Discovering Buddhism: The Spiritual Teacher (14 March 2013)

· · · silence, 2 minutes

2:02 get out now, I didn't hear that. Report an error in the passage at 2:02 Highlight the passage at 2:02

2:33 right, right, right, and that was a problem. Well, they probably didn't know what that was going Report an error in the passage at 2:33 Highlight the passage at 2:33

· · · silence, 1 minute

3:10 yeah. Report an error in the passage at 3:10 Highlight the passage at 3:10

3:32 Welcome Report an error in the passage at 3:32 Highlight the passage at 3:32

· · · silence, 2 minutes

5:15 back. So welcome back. To everybody who has been here before, which I think it's all of you. Most of you just did the last class. And then I know, Steve, it's been a while and it's really lovely to see you again, so I'm glad you're back. We have a couple of people who contacted me and said they couldn't come tonight, so our numbers will grow a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 5:15 Highlight the passage at 5:15

5:46 But anyway, so I'll talk more about the class. I'm going to just start with a little meditation, as I usually do, just to kind of... Calm the mind. Can people hear me okay? Can you hear me okay, Shantideva? Report an error in the passage at 5:46 Highlight the passage at 5:46

6:02 Speak over the piano. Report an error in the passage at 6:02 Highlight the passage at 6:02

6:07 Just start with some nice deep belly breaths and let go of your day. And Report an error in the passage at 6:07 Highlight the passage at 6:07

6:20 you can just start with just breathing in and out without any other agenda. Just letting your day go. Letting go of any preoccupations or worries or any conversations or thoughts you were just having. Just breathing it out. don't understand. Report an error in the passage at 6:20 Highlight the passage at 6:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

6:55 And then you can try visualizing it as pure, clear energy that you're breathing in. And each breath is dissolving in problems or sluggishness, distractiveness that you may have. The minute it touches it, it just dissolves. Report an error in the passage at 6:55 Highlight the passage at 6:55

7:16 And as you breathe out, you can just imagine all that negative energy goes out with it. If Report an error in the passage at 7:16 Highlight the passage at 7:16

· · · silence, 1 minute

7:52 you're facing some big problems right now in your life, let's start with... Having a little bit of compassion for yourself. These Report an error in the passage at 7:52 Highlight the passage at 7:52

8:08 are loved ones that are facing problems and trying to develop a little compassion for them. Report an error in the passage at 8:08 Highlight the passage at 8:08

8:22 In Buddhism, compassion just means wanting to remove the suffering of another. Report an error in the passage at 8:22 Highlight the passage at 8:22

8:31 More love means wanting to make someone happy and Report an error in the passage at 8:31 Highlight the passage at 8:31

8:42 start with ourselves and people we love. Report an error in the passage at 8:42 Highlight the passage at 8:42

8:50 Just wanting to take away whatever problems, illness, pain, you know that they're having or that you're having. Don't want to give happiness. You Report an error in the passage at 8:50 Highlight the passage at 8:50

9:26 can imagine other people in the world, especially specific people that you've seen in the last few days, Report an error in the passage at 9:26 Highlight the passage at 9:26

9:36 maybe a sad person on the bus next to you, Report an error in the passage at 9:36 Highlight the passage at 9:36

9:44 someone who's lost their home and abused on the moose, a Report an error in the passage at 9:44 Highlight the passage at 9:44

9:52 homeless man or woman, Report an error in the passage at 9:52 Highlight the passage at 9:52

10:00 a person in a car next to you, stopped at a red light, and Report an error in the passage at 10:00 Highlight the passage at 10:00

10:09 try to have a little love or concussion for those people, wanting to take away their pain and give them happiness. Report an error in the passage at 10:09 Highlight the passage at 10:09

10:38 It's always important to remember that Shakyamuni Buddha started out exactly like us. He didn't pop into the world perfect. He had delusions, just like we do. Report an error in the passage at 10:38 Highlight the passage at 10:38

10:54 He was impatient, depressed, bored, angry, obsessed. Report an error in the passage at 10:54 Highlight the passage at 10:54

11:07 He figured out there had to be a way to transcend all this suffering. Report an error in the passage at 11:07 Highlight the passage at 11:07

11:14 And with a lot of effort, he found that way. He reached full enlightenment, which just means perfecting his mind. Eliminating all the negative qualities and developing all the perfect ones. Compassion, wisdom, love, skillful meanings, kindness. Report an error in the passage at 11:14 Highlight the passage at 11:14

11:51 And He said it was possible for each one of us to do this too. And it's not something that only special people can do. Report an error in the passage at 11:51 Highlight the passage at 11:51

12:06 And it starts with His simple wish to want to take away pain and bring happiness. Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:26 So imagine this wish at your heart. Glowing like a little fire. Report an error in the passage at 12:26 Highlight the passage at 12:26

12:37 Imagine it warming you and filling you with this, bringing it light, light, and then spilling out of you to all the people around you here in this class, all the people in this city, all the people in the whole planet, spreading out in all directions, Report an error in the passage at 12:37 Highlight the passage at 12:37

13:01 bringing them whatever would make them happy in this moment and forever, and taking away all their pain. Report an error in the passage at 13:01 Highlight the passage at 13:01

13:32 Like we just said, this is possible. It's possible for each of us to reach this potential. This is our true potential. This is who we really are. Report an error in the passage at 13:32 Highlight the passage at 13:32

14:01 And then as that feeling starts to fade, we want ourselves to become aware of being in this room again together, starting in a class and a spiritual teacher, and Report an error in the passage at 14:01 Highlight the passage at 14:01

14:20 trying to foster our mind of curiosity, even excitement, about what we might explore together. Report an error in the passage at 14:20 Highlight the passage at 14:20

14:48 And then as you're ready, Report an error in the passage at 14:48 Highlight the passage at 14:48

14:53 We can end his meditation. We're going to Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:07 do the, in the white book, Report an error in the passage at 15:07 Highlight the passage at 15:07

15:14 if you go from the front, it's on page, actually mine doesn't have any page number, page seven. Report an error in the passage at 15:14 Highlight the passage at 15:14

15:24 We'll just do on the bottom of the left-hand column is the refuge in generating bodhicitta. So we'll do that in English three times. Report an error in the passage at 15:24 Highlight the passage at 15:24

15:34 And then we'll do the one on the next page, which is generating the mind of enlightenment with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We'll do that. And I think we're not going to read Foundation this morning. I mean this morning. Here I go, Paul. Report an error in the passage at 15:34 Highlight the passage at 15:34

15:51 All right. 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. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. Report an error in the passage at 15:51 Highlight the passage at 15:51

16:11 By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. 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 16:11 Highlight the passage at 16:11

16:45 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 16:45 Highlight the passage at 16:45

17:12 So see, every time we do an opening meditation, a new student springs into being. So welcome, Ursula. Report an error in the passage at 17:12 Highlight the passage at 17:12

17:23 All right. So I'm just going to, tonight I'm going to talk a little bit about the logistics, but since... All of you are returning students. That's kind of cool, so I don't have to spend as much time on that. But I do like to just kind of go through some of the same basics each time. But at least everybody knows where the bathroom is. Right, Steve? You know where the bathroom is? Okay, good. As long as you know, then everybody else knows. I know for sure. So this class meets... Report an error in the passage at 17:23 Highlight the passage at 17:23

17:56 It's actually... eight times. It's seven times of actual classes and then the last night is going to be an optional film night. And I'm just putting it on Thursday nights because it's easier that we already are used to coming on Thursday nights and have to figure out what another night was. And there's no interruptions. So sometimes we have soaks and other pujas and things and so there's an interruption. There's no interruptions this term. So that's nice. Report an error in the passage at 17:56 Highlight the passage at 17:56

18:25 The final practice day. is on Saturday, May 4th. And if people can make a note, if it's possible at all to attend, it's really, really lovely to have you. It's a really sweet way to end the class. And so if it's possible, I like to announce it at the beginning. Of course, who knows what will happen? I did that last time. Report an error in the passage at 18:25 Highlight the passage at 18:25

18:50 Things change, so it permanents at work. There's also going to be an optional field trip. Which I'm trying to sort out what day it's going to be to go down to Lama Zopa Rinpoche's house. So I'm sort of working that out right now with Holly and of course that's definitely impermanence at work. So we might all get excited and then everything changes. But I've done that the other two times I've taught and it's just a lovely thing to do. He wouldn't be in residence when we go down. Report an error in the passage at 18:50 Highlight the passage at 18:50

19:22 But it's definitely an amazing space to be in and kind of have a visual to see what the Guru's mind is like or how it may manifest. The amount of offerings in that home alone will blow your mind. That much I can guarantee you. And they spill out into the gardens around it. So I'll let you know more as it gets closer. It'll be near the end. And then, of course, as we know how many people, then we'll know how many. Report an error in the passage at 19:22 Highlight the passage at 19:22

19:52 His house is in Aptos, so it's south of Santa Cruz. It's a trip, but it's well worth it. It's a lot of fun, too. In this class, we're going to be talking about the spiritual teacher. We're going to talk about all different kinds of spiritual teachers, from what I call Dharma instructors, like me, all the way up to root gurus. Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

20:16 It's a huge field, and it can be confusing. And it can be exciting and it can be scary and it can be loaded and it can be, you know, like, does any of this still relate to us in the 21st century? Report an error in the passage at 20:16 Highlight the passage at 20:16

20:35 Or in any century? Some of the stuff we read about seems kind of like, is that just a Tibetan trip? Or is that still possible in this day and age? So it's all of that and we want to kind of deal with a lot of those questions that come up, not necessarily to answer them, To foster more questions. But to get you guys thinking. And also to give you a fair amount of information that will help you in your search for a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 20:35 Highlight the passage at 20:35

