mostly held up by the temple. Report an error in the passage at 8:13 Highlight the passage at 8:13

8:27 His left hand holds a bell, which represents wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 8:27 Highlight the passage at 8:27

8:35 The right holds a vajra, which represents the indestructibility of compassion. Report an error in the passage at 8:35 Highlight the passage at 8:35

8:48 The meaning of these two symbolizes enlightenment itself, the development of infinite wisdom and infinite compassion. Report an error in the passage at 8:48 Highlight the passage at 8:48

9:02 The most important thing is to just try to imagine this enlightened energy above you. And Report an error in the passage at 9:02 Highlight the passage at 9:02

9:25 I say a prayer for Vajrasapha, but you can just contemplate it. And I go for refuge and tell an enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Saṅgha. By this practice of meditating, I go Vajrasapha. May I reach Buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings. You Report an error in the passage at 9:25 Highlight the passage at 9:25

9:53 can visualize that light comes out of early Vajrasapha's heart, all the ten directions, the kini energy of body, speech and mind of all enlightened beings of the universe. This Report an error in the passage at 9:53 Highlight the passage at 9:53

10:09 brilliant white light comes back and dissolves into the heart of Vajrasapha, who now embodies all of that enlightenment and becomes even more brilliant and blissful. And Report an error in the passage at 10:09 Highlight the passage at 10:09

10:30 the third power is the power of remedy, which is the actual medicine. Whatever the practice is that we're purifying with, and in this case it's the mantra and the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa. They Report an error in the passage at 10:30 Highlight the passage at 10:30

10:52 do this in four sections that we focus on visualizing the body, speech and mind, and then all the inference in the body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 10:52 Highlight the passage at 10:52

11:14 So you can visualize purifying any negative things that you've done with the body, but also just know that we've done it all. We've done everything. Just imagine that this purifying nectar and light purifies anything that you've ever done physically with your body. Report an error in the passage at 11:14 Highlight the passage at 11:14

11:35 So Vajrasapha now compassionately sends down this powerful white nectar with water coming from a hose very forcefully from his heart into the crown of our head and pouring through our entire body, pulling us up completely. It keeps coming. It forces out all the negativities, all the harm we've ever done to anyone. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

12:01 the lower orifices. Report an error in the passage at 12:01 Highlight the passage at 12:01

12:06 the barn with inky with food or black smoke with fire. Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:13 that it just face. Not one, I don't know. So Report an error in the passage at 12:13 Highlight the passage at 12:13

12:32 visualizing this, we try to recite the mantra three times. Om Vajra Saffa Samaya Manupalaya Vajra Saffa Denipatita Viru me bhava Suttokaya me bhava Suttokaya me bhava Anuraktur me bhava Sarva Siddhi me Paryatsa Sarva Karma Sutta me Shitamshira Shittam shiram kuhum ha-ha-ha-ha-ho Bhagavan Sarvatata gata vajramame muta vajramah Mahasamaya safba ahum ha-ha Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 12:32 Highlight the passage at 12:32

13:21 Om Vajra Sapa Samaya Manupalaya Vajra Sapa Denapathita Dhiru me bhava Suttokayo me bhava Suttokayo me bhava Anurakta me bhava Sarvasiri me paryatsa sawa kamasutsa me Sittam siram puru hum Report an error in the passage at 13:21 Highlight the passage at 13:21

14:50 So again, try to remember to really feel purified physically. Everything's washed away. Report an error in the passage at 14:50 Highlight the passage at 14:50

14:59 I feel so happy that your negativity of body is purified. It's Report an error in the passage at 14:59 Highlight the passage at 14:59

15:10 possible that your body could do anything with any of the others. There's no way of Report an error in the passage at 15:10 Highlight the passage at 15:10

15:26 purification of our speech. So again, Guru Vajrasapha happily sends down this powerful nectar from his heart and pours forcefully into your crown chakra. Filling your entire body, and this time forcing up all the negativities, like water filling a dirty glass or pale, versus all the junk to come to the top. Report an error in the passage at 15:26 Highlight the passage at 15:26

15:51 And all the negativity of your speech, all the gossip and malicious speech, useless speech, lying, divisive speech, all purified by this powerful lifter. Report an error in the passage at 15:51 Highlight the passage at 15:51

16:09 You can imagine it leading your body through the upper body. I usually focus on the mouth, obviously. And I'm disappearing into space. Report an error in the passage at 16:09 Highlight the passage at 16:09

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16:56 Shantideva, Shantideva, Report an error in the passage at 16:56 Highlight the passage at 16:56

17:17 Shantideva, Shantideva Vajra Mame Mutsa Vajra Bava Maha Samaya Sattva Ahon He Om Vajrasattva Samaya Vajrasattva Denupatita Rirome Bhava Sutta Report an error in the passage at 17:17 Highlight the passage at 17:17

17:20 Sukhbokayo me bawa, Anuraktur me bawa, Sarva Siddhi me paryatsa, Sarva karma sutsa me, Sittam siram puru hum, ha ha ha ha ho bagawa, Sarva Tata Gata Vajra Mama Nutsa Vajra Bawa, Maha Samaya Saba ahun, pray. Om Vajra Saffa Samaya Manupalaya Vajra Saffa Denupatita. Report an error in the passage at 17:20 Highlight the passage at 17:20

18:09 Shittam shiram puru hum, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ho Bhagawan, Sarvatata gata vajra ma-me-mutsa vajra bhava ma-samaya-sapa-ahum-bhe-yong, vajra-sapa-samaya-manu-palaya, vajra-sapa-denu-patita. Sriro me bhava, suttokkayo me bhava, suttokkayo me bhava, naratta me bhava, sarvasiri me payatsa sarva karma sutza me, sitam siram puru hum, ha ha ha ha ho bhagawa, sarva tatagata vajramame, nutsa vajra bhava, mahasamaya sapva aham. Report an error in the passage at 18:09 Highlight the passage at 18:09

19:07 So again, try to feel really happy. First believe that it's true, that your speech is completely purified and you'll feel really, really happy. And that there's no way that you can do anything other than be beneficial with your speech. You can't harm anyone with your speech anymore. You'll only use it in appropriate, kind, beneficial ways. Report an error in the passage at 19:07 Highlight the passage at 19:07

19:41 And then we'll do a purification of the mind. So you can imagine Guru Vajrasattva again compassionately sends down this light from his heart, this powerful white light entering your crown chakra, filling your entire being. Report an error in the passage at 19:41 Highlight the passage at 19:41

20:00 And just like when you turn on the light in a room that's dark, the darkness instantly disappears. Report an error in the passage at 20:00 Highlight the passage at 20:00

20:09 Just as this light hits your heart chakra, the darkness of negativity in your mind, all the anger, violence, depression, resentment, jealousy, bitterness. Report an error in the passage at 20:09 Highlight the passage at 20:09

20:21 It's all gone, instantly dispel. Not one atom is all. Report an error in the passage at 20:21 Highlight the passage at 20:21

20:32 Vajrasapha Samnaya Manupalaya Vajrasapha Denapatita Jiro me bhava Suto kayo me bhava Sukhbo kayo me bhava Anurata me bhava Sarvasuri me pariyatsa Sarva karma sutsa me Shittam Shiram Puruham, Ha-ha-ha-ha-ho Bhagawan, Sarvatata Gata Vajra Mame Murta Vajra Bhava Maha Samaya Sattva Ahom Pe. Om Vajrasattva Samaya Manupalaya Vajrasattva Denapatita. Report an error in the passage at 20:32 Highlight the passage at 20:32

21:20 Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Report an error in the passage at 21:20 Highlight the passage at 21:20

21:50 Om Vajrasattva Samaya, Manupalaya, Vajrasattva Denu Bhattita. Viro me bhava, Suttokaya me bhava, Suttokaya me bhava, Anurata me bhava, Sarvasiri me paryatsa, Sarva Karma sutta me, Sittam siram puru hum, Ha ha ha ha ho Bhagavan. Sarvatata Gata Vajramame Mutsa Vajra Bhava Mahasamaya Sapa Ahom He. Om Vajra Sapa Samaya Manupalaya Vajra Sapa Denupati Taknyo Me Bawa Sukto Kayo Me Bawa Sukho Kayo Me Bawa Anurakti Me Bawa Sarva Siddhi me Parayatsa Sarva Karma Siddha me Chittam Shiram Puruhum Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ho Bhagawan Sarva Tata Gata Vajramame Mutsa Vajramava Maha Samaya Sattva Aham. Report an error in the passage at 21:50 Highlight the passage at 21:50

23:10 So again, feel really happy that all your delusions, all those places, enjoy the cause of all of our negative actions and all of our negative actions. Everything that we do with our bodies and speech are now totally purified, finished. Report an error in the passage at 23:10 Highlight the passage at 23:10

23:29 And there's no way that there's any space in your heart now for anything other than love and kindness and forgiveness and wisdom and bliss. And Report an error in the passage at 23:29 Highlight the passage at 23:29

23:55 this last round will purify even the imprints of negativity of body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 23:55 Highlight the passage at 23:55

24:05 So this time imagine that Guru Vajrasattva sends light again and it fills you completely. And eradicates even the subtlest imprint, the negative energy from your mind. It's like once you remove garlic from a jar, you still need to remove the smell. Report an error in the passage at 24:05 Highlight the passage at 24:05

24:31 Vajrasapha Samaya, Manubalaya, Vajrasapha Denu Patita. Judo me bawa, Sukhdo kayo me bawa, Sukhdo kayo me bawa, Anurato me bawa. Sarva siri me paryaça salva kama suta me, Sitam siram kuru hum, ha ha ha Thank ha you. ho. Report an error in the passage at 24:31 Highlight the passage at 24:31

25:08 Om Vajra Sapa Samaya. Manupalaya Vajrasapadhinopatita Jiromebha Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 25:08 Highlight the passage at 25:08

25:47 Om Vajrasapha Samaya Manupalaya Vajrasapha Denupathita Dhiromebhava Suttokaya mebhava Suttokaya mebhava Anurata mebhava Sarvasiri meparayatza Sarvakama Sutsame Report an error in the passage at 25:47 Highlight the passage at 25:47

26:26 So Report an error in the passage at 26:26 Highlight the passage at 26:26

26:30 now feel that you're completely purified. I feel really, really happy. Report an error in the passage at 26:30 Highlight the passage at 26:30

26:43 Imagine that you're really, really happy. Report an error in the passage at 26:43 Highlight the passage at 26:43

26:58 And the fourth power is the power of resolve. And this is such an important one. This determination not to harm with our body, speech and mind keeps us from doing it again, even for a tiny moment. Without this, we just keep doing the same old things. Report an error in the passage at 26:58 Highlight the passage at 26:58