21:08 Or in your decision making around that search. Also we're going to talk about what it takes to attract a teacher karmically. So we're going to talk about karma and emptiness quite a bit. Report an error in the passage at 21:08 Highlight the passage at 21:08

21:23 Because it's not like you just get to go shopping. You have to actually create the karmic causes to have a teacher and it works both ways. So when you're shopping for them, they're shopping for you. So it's not like you get to just choose and they don't have anything to do with it. You're not picking out that puppy in the pet shop window. Report an error in the passage at 21:23 Highlight the passage at 21:23

21:45 So we'll talk about that. We'll also talk about when it's good to take a teacher. Because most of us, I think at this point, are probably still at a beginning level, although, you know, who knows? And why we would take a teacher? It's a little bit more like you are seeking an apprenticeship. Like you already know what you want to master, and you're trying to find somebody to help you master that. Report an error in the passage at 21:45 Highlight the passage at 21:45

22:13 So there's already a supposition that you want to take the path to enlightenment to become a Buddha. Otherwise you're not going to want to enter into this relationship, except of course with Dharma instructors and senior students and things like that, or informational talks or things like that. But entering into the sort of juiciest of the relationships with a guru is meant once you're ready to take that leap. Report an error in the passage at 22:13 Highlight the passage at 22:13

22:48 Normally, interestingly, this step is considered the root of the path. That's why I was going to read The Foundation of All Good Qualities, which is a lamrim prayer that we read a lot in the last class, and we'll start reading it at the beginning of this class, too. It's actually considered... I just realized my voice is kind of dry, or my throat is kind of dry. Report an error in the passage at 22:48 Highlight the passage at 22:48

23:13 Thank you, Jennifer. Report an error in the passage at 23:13 Highlight the passage at 23:13

23:17 So it's considered the root of the path, and often it's the first thing taught, not that you should run out and get a teacher before you can take the path, that's definitely not what it means, but rather that all of the qualities and all the realizations of the path come from finding and working with a really good spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 23:17 Highlight the passage at 23:17

23:38 So remember how last time, and in all the classes I've ever taught, I've always said that the lamrim is more like a spiral. Not a straight line. So we study and meditate and contemplate all these topics and we just keep going through them. So you study about the teacher, you learn about the teacher, but you don't necessarily run out and get one, you know, until you're ready. Report an error in the passage at 23:38 Highlight the passage at 23:38

24:01 But you find out about them and you understand them at an early part in the path because it's considered the root of all of our best selves, our best qualities, our best states of mind. So it's a good foundation. So with that being said, thank you. With that being said, then in the Discovering Buddhism program, of which this is one of the classes, this is actually number four, whereas the one we just did was number eight. Report an error in the passage at 24:01 Highlight the passage at 24:01

24:34 So we're doing it a little bit out of sequence. But in a way, it's kind of nice to follow the daily practice class because I think... We sort of got to a certain level, and then we're at that next step to talk about it. I've noticed that a lot, I noticed that at Yawa Gyatso Buddha Center, or no, I think it was Atlanta Medicine Buddha, John Lando, who teaches their Discovering Buddhism program, is teaching it last. Report an error in the passage at 24:34 Highlight the passage at 24:34

25:02 He's doing emptiness and then tantra, and then the very last class he's teaching is on the guru. So I thought, oh, that's interesting. So he puts it at the very end. So I don't think it really matters so much when we offer it. But I think it is interesting to know that when this series of classes based on alum room was created, it was number four. Report an error in the passage at 25:02 Highlight the passage at 25:02

25:23 Just after we discovered how to meditate, what our mind is, and I forgot what the third one is. But anyway, it's early. It's considered early. Report an error in the passage at 25:23 Highlight the passage at 25:23

25:36 So all of you know sort of how I do my format, so I'm not going to spend that much time on that. I will ask for questions occasionally, especially if I see quizzical looks. If I'm in the middle of a thought, let me finish the thought. I just ask that much because I have no memory. That's why I always bring all my notes when I lose my train of thought. Report an error in the passage at 25:36 Highlight the passage at 25:36

25:55 But I'll also ask for questions periodically. Definitely there's a lot of... There's a lot of content in the class, but there's also time for discussion, too. Especially in this class, I'm going to be sort of trying to dig it out of you guys. Like, how is this sitting? What are you guys thinking? Especially when I'm presenting some of the interesting texts, like the 50 verses of Guru Devotion and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 25:55 Highlight the passage at 25:55

26:24 I'm like, what does that mean, you know? Or if anybody reads any of the traditional stories like Melarepa and Marfa and so forth about the relationship working with a spiritual teacher. So we will allow time for discussion as well. And I usually start with a little meditation and often I will also end with a little meditation, like this happened this evening. Report an error in the passage at 26:24 Highlight the passage at 26:24

26:48 Whatever time of day it is, like today, I'll end with a little meditation. Partly that's just to allow for those of you who just have really, really busy lives and don't have a chance to meditate at home to get a taste. But it's also, I think, a really nice way to allow us to let go of our ordinary life and, you know, something that we don't always find time for out there. Report an error in the passage at 26:48 Highlight the passage at 26:48

27:16 So I'd like to make time for it. I do try to give a break about two-thirds of the way through. Feel free, though, if you have to use the restroom before that time to do it or to go get a cup of tea in the back. As you know, I always do give homework, so that continues. The homework is mostly reading, meditation, and this class also some contemplation, just like think about this, what comes up, you know, when you're thinking about this. Report an error in the passage at 27:16 Highlight the passage at 27:16

27:43 Especially, like, issues of authority. I think those kind of issues come up. I've had people also in past class who had issues with teachers just in school, you know, like negative issues. So just stuff like that. Why not? Just use this class to explore some of that stuff because sometimes we get in our own way, you know, when we study this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 27:43 Highlight the passage at 27:43

28:04 And so if we don't really know what's going on in our own mind that's blocking us, it can keep us from progressing very far. Report an error in the passage at 28:04 Highlight the passage at 28:04

28:13 Most of what I know about sort of the traditional teachings of a spiritual teacher come from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who's my main teacher, Riba Rinpoche, who did some experiential lamrim teachings at Land of Medicine Buddha a number of years ago, Venerable Neal Houston, Thutton Dondrup, who taught the lamrim course both times that I went to Copan. Report an error in the passage at 28:13 Highlight the passage at 28:13

28:39 But some of the most experiential teachings that I've had on the Lama are from Venerable Sarah, the people who know Venerable Sarah Thresher, and of course Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who often teaches in a very, very experiential way. And also, of course, my relationship with Rinpoche, which I will draw on for this. Report an error in the passage at 28:39 Highlight the passage at 28:39

29:06 For this class and for each class in this series. It's interesting because it is an ongoing relationship. It's also a relationship that there's not a lot of maps for in the West. It's kind of unknown. And in fact some people are wary and I don't think necessarily in a bad way. I actually think it's not a bad thing to be wary. Report an error in the passage at 29:06 Highlight the passage at 29:06

29:30 Especially those of us in San Francisco, right? There have been There are cults and things like that that have been based here, like the People's Temple with Jim Jones and things like that. And so I think people are wary of the relationship and that's another reason to have a class like this so that you can have a lot of information at your fingertips before you're even ready to look for a teacher so that you kind of know the qualities that are taught. Report an error in the passage at 29:30 Highlight the passage at 29:30

30:04 As well as other people's experiences, like to hear from other senior students. It's not something that we sit around and talk about very often. Report an error in the passage at 30:04 Highlight the passage at 30:04

30:14 And in some ways, I think that's right. I think it is a very personal relationship that you develop with your teacher. And there are times I think that it really, it's sort of... I don't want to say cheapens it, but in some ways I think it does cheapen it to sit and talk about it. It's sort of like anything virtuous they say. Report an error in the passage at 30:14 Highlight the passage at 30:14

30:41 I know when I was considering getting ordained, a friend of mine told me that it was a good thing to keep it quiet except with just a few friends, to not advertise it so much because you could sort of deplete the virtue. If I just blah, blah, blah, blah, hey, guess what I'm going to do? Same with retreat. I've heard the same thing. Report an error in the passage at 30:41 Highlight the passage at 30:41

31:07 I think Tesanchoki actually told me that when she was planning to do her three-year retreat. Somebody told her that to not sort of lessen the virtue of having this aspiration to do this great thing. So I think the same thing can be very true. Now if you have a Dharma friend who, If someone understands, then of course, then it makes sense. But otherwise, it's not something that you're going to hear us talking about by the tea maker in the back. Report an error in the passage at 31:07 Highlight the passage at 31:07

31:38 And I'm like, oh, guess what? So it is very interesting. But I think for this class, I think it makes sense to share some of it because it's such a profound relationship. Report an error in the passage at 31:38 Highlight the passage at 31:38

31:55 So I think... One of the things that I have found in my relationship with Rinpoche is it's sort of like if anybody in here has ever done yoga, there are times that you stop yourself from doing a particular posture because you think, I just can't do it, you know, and then a really good teacher can kind of show you, yeah, you can do it if you do this and this and maybe go really slowly here and hold it and then do this. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:27 And it's sort of like that where We block ourselves a lot. We think that we're not capable of a lot of things. And often it's our fears and our pride, I think, that keep us stuck. And so a really good teacher is all about helping you go beyond your self-imposed boundaries and your blocks, those blocks. Report an error in the passage at 32:27 Highlight the passage at 32:27

32:57 And especially... Those blocks in your ego. And so a really good spiritual teacher will often push your buttons. That's kind of what they're there for. On our side, we're supposed to take a really long time before we allow them to push our buttons. And we're going to talk about all of that. But from their side, they should have no other agenda except your spiritual progress and ultimately your enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 32:57 Highlight the passage at 32:57

33:30 There should be nothing else, no other reason for them. And once you know, once you have this holy being that you trust, then it's this intense relationship where you allow them to show you what you're capable of. And in some ways it's very interesting because it's like they love you more than you love yourself. Report an error in the passage at 33:30 Highlight the passage at 33:30

33:59 Which I think is a very interesting thing for those of us who maybe have struggled with loving ourselves too much. So they go beyond that. But they don't care if you don't like them. They love you, but they don't care if you don't like them in the moment. So they aren't trying to win your friendship. They aren't friends. You know, there's something different. Report an error in the passage at 33:59 Highlight the passage at 33:59

34:28 I think a lot of times we want to make them friends and they aren't friends in that sense. You know, they aren't a normal friend. They aren't an ordinary friend. They're a spiritual friend. Sometimes this term is you, spiritual friend. And I think it usually actually does refer to a fully qualified teacher. Report an error in the passage at 34:28 Highlight the passage at 34:28

34:50 I think it gets lessened a little bit in the West because often we use it for, you know, sort of like Dharma instructors or... Monks and nuns and centers and things like that. Really traditionally the term spiritual friend actually refers to a fully qualified spiritual teacher. And in that sense they are our best friend because they have our best, our biggest goal in mind. But they aren't necessarily somebody that you can hang out and go to the movies with. Report an error in the passage at 34:50 Highlight the passage at 34:50

35:20 And that's important to know. At this point in your life it probably doesn't come up very much but it is important to know in case you're ever in a situation where you're In a relaxed situation with your guru, there are certain things that we'll talk about in some of the later classes where you have to kind of watch your mind so that you retain that respect, you know, remembering, kind of remembering who this being is and what they're capable of in terms of helping you. Report an error in the passage at 35:20 Highlight the passage at 35:20

35:49 So I think that... It is also very, very important, and we will talk about this in a lot of the classes, but ultimately this outer guru who we spend quite most of this class will talk about sort of the qualities of the teacher and the qualities of the student and things like that. But ultimately this outer teacher is a bridge to our own inner wisdom, and so we want to be developing our own inner wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 35:49 Highlight the passage at 35:49

36:24 But that being said, it takes a long time to develop our own inner wisdom. So you want to have somebody that you can trust if you have big questions in your life. Not somebody that you're going to run to every time you're going to move down the street or something like that and you want to know what color to paint the living room or something. Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

36:45 But if you have big health issues or you want to maybe move to a different... For example, just something really different. You want to take a job at the center, something like that. You want to do like a longish retreat and you want to know if it's a beneficial thing to do. Things like that. Often if there's like, when I'll go to visit somebody like Geshe-lo or Rinpoche, it's when I have like things that are sort of equally virtuous to do. Report an error in the passage at 36:45 Highlight the passage at 36:45

37:15 I mean, you know, what a nice situation to be in. But I honestly can't tell. And my grasping sort of attachment mind might lead me in the wrong direction. You know, I might just choose this one because it's sunny. Report an error in the passage at 37:15 Highlight the passage at 37:15

37:31 Or not as hard, you know, whereas this one could be more virtuous like the Nunez. But harder. And so that's when I'll go, or if I just honestly don't know. You know, I remember going to Geshe-la once with two choices and he said, He was quiet for a minute and then he said, which one are you leaning towards? And I thought that was actually very skillful because then he wasn't telling me to do something that I didn't really, really want to do. Report an error in the passage at 37:31 Highlight the passage at 37:31

37:59 But I've also not known. I just didn't know, you know. Go to hear His Holiness teach blah blah or do retreat, you know. It's just sometimes it could be 6-1 after any other. He could also say neither. So you have to be willing to do that. Better to go and work at the center. Report an error in the passage at 37:59 Highlight the passage at 37:59

38:19 So. So, just personally speaking, my experience with finding my teacher and knowing that he was my root teacher was very much like falling in love. You know how you can have that experience where you can logically or sort of with your thinking mind think, well this person is really good so this one should be my main teacher. Report an error in the passage at 38:19 Highlight the passage at 38:19

38:48 Or this one I get along with and I can understand them really well. So I think this one should be my main teacher. So I was sort of doing that with various teachers. I think this one is. Every time anybody would teach on the teacher, I'd be, okay, this one is. Different names in the margin. But it's very much like falling in love. Report an error in the passage at 38:48 Highlight the passage at 38:48

39:08 Maybe in arranged marriages you can do that, but usually the person getting the marriage can't. It's the parents. You can logically think out this person, this person, this person, but for me then from left field it sort of hit me with a ton of bricks. It was just sort of like I had all these reasons not to choose Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 39:08 Highlight the passage at 39:08

39:28 Too many students, too much traveling. I didn't even fully relate to his teachings. I couldn't even fully understand them, you know, blah, blah. And then he hooked me. Report an error in the passage at 39:28 Highlight the passage at 39:28

39:44 And I was kind of like, what? No, wait. No, wait. I had these other people over here, you know. It was very much like that. I completely was like, whoa, that's not what I expected. Report an error in the passage at 39:44 Highlight the passage at 39:44

39:57 But, of course, it totally made sense karmically and everything fell together. But at the time, I didn't know that much about choosing a teacher. So when I recognized it, I decided not to really act on it. For a while. I didn't really act on it. I didn't tell him in any way for a couple of years. I just sort of, as Mary in the Bible did, pondered those things in my heart. Report an error in the passage at 39:57 Highlight the passage at 39:57

40:25 I always loved that expression. I pondered those things in my heart. I was like, what the heck just happened? But I knew. I mean, even talking about it, I have chills, you know. I knew, but I didn't quite know what to do with it. Report an error in the passage at 40:25 Highlight the passage at 40:25

40:43 Actually, that's a good thing to do. Wait. Ponder those things in your heart. I think His Holiness the Dalai Lama says it's quite wise for us to take up to 12 years to decide on who our main teacher is. Few of us do. Ms. Chokyi did. I was really impressed. Because she's often the first in the pool. Report an error in the passage at 40:43 Highlight the passage at 40:43

41:16 But most of us, I think, took less time. But I still think it's good to wait a few years and to check up. And a lot of what we're going to talk about in this course and in these various classes of the course is how you check up, which isn't always just listening to the teachings of that particular teacher or reading their books, if they've got books published. Report an error in the passage at 41:16 Highlight the passage at 41:16

41:39 Sometimes it's watching their students. What are their students like? Have their students changed over the time that you've seen them? You know, so that's useful too. What are they like off screen? You know, when they're not teaching, how do they behave? That's really useful to see because we can all be different when we're blah, blah, blahing with a mic. Report an error in the passage at 41:39 Highlight the passage at 41:39

42:04 But watch them when they're really, you know, just living their life. And that's actually a lot what blew me away with Rinpoche, was just... This personification of bodhicitta that I had never, ever, ever seen. The words coming out of his mouth were almost less important to me than who he was and how he lived bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 42:04 Highlight the passage at 42:04

42:31 And so that's what hooked my heart. Now, of course, I love every teaching and all that stuff. I still haven't read every book of his, but what hooked me was actually... you know. Report an error in the passage at 42:31 Highlight the passage at 42:31

42:43 Who he was and how he lived, what he spoke. There was no gap. There's no gap. And that takes time. That takes time. And then there's also karma. So we'll talk about karma too because sometimes the karma just ripens like a fire and you just follow that karma. For me it ripened literally within a single session of him speaking. Report an error in the passage at 42:43 Highlight the passage at 42:43

43:12 I went into that session still shopping. I came out of that session a disciple, like just completely clear as day. So just like a ton of bricks. So it's different. It's different for everybody. Report an error in the passage at 43:12 Highlight the passage at 43:12

43:33 Recognizing Rinpoche as my guru, as my main teacher, as my root Lama, completely changed my life in a really huge and meaningful way. What will it mean for you when you find your teacher? Don't know. You know, it's all going to be different. And so hopefully this class will give you some tools to go forward and find those relationships and foster something. Report an error in the passage at 43:33 Highlight the passage at 43:33

44:01 It is important. It's hugely important. And so the other aspect of this class is to talk about why it's important. You know, like what do we get out of... This relationship with somebody who can help us find out what we're capable of and reach those goals. Report an error in the passage at 44:01 Highlight the passage at 44:01

44:25 But what you do with it, it's sort of like what we talked about last time with Precious Human Rebirth. Recognizing it is one thing. What you choose to do with it is something else entirely. The Buddha said that too. He said, I can teach you this. I can teach you the methods to become a Buddha. What you choose to do with it is up to you. Report an error in the passage at 44:25 Highlight the passage at 44:25

44:43 So it's kind of like that. His Holiness always says that too. If you get something out of this, great. If not, leave it behind. No problem. Report an error in the passage at 44:43 Highlight the passage at 44:43

44:53 So I hope to infuse you with some of the juiciness that I think this relationship has. Also talk about tiptoe around some of the other aspects, the scarier aspects in terms of... Working with your ego with another person, which of course, to some degree, I think anybody in any relationship is working with their ego with another person. Report an error in the passage at 44:53 Highlight the passage at 44:53

45:22 But this is in a different way. And it is amazingly powerful. Within the Tibetan tradition, it's sort of considered essential. You can never get enlightened, it's taught, without a master, a spiritual master. Report an error in the passage at 45:22 Highlight the passage at 45:22