27:19 So this is like our beacon guiding us in this new direction. Report an error in the passage at 27:19 Highlight the passage at 27:19

27:27 So we try to set some determination to not repeat this action for whatever amount of time is realistic. Report an error in the passage at 27:27 Highlight the passage at 27:27

27:40 A day, it might be a week, it might be a few minutes. Report an error in the passage at 27:40 Highlight the passage at 27:40

28:13 And then very happily, the Raja Sattva melts into white light and absorbs into you for the kind of the kind of pure chocolate out of your heart. Report an error in the passage at 28:13 Highlight the passage at 28:13

28:29 Energy emerges with your own very subtle consciousness. You become an insufferable awareness with you. You're going to Report an error in the passage at 28:29 Highlight the passage at 28:29

29:06 motivate this class and you're going to get from it any insights, any understandings, being able to look at your minds at a night and night. Report an error in the passage at 29:06 Highlight the passage at 29:06

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29:55 Page 7 in the white prayer book. Report an error in the passage at 29:55 Highlight the passage at 29:55

30:09 And this time, let's go ahead and we'll do the mandala. In case those of you who came on Saturday want to try out your little mudras. Report an error in the passage at 30:09 Highlight the passage at 30:09

30:21 That's right, there's a camera on. No, I'm kidding. If you can't remember it, just hold something in your hands and just offer or just visualize. That's fine too. So at the top of the column on the left. dangerous. Report an error in the passage at 30:21 Highlight the passage at 30:21

30:36 There's a short mandala. Let's do it in English. We can do it both. Let's do it both. We'll do it in Tibetan first and then we'll do it in English. Report an error in the passage at 30:36 Highlight the passage at 30:36

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31:58 This ground anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers, adorned with Mount Meru, the four continents, the sun and the moon. and will Report an error in the passage at 31:58 Highlight the passage at 31:58

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32:07 I imagine this as a Buddha field and offer it. May all living beings enjoy this pure land. Then after the next stanza there's the line that we say to dismantle our mandala. And we'll do refuge and bodhicitta two times in Tibetan and then one time in England. Report an error in the passage at 32:07 Highlight the passage at 32:07

32:34 And remember... Wait for the umze. So I'll say Sangye and then you guys come in on Chur, which means Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 32:34 Highlight the passage at 32:34

33:08 BARDU DAG NI KAP SU CHI DAG GI JUN YANG GI PHE SO NANG GI DRO LA PEN SHIR SANG GI DU PAR SHO 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 I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. We'll do the verse on the following page. With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 33:08 Highlight the passage at 33:08

33:48 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 33:48 Highlight the passage at 33:48

34:12 So how do people do with that? We only did 12 mantras, by the way. I think we actually did 13 because I lost count. But I did an extra one for the mind, knowing that mind needed it. But anyway, if you're doing 21 a day, you need to do an extra 8 once you leave here. But basically... Report an error in the passage at 34:12 Highlight the passage at 34:12

34:34 That's the idea behind it. You can also just do one visualization, say you're purifying something of mind. You can just do that visualization for the whole time. So the whole 21 mantras, you can just do that same visualization. You can also, as you get better at it, you can do all three visualizations during that same session, sometimes simultaneously, which is a little psychedelic. Report an error in the passage at 34:34 Highlight the passage at 34:34

35:03 But pretty cool. You can also, obviously, if you're doing one of speech, just focus on the speech. If you're doing one of body, you can just focus on one of body. So you can do it like that. But this particular meditation, which, as I said, is one that Rodina did, I slightly Americanized the English. Report an error in the passage at 35:03 Highlight the passage at 35:03

35:22 Because her English is very, very Australian. And very forceful. And remember she was also writing this for prisoners, so some of the states of mind she brought up I think were particular to, but I think who hasn't had some bitterness in life, you know, so that's okay. I left those in there. But anyway, how do people do with that? Anybody have anything come up? Or, and also you can also mention here, we have a little sentient being that needs blowing Omani home on him. Report an error in the passage at 35:22 Highlight the passage at 35:22

35:54 I'm glad he waited until after. Report an error in the passage at 35:54 Highlight the passage at 35:54

36:00 Any questions or comments about anything? Report an error in the passage at 36:00 Highlight the passage at 36:00

36:08 Here comes the talking stick. Report an error in the passage at 36:08 Highlight the passage at 36:08

36:14 I was just going to ask about understanding the meaning of the mantra that you were saying. I can give you a handout, yet another handout, on the meaning of the mantra. It's basically, it goes down the whole thing and the bottom line is please spread yourself up here by me. You know, that's the gist. Report an error in the passage at 36:14 Highlight the passage at 36:14

36:04 think, yeah, let's press that. Report an error in the passage at 36:04 Highlight the passage at 36:04

36:33 But I'm happy to send that out if people want it. Let me send it, sure. So I'm going to make a note of it because I didn't care about my mind quite enough. Report an error in the passage at 36:33 Highlight the passage at 36:33

36:43 And I don't have my, I need a pen. Please, I've got one now. Thank you. So let's do, I had to find it. Yeah, right. I think I've done all these other things. So final week. Report an error in the passage at 36:43 Highlight the passage at 36:43

37:08 just stop that movie. And whether it would be appropriate to say it in English instead or is there something about saying it? No, there's a lot of power in the mantra because according to our tradition, I mean some traditions do a lot of practices in Pāli. Our tradition is from Sanskrit and so there's considered to be quite a bit of power to the Sanskrit when you think of all the enlightened beings that spoke it. Report an error in the passage at 37:08 Highlight the passage at 37:08

37:37 And the same now in Tibetan. So I think there are some people that are sort of Americanizing or Englishizing or Westernizing a lot of their rituals and I think probably eventually a lot of our rituals will be in English. I actually find that sad because I think it's fun to do it in both. And I think there is a lot of power in the language of Tibetan. Report an error in the passage at 37:37 Highlight the passage at 37:37

38:00 So I like to kind of do both when we read the prayers. I think it's nice to learn the tunes and so forth so that when Geshe-la leads them, it's nice. But we don't speak Tibetan, you know, so it's nice to know what you're saying, too. So I like to do it in both. And I think they say that there is quite a bit of power in the mantra itself. Report an error in the passage at 38:00 Highlight the passage at 38:00

38:20 So, yeah, so it is nice to learn it. Obviously, if it's too difficult or you're feeling a virgin arising or whatever, then, yeah, you could also. Do a different ritual and we could come up with something for you. But just try. It's actually a very nice practice doing the Sanskrit and there is a lot of power to it too. Report an error in the passage at 38:20 Highlight the passage at 38:20

38:43 And then, you know, like I mentioned when I did the Vashya Safa retreat, we were all trying really hard and then one of Lamyesha's old students came up and told us all to relax and basically we set it all up and imagined Vashya Safa at your crown and then say the mantra and just trust that it's going to work. Report an error in the passage at 38:43 Highlight the passage at 38:43

38:59 And there's a huge leap there to take that trust. But you can just try it out. And that's why it keeps saying throughout that practice, just imagine feeling purified and then feel happy. We have to be coached, right? Taking that leap is almost harder than visualizing a little white being and saying those words. It's like really believing for that instant that my speech is purified, my mind is purified, my body. Report an error in the passage at 38:59 Highlight the passage at 38:59

39:26 It's hard to imagine. But that's part of how we get to be these incredible beings of life. That's how it works. We have to start out believing that it's even possible for me to be purified, much less for me to be perfected. Report an error in the passage at 39:26 Highlight the passage at 39:26

39:40 So part of this practice, I think, is getting beyond self-pity mind and the victim mode of our culture and taking the leap towards I can be pure. Just starting to believe that I can be pure. And the Buddha said, yeah, of course you can. We have mind. And that's all that it means. As long as you have mind, you can purify it. You know, that little ant has mind. Report an error in the passage at 39:40 Highlight the passage at 39:40

40:07 That little ant has Buddha nature. So it's one thing that we keep from life to life to life that we never lose. Good question. Report an error in the passage at 40:07 Highlight the passage at 40:07

40:18 Anybody else? And it can be about the homework, too. Report an error in the passage at 40:18 Highlight the passage at 40:18

40:27 And I'm sure you all are doing this religious thing, staying up all hours to get it done. It's impressive, really. Report an error in the passage at 40:27 Highlight the passage at 40:27

40:37 Right, I can see you're all wearing your long-room glasses. Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 40:37 Highlight the passage at 40:37

41:02 is a boy that he got a year ago, a kidney transplant, but recently he got some complications and he's using a catheter, and his name is Rafael Alexi Junco. And I would like to ask everybody if we can dedicate the class today and if they can pray for him. We can also add him to the list. Look at the limits and other surgeries. Yeah, yeah. No, remind me at the end and we'll dedicate the class and the whole series to him, which will be really good. Report an error in the passage at 41:02 Highlight the passage at 41:02

41:39 And then if we can try to remember, we can dedicate stupa training as well. Yeah, so that's what we're doing. Report an error in the passage at 41:39 Highlight the passage at 41:39

41:54 Yeah, no, I was just saying if she can tell me afterwards then I can add it to it, yeah. Yeah, because Monday is the day of miracles. So we want to dedicate everything on that day too. So Marcella makes an interesting point. We can, you know, when we dedicate a lot of times and motivate for that matter, we have these really vast aspirations, which they say is really good for us, even as baby bodhisattvas, to develop this vast aspiration and not just be... Report an error in the passage at 41:54 Highlight the passage at 41:54

42:24 Focusing on me and my loved ones and best friends and all that stuff. But on the other hand, it's also really great because we just did this practice and so far, I mean, one of you guys might have gotten mad at me, but so far none of you have lost all that great karma. And so then we dedicate it while it's still fresh to something good. And why not dedicate it to this little boy? Report an error in the passage at 42:24 Highlight the passage at 42:24

42:48 Because we have the karma and have Marcella in the class and she has the karma to know about him. So it connects us, you know. So often when I'm in a retreat, I'll have this list of all the people who either sponsored me or helped me or that I'm connected to for whatever reason, karmically, and I'll just dedicate every day to those people. Report an error in the passage at 42:48 Highlight the passage at 42:48

43:10 So, yeah, so it's just another great thing that you can do for free to benefit others at the end of your day, at the end of your session in the morning or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 43:10 Highlight the passage at 43:10

43:21 Dedicate. Dedicate to either specific things or just to your own enlightenment or whatever. Don't forget to dedicate. When you do any virtuous action, like even putting a little, essentially being outside or if there's one, you know, sometimes like a snail or something moving really slowly across a busy sidewalk, move it. Report an error in the passage at 43:21 Highlight the passage at 43:21