45:41 In some traditions, that's not the case. In our tradition, it's quite foundational. And part of that, and we will get into this in the final class, part of that is that this whole emphasis on the spiritual master comes really from the tantric tradition. And so we'll get into a little bit of that in the final class, just because it's so hugely influential in how we... Report an error in the passage at 45:41 Highlight the passage at 45:41

46:09 work with the teacher and how we come to think of the teacher. So why don't we, I want to just, I'll start with a little bit of introduction about myself and then if we could go around so that people can introduce themselves, that would be great and then we'll just take a little break and we can have some tea and munch down. Report an error in the passage at 46:09 Highlight the passage at 46:09

46:28 I see some fruit back there, so that's nice. So Teresa said a few things about me. This is actually my 13th year at both Stich and Leanne as a... I'm connected with Se Chin Ling and as a nun, so I'll be 13 in May. And I guess I'm a teenager. I'm a preteen now. I'll be a teenager then. And let's see, 17 years as a Buddhist. Report an error in the passage at 46:28 Highlight the passage at 46:28

47:00 Yeah, Sunday, this past Sunday. Tibetan Independence Day was the day I took refuge. That's the day I count. Becoming a Buddhist when I truly engaged with the path. Report an error in the passage at 47:00 Highlight the passage at 47:00

47:18 I have held many positions at Sei Chin Ling over that time and now I am just simply teaching and just sort of helping. I'm a helper nun at this point. Not holding any official job title here other than that. She's doing this class for the second time. and... Report an error in the passage at 47:18 Highlight the passage at 47:18

47:39 Yeah, actually, if people don't mind talking into the talking stick, that would be great. But if you're going to share something private, you're allowed to just cover it, too. I am making that rule for this class. Report an error in the passage at 47:39 Highlight the passage at 47:39

47:57 My name is Marcela. I'm practicing Dharma for about three years and a half. I found it very, very helpful to participate in the classes. Report an error in the passage at 47:57 Highlight the passage at 47:57

48:11 You know, allowed me to practice with a little more awareness every day. You know, it's so important, this connection with the classes and our daily practice that we learned last time. I'm very, very blessed and very happy to be here and be able to share this experience, knowing about the spiritual teachers, that it's very important. Report an error in the passage at 48:11 Highlight the passage at 48:11

48:36 This is my second time. I open my heart to learn a little bit more and I'm trying to find a way to get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 48:36 Highlight the passage at 48:36

48:51 My name is Jake and I don't know exactly what to say. I'm searching, trying to take in as much teaching as I can and it's a great class. Thank you Chokyi and I'll leave it at that. Report an error in the passage at 48:51 Highlight the passage at 48:51

49:09 And I don't think you're in the video this time, so that was pretty cool. Hi, my name's Paul, and this is my second class with the Discovering Buddhism series, and I really like it so far. Report an error in the passage at 49:09 Highlight the passage at 49:09

49:21 And I also got to, oh, my very first introduction to Buddhism was through Venerable Rubina Curtin. Oh, yeah, okay. And so she was really inspiring, and ever since then I've been going to a bunch, I went to the Vajrasapha retreat, and we just got back from Venerable Renée's one-day course. Kristen, I'm really excited to be here. Hi, my name is Ray and I've taken a few of these Discovering Buddhism classes before. Report an error in the passage at 49:21 Highlight the passage at 49:21

49:50 Actually last night I was looking at all the notes from all the classes and I was kind of surprised to see that some of the classes were from 2007. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

50:01 So I've been away from learning about Buddhism. For a couple of years, I'm glad I'm back. Hi, I'm Terry. I've been coming to classes for about the past two years. I've taken four classes. And I'm looking forward to going to a meditation retreat in May at Vajrapani. Report an error in the passage at 50:01 Highlight the passage at 50:01

50:36 Hi, my name is Ross Miyashiro, and I'm new to Tsai Shen Ling. And what it is, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I feel, is one of my teachers. And I looked him up. And also when you go to His Holiness teachings, everyone's from the foundation for the preservation of the Mayana tradition. So then I found Teixe Ling and I started taking classes here. Report an error in the passage at 50:36 Highlight the passage at 50:36

51:02 Thank you. I'm very glad you're here. My name is Palmo, and Se Chin Ling was my first. I have no exposure to Buddhism at all. I've never even read about it. I've heard of the Buddha. That was about between 12 and 13 years ago. Report an error in the passage at 51:02 Highlight the passage at 51:02

51:26 I did a lot of classes, a lot of retreats and some meditations and different practices that were assigned by particularly a root guru that I met kind of early on. took Report an error in the passage at 51:26 Highlight the passage at 51:26

51:41 who's not, he's His reincarnation now is studying again. So with any luck in another life, I'll be a student again. But ended up following this path through Sechenling and through the excellent teachers from here and got ordained a little over a year ago. So about 12 years and that's all it took. Report an error in the passage at 51:41 Highlight the passage at 51:41

52:14 I'm Shanti, and I was introduced to Seishanling through, I accidentally found Kopang on a different spiritual journey, but ended up there accidentally, and got introduced to Ravina Korten as well. She was doing a pilgrimage there, I think, a week later, and I was just blown away, and I felt like profoundly came home to myself in a way that was just, I felt like everything fell into place. Report an error in the passage at 52:14 Highlight the passage at 52:14

52:45 And then I sort of lost touch for a few years and came back in touch and I just feel so profoundly grateful to be here. And I'm so grateful for the class structure because I think part of what I was missing before was just the structure. Like, say for example, Rabin will say the book ends, meditating in the morning, meditating at night or coming to class every week. Report an error in the passage at 52:45 Highlight the passage at 52:45

53:07 I feel like that just very profoundly sort of tightens all those. Little loose holes in my psyche, so I feel like I'm here in a new way. So I'm very grateful. Report an error in the passage at 53:07 Highlight the passage at 53:07

53:24 For piano music. Yeah, it's kind of picking up, yeah. I know. I better see something exciting. Right. Report an error in the passage at 53:24 Highlight the passage at 53:24

53:34 Well, I spoke earlier, but I'm Teresa, and I think I work here. Gee, what to say. I was a Zen practitioner for... Several years before I kind of fell into Tibetan Buddhism, or Tibetan Buddhism found me, I should say. And I took refuge with His Holiness about 24 years ago. And then met my main teacher, Lama Zopa, about 23 years ago. It took me many, many years to identify him as that teacher that I could trust. Report an error in the passage at 53:34 Highlight the passage at 53:34

54:18 And he kept using the word entrust. Right. He's using that word. Why does he keep using that word? And one day it was just boing, you know, like, hello. Report an error in the passage at 54:18 Highlight the passage at 54:18

54:30 So that was a major breakthrough for me also. And it's a daily thing. It's a daily renewal of the relationship. And it does change. And it becomes more expansive sometimes and sometimes very narrow. Sometimes very difficult and just like taking this job initially, it's like, what? You want me to do what? Like, no way! Report an error in the passage at 54:30 Highlight the passage at 54:30

55:00 And then you dig deep in your heart and you realize, yeah, this is what's right. This is the right thing to do. So I feel infinitely grateful for something that goes beyond what I, I don't think it's a fantasy, something that goes beyond this life. Report an error in the passage at 55:00 Highlight the passage at 55:00

55:25 My name's Jim. I am recently new to the Bay Area. I come from Arkansas. I've been here for about a month, and it's been exciting to say the least. It's nice to have a center. I've been a Buddhist for about three years now, and if you imagine northwest Arkansas, there's not too many centers around there. Report an error in the passage at 55:25 Highlight the passage at 55:25

55:44 So my first time here, I felt at home and something clicked, and I said, well, this is my center now. So I'm here to stay and look forward to learning lots of things. That's great, so you've come to three classes now in your first month. That's good odds. That's right, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 55:44 Highlight the passage at 55:44

56:06 I'm Steve, and it's good to see you, Chokyi. I've taken classes with you in the last couple years, and you planted the seed, which you talk about. Report an error in the passage at 56:06 Highlight the passage at 56:06

56:21 I guess the last year or so, I've met... And, um, and, uh... Report an error in the passage at 56:21 Highlight the passage at 56:21

56:24 Sort of meditated every day, but finally in the last three months, almost three months now, I'm meditating every morning for about a half hour, every morning. Report an error in the passage at 56:24 Highlight the passage at 56:24

56:35 So that's a really huge deal, and just to make time to do all that. Report an error in the passage at 56:35 Highlight the passage at 56:35

56:44 I've been away for a while when I went to the purification retreat, and also I was really glad that I went to that. I just feel more spacious. and and Report an error in the passage at 56:44 Highlight the passage at 56:44

56:55 Although I haven't taken refuge or anything like that, I'm not anywhere close, but I'm sort of like thinking, wow, maybe I could be a Buddhist. Then I was reading something on the way over here, and oh my god, it's so much work. It's sort of like overwhelming. I just want to be a good person, you know what I mean? But anyway, I'm really glad you're having these classes. Report an error in the passage at 56:55 Highlight the passage at 56:55

57:19 I take lots of notes and I'm so glad I did because I'll go back and review it and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 57:19 Highlight the passage at 57:19

57:30 Hi, I'm Jenna and I have been coming to the center for about a year and a half and I found the center via India. I went to India to go study yoga and Hinduism. you very much. Report an error in the passage at 57:30 Highlight the passage at 57:30

57:44 I studied Buddhism and did some yoga. There was no Hinduism on part of my path. And yeah, I kind of just stumbled upon Dharamsala and Tushita, one of the FP &PT centers there and kind of what some other people said, I mean, it just feels comfortable and it feels right. And I really, really like the fact that meditation, like... Report an error in the passage at 57:44 Highlight the passage at 57:44

58:13 Being able to give us tools to solve problems like deal with our afflictive emotions. I don't know, it's just really kind of comforting to be able to actually feel like there's a path and I might be able to get to the path soon. Or not soon, but in lifetimes, I don't know. That soon. Yeah, not soon. Not soon at all. No, no, I said that soon. Report an error in the passage at 58:13 Highlight the passage at 58:13

58:38 That soon comparatively. But at least there's tools, you know. Relatively soon. Yeah. Oh, and I usually help out during class, so you know that, so come to me, maybe. I might be able to help. I might not, though. Yeah, Jenna is the Thursday night volunteer, so if you have any questions or anything, then she'll try to help. Report an error in the passage at 58:38 Highlight the passage at 58:38

58:57 She'll try to help, yeah. And we also, Anne Yoshinaga is also going to join us, and Lisa Nistrone, and neither was able to come tonight, so they will be here next. Okay, we'll take a break, get some tea, liven up. Report an error in the passage at 58:57 Highlight the passage at 58:57

59:15 Have some fruit. Report an error in the passage at 59:15 Highlight the passage at 59:15

59:33 It's hard. Report an error in the passage at 59:33 Highlight the passage at 59:33

59:43 There's actually quite a few little things. And tonight we just didn't know how many people also. Report an error in the passage at 59:43 Highlight the passage at 59:43

59:51 But yeah, books. Books, bell, clock, and water. Well, and tonight you were also doing some registration stuff too, right? So that's a little. We Report an error in the passage at 59:51 Highlight the passage at 59:51

1:00:12 made it. I know I'm like, I know, no, it's good. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:12 Highlight the passage at 1:00:12

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:00:21 if the church or school has an event, then, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:21 Highlight the passage at 1:00:21

1:00:28 you're on this one? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:28 Highlight the passage at 1:00:28

1:00:38 I don't think it's as bad as the last one, but it is tight sometimes. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:38 Highlight the passage at 1:00:38

1:00:48 Yep, yep. When we came for Renee, that was tight. That night was tight because they were doing a funeral at the church. Yeah, yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:00:48 Highlight the passage at 1:00:48

1:01:04 yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:04 Highlight the passage at 1:01:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:01:59 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:59 Highlight the passage at 1:01:59

1:02:11 It's so exciting when I get like 10 minutes to do the polls and like just before it's flat. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:11 Highlight the passage at 1:02:11

1:02:23 Not that Daniel's like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:23 Highlight the passage at 1:02:23

1:02:49 That's right. Take the opportunity. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:49 Highlight the passage at 1:02:49

1:02:56 Yeah, that's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:56 Highlight the passage at 1:02:56

1:03:14 That's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:14 Highlight the passage at 1:03:14

1:03:24 It's sort of the next page. Page three remains to be seen. Let's see what the next thing is. But I'm glad. I hope this part of the story lasts for a little bit longer so we get some rest and some more space. that's good. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:24 Highlight the passage at 1:03:24

1:03:45 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:45 Highlight the passage at 1:03:45

1:04:16 as far as I got into it, it was little bit of the opposite. Like, it just resonated. That's not what it was doing. So I've been out for Report an error in the passage at 1:04:16 Highlight the passage at 1:04:16

1:04:34 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:34 Highlight the passage at 1:04:34

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:05:18 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:18 Highlight the passage at 1:05:18

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:06:02 She's Report an error in the passage at 1:06:02 Highlight the passage at 1:06:02

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:06:39 the first one. That's the warning bell. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:39 Highlight the passage at 1:06:39

1:06:45 But there's only a minute between them. We have two, when we ever meditate, it's always too bad. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:45 Highlight the passage at 1:06:45

1:06:51 When I heard it said oops, then I thought okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:51 Highlight the passage at 1:06:51

1:06:58 We just had a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:58 Highlight the passage at 1:06:58

1:07:10 yeah, that's true. We just had a break, but if you want to get a cup of tea or anything, you can prepare yourself. And have you been to this location? Okay, so if you need the restroom, it's straight through the kitchen. Yeah. And we just kind of went around and introduced ourselves, so you sort of missed all that. But you could say a little bit about yourself, if you don't mind, if that's not putting you on the spot. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:10 Highlight the passage at 1:07:10

1:07:40 Where the talking stick is. The talking stick. hang on. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:40 Highlight the passage at 1:07:40

1:07:49 And came over from Berkeley, rushed over as fast as I could, and I still got here wickedly. But I'm just glad to be here and get a chance to hear you teach. Excellent. Yeah. That's great. Welcome. You guys are in the East Bay, right? I am. Oh, you are? Okay, okay. So maybe you can figure out a carpool. I know the bridge is kind of hard, even if it's the opposite direction. Somewhere in here, there's a little... Report an error in the passage at 1:07:49 Highlight the passage at 1:07:49

1:08:18 roster of names and if you did not sign up It's more for me to have it all in one place, your name, your email address and whatever phone is easiest to reach you. So why don't you just send it around again and if you've signed it, just pass it on. But the main thing is just so that I have it all in one place in case something should happen where I just need to reach everybody, you know, if we had to cancel a class or something due to illness or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:18 Highlight the passage at 1:08:18

1:08:48 It has happened, and it is nice for me to just have it all in one place. So I do every class for that reason. Also, I wanted to mention, okay, in terms of reading for the class, I will go ahead, I'll do that at the end. I did a syllabus for the class, which just sort of gives you an idea, like I usually do, which gives you an idea of what to expect on each night. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:48 Highlight the passage at 1:08:48

1:09:17 Suggested readings as well as the required readings. So there's a binder that we, that I can make physical binders for people if they would like, but if people are okay with it being electronic, then I will just, I think what I'll just do is I'll take, I'll compile like I did last time, I'll just compile all the email addresses and I'll just send you out the electronic binder. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:17 Highlight the passage at 1:09:17

1:09:41 If you would at that time like it at hard copy. Send me back an email. Ha ha, that puts a yonus on you. Just like the guru. Just like the guru-student relationship. So yeah, at that point, I'll just kind of go, okay, hi guys, this is the group. And that's when I'll realize that I misspelled somebody's email address or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:41 Highlight the passage at 1:09:41

1:10:03 And we'll clean that up. And then you can just say, you know, if you wouldn't mind making me a copy. It's a fairly short binder of readings. This time it's only 33 pages, so it's pretty short. um, but, um, So there are some various articles in that. And then also there are some suggested readings like teacher-student relationship kind of readings, like about Marfa and Melarepa and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:03 Highlight the passage at 1:10:03

1:10:29 Those are more suggested. There's also a really good book by Alex Berzin that was just republished. and I'm trying to And remember what the name of it is. I'm going to peek at my... Oh, I don't have it written here. I think I have it written on the... It used to be relating to the spiritual teacher. I think it has some groovier name now because I think maybe that was boring. But it's actually still available, as far as I know, for free as a downloadable book on his website. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:29 Highlight the passage at 1:10:29

1:11:02 So... Oh, here it is. Wise Teacher, Wise Student. Tibetan Approaches to a Healthy Relationship. There you go. So... I think it's great. There's a couple of chapters that I really found quite useful, and it is downloadable, and the link is on the syllabus so that you can just download if you don't feel like getting the whole book. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:02 Highlight the passage at 1:11:02

1:11:31 You just want to read those parts. If you find it useful, then of course you can definitely get the book itself. Alex Berazin. Yeah, he has a great website anyway. So even if you don't decide to download the e-book, then you should check out his website. He's just been around for forever. He's a very trustworthy guy in terms of being a translator and things like that. But he has various things on his website that are good resources to have. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:31 Highlight the passage at 1:11:31

1:12:04 Tubton Children is another one. They're just kind of... They have these amazing websites. Tipton Children even has like a video of how to do a frustration, which is great. It's like on her website. It was very funny the first time I was like, oh, that seems kind of cool. I'm going to download it. And then it took a while and I forgot. So then I started kind of messing around with like, you know, New York Times or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:04 Highlight the passage at 1:12:04

1:12:26 And all of a sudden, Tipton Children comes in and starts doing this frustration. I was like, okay, I guess I'm supposed to turn this off. It's like big sister. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:26 Highlight the passage at 1:12:26

1:12:38 It was very funny. Alright, so just a few more things and then we'll end with a meditation. But one question that comes up I think for a lot of people in this day and age with the internet and with books so available and not even having to go to a bookstore, right? We just go to Amazon half the time getting things electronically or even getting it at a bookstore but still getting it online. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:38 Highlight the passage at 1:12:38

1:13:05 A lot in YouTube, right, and you can download entire teachings and things like that. It's sort of like, do we still need teachers? This question does still come up. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:05 Highlight the passage at 1:13:05

1:13:17 Sometimes we sort of feel like, well, we can get everything we need, right, without having to get an actual teacher. But that interaction between the student and the teacher is just something that goes beyond, you know, The teaching itself. As I was saying when I was describing my relationship with my main teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, it wasn't even his actual teachings that connected me, that hooked me. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:17 Highlight the passage at 1:13:17

1:13:45 Eventually it was how he was, how he personified the teachings, how he embodied bodhicitta. I remember... Tutundunduk, Venerable Neil, saying at one point, watching your teacher have lunch can be life-changing. And I was like, what do you mean by that? And it's totally true. I have this one picture that I put it kind of in, I have sort of a little tea area in my room where I have a little electric kettle. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:45 Highlight the passage at 1:13:45