43:40 But it is nice to blow on it and blow a mantra on it because you never know that could be how we got here. And then when you set it aside, actually remember to dedicate that merit. Because there is a lot of positive merit. You just saved a life. I mean, could have, because we could have just walked. I mean, here he's somewhat safe from being exterminated, but we still could like mindlessly step on him, you know, without meaning to, just because that's the kind of beings we are. Report an error in the passage at 43:40 Highlight the passage at 43:40

44:07 Yeah, but it's good to dedicate like all through the day, you know. And it's hard to, too. It's like another form of mind training. Yet one more form of mind training. Actually, I'm afraid I'm going to miss this. If you guys don't get the Vajrasattva meaning document in the next, by say, Sunday afternoon, somebody send me an email. Report an error in the passage at 44:07 Highlight the passage at 44:07

44:30 Well, I'll get like 12 emails. Because it just means I've spaced or I haven't looked at my notes again or something. Okay. So, just a little bit about, so next, this is the final real class, technical class, technically. all know. Report an error in the passage at 44:30 Highlight the passage at 44:30

44:49 It is the final class of the series. Our practice day will be this sort of shortened practice evening, next week. It should run about 7 to 9, I'm going to say 9.30 to be safe, but obviously if people have to leave at 9, that's fine. I would rather say it's going to be a little longer than have you guys leave on time than the opposite, so I'm going to say that it is. Report an error in the passage at 44:49 Highlight the passage at 44:49

45:16 But it'll go something like this. I'm going to lead you in a meditation from about 7 to 7.45. So if possible, be here on time. If not, no worries. Just come on in quietly. We won't be able to do what I would do on a Saturday, which I like to do several meditations and keep silence, just so you have like a taste of retreat. Report an error in the passage at 45:16 Highlight the passage at 45:16

45:37 But that's okay. It'll be all right. We'll still have a good time. Have a virtuous good time. And then... Then we'll break from that meditation. We'll just have a little bit of discussion about it in case people want to share anything that came up for them and so forth. I'm going to make some chai for you guys. Report an error in the passage at 45:37 Highlight the passage at 45:37

45:56 So then we'll have some chai together. And while we're drinking the chai, we're going to watch the Discovering Buddhism video, which is about a half an hour. So we'll watch that together. We'll, what do you call it, multitask? We'll drink our chai and watch our video. Report an error in the passage at 45:56 Highlight the passage at 45:56

46:15 And then we're gonna kinda come together in a circle, if possible. Report an error in the passage at 46:15 Highlight the passage at 46:15

46:25 And people will do their presentations. So I have tonight for you some ideas on them. We have very little time, so it's gonna be even shorter than normal. Normally I say five to 10 minutes, now it's more like less than five. This need you. Report an error in the passage at 46:25 Highlight the passage at 46:25

46:41 Because if everybody did one, we just, you know what I mean? So it's kind of like I'll probably assign, maybe either Palmo or Jenna will be a time watcher too and we'll help. Report an error in the passage at 46:41 Highlight the passage at 46:41

46:53 Okay, so we'll do the little dong for each person so that, you know, some people, no problem. Like you just, like, you watch the time. But I get involved, so it's too hard for me to do. So it's actually better if it's an outside source. Report an error in the passage at 46:53 Highlight the passage at 46:53

47:09 The basic idea is you're going to just choose something that meant something to you. For example, if you're going to explain something, say the six preparatory practices, explain it to us like we haven't been here. We don't know why you would do this and if you've tried it, some experience or something like that. Try to make it personal, not just like... Report an error in the passage at 47:09 Highlight the passage at 47:09

47:12 So it can be, you Report an error in the passage at 47:12 Highlight the passage at 47:12

47:34 The six preparatory practices are, you know, try to make it like something that you have some, something juicy to you. But it might also be, what do I mean by lamrim colored glasses, you know, or something like that. So it might be something more personal. It also might be you want to lead the class and advise yourself in meditation. That's going to be hard to do in five minutes, so we might have to, we might have to nix that one, unfortunately. Report an error in the passage at 47:34 Highlight the passage at 47:34

48:00 It is on the list. Unless we do the short mantra, I guess. We could do it with the short mantra, Om Vajra Sapa Hung. We could do that. But anyway, so if somebody wants to do that, that might be a suggestion. You could also, if you kind of came up with a way to think about this stuff on your own, you can just contact me and just say, I don't want to choose anything on the list, but I had this other idea. Report an error in the passage at 48:00 Highlight the passage at 48:00

48:25 Can I do that? And as long as I say, yeah, then that's fine. that. Report an error in the passage at 48:25 Highlight the passage at 48:25

48:29 I just like to know if you're going to choose something that's not on the list just because sometimes people choose things that are completely off the list. So it's kind of good if it has something to do with daily practice. Report an error in the passage at 48:29 Highlight the passage at 48:29

48:41 Anyway, so that's the idea. And then if we have time, and so then we'll dedicate and then we'll end. If we have time, I'd love to lead you again in just the shorter version of the Vajrasattva that you have in front of you. So just basically... It's more internal, but it kind of allows us to purify anything we did wrong in the doing of this class as well. And if not, then we'll just edit it. Then that's kind of how it'll go. Report an error in the passage at 48:41 Highlight the passage at 48:41

49:09 So if you can be on time, that would be great. And if not, just come in and quietly take your place. The meditation that I'm leading will kind of review a little bit of the preparatory practices, and then we'll do the precious human birth. So that's the one we're going to do. Report an error in the passage at 49:09 Highlight the passage at 49:09

49:31 Okay. So last week I had mentioned a little bit about what are called preliminary practices. I think in some ways talking about preliminary practices and preparatory practices gets confusing and a lot of times I actually chose preparatory practices to distinguish it from the preliminary practices because I think sometimes you'll hear like Geshe's going to talk about the six preliminary practices and it's like... Report an error in the passage at 49:31 Highlight the passage at 49:31

49:56 But wait, there's more than that, you know. So I actually began, as I was more involved with program coordination, using the term preparatory practices for the ones that we do before we sit down and meditate. And the preliminary practices, or Tibetan nundro, has to do more with those practices in a bigger sense before we take more advanced teachings or tantra. Report an error in the passage at 49:56 Highlight the passage at 49:56

50:19 So there are the ones that you do with 100,000 of this, 100,000 of that, that we sort of talked about a little bit with Vajrasapa is one of them. Prostrations is another one. And so all of the main schools or lineages that came out of Tibet have their own Nundro, the Sakyas and the Nyingma and the Kagyu and the Galukva. Report an error in the passage at 50:19 Highlight the passage at 50:19

50:43 So in our tradition, which comes from the Galukva tradition, we have what... nine Nundro or preliminary practices. You normally, depending on your Lama, you normally do 100,000 of each of these nine practices. With Lama Zopa Rinpoche you might do something completely different and you also might do these bizarro numbers, which might be really tiny or might be really huge, so it just sort of depends. Report an error in the passage at 50:43 Highlight the passage at 50:43

51:09 But traditionally, it's 100,000 of each. And it's prostrations, vajrasattva, refuge. There's a refuge practice, actually. Mandala, which you'd usually, you probably would have the kit for, rather than just your hands. Guru yoga mantra, Report an error in the passage at 51:09 Highlight the passage at 51:09

51:36 water bowls, which is one of the things that we worked on on Saturday. Satsas, that's T-S-A, T-S-A-S. Those are little representations of the Buddha or of something. You can have a holy being, a Buddha, sometimes several at a time depending on the mold, but you actually use molds and you make these little 3D representations. Report an error in the passage at 51:36 Highlight the passage at 51:36

52:03 They almost look like statues in a way, but they usually are different colors or plaster and you paint them. Dorji Kadro Fire Puja offerings and Report an error in the passage at 52:03 Highlight the passage at 52:03

52:23 Samayavajra mantras, Dantic Dorji in Tibetan, Samayavajra. Report an error in the passage at 52:23 Highlight the passage at 52:23

52:32 So basically what these kind of preliminary practices do, they either or purify or accumulate merit and often both. Like with prostrations, it's really both. Report an error in the passage at 52:32 Highlight the passage at 52:32

52:51 But if we just sort of jump into those higher teachings, especially the teachings on emptiness and the tantric teachings, without doing these preliminary practices, often we won't understand, like we won't have had time to develop our minds at the same time or at the same rate. And so it's almost worse than useless, it just won't work. And then we create sort of this aversion in our mind and we just think it doesn't work. Report an error in the passage at 52:51 Highlight the passage at 52:51

53:16 And in reality, it's because we didn't really take the time to become proper vessels, which we talk about in the next class a little bit, the next course. If we want to find the right teacher, then we have to become the right students. We have to become the proper students. We have to be ready to take on these teachings before we enter them. Report an error in the passage at 53:16 Highlight the passage at 53:16

53:37 I think it used to be a little bit easier to control that in old Tibet, but now it's sort of like... Whatever is happening is announced and think people come and ready or not they just sort of end up taking on these different commitments and often jumping in a wee bit early. So there's a saying in Nepal, in India both, in Nepal especially, slowly, slowly. And that's a really good mantra. Report an error in the passage at 53:37 Highlight the passage at 53:37

54:07 Slowly, slowly. Talking about Tibetan Buddhism or any kind of Buddhism. Because if we jump in too quickly, it's going to affect our faith in the practices themselves. We won't understand them, and so then we become averse to them, and then we tell everyone else they don't work just because they didn't work for us. Report an error in the passage at 54:07 Highlight the passage at 54:07

54:25 They actually work for quite a few people, so maybe we're the problem, but often we don't think that way. Report an error in the passage at 54:25 Highlight the passage at 54:25

54:34 So I do a 14th module, sort of within... Discovering Buddhism, there are 13 classes, and then the 14th module is actually these integration experiences where you do these practices, these sort of more deeper practices with your mind, or kind of sometimes with your body, but usually always with your mind, hopefully. Report an error in the passage at 54:34 Highlight the passage at 54:34

55:01 And I do a little kind of overview of all of them, just so you're not just sort of like out there trying to figure out how to do the prostrations or how to do Bajja Sappho or something like that. So that's probably, I think that probably was coming up in maybe a year because that comes up after we've offered author to classes. Report an error in the passage at 55:01 Highlight the passage at 55:01

55:23 Any questions about that or any questions about anything else? Talking stick. Report an error in the passage at 55:23 Highlight the passage at 55:23

55:34 I know it's okay. Disguise your voice. Discussion around formalization of a teacher. Can you speak a little bit more about that? Because is it true that unless the student is committed and or is sure that that can actually bring harm to the teacher? Report an error in the passage at 55:34 Highlight the passage at 55:34

55:56 Well, it's true. Well, we'll talk about it a lot in the next class. That's the whole point of the next class. So I don't want to spend too much on it here. But, yeah, they say actually that we have to be a prepared vessel. Before we take on a teacher, so we have to also check up on that teacher. There's a lot on us to check up on that teacher. Report an error in the passage at 55:56 Highlight the passage at 55:56

56:21 And until then you should think just clearly in your mind, I'm just taking this, I'm just, I'm attending this class as an informational thing only. I always just actually think that in my head. I'm just coming for information, not taking on this guy as a guru. Sometimes I'll actually do that throughout the entire evening, you know, and then you get these looks from them too where they're like looking at you like, you know, what's up with her? Report an error in the passage at 56:21 Highlight the passage at 56:21

56:43 But I'm just like, nope, nope, I'm not taking you on as a guru. So I think it is really good to be clear in your own mind. Once I heard any of these teachings, I learned that one. I mean, not so much in a class like this. This is more of an informational kind of class. But attending, even with Geshe-less classes, just like, okay, I'm attending these and I'm just checking up. Report an error in the passage at 56:43 Highlight the passage at 56:43

57:04 So I'm not taking you on yet, you know. Now, from his side... Because it is a two-way street, and we forget that a lot. We're spending all the time shopping, right? And we forget that they're shopping to us, too. I have heard of stories where a student will go to a Lama and say, please take me on as your student. Report an error in the passage at 57:04 Highlight the passage at 57:04

57:29 I see you as my teacher. And the teacher said, No, it's actually better for you to go to blah blah, which must be sort of an interesting feeling if that should happen. But from their side, they may see that you have more karma with somebody else and that they don't have karma with you. So I think that's kind of interesting too. There is the thought from traditionally in Tibet, the teacher takes responsibility even physically for the students, like all those little monks. Report an error in the passage at 57:29 Highlight the passage at 57:29

58:02 Sometimes they're sleeping in the rooms with them, you know, especially in old Tibet. They would care for them and would care for them for their lives. You make sure they had food and things like that. Less so now, but still there's that responsibility for their mind. And I think that's especially true when you get into Tantra. So if we take, for example, if we take an empowerment... Report an error in the passage at 58:02 Highlight the passage at 58:02

58:26 from somebody and we aren't really ready and we break all our vows and so forth, it is taught that the teacher can suffer because of that, and she can harm the teacher. So it's something else to consider. If we enter Tantra or any of these higher teachings where we take perhaps commentary on something and we aren't ready and we don't intend to keep any of the commitments, then it's the teacher who know. Report an error in the passage at 58:26 Highlight the passage at 58:26

58:53 I'm not going to say suffer because if there are If they are an enlightened being, then they are just manifesting that suffering because of our karma. But still, we should think about that when we take on those things. We shouldn't take on anything. And if you have any doubts, you know, err on the side of caution. It's better, you know, it's better to, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 58:53 Highlight the passage at 58:53

59:16 Yeah, no, and we'll go into it much more in the next. Report an error in the passage at 59:16 Highlight the passage at 59:16

59:22 Because I'm not going to touch that one at the temple. Okay, so tonight I thought we'd just sort of go through everything. Like what does this all look like as a daily practice? It's a little bit kind of going through it a couple times, but it's going through just the various things and how your day would look a little bit like that so that you kind of have a taste of it in practice. Report an error in the passage at 59:22 Highlight the passage at 59:22

59:49 Practice in practice. So I hope that... The main thing, or probably one of the biggest things that we come away from in this class is that practice doesn't just mean sitting practice, like formal sitting practice. It means everything, especially in Tibetan Buddhism. It means everything that we do can be some sort of practice, some way of working with our minds. Report an error in the passage at 59:49 Highlight the passage at 59:49

1:00:11 Again, thinking about the definition of practice as being basically any way that we work with our minds, any at all that we work with our minds to allow our minds to become more skillful. More wise, more compassionate, like all the good qualities. So it's not just working with our minds to train our minds to learn Spanish or something, unless that's beneficial, but rather to work with our minds to train our minds in some way, beginning first with watching our mind, but then also to train our minds in some way to get closer to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:11 Highlight the passage at 1:00:11

1:00:48 I mean that's really what it's about, you know. So. So actually our daily practice starts when we go to sleep at night and then we reactivate it when we first wake up in the morning. And it continues through our formal meditation and then it continues with how we view the world and then it also continues at our workplace or in our homes with our families and our partners or with our school or something like that. That conscious... Report an error in the passage at 1:00:48 Highlight the passage at 1:00:48

1:01:23 Constantly and consciously we are working with our minds no matter what's being thrown at us. And when we say thrown at us, it's also really important to remember karma and emptiness. So whatever is happening, we kind of have to keep reminding ourselves that this is the result of my karma. I played a role in the creation of whatever is happening. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:23 Highlight the passage at 1:01:23

1:01:44 So if I go to work and everyone's fighting... It might be useful to try to stop that fighting, but it's also useful to step back for a second and think, wow, okay, I created this. So first of all, accept, and secondly, how do I react to it that's not going to prolong it in my life? Probably not jumping into the fray. So usually if we choose a negative approach to something that's coming at us, that's going to create more of the same karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:44 Highlight the passage at 1:01:44

1:02:17 To keep it up in our lives. So if we yell back at the boss screaming at us, we're going to have a lot of angry bosses for the next few lifetimes. If we stop that action before we jump into it, if we're able to actually stop ourselves, which takes practice, then we can begin turning that karma around. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:17 Highlight the passage at 1:02:17

1:02:38 And if we can do that with any kind of, even the tiniest wisdom of, this is my karma right there. That's the mantra to remember. This is my karma right being. Wow. Okay. And that allows you to stop for a second. And that takes years. And it's so exciting. The first time that it happens. I think I said, one of my teachers used to say, it's sort of like you practice, you come into work, the boss screams at you, you scream back. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:38 Highlight the passage at 1:02:38

1:03:11 Then you practice a little bit more, the boss screams at you, you stop. And you scream back. And then the boss screams at you and you step shorter, I mean longer, and then you scream back. And then it's kind of like you scream back, you walk down the hall, you're like, ooh, that's my karma ripening. Okay, Vajrasapha in the toilet time. And then it's sort of like you're able to stop it closer and closer to the boss screams and you're just like, you know, it's not that you become a doormat, but in wisdom you realize I co-created this. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:11 Highlight the passage at 1:03:11

1:03:45 How I respond to it is what's going to change it. It's too late to change the fact that the screaming boss is screaming or the dentist is drilling my tooth or the accident has happened. That part I created already. So now what's going to change it is how I react. And that's hard. It's really, really hard. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:45 Highlight the passage at 1:03:45

1:04:04 But that's the cool aspect of it. And then you go home and evaluate how you did. And you get back on that horse. Beating yourself up isn't going to do anything. We've been screwing up for lifetimes, according to the Buddha. So this life, we have a chance to turn it around, and that's really exciting. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:04 Highlight the passage at 1:04:04

1:04:25 And so rather than getting upset at yourself for it not working the first day out, or even the first 79 days out, just be happy for the little things that have worked, and also just keep getting back on the horse. Just keep getting back on the horse. Keep getting back on the horse. you know, as many times as it takes. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:25 Highlight the passage at 1:04:25

1:04:48 So, um... So using a little bit of that, you know, whatever's happening at work, all those appearances coming through the day, using it as teachings and also reflections of our own mind, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:48 Highlight the passage at 1:04:48

1:05:06 They say that for enlightened beings, they can be walking around in the same room. I mean, some of you could be enlightened beings. And your experience of this evening would be completely different than the rest of us schmoes. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:06 Highlight the passage at 1:05:06

1:05:19 Or, you know, walking down Market Street. If you're an enlightened being, the whole thing is like bliss and energy and sweetness and light and everything. And I'm like seeing all the guys in the gutter and smelling the pee and, you know. So it's just because of my karma. It doesn't mean that there's any absolute experience of anything. So the more that we can remember that, that all the appearances that come to us are teachings, that's huge too. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:19 Highlight the passage at 1:05:19

1:05:48 And that also helps give us that little space from them as being so real. When you think about like when little kids and the ice cream truck comes and they're so excited by the ice cream truck and they're so... And nothing is more important than that. They're just so thrilled about it. And we're actually like those little kids all the time. So whether it's the food that's in front of us or the relationship or whatever's happening at work, we're so involved and it feels so solid and so real. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:48 Highlight the passage at 1:05:48

1:06:18 These kind of techniques take you back a little bit, give you that space. And so does your meditation. So does your meditation. It just sort of allows us to have a little bit of space. And a little bit of tools to work with it, whatever's shooting at us at 150 miles an hour. So the yoga of work is really using our jobs or whatever we do with our lives during the daytime, whether we're in school or at work. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:18 Highlight the passage at 1:06:18

1:06:49 We try to transform it all. We try to remember how to work with it all. remember. Remembering that whatever is happening is the result of past actions, which creates karma, which I then experience as this experience, good or bad. Good is good to remember, too. So when something really good, I mean, it's so rare that, you know, if something good happens, we rarely say, why me? Right? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:49 Highlight the passage at 1:06:49

1:07:15 Or blame somebody. Oh, it's your fault, John, you know, you bought this ticket for me and then it won, you know. Usually we only blame people for the bad stuff, but it is really important to remember that we created the good stuff too. And we have pretty good lives overall compared to most of the planet. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:15 Highlight the passage at 1:07:15

1:07:35 Just beauty alone in this city is incredible. And that's our good karma reckoning. This class, this center has our good karma reckoning. The teachers that we have access to in the good areas. And having, of course, the Dharma still alive and being translated and all that stuff is called yoga. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:35 Highlight the passage at 1:07:35

1:07:56 Yoga of eating. So taking time, even if it's just a moment to remember to offer that first bite or the third or the, you know, like after you ate the whole thing and all of a sudden you're like, ooh, gosh darn it, sorry. You know, they love us. It's okay. Just offer it when you think of it in whatever way works for you, you know, whether you want to do a visualization or whether you just want to say, may that thing I just ate and forgot to offer. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:56 Highlight the passage at 1:07:56

1:08:28 May that help me be able to benefit also. Something like that. Just something so that it gets us out of that mind of grasping attachment to the chocolate sort of thing I had for lunch. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:28 Highlight the passage at 1:08:28

1:08:44 Which you can just get thoroughly into. You can still delight in it with Buddhism. It's not that we avoid the good things and have to wear our hair shirts and beat ourselves up. We just remember, again, To just delight in the really wonderful things of our lives and remember that we co-created them. So having a little practice of just offering up what you're about to eat if you can. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:44 Highlight the passage at 1:08:44