1:14:22 And there's this one picture of Rinpoche just doing profound offerings before he eats like a biscuit or something and tea. And he's just like, he's so intensely offering that food and it's just so beautiful, you know, compared to the way I normally have my biscuits and tea. Which is like, you know. He's like, the most important thing is offering it. Like, there's actually a story about that. The most important aspect is the offering, whether he has a chance to eat it or not. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:51 It's moot, you know, which I just find so fascinating. Endlessly fascinating, considering the way my mind works. So if we go back to the analogy of a master and an apprentice, with that idea, rather than the kind of teachers that maybe we get at a college or a high school or something like that, but this sort of idea of apprenticeship. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:51 Highlight the passage at 1:14:51

1:15:15 Apprenticeship, which has sort of been lost in the last, in our culture, I think. It still exists in some ways, but think about somebody, you know, for example, if you want to become a concert pianist, you know, like that kind of apprenticeship. Or even if you want to get a gold medal, that kind of apprenticeship. It's more like an apprenticeship then because there's a certain amount of time and effort that, first of all, you'd even think about. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:15 Highlight the passage at 1:15:15

1:15:46 Who you're going to study with, right? So it's not even, once you get into the study, then there's going to be time and effort. But before you even choose the teacher, you're not going to just go out and go, well, he looks like he can wear a swimsuit. All right, I'll go with him because he might get me a gold medal at the next Olympics. You would spend more time than that, I would hope. So the same is true here. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:46 Highlight the passage at 1:15:46

1:16:08 But at first in those early days of relationships with an apprentice and a master, the master wouldn't go, okay, great, now you're on board. That means you get to make the gold rings today. No. You just have to do things around the fire first. You go get him the tea first or her the tea. So a lot of times it's just sort of watching what they do. That's the early stages of the relationship. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:08 Highlight the passage at 1:16:08

1:16:37 And then you don't get to do anything for a while. I know this one friend of mine who is now, she's actually, was the director of Bajrapani for many, many years and now she's the director of the Milleripa Center out in Vermont. Rinpoche manifested never remembering her name. Ever. For five years. And she got so used to just kind of stepping in and going, Amy Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:37 Highlight the passage at 1:16:37

1:17:01 Amy Rinpoche. Amy Rinpoche. All of a sudden he just said, and Amy could be the director. And she was like so shocked that he knew her name, you know, because it was sort of, and it was just like a way of working on her ego. He knew what he was doing and he knew darn well who she was. But he'll do that sometimes if you assume, oh well, he knows me, you know, then he'll immediately just be like, what is your name? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:01 Highlight the passage at 1:17:01

1:17:27 And you're like knocked down a few pegs. So it's very interesting the way they manifest these different illusions of their relationship with you. And they're there for different purposes. They're there to teach you, but they're also there to show you your own mind and your own capacity. They're also there to knock you down a few pegs if you need to or build you up. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:27 Highlight the passage at 1:17:27

1:17:54 I know Jan Willis has often talked about... Her relationship with Lama Yeshe is completely building her up. She had no confidence at all. She's now a professor at Wesleyan University, and she's been, for many, many years, quite a high academic. But she grew up in the South as a black woman. She had people literally burning crosses on her front lawn. She didn't feel that she was capable of anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:54 Highlight the passage at 1:17:54

1:18:21 And he took that and was completely sweet and loving. You're capable, you're capable, you're capable constantly to her. And then with some of the rest of us. I remember one time I was like, I had ordered a picture for the center of Lama Yeshe, and it's that one, there's one where he looks quite intense. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:21 Highlight the passage at 1:18:21

1:18:45 A lot of the ones of Lama Yeshe, he's smiling and goofy, but there's this one where he's just like, you know, he's got these like completely intense eyes, and I was like, Wow, this is more intense than I thought it was going to be. And she goes, that's the way you always look at me. I was like, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:45 Highlight the passage at 1:18:45

1:19:06 She's like, that's my girl. And apparently that's what happened with his reincarnation too. He looked at her when he was two and said, you're talking all the time, be quiet. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:06 Highlight the passage at 1:19:06

1:19:19 She said at that moment she knew it was him. It was like, oh my God. Anyway, so six reasons why there is still a blessing to studying with a live teacher versus books or videos or YouTube. You receive the blessing of a living lineage. And this is really, really huge and really important and also, of course, empowers us because we are the next generation. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:19 Highlight the passage at 1:19:19

1:19:49 We have to become the teachers when teachers like Geshe-la. His Holiness and so forth move into another realm. But these are the teachings that have gone mouth to ear since the Buddha. There's no break in the lineage at this point, which is so fantastic. I mean, it's so incredible. And it's what you get when you go to a live teaching that you don't really get in a recording. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:49 Highlight the passage at 1:19:49

1:20:20 Even though the recordings are great. We're happy about the recordings. Teachers also teach you the pitfalls of something, and they warn you in advance, which is useful. They can teach you from their own experience. Geshele tells lots of stories. He doesn't usually tell so many stories about himself unless we ask, but teachers can tell you from their own experience before you've messed up, which is sometimes useful. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:20 Highlight the passage at 1:20:20

1:20:47 So we don't have to reinvent the wheel, basically, all the time. And you don't get that from impersonal. Although you might get a recording of somebody telling you their personal stories. Anyway, in some times, some cases it can save you years of going the wrong direction, which is useful. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:47 Highlight the passage at 1:20:47

1:21:09 Teachers can also teach you tricks about what works and why, also from their own experience, which is really useful. Once you take the time to find a living teacher, a master, then you have that. Companion for life, which is really, really cool. And not only that, but his students also become your family, which is kind of neat. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:09 Highlight the passage at 1:21:09

1:21:38 Although you better check well that you want those people as your family. These are family that you're choosing rather than the birth family. Although, of course, according to Karma, there's some degree of our choice in that, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:38 Highlight the passage at 1:21:38

1:21:55 When you find a real teacher, then you enter in this whole different world. They have all these sources and resources that we wouldn't ordinarily have. For example, they might say, oh, you should read this, and you hadn't even heard of it. Or you should do this practice, and it's happening Wednesday. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:55 Highlight the passage at 1:21:55

1:22:16 Or you should go to the center, the tiny little mountain in Dharamsala and study with blah, blah. You know? You know? Like, you Report an error in the passage at 1:22:16 Highlight the passage at 1:22:16

1:22:23 blah, you know. You should do pilgrimage and go to here and here. They'll just tell you these things that just weren't normally tools of your trade. Before, when you were starting out, you were kind of like, oh, I just thought that I had a problem understanding this page. I didn't realize that was going to help. Or in my case, when I had some pretty extreme health issues that came up in the last couple of years, Rinpoche had me do this really intensive purification retreat, seven of them. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:23 Highlight the passage at 1:22:23

1:22:54 In my room at the center. Well, he didn't tell me to do him in my room. I chose to do him in my room at the center. And I would never have thought of that. I mean, you know, other things to think about, you know, I'm online Googling and I'm talking to Tibetan doctors and talking to Western doctors and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:54 Highlight the passage at 1:22:54

1:23:09 But he, you know, he had a whole different angle. So they have all these different resources. They take you outside, beneath and beyond yourself. That's all one. That's the final one. It's all the same again if you want to. But the final one is outside they act like a mirror for you, showing you those faults that maybe we can't really see. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:09 Highlight the passage at 1:23:09

1:23:34 It's like when I cut my hair this morning. Yeah, it was just this morning. Seems like a long time ago, 6 o 'clock. And Palma was saying, oh, you missed this part, you missed this part. Well, that's what gurus do. You know, they hold up a mirror and you can see the faults that we don't really want to see. We'd actually just kind of put that mirror somewhere in the other room. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:34 Highlight the passage at 1:23:34

1:23:57 And that's sometimes useful because we can't get enlightened if we can't see what to work on. So sometimes we need an external mirror. And we definitely need to be corrected sometimes. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:57 Highlight the passage at 1:23:57

1:24:11 So beneath is where you learn humility. Sometimes we have to admit that we don't know everything already. And like I said, it could be different with each student. Some students need to be taught that they do know, and some need to be taught that they don't know anything, everything. Pride, they consider pride to be the biggest obstacle in the spiritual path. I think this comes up so often, I think the Tibetans must have been really proud people. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:11 Highlight the passage at 1:24:11

1:24:42 Because it definitely comes up. We have this other thing, we have this lack of self-confidence, I think, in our culture that's epidemic. Which is a twist on the same affliction. Sometimes we use that to keep us from doing anything. And beyond. Beyond is where we're talking about what I was describing as where they sort of push you beyond what you thought was your edge, what you thought you were capable of. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:42 Highlight the passage at 1:24:42

1:25:09 It's like, well, no, I think you can run that center. What? Run a center? No. So they can look at your heart and your mind and help you recognize your own capacity in a way that nobody else can push you in that same way that yoga teachers can help you get into a posture that you thought was way beyond you. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:09 Highlight the passage at 1:25:09

1:25:42 You might be sore the next day. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:42 Highlight the passage at 1:25:42

1:25:48 Briefly, how do we find or how do we begin looking for a teacher? The very basic thing is through doing service, doing service to the Dharma or to a teacher. So if you, you know, if you're, for example, like Geshe-lo or His Holiness the Dalai Lama or Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche, just helping with some of their projects, even if you don't consider them yet your teacher, they might become your teacher or they might not, but you're creating really great karma and that's useful. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:48 Highlight the passage at 1:25:48

1:26:19 For attracting a teacher in your life later. Just helping the Dharma to expand and survive in the West is a huge, huge thing. It doesn't have to be huge though. I think I mentioned in the last class that I know one student who just gives socks to Geshe-le-we-U. You know, so it can be something very little. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:19 Highlight the passage at 1:26:19

1:26:40 Ask him if he'd like some vegetables the next time you go to the market. You know what I mean? So it doesn't have to be this huge. thing of like going out and running the stupa project for example It can be something small. Or help out in the Dharma center. That can also help create the causes. One of the ways that we become good students, and we're going to talk very precisely about becoming a good student, but just in the conventional sense, being a good student. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:40 Highlight the passage at 1:26:40

1:27:16 It's just being a respectful student, right? Listening in class, paying attention, but most importantly trying to apply what you learn. That's what they're really looking for. That's the best way to please their minds is if you're trying to apply what you learn. I mean, bless Geshe-la's heart, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:16 Highlight the passage at 1:27:16

1:27:34 He's been teaching us. This is his 14th year at Tsai-chid-ling. He's taught many of the same texts over and over and over. Many of the same questions come up over and over and over and he never once loses his patience with us. And sometimes it's from the same students' mouths, you know. Oh, Geshe-la, you know. And we're all like proud that we came up with this question, you know. And actually he just answered it two weeks ago. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:34 Highlight the passage at 1:27:34

1:27:56 And he never, he's just like, you know, gives us the answer. You know, he's just very stable and calm that way. He likes to see, it will not... We displease him to answer our questions over and over and over again. But when we do apply some of what he teaches, then that can please him. You know what I mean? So they really like to see that we're putting into practice the stuff that they are choosing to teach us. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:56 Highlight the passage at 1:27:56

1:28:27 We will talk a lot about karma. The basic thing about karma that we talked about a little bit in the last class and in every class that... I teach. I just don't think there's ever been a class that does not somehow relate to karma. But basically, according to the Buddha, we co-create our own reality, so there's no other creator god. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:27 Highlight the passage at 1:28:27

1:28:50 There is this energy that we create through our actions and especially the motivations for those actions. If it's something that's motivated with a positive mind. Even if the outcome isn't so great, it becomes a positive karma. They usually say about 95 % of whatever the action is, whatever the motivation is, 95 % will determine what the karma is for the action. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:50 Highlight the passage at 1:28:50

1:29:27 So if you've done an action with a really... If you have a good, positive frame of mind, then your karma for it will be better, for example, than if you've got a really mixed mind or a super negative mind. For example, if three people give $100 to a beggar, one person could be doing it to look really good, one person could be doing it because they have an extra $100 in their pocket. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:27 Highlight the passage at 1:29:27

1:29:54 And they want to try out what Chokyi said. And one person could do it with this mind of really having compassion for that being and to help them. And so the three people would have three different karmas that came from that action. Or you could have three people killing a bug, which is the other example that I give. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:54 Highlight the passage at 1:29:54

1:30:12 They could all have three different karmas because one person could be doing it because they think, oh, this bug has broken both of his legs. He's dying. I want to put him out of his misery. so their heart is in the right place, you know, they have compassion for that being. One could just be completely oblivious and not see him and just, what were you saying, and just smash him. We do that all the time. We just don't notice all the little beings around us. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:12 Highlight the passage at 1:30:12

1:30:37 And then one could be like, oh, I hate roaches. So one is doing with a mind of hatred, one's just completely oblivious, ignorant, and then one is trying. Maybe misguidedly, but trying to aid that bug in some way. So the same action is netting three different karmas. Often the karma, of course, will be mixed. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:37 Highlight the passage at 1:30:37

1:30:59 And that's what makes it such an interesting, juicy subject. So we'll go into it in a lot more detail in a later class. But if everything that we say, do and think creates karma, this is actually very empowering because we can co-create the reality that we want. There's a lot of what's happening to us already that we've already created and we don't know necessarily what's around the next bend, but how we react to it is going to determine what's going to happen next. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:59 Highlight the passage at 1:30:59

1:31:32 And so at this point, whatever happens to us, we have to be mindful of how we react. But the more exciting aspect is then we can create what we want based on our understanding of karma. So if we want to create a good teacher, we need to become good students like that. And that's true for everything. That's not even just true for the Dharma. If we want to create good teachers of pottery or of yoga or of, you know, math, we have to become good students. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:32 Highlight the passage at 1:31:32

1:32:07 And again, to apply what they're teaching. Bhavanka Rinpoche said, be careful who you choose as your spiritual guide because you will become like them, for better or for worse. Be careful who you choose as your spiritual guide because you will become like them, for better or for worse. And I just remembered as I said that, that I was going to go through those six reasons again. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:07 Highlight the passage at 1:32:07

1:32:31 I'm sorry. So six reasons why there's a blessing to studying with a live teacher. So the first was you receive a blessing from a living lineage. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:31 Highlight the passage at 1:32:31

1:32:42 The second one is teachers teach you the pitfalls and warn you in advance. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:42 Highlight the passage at 1:32:42

1:32:51 The third one is teachers teach you tricks about what does work and why. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:51 Highlight the passage at 1:32:51

1:33:04 The fourth one is when you find a living master, you have a companion for life and their students also become family. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:04 Highlight the passage at 1:33:04

1:33:17 And you can learn a lot from that family too. Number five is when you find a real teacher, suddenly you enter into a whole different world because they have all these new resources in terms of tools. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:17 Highlight the passage at 1:33:17

1:33:38 And then number six is they take you outside, beneath and beyond yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:38 Highlight the passage at 1:33:38

1:33:49 Any questions on anything that I've been saying so far? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:49 Highlight the passage at 1:33:49

1:33:58 No! Definitely not, but thank you very much. You get the good karma and I'm off the hook. No, I always say I am definitely only a Dharma instructor. No capital S, no capital T in spiritual teacher. No capital G in guru. No L for Lama. But thank you, thank you, thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:58 Highlight the passage at 1:33:58

1:34:25 No, and I'm not just being humble either. I'm not qualified. But happy to... Help you gather the tools that you need to protect your mind, and that's what I'm here for. Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:25 Highlight the passage at 1:34:25

1:34:40 Any other teachers? Any other teachers? Any other questions? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:40 Highlight the passage at 1:34:40

1:34:48 Shanti, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:48 Highlight the passage at 1:34:48

1:34:54 Just sort of take, say I know sometimes people take two different or several different teachers. We'll talk about that, yeah, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:54 Highlight the passage at 1:34:54

1:35:04 Geshele said, and I actually think this is quite interesting, of course at the time I had already taken quite a few. That's partly why I like to teach these classes, just to protect you from what I myself did. Not that I ever regret any of them, thank you. He said, if you know how to serve a teacher, then by all means you absolutely should take more than one. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:04 Highlight the passage at 1:35:04

1:35:33 And by serve I mean... Follow their advice. He said, if not, better to stick with just one. Which I thought was just so profound. I wanted to put it on a t-shirt. By that time, I think I had ten, who I considered gurus. Anytime you take, and we'll talk about this in detail, but anytime you take any empowerment, that person becomes a guru, not just for life, but until you get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:33 Highlight the passage at 1:35:33

1:36:05 Anytime you take vows, that person becomes a guru for life. Anytime you take certain, what is it, commentary on certain texts, that person also can become, you have to sort of look into the explanation of the commitments, but that person can also become a guru. And at one point I remember, About five years into my relationship with Geshe-la, Geshe-la I was kind of holding at arm's length by that time because I already had so many. So I was kind of like, he's not my guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:05 Highlight the passage at 1:36:05

1:36:46 No, no, no. All of a sudden at one point he said in a teaching, whoever shows you the lamrim is also your guru. And he looked at me. I was like, okay. Number 11. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:46 Highlight the passage at 1:36:46

1:37:05 So I don't think it means introduces you to the lamrim, which is what I'm doing, but it, you know, I studied, at that point I was like five years into the lamrim. He took us, he took five years to teach us the lamrim, the first time he's teaching the lamrim also now, but he was teaching it as part of the basic program at that time. And, yeah, so there are a lot of ways to take teachers, and so you should... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:05 Highlight the passage at 1:37:05

1:37:29 Always be very careful as and I talked about this in the last class when I went to this one empowerment and it was an open empowerment actually which doesn't happen very often with the psyche treason down we were all co-putting it on down in Santa Cruz and so I kind of had to attend. Because we were putting it on, but I just didn't want to take this person on. I think he's wonderful, but the whole time I was thinking, you're not my teacher, I'm not taking you on as a guru, okay? Report an error in the passage at 1:37:29 Highlight the passage at 1:37:29

1:38:01 And every once in a while I'd open my eyes and he'd just be looking at me and smiling. And I was like, he's probably thinking, what is up with that? And then I went up there and I was like, you know, nice to meet you and everything, but I'm thinking, but you're not my guru. And he's like... Now where are you from? It was very odd. And then everyone around me was like, oh, you have a special... I'm like, no, it's not a special relationship. So I'm really clear in my mind now. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:01 Highlight the passage at 1:38:01

1:38:26 If I'm attending a talk, I just am like, this is informational. This is informational in my mind. However, if you're in the point on the path where you are open to teachings or karma ripens and you feel like this really strong bond with a teacher, like... By all means, why not work with more than one? Especially in a situation, for example, where Geshe-la is here and Lama Zopa is traveling and more and more I see them as the same. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:26 Highlight the passage at 1:38:26

1:38:55 They give me the same advice. Or you have a very strong relationship with a root guru and then you have other gurus. And we'll talk about what that word means. Spiritual teacher, guru, lama will define them. Because everything in Buddhism, that's what I like about Buddhism, it's very precise. We have our understandings of what they mean, but we have to know what they meant. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:55 Highlight the passage at 1:38:55

1:39:20 What the Buddha, what the masters in the Tibetan path meant. But yeah, they can serve different functions in your life and on your path, and that can be quite useful. So it's often quite useful to have more than one tikka. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:20 Highlight the passage at 1:39:20