1:09:11 I used to, for the longest time when I was trying to, it is one of the refuge commitments to offer the first bite of whatever we eat and drink, which is a big one if you drink a lot of water. I used to just stand in the kitchen and do it. So that nobody could distract me or I couldn't distract me once I sat down and started shoving the food in. So that's an idea too. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:11 Highlight the passage at 1:09:11

1:09:33 If you're making your own food, it's just to take a minute, look at it and offer it before you even sit down because that gives you half a second longer to actually remember to offer something. If you're in a busy workplace and you're eating lunch, you can still take that moment either when you're heating it up, right before you've joined anybody, or... Report an error in the passage at 1:09:33 Highlight the passage at 1:09:33

1:09:53 I used to have this one teacher, he would say he'd take, oh I still have your pen, I'm so sorry. I'm giving it back to you afterwards, otherwise we'll have to do Vajrasapha for all my students. But he would just say he would take a bite and while he was feigning, listening to somebody telling a story, he'd just be offering it and then it would go into his mouth and nobody would be the wiser. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:53 Highlight the passage at 1:09:53

1:10:14 So he didn't have to do this whole, nobody at his job knew that he was, you don't have to be very high. I kind of am, but you don't have to be very out there. I wear my robes to work, but you don't have to be very out there with it. You don't have to sing that little song we did, you know, and all that stuff on Saturday. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:14 Highlight the passage at 1:10:14

1:10:36 Although if you go out with Geshe-Allah, He always does. And at first I was kind of like, you know, and now I'm like, Geshe-Allah, it's time for the, you know. I'll be the first to yell it out, you know. But yeah, you don't have to be out there at all. It can all be secret. It depends on how skillful you are if you're with friends or so forth or Dharma friends. But yeah, it's all your mind, so it doesn't matter if anybody else knows. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:36 Highlight the passage at 1:10:36

1:11:01 And again, thinking all of these different ways are just ways to watch our minds. So at the end of the day, sitting down and just trying to think about what I have the regrets for. How was I unskillful? In what ways did I maybe not use my... Why do your speech and mind so great? And then also give equal time to the I did some great things. And even if you can't think of any, if you have to, some of us will have absolutely no problems at all thinking about the great things that we did. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:01 Highlight the passage at 1:11:01

1:11:33 But for those of us who have a little more trouble, just the fact that you're even trying to think about the things you have regret for and the things that are more skillful, that's huge. Nobody does that. I mean, that's, we're probably like one, we're like the That example that the Buddha did about the number of grains of sand on the tip of the needle versus the whole rest of the planet, it's actually really rare to take time to think about whether I use my body, speech or mind skillfully today or not. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:33 Highlight the passage at 1:11:33

1:12:08 That in and of itself is something to rejoice, even if that's the only thing you can think of, to rejoice. But it can also be things like went to the center. You know, so it's a good, it's a... Report an error in the passage at 1:12:08 Highlight the passage at 1:12:08

1:12:20 Read some Dharma book. I mean, you know what I mean? Like it can be things like that. It can also just be took an ant outside. I mean, that's huge. We wouldn't have, right? A couple weeks ago, we would have, I mean, hopefully you wouldn't have just stepped on it and rejoiced in that or anything like that. But you might not have thought to take that step. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:20 Highlight the passage at 1:12:20

1:12:38 And so that in and of itself is something to rejoice about. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:38 Highlight the passage at 1:12:38

1:12:45 So... And then after you've done all that and you've done your little purification practice to purify any negativities that you might have created, then you lay down and go to sleep and they say again, if you can, to lie down on the right side with the palm under the cheek. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:45 Highlight the passage at 1:12:45

1:13:03 Just the way that the Buddha is said to have passed away, that's supposed to be a very auspicious way to at least start the night. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:03 Highlight the passage at 1:13:03

1:13:12 And then if it helps, you can imagine lying with your head in the lap of your teacher or the Buddha. If not, just to try to go to sleep with some sort of virtuous mind, whether that's from having a book by the side of the bed that you just sort of page through. I thought of actually, I meant to bring it tonight. If I can remember, I'll bring it next week. But I may have mentioned it already. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:12 Highlight the passage at 1:13:12

1:13:38 Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a little book on how to be happy. Which is quite nice for just really potent quotes. I just look in the morning, just as part of my motivation for the day, I'll just say, you know, whatever I open to. And it's always quite useful. I mean, he has parts in it that are quite long, and then there are parts that are just those sound bites. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:38 Highlight the passage at 1:13:38

1:14:00 I love the sound bites. Just little boldy ones, you know. And then I think there's also one, I'm not as familiar with Lama Yeshi's version, but Lama Zopa is... For all his extended wordiness, he's the king of the soundbite. So those are quite nice to look at right before you go to bed, too. I usually look at them in the morning to set my motivation. You can also just, if you've been meditating, for example, on precious human rebirth or whatever you're meditating on, you can also just kind of let that steep your mind a little bit and try to go to bed with that on your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:00 Highlight the passage at 1:14:00

1:14:41 It's especially useful if we go to bed with a really worried mind or we're just obsessing about something, which is quite common. This is the desire realm, so we have a lot of desire, we have a lot of obsession about anything. So even the things that we don't like or that are bothering us, we get obsessed with. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:41 Highlight the passage at 1:14:41

1:15:01 Much less all the things that we love or lust for or want to eat or something like that. So just kind of allowing yourself, you could even just visualize white light like with Fajra Sapa. You could just kind of, just to clear your mind a little bit. You know, imagining like any negative thought that arises is just instantly dispelled, just the way that one visualization with the bright light entering the room. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:01 Highlight the passage at 1:15:01

1:15:27 So that if your mind is just kind of going crazy, just to try to allow those negative thoughts to just dissolve. Sometimes it's hard to remember. And then waking up, trying to remember when you first wake up, that you went to sleep with your head in the lap of the Buddha, or in the lap of your teacher, and that then you can imagine them dissolving into white light and going into your body, or just staying in your heart for the day. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:27 Highlight the passage at 1:15:27

1:16:03 They say that actually this process of going to sleep Then being asleep and then waking up the next morning is really similar to the dying process and the intermediate state and the rebirth. So we sort of use it to train our minds for the bigger one, you know, because if we're used to going to sleep and sort of thinking, you know, well, let me wake up tomorrow and benefit others or let me go to sleep and wake up with really great conditions so that I can continue my practice, then it happens like that at our death. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:03 Highlight the passage at 1:16:03

1:16:39 We've created enough of that habit, which is really all this stuff is, is just creating new habits, that then we set the tone for our karma to be projected into a really positive rebirth and to be able to continue the path. That's probably how a lot of us got here. We just don't remember. So we train our minds with that kind of exercise before we go to sleep. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:39 Highlight the passage at 1:16:39

1:17:04 And even saying, you know, If I have dreams, let me not go into negative states of mind and so forth. Most of us aren't quite to the level of being able to practice dream yoga where we're able to be fully aware of everything that's happening as it's happening and so forth. That takes a certain level of control of the mind that I don't have, maybe you guys do. But we can do this version of dream yoga where we can at least set an aspiration. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:04 Highlight the passage at 1:17:04

1:17:32 Especially if you're having... Nightmares or things like that. You're having negative dreams. Sometimes you go into a cycle of having negative dreams. So then just saying, no matter what dreams I have tonight, let me know. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:32 Highlight the passage at 1:17:32

1:17:48 And to realize that they are illusory. They're just karma ripening. That's all. And kind of give ourselves space for that. And that amount of dreaming over we can definitely. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:48 Highlight the passage at 1:17:48

1:17:58 And then Lama Zopa Rinpoche says it. It's super important when you wake up to, I mean he says it. How extremely lucky I am, all caps, how extremely lucky I am that I wake up and I'm still in this body with these conditions, you know, with the same causes and conditions that I had when I went to sleep that we take for granted we're going to wake up with, you know, and at some point we won't. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:58 Highlight the passage at 1:17:58

1:18:25 And so it's sort of like to take advantage of it and to see it as the gift that it is, you know, this gift that we have. We have good Dharma teachings. We have great teachers. We have all this, we have health in these incredibly fortunate circumstances. And so not to waste our life in any way. So to try to wake up with that kind of enthusiasm, which I'm sure he does, no problem, leaps out of bed and is just like happy from day one. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:25 Highlight the passage at 1:18:25

1:18:57 Now it takes time. We sort of train it. And that's when it's kind of like we fake it until we make it, right? We do our best to try to cultivate that. And if you can even do any of that when you're lying there in bed, to just sort of set the tone, like wake up and almost vain surprise. Because we should be surprised. I mean, that's what Ben and Rubina used to always say. We should be surprised. It's like, you know, looking down. It's like in those movies where people have this whole thing and then they wake up and they're back in their own body again. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:57 Highlight the passage at 1:18:57

1:19:26 It's sort of like that. We like wake up and we're like, still got the hands. Okay, got the legs, body's still here, room's still here, okay. And it's kind of like, wow, okay, cool. I got another day, you know. I don't know when it's going to run out. I don't know when it's going to run out. So I'm going to like get up and do the best I can to like practice as well as I can. So just taking that half a moment while you're still in bed. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:26 Highlight the passage at 1:19:26

1:19:50 One of my friends who is a monk down in L.A. Calls this practice the lolling around in bed practice. It's one of those words that's kind of underused. Lolling around in bed practice where you just take a few minutes before you actually get up to think about how incredibly precious your life is and what you're going to do with it today. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:50 Highlight the passage at 1:19:50

1:20:13 You know, to try to get that excitement. And usually, you know, when we get up, our immediate thoughts are about... Making ourselves happy, you know, getting some tea. Unless we're moms. Sometimes it's always about making the little one happy. But, you know, getting up, getting some tea, going to the bathroom, you know, maybe breakfast is coming soon. And so it's trying to train our minds to think, I'm going to use this day as much as I can to benefit others. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:13 Highlight the passage at 1:20:13

1:20:43 So even this going to the bathroom, even this tea, even this shower, whatever it is I'm doing can become part of that. It's not such a stretch to imagine if you think, you know, obviously I have to eat a fair amount to stay healthy. It should be healthy food. Like it's not going to work if you're eating like a pastry and you're saying, I'm doing this for the benefit of all beings. Actually you're not. They'd be happier if you had something a little healthier. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:43 Highlight the passage at 1:20:43

1:21:14 The same is true for sleep too. I'm going to sleep. I'm lying down to get rest for the benefit of all beings. Because we're not really going to be very helpful to others. And in fact, when we get a little more advanced in our practice with the tantric vows, that is one of our vows is not to abuse our body and our mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:14 Highlight the passage at 1:21:14

1:21:34 We're not so great at that in the past. So it is a practice to take care of our bodies and our minds and so forth. And speaking of which, I think we should take a break and take care of our bodies and our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:34 Highlight the passage at 1:21:34

1:21:48 So if people want to go to the restroom or want to get a cup of tea, that's great. And then we'll just do a few more things before. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:48 Highlight the passage at 1:21:48

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:22:24 Is there anybody Report an error in the passage at 1:22:24 Highlight the passage at 1:22:24

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:23:12 here who after class goes... to fill up something. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:12 Highlight the passage at 1:23:12

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:23:16 I like how I say that, like you're going to go right now, but goes anywhere near 30th and Kirkham. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:16 Highlight the passage at 1:23:16

1:23:30 Yeah? Could you help him get home? Because otherwise he has to leave now because there's like the buses are so infrequent. Thank you, Tammy. That's great. Okay, now I dedicate that. I help make that happen. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:30 Highlight the passage at 1:23:30

1:23:47 Oh, yes, you're on the river. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:47 Highlight the passage at 1:23:47

1:24:17 yeah. Yeah, yeah, the channels are, yeah. That's interesting. Yeah, I know, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:17 Highlight the passage at 1:24:17

1:24:31 Yeah, I mean, I do feel like that would probably be a good one. And it's so often that they were teaching groups of men. And so then that's what ends up getting written down. And then it's sort of like, hmm, what's up? But that's why I love it. But the great masters, but no, I guess a little, like a full. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:31 Highlight the passage at 1:24:31

1:25:05 mostly to bed. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:05 Highlight the passage at 1:25:05

1:25:10 yeah, that would be interesting but it would make total sense, kind of hoping for it. I know, I've been doing a lot of time. It's a pain. It's working. It's a pain working. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:10 Highlight the passage at 1:25:10

1:25:44 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:44 Highlight the passage at 1:25:44

1:25:53 I mean she has food out all night. Well, I mean, it could be. She had a hard year because we were moving from place to place. But it hasn't continued. I mean, like last night she did yell a couple times, but I'm just thinking it's transitional because we've really only been at this place. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:53 Highlight the passage at 1:25:53

1:26:26 She probably still expects us to move again. So I'm just going to kind of watch her and see. it's, yeah, she's a jerk. She is a one. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:26 Highlight the passage at 1:26:26

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:26:42 Well, she does have early stage kidney disease, that I don't know, and so she's already into drinking more, and so she has like three days more of it. But, yeah, I mean, and I used to, at the center, I had my own little fridge, and so her food was right there, which of course also needed to be here, and now it's like all the way downstairs. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:42 Highlight the passage at 1:26:42

1:27:04 So she's just kind of getting used to it, you know, and then sometimes she spends a night downstairs. And then she'll suddenly come up at like 3 or 4, and then she has to dance herself. This is part of her MO, it's like I have entered the room, which is really cute during the day, but maybe not so much. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:04 Highlight the passage at 1:27:04

1:27:22 It's 3.30, yeah, when you're in like a sound sleep. I have earplugs. It doesn't work. Yeah, I lived at the center for so many years, but Report an error in the passage at 1:27:22 Highlight the passage at 1:27:22

1:27:36 she's like a great trainer. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:36 Highlight the passage at 1:27:36

1:27:42 That's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:42 Highlight the passage at 1:27:42

1:27:47 And if she's dried out, like say she was lying by the heater, then she gets that old lady voice. It's like this incredible voice. She is sweet. She is sweet. But I used to call her the Project Kitty because she definitely is helping me develop patients and all that. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:47 Highlight the passage at 1:27:47

1:28:09 Sorry? Well, we think that she's kind of telling us the saga of her year, you know, and so she's, she's got, she's, you know, performing in an arias. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:09 Highlight the passage at 1:28:09

1:28:22 And she does this singing thing that she never used to do. She never used to do that, so this is something that's about this year. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:28:22 Highlight the passage at 1:28:22

1:28:36 yeah, I mean, I think all those things are fine. It could be, but I mean, I just had taken a trigger back to him and he was actually really amazing. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:36 Highlight the passage at 1:28:36

1:28:48 So I think it's probably just like a lot to me with everything that she's looking for, which I don't blame my own, and I've gone through a lot I just don't get up and sing about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:48 Highlight the passage at 1:28:48

1:29:20 It's actually more of a Tibetan cultural thing. That's what you would offer, say, if somebody was coming or going. singing the aria as I like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:20 Highlight the passage at 1:29:20

1:29:29 In fact, you do. You still do. You just put it over their neck and they would take it with them. We wouldn't wait for it to be given back. But traditionally, say you were going to school back east or something, then I would just offer it to you as a farewell. And then when you got home, I would do the same thing and offer it. It's more of a Tibetan thing. It's not so much Buddhist, but it's become part of it because of that tradition. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:29 Highlight the passage at 1:29:29

1:30:11 Okay, we can talk about that after, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:11 Highlight the passage at 1:30:11

1:30:18 You're right, it should be filled. Yeah, yeah, so it should be filled and it should be consecrated, actually. We don't really do that anymore, but Yudo, usually Yudo does it maybe once a year, and they'll usually announce in time so that you can bring things down and then you just make a small donation for the monks, and then they'll do it for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:18 Highlight the passage at 1:30:18

1:30:41 I've actually had them do a couple for me, too. It's quite nice to do because they fill it with mantras. This is talking about statues, for example. We usually buy them. I know, yeah, she started asking questions right as I had called everybody back to order. But we usually buy statues. They're usually empty. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:41 Highlight the passage at 1:30:41

1:31:02 And so it is good to fill them when you can. And I was just saying that Gyudo Center down in San Jose. You can actually look it up online, G-Y-U-T-O. They will announce it at least once a year. They'll do a filling ceremony and everyone can go bring your stuff and you can just drop it off. It's like the modern way. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:02 Highlight the passage at 1:31:02

1:31:33 We have done a lot of filling of things here, and it's actually an interesting process if you get to be a part of that. If you see it, you can always ask them, you know, can I sit in on it or whatever. This was filled. The huge Buddha was filled. We actually have some pictures of, that was just before my time, actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:33 Highlight the passage at 1:31:33

1:31:53 But we have some pictures of Geshe-la filling the statue. But we do that with... Wealth bauses, you know, there's different wealth bauses, and I think they're in there, right? I don't know where all the wealth bauses are anymore. But anyway, there's a whole process that you go through and you have to get all these different things, and some of them are wild and some of them make sense, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:53 Highlight the passage at 1:31:53

1:32:17 And then you do this whole ceremony. But the other interesting aspect of that ceremony with statues is that they are consecrated, so that means that... The monks or whoever, they're calling on the deity themselves to inhabit. Say it's the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, then they're calling on Shakyamuni Buddha to come and inhabit that. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:17 Highlight the passage at 1:32:17

1:32:40 From that time on, it is like having Shakyamuni Buddha in your house. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:40 Highlight the passage at 1:32:40

1:32:50 They say it's actually good to have a certain mantra near it, because it's an empty statue. But I had them on my altar for years. And then I think it was Katie who actually gave me a little roll that I just kind of kept until I finally got the Gudo monks to fill mine, too. And even tiny ones can be filled. If they're solid, then they can't. But you can usually hear that they're empty. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:50 Highlight the passage at 1:32:50

1:33:21 Well, they're always empty. You can hear that they're hollow and then they can fill them and sometimes even they only use like one roll because they're so tiny but they'll still do it and it's nice to have them filled because of that aspect of consecrating it too. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:21 Highlight the passage at 1:33:21

1:33:39 Okay well we don't have a whole lot of time so I just want to do a couple more things so I'm not going to go through the process because we spent a lot of time on that. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:39 Highlight the passage at 1:33:39

1:33:50 Well, I'll do it, but what the heck. This is for your morning practice session. I'll just really quickly go through the session as you would do it. You would set out some sort of offerings. It might be just a truffle, remember? Or you might do water bowls or something like that, light a candle or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:50 Highlight the passage at 1:33:50

1:34:09 Then you would do at least three prostrations if that feels right to you. Unless you're doing the larger practice, then you might do the full prostrations to 35 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:09 Highlight the passage at 1:34:09

1:34:20 Then you would sit down at your seat. You would go to refuge trying to remember what that means. Or you just read it, but you try to do it with feeling. But you're trying to remember that we don't want to suffer anymore, and so I don't want to keep suffering through sickness and old age and death. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:20 Highlight the passage at 1:34:20

1:34:45 I just don't want to, much less I haven't gotten to the point of caring about you guys yet. I'm just thinking, I don't want to do this anymore. And I know what is possible, that it's possible not to do that. That's a huge step. And I think that the refuge objects have the power to help me not do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:45 Highlight the passage at 1:34:45

1:35:06 So there's kind of these different aspects. They say that renunciation isn't just this mind that's fed up with our suffering. Because we can get fed up with our suffering. There are certain times that we have sort of a pseudo-renunciation where we get fed up with suffering and so forth. You know, like if something really big happens, like somebody passes away in our lives or whatever. But it's not enough to just get fed up with all the suffering that we see around us or even our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:06 Highlight the passage at 1:35:06

1:35:34 We have to remember that it's possible to not suffer. That the Buddha taught that it's possible for us to get beyond suffering. That's huge for us to include that thought too. So then we cultivate bodhicitta with some sense of not just wanting all beings to be happy, which is a really sweet sentiment, but then there's this leap where we decide that I will help them become happy and I will take away themselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:34 Highlight the passage at 1:35:34

1:36:06 That's also a huge leap, and we can't leave that out. It's really sweet to think. That's why I like that longer version of the four immeasurable thoughts, where it's like, bless me to do this, I can't do this, I need you to help me to do this. It's kind of like, I will do this, as Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, by myself alone. So even if everybody else gives up on this whole path, I'm still going to go out there and I'm still going to work for the better. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:06 Highlight the passage at 1:36:06

1:36:36 That's what we're trying to get into, that mindset. Then we do our seven limb prayer, either reading the words or having some experience of them like we did in class. I prostrate, I make offerings, I confess something, I rejoice in something. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:36 Highlight the passage at 1:36:36

1:37:00 I ask the Buddha or my teacher to please, please stay, and then I dedicate that little prayer. So it's just kind of this... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:00 Highlight the passage at 1:37:00

1:37:09 This perfect little practice that helps us accumulate and purify before we actually start our meditation. And then we make that heartfelt request, you know, and whatever it is, so it can be... You can read something that represents that heartfelt request or you can actually just make a heartfelt request. Please help me. I'm really exhausted today and I had pizza last night and I just feel like crap. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:09 Highlight the passage at 1:37:09

1:37:36 I have to meditate. I want to meditate. Please, please help me. I mean, it can be like that. Just honestly, it can be like that. That's a perfect prayer. I think you've included all the parts there. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:36 Highlight the passage at 1:37:36

1:37:49 So. It can also be, you know, as Vena Rovina said, for that one verse of Lama Tsongkhapa, you can also imagine that they are in front of you and you are grasping at the hem of their robes and begging them. I mean, that is her dramatic thing, but I remember having several thoughts about that myself for my own guru, and it is quite a moving practice to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:49 Highlight the passage at 1:37:49

1:38:16 So whatever feels comfortable for you. And then we do the lamrim meditation. So in the different homeworks that you've done, you've been sort of playing with the foundation of all good qualities as a base text and stopping and meditating on, you know, first Precious Human Rebirth, or the spiritual teachers actually first, but then Precious Human Rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:16 Highlight the passage at 1:38:16

1:38:41 And then continuing afterwards once you've finished your meditation. Trying to do like one topic a day. Rinpoche and many of our teachers also say to spend quite a bit longer on these than we tend to do. So mostly we're doing Precious Human Rebirth for this class and you guys are like, great, that class is done. He would say spend probably years, definitely months. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:41 Highlight the passage at 1:38:41

1:39:06 And I would say at least do weeks. At least try. Your best, I mean you haven't had training in all of them, but as you learn the various meditations to try to spend a few weeks on each one so you get to know them and then go to the next one and then go to the next one and then come back and do them again. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:06 Highlight the passage at 1:39:06

1:39:24 Because again, when you get to them the next time, you've changed since the last time. So even if that same meditation will mean something different to you because your mind has changed. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:24 Highlight the passage at 1:39:24

1:39:38 But yeah, so like that. Take some time to get familiar with them when you're not on the cushion, but then once you are familiar with them, get to know them. Don't just speed through them. If you're reading any of the Pabanka Rinpoche texts, like Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, Liberation in Your Hands, he does give really detailed instructions on how to meditate on the lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:38 Highlight the passage at 1:39:38

1:40:04 It looks like it's a teaching, but he's actually giving really, really careful instructions on how to meditate on it. And then you take it and you kind of personalize it with your own stories and your own things that make your mind wake up. You know, your own experiences like your friend dying or your, you know what I mean? Something that's going to make it wake you up rather than the story about Tashi and, you know, milking a cow or goat or yak or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:04 Highlight the passage at 1:40:04

1:40:31 Like to try to take... The essence of the teaching and fit your life into it and around it. And explore it. You're trying to explore these different insights, but you're not trying to just brainwash yourself. You're actually trying to allow space to understand whatever the meditation is on and to come to some, I won't say realization yet, but some insight. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:31 Highlight the passage at 1:40:31

1:41:03 Some sort of confirmed thought, some sort of firm idea about what's being meditated on. And then at the end of that, for example, when you imagine Shakyamuni Buddha absorbing into you, you could try to do at least a tiny concentration meditation. Just meditate on either that breath or that... The Buddha himself or whatever image, just hold your mind there and try to hold your mind there for even two minutes, you know, if we're all in a hurry and we don't have that much time. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:03 Highlight the passage at 1:41:03

1:41:34 Two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. Something to try to strengthen that concentration a little bit. If you have a lot of doubt about a certain one, rather than just pushing it under and going, I shouldn't have doubt. This isn't a religion that is anti-doubt. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:34 Highlight the passage at 1:41:34

1:41:56 The opposite is true. We're taught to check up on everything. We're supposed to think about everything. It's actually really great to have doubt as long as you keep looking for answers. You can use your doubt to go deeper. So rather than just feeling like, you know, mushing it or hiding it or being afraid of it, use it to kind of dig deeper into whatever it is. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:56 Highlight the passage at 1:41:56

1:42:22 They say that there's a lot of stories actually in the teachings about different students who had a lot of doubt at first and then used reason to come to some understanding. And one famous one is of Gyatsobje who was one of Jason Kapa's main disciples and he apparently when he first went he actually thought he could go to Lama Tsongkhapa. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:22 Highlight the passage at 1:42:22

1:42:47 compass teachings and out debate him and so he actually went and he wore this big hat all during the teaching which is kind of frowned upon. He sat really high. He sat higher than Lama Sankapa and gradually through the teaching he took off his hat and then he sat lower and then by the end he became his. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:47 Highlight the passage at 1:42:47

1:43:05 It's sort of an example of, it's fine to have doubt, but then you Just keep pursuing the truth. You know what I mean? So you don't use that doubt to keep you from meditating on this stuff. And again, I think I mentioned once before that Geshe-la said that we spend much, much longer checking out cars or computers than we do the spiritual teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:05 Highlight the passage at 1:43:05

1:43:35 And we should spend a lot of time checking up on what it is that we're putting into our minds. And of course on the teachers, which we'll spend the next course talking about. But really checking up. Taking time to check up. All the time, checking up. The opposite of stopping studying is to just take everything at face value and never check it either. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:35 Highlight the passage at 1:43:35

1:44:00 That's a different kind of mind. Lama and I were talking about where it sounds good so you just accept it but you never take the time to really explore why you accept it. That's another form of an incorrect mind, a mistaken mind. Is just accepting it at face value without checking up on your own. You're trying to get to this third level of faith. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:00 Highlight the passage at 1:44:00

1:44:26 There's three levels of faith. And we're trying to get to the strongest level of faith. But in order to get there, we can't just bypass the other levels of faith. And if faith is too freaky a word, you can say trust. I know a lot of us have weird backgrounds with the word faith. Faith of inspiration is like seeing somebody like His Holiness the Dalai Lama and going, wow, that's cool, that's amazing. But that's as far as it gets, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:44:26 Highlight the passage at 1:44:26

1:44:53 We're just like, that's great, you know? And then the next step is the faith of aspiration where we're inspired and we're like, I want to become like that. I want to have that kind of wisdom and that sharp mind and that ability to get along with everybody and all that stuff. So I get inspired to become like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:53 Highlight the passage at 1:44:53

1:45:12 And then the final level, the highest level, the strongest level of faith is this faith of conviction, where you gain some direct experience and it just leads to this completely unshakable faith. Because you've tasted the sugar, for example, nobody can tell you that sugar doesn't exist. You know, which is, they often say that once you have this direct perception of reality, the direct perception of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:12 Highlight the passage at 1:45:12

1:45:38 The one mental affliction that is completely destroyed in that second that day is doubt because you have had this direct experience. It's like you have made the cake so nobody can tell you that the oven doesn't work. You know what I mean? If we have had an experience of our practice of the Dharma that's tangible, we don't have the doubt anymore because right now it's just all theoretical. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:38 Highlight the passage at 1:45:38

1:46:04 We've heard these stories, but we haven't. We've immersed ourselves in such a way that we've had the direct experience of how the water felt on our skin or whatever, if we're trying to describe to somebody what swimming is like. Once we've swam, it's a lot easier to explain what swimming is like. So it becomes like this debate between ourselves and ourselves, the doubter and the more convinced. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:04 Highlight the passage at 1:46:04

1:46:31 We're debating ourselves until we attain these higher levels of faith. Lama Zopa always says that it's good, like I mentioned, to think about emptiness and karma every day. But even on our cushion, he says at the end, after we finish our meditation, we can think, you know, there's no I anywhere. Who is this I who thinks this and that? Where is this I who is worried or angry or fearful? It doesn't exist at all like it appears. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:31 Highlight the passage at 1:46:31

1:47:03 Now if you haven't studied emptiness at all, that sounds nihilistic, and remember we're saying it's not nihilism, it's rather that there's a story we create about who this I or this ego or this self is, and we believe in it 100%, and basically a lot of the Buddhist teachings on emptiness are how to dissect and... Report an error in the passage at 1:47:03 Highlight the passage at 1:47:03

1:47:24 Break down this image of an eye that basically gets us into trouble. We don't go down to the kitchen to eat the chocolate cake for anyone other than the eye. The body doesn't need that cake. It's the image of the eye needing that cake and that the cake is calling my name. And it gets worse. People kill each other for that sense of eye. People kill themselves for that sense of an eye. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:24 Highlight the passage at 1:47:24

1:47:51 Thought that this I is so solid and so unchangeable and so real. And so a lot of the teachings on emptiness are basically breaking down this ego that we believe in 100 % and we serve. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:51 Highlight the passage at 1:47:51

1:48:06 So daily practice doesn't ever, ever end. The bottom line is it just keeps going. Another day takes place, we go to sleep again. We do our best to set our motivation in the morning. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:06 Highlight the passage at 1:48:06

1:48:22 Our sitting practice should strengthen the rest of our life, and then our rest of our life should strengthen our sitting practice. We shouldn't be so disconnected. We shouldn't be brilliant in one place and really horrible in the other. We shouldn't be mean during the day and then go sit down and think that we're really holy on our cushion. Likewise, if we're really kind, we should kind of remember that when we sit. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:22 Highlight the passage at 1:48:22

1:48:45 Kindness counts for something, too. They aren't disconnected. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:45 Highlight the passage at 1:48:45

1:48:53 Another, there's another list. I'm sneaking in a couple more lists at the end of a Galupa class. The three kinds of laziness. These are actually, all three of them are personal favorites and I'm fully experienced in all of them. But I think they're interesting because they're different than our view in the West of laziness. I think we kind of have the first one down, lay low, which I love the fact because it sounds like a lazy boy. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:53 Highlight the passage at 1:48:53

1:49:18 But the lay low is the laziness of just not feeling like it. I just don't want to. I don't want to get up and I don't want to do those water bowls. I don't want to do my prostration. That's the laziness of lay low. But the second one I think is actually a worse problem in our culture and that's the laziness of staying busy all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:18 Highlight the passage at 1:49:18

1:49:39 You know? We just stay busy all the time and we... And it's really easy to do if you're busy in a Dharma center, too, to think that somehow that's going to take the place of your formal sitting practice if you're helping people all the time. Actually, it's just another form of laziness. The third is the most damaging in terms of our practice, and that's the laziness of feeling like I just can't do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:39 Highlight the passage at 1:49:39

1:50:06 I can never do it. I'll never get a mind. That's for the rest of you guys, but I'm just never, ever going to be able to perfect my mind. And according to the Buddha, they're all forms of laziness. So they'll have the same effect as laziness. They'll keep us from practicing. They'll keep us from any kind of practice. The practice out in the field as well as the formal practice on the cushion. Because we will believe in them 100 % forgetting that they're just thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:06 Highlight the passage at 1:50:06

1:50:33 They're just thoughts. And they're habits. So we can break them. So the final thing I wanted to mention is the importance of doing retreat when we get a chance. Whether it's a little, you know, one day retreat at your house or a one day retreat at Land of Medicine Buddha on March 9th with a master, Venable Rene Foussi, who is doing a one day meditation on Tonglen. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:33 Highlight the passage at 1:50:33

1:51:03 Amazing. It's a great opportunity to go and practice with a master. He'll teach the practice and then lead us in it. It's a great opportunity if you've never done retreat. I highly recommend it. And also that we should link up and people should offer rides if they can for those who can't. But any kind of, you know, Land of Medicine Buddha and Vajrapani Institute are both very close and offer really nice day-long weekend, week-long, ten-day, you know, like longer and longer meditation retreats. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:03 Highlight the passage at 1:51:03

1:51:38 So you can try it out. It's wonderful to do. And you might think, oh, a weekend's just not so long. It's actually a completely different world. By the time you leave, your mind has transformed so much. And then of course you go home and you yell at the cab driver again. But it's really great to give your mind, it's a break for your mind. It's not the same idea of a break for your mind like going to a spa. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:38 Highlight the passage at 1:51:38

1:52:05 Because a lot of times I think people think retreat is going to be this blissful experience from day one. It's often not. I think retreat can be really hard. I personally have found some of the hardest work I've ever done has been in a retreat. And it's been the most beneficial. By far. I mean, it's not to say that I'm a Buddha, or that I'm even perfected a single thing or gotten rid of a single delusion, but I can see that the work that I do in retreat has helped me. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:05 Highlight the passage at 1:52:05

1:52:34 I can see that it's helped my mind. And I think it's just so profound, and it's hard to ever communicate that enough to people, that going for a day, going for a weekend, going for a week when you... As you can, as you get more involved, going through two weeks or three weeks or even a month, is the most profound thing that you can do with your life. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:34 Highlight the passage at 1:52:34

1:52:59 So definitely, definitely at least plant the seed. I know with Tenza Chokyi, when she does the introduction to retreat, she'll have us start with a visualization of imagining walking to our own cabin. I think we end with that too. So you're planting the seed of doing retreat, long retreat, even if you feel like it's totally impossible. Again, just believe in the practice and let it just manifest in your mind and see what happens. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:59 Highlight the passage at 1:52:59

1:53:32 But yeah, to do retreat is, I think, one of the great things that you can do in terms of practice. And so I think at least shoot for it. You know, maybe at night say... I dedicate all these many great things that I did so that I can do retreat. I do that a lot of times. I'll pray to do long retreat in this life because I can't right now, but that doesn't mean that isn't always going to be the case. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:32 Highlight the passage at 1:53:32

1:53:58 So if you've got kids or family or a job you can't leave or a geriatric cat. For instance, then you can still set the aspiration and that karma is 95 % of that motivation. So then you've done it. You're setting it in motion and it may happen next life. And it may happen in this life. You just never know. So it's good to set the goal. So I want to... Report an error in the passage at 1:53:58 Highlight the passage at 1:53:58

1:54:29 Before we dedicate, I just wanted to make a couple of quick announcements. That first was about Venerable Renee's Tongland Retreat at Land of Medicine Buddha. If you're interested at all in doing that, you should probably register right away, because I think it is one of those things that could sell out. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:29 Highlight the passage at 1:54:29

1:54:45 He's quite a popular teacher, and he's not doing that many other things in the area. However, he is coming here, so you get a chance to... To taste first, it hasn't been announced yet, but I'm announcing, on Tuesday the 5th of March. I don't even know what he's teaching, but it doesn't matter, just come. Just come. 7 o 'clock, again, it'll probably go out in the March E! Report an error in the passage at 1:54:45 Highlight the passage at 1:54:45

1:55:15 News, so I'll know about it before I hit the send button, but I don't know about it now. But I definitely know that he's coming, and it'll be on March 5th. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:15 Highlight the passage at 1:55:15

1:55:26 But before that, Sunday mornings, starting this Sunday, Geshe-la is teaching on Kamala Shila's stages of meditation, which is a classic text on meditation. If you have the chance to come Sunday mornings, it'll start this week and then next week will be a break because of the Vajra Safra retreat, and then it'll carry on. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:26 Highlight the passage at 1:55:26

1:55:47 So if you're not quite ready to jump in, you could probably jump in in two weeks and be fine. He usually spends a little time in the first class talking about the author, and so that's often. A nice way to begin. So that's Sunday mornings, 10 o 'clock. It'll be ongoing, I would assume, at least a few months. It's a short text, but he teaches in huge detail. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:47 Highlight the passage at 1:55:47

1:56:06 Day of Miracles is Monday, which is one of the four Buddhist holidays of the year. And so Venerable Carol will be offering precepts, eight Mahāyāna precepts at 6 a.m. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:06 Highlight the passage at 1:56:06

1:56:21 And then I think sūtra recitation. And then I'll be offering medicine and Buddha puja at 5. And then Geshe-la will talk a little bit about the Buddha and then lead 16 arhat puja. And he'll talk a little bit about the Buddha about 6.30 and that puja will probably start at about 7. So anytime along that way, if you want to come by and make some merit, that's a good day. At least if you can't come, try not to do anything really, really horribly negative because apparently our karma is magnified like a hundred thousand times or according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, millions of times. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:21 Highlight the passage at 1:56:21

1:56:56 So at least try to do good things. And if you're thinking about supporting something, do it on that day. Or if you're thinking about doing something really nice for somebody, do it that day. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:56 Highlight the passage at 1:56:56

1:57:06 Compound that. Or if you're going to start a practice, start it that day. You know, if you're going to start, say you're going to start doing your concentration meditation every morning or you're going to start frustrations, that's a good day. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:06 Highlight the passage at 1:57:06

1:57:20 And then I think that's it. Oh, Vajra Safra Retreat. So the Vajra Safra Retreat, oh, two more things. The Vajra Safra Retreat is Friday night the 1st through Sunday noon the 3rd. this time. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:20 Highlight the passage at 1:57:20

1:57:31 You can come to the whole thing, and if you do want to come to the whole thing, it's probably really good to register in advance by sending an email to office at seichama.org. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:31 Highlight the passage at 1:57:31

1:57:41 But you can also just come in for one session. And that's great, and it's a good experience to see what a traditional retreat is like. You'll see the way the offerings are laid out, how Geshe-la will lead us through the sadhana and so forth. He often doesn't teach about the practice the first night, which is the way we would think in the West. He does it the second day because there's more sessions and we've already done it once, so we have questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:41 Highlight the passage at 1:57:41

1:58:09 Kind of makes sense, but the first few times I was like, Gisela, aren't you going to explain it? He's like, no, no, he has his reasons. So if you can only come to one, I would say probably the first night or the... Sometime the second day might be more helpful, but if you just want to come and the only day you can come is Sunday, just come Sunday. I mean, it's fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:09 Highlight the passage at 1:58:09

1:58:33 If you don't know what's happening, you probably aren't the only one in the room. At least you'll know the mantra somewhat, right? You've gotten a little bit of head start there, probably more than even the people that have been sitting there the whole time. So the last thing I wanted to mention is a number of people, six people, I think, came up. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:33 Highlight the passage at 1:58:33

1:58:52 Last week, and we were talking a little bit more about the self-evaluation techniques. So a group of us are going to meet tomorrow night at our house, at Palmos and my house. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:52 Highlight the passage at 1:58:52

1:59:04 It'll probably be about 7 to 8. I'm going to say 7 to 8.30 to be safe. It's a little bit more advanced of a practice. I think it's probably useful if you have attended the class and you want to take it to the next step. Because I don't want to just... Teach it and then have you not do it. It actually kind of gets a little hard. I feel sometimes like maybe it's not such a great idea. But anyway, it is going to be an informal group and we are going to meet tomorrow night at 7. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:04 Highlight the passage at 1:59:04

1:59:34 If you're interested or you want to talk to me a little bit about it, I can tell you after the class. I did send out some emails today. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:34 Highlight the passage at 1:59:34

1:59:42 Including some about the Discovering Buddhism program for those people who had asked a little bit more than that. Read that. Check out that link and bring your questions to the class next week. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:42 Highlight the passage at 1:59:42

1:59:54 Address those. And if not, if we don't have time, we'll just make another date. That's okay. Anyway, so blah, blah, blah. Those are all the announcements. Oh yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:54 Highlight the passage at 1:59:54

2:00:11 And that's a Saturday? Report an error in the passage at 2:00:11 Highlight the passage at 2:00:11

2:00:22 So yeah, Saturday mornings at 8 o 'clock. And then they were also thinking about maybe adding another one, so I guess it will depend on how popular those are. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:22 Highlight the passage at 2:00:22

2:00:36 All right, so we'll just dedicate. Oh, the one thing I wanted to dedicate, I wanted to dedicate specifically with this one, I think. It's on page six. There are two. Well, I tell you. Actually, let's just do all the ones. don't know if you asked if the meditators are. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:36 Highlight the passage at 2:00:36

2:00:58 We'll just do all the ones through the one for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So on the right hand column in English we'll go through the one that ends with please remain until saṃsāra ends. Through 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. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:58 Highlight the passage at 2:00:58

2:01:20 May the supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow. And may that which has arisen not diminish but increase more and more. Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra too realize things as they are, also I dedicate all these merits in the best way that I may follow their perfect example. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:20 Highlight the passage at 2:01:20

2:01:43 I dedicate all these roots of virtue with the dedication praised as the best by the victorious thus gone ones of the three times so I might perform the noble bodhisattva's deeds. In the land encircled by snow mountains, you are the source of all happiness and good. All powerful Chen Resig, Tenzin Gyatso, please remain until saṃsāra and Report an error in the passage at 2:01:43 Highlight the passage at 2:01:43

2:02:14 homework. Last, last. So here is the longer version of Ajrasapha. Do whichever one you want. And then this is the presentation topic, so everybody should go. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:14 Highlight the passage at 2:02:14

2:02:41 18 Eureka, that's where we are, I forgot to say, we are at 18 Eureka, Eureka and Market for Report an error in the passage at 2:02:41 Highlight the passage at 2:02:41

2:02:51 tomorrow night. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:51 Highlight the passage at 2:02:51

· · · silence, 2 minutes

2:04:35 So that workshop, by the way, is doing the workshop Report an error in the passage at 2:04:35 Highlight the passage at 2:04:35

2:04:46 can come and watch. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:46 Highlight the passage at 2:04:46

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:05:25 you know, if it doesn't work out, I'm sure, hopefully. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:25 Highlight the passage at 2:05:25

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:06:14 then I kind of have a little bit of time, but yeah, it's kind of where it's called. You'll get handouts, so you'll just, Report an error in the passage at 2:06:14 Highlight the passage at 2:06:14

2:06:28 And I also. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:28 Highlight the passage at 2:06:28

2:06:33 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:33 Highlight the passage at 2:06:33

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:07:34 yeah, Marcel is actually going to bring quinoa salad. Go with the chai. It'll be a night. It'll be a California version. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:34 Highlight the passage at 2:07:34