1:39:39 And I don't regret any one of mine. Thank you very much. Maybe I got them a little too quickly. Anybody else? Any questions? Report an error in the passage at 1:39:39 Highlight the passage at 1:39:39

1:39:59 It's a grimace with wide eyes. Right, that's right. She's not my teacher. She's not my teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:59 Highlight the passage at 1:39:59

1:40:15 Okay, well. No, I haven't. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:15 Highlight the passage at 1:40:15

1:40:06 that's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:06 Highlight the passage at 1:40:06

1:40:18 If something comes up, bring it to class next week and we'll start with questions. So I'm going to, for your homework this time, you're going to get these little slips of paper, which is going to have something to think about as well as something to meditate and then the first of the chapters from that downloadable book, which you'll have a couple of weeks to read. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:18 Highlight the passage at 1:40:18

1:40:43 And if you don't have time to do any of those things, just come next week. That's okay, too. I always liked, and I didn't say anything about that at the beginning, but I do like to mention that the reason I give homework is to provide that structure that Shanti was talking about. When I first started studying the Dharma, the teacher that I studied with gave homeworks and quizzes and exams, and it was like it worked with my mind because that's what I was used to in school, and it kept me more alert. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:43 Highlight the passage at 1:40:43

1:41:12 It's more like taking notes than it did when I would just kind of go and space out and think this is a beautiful happening. It was more like, oh, okay, let's write down the six da-da-das and then get to know what they are and then contemplate them in relationship with my life. So that's why I do it. If you're too busy to do that homework, just come to class. That's far more important. So if you don't get time to do the homework, save them and at some point you might have time and it might be useful. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:12 Highlight the passage at 1:41:12

1:41:41 But just come to class. That's far more important because you'll connect with everybody else and you'll hear their stuff, which is useful for you to be thinking about. So we're going to end with a meditation. So just get comfortable. Not too comfortable. It's not going to be that long. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:41 Highlight the passage at 1:41:41

1:42:01 And I don't want anyone lying down. I remember once when I was teaching the death class, the death and impermanence class on the final practice day. I allowed people to lie down for their own deaths, which was a bad idea because somebody fell asleep for their own death, which wasn't good. We had to wake them up. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:01 Highlight the passage at 1:42:01

1:42:22 So a little bit of snoring going on during that. No snoring. I want you comfortable, but not too comfortable. So if you're sitting in a chair, try to move away from the back of the chair and just have your feet flat on the floor. And if you're sitting on a cushion, just try to extend your spine a little bit and let your shoulders relax and kind of open up your chest a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:22 Highlight the passage at 1:42:22

1:42:43 And take some nice deep breaths. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:43 Highlight the passage at 1:42:43

1:43:08 Once again, it's important for us to remember that any time we're looking for building skills or working with some aspect of, even in worldly terms, becoming a pianist or becoming a good gold medal winning athlete, cabinet maker, Report an error in the passage at 1:43:08 Highlight the passage at 1:43:08

1:43:34 graphic designer, we have to find teachers. So we spend some time looking for teachers, teachers that give us the foundation, but also teachers to take us places, you know, take us beyond what we think we can do. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:34 Highlight the passage at 1:43:34

1:43:51 And this is absolutely the same. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:51 Highlight the passage at 1:43:51

1:43:58 But since we need to work with our minds, it's super important to find people who know their own minds and how a mind works and somebody who has the qualities that we want. And Report an error in the passage at 1:43:58 Highlight the passage at 1:43:58

1:44:25 because... According to the Buddha, the mind is beginningless and endless. It's not like our hands with the piano or our bodies with the swimming. This mind goes with us from life to life to life. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:25 Highlight the passage at 1:44:25

1:44:44 So how we treat it is really, really important. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:44 Highlight the passage at 1:44:44

1:44:58 But right now, according to the Buddha, our minds are the source of most of our problems. We get angry, depressed, lazy, Report an error in the passage at 1:44:58 Highlight the passage at 1:44:58

1:45:14 mistrust people. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:14 Highlight the passage at 1:45:14

1:45:18 So how can we fully trust our own minds to take this journey all Report an error in the passage at 1:45:18 Highlight the passage at 1:45:18

1:45:26 the way to enlightenment without a guide? Report an error in the passage at 1:45:26 Highlight the passage at 1:45:26

1:45:38 This seems even crazier than going to the Amazon or the Mongolia or Tibet without a guide. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:38 Highlight the passage at 1:45:38

1:45:57 So imagine the air in front of you on a radiant white lotus sits shucking on the Buddha made entirely gold and white. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:57 Highlight the passage at 1:45:57

1:46:18 Imagine that he embodies all enlightened qualities, whatever those are, whatever that means to you. Peace. Concentration, wisdom, skillfulness, love, Report an error in the passage at 1:46:18 Highlight the passage at 1:46:18

1:46:38 Tony gazes down at you. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:38 Highlight the passage at 1:46:38

1:46:45 And if that's too hard, then just imagine a sphere of golden light, inviting all those qualities that we want. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:45 Highlight the passage at 1:46:45

1:47:11 And then bring to mind some good teachers in your life, Report an error in the passage at 1:47:11 Highlight the passage at 1:47:11

1:47:20 maybe some who had a profound effect on you. Teachers from school, Report an error in the passage at 1:47:20 Highlight the passage at 1:47:20

1:47:30 people who challenged you, made you think outside the box, spent a little extra time with you. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:30 Highlight the passage at 1:47:30

1:47:47 Maybe they were teachers in your church or your synagogue. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:47 Highlight the passage at 1:47:47

1:48:06 Maybe they were art teachers, music teachers, dance teachers. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:06 Highlight the passage at 1:48:06

1:48:24 And you can either imagine it like a slideshow with various people, or you can imagine them actually, whether they're living or dead, imagine them coming towards you, smiling, Report an error in the passage at 1:48:24 Highlight the passage at 1:48:24

1:48:39 and taking a seat around you. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:39 Highlight the passage at 1:48:39

1:48:47 People who taught you how to love poetry, math, science, film. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:47 Highlight the passage at 1:48:47

1:49:03 don't even have family members. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:03 Highlight the passage at 1:49:03

1:49:26 need to empower you politically. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:26 Highlight the passage at 1:49:26

1:49:31 And Report an error in the passage at 1:49:31 Highlight the passage at 1:49:31

1:49:37 then you can Report an error in the passage at 1:49:37 Highlight the passage at 1:49:37

1:49:56 think about other kinds of teachers, spiritual teachers like His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Trigger. Or Report an error in the passage at 1:49:56 Highlight the passage at 1:49:56

1:50:08 maybe people who just did outrageously powerful things that inspired you like Martin Luther King, Report an error in the passage at 1:50:08 Highlight the passage at 1:50:08

1:50:18 part of Teresa. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:18 Highlight the passage at 1:50:18

1:50:34 Or maybe people who taught you how to Report an error in the passage at 1:50:34 Highlight the passage at 1:50:34

1:50:52 imagine those people into your circle, surrounding you with love. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:52 Highlight the passage at 1:50:52

1:51:05 space for future teachers to come you even recognizing them yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:05 Highlight the passage at 1:51:05

1:51:28 yourself feel this abundance. of all kinds your life. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:28 Highlight the passage at 1:51:28

1:51:45 feel some kind of attitude. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:45 Highlight the passage at 1:51:45

1:51:50 have each of them, that you've had each of Now Report an error in the passage at 1:51:50 Highlight the passage at 1:51:50

1:52:10 imagine a special teacher. Coming towards you. Your main spiritual teacher. A completely qualified spiritual master. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:10 Highlight the passage at 1:52:10

1:52:26 Maybe you already know who this is. Maybe you have an inkling. But even if you don't, you can just imagine this person inviting everything that you want to become. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:26 Highlight the passage at 1:52:26

1:52:41 Somebody who will take you all the way to full environment. No matter how long it takes. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:41 Highlight the passage at 1:52:41

1:52:56 And imagine the love that this person feels towards you. Totally free of wanting anything from you. Or attachment, or anything other than wanting your ultimate freedom. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:56 Highlight the passage at 1:52:56

1:53:18 Allow yourself to feel that love flowing into your heart and mind, allowing them to soften and open, Report an error in the passage at 1:53:18 Highlight the passage at 1:53:18

1:53:32 which in turn allows you to open to everything else. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:32 Highlight the passage at 1:53:32

1:53:54 Imagine these qualities filling you up and giving you the power to help follow other living beings, the great themselves, and find lasting happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:54 Highlight the passage at 1:53:54

1:54:18 And just rest for a moment in this connection, this awareness, this potential, trying to believe for a minute that it can actually happen. All Report an error in the passage at 1:54:18 Highlight the passage at 1:54:18

1:54:33 we have to do is create the causes and anything can happen. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:33 Highlight the passage at 1:54:33

1:54:53 And finally imagine that your teacher and all of your teachers now merge with Shakyama Buddha, Report an error in the passage at 1:54:53 Highlight the passage at 1:54:53

1:55:06 who shrinks in size and comes to the crown of your head and melts in the golden red. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:06 Highlight the passage at 1:55:06

1:55:22 It enters into you, the crown of your head, and fills you with all of these enlightened qualities that you can all imagine. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:22 Highlight the passage at 1:55:22

1:55:35 You are completely pervaded by this light and by peace and by happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:35 Highlight the passage at 1:55:35

1:56:00 I'm going to take a moment to dedicate all the merit and the positive energy in this class to each of us creating the causes to become good students. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:00 Highlight the passage at 1:56:00

1:56:16 So that we're able to find, to recognize, and to study with qualified spiritual teachers. So Report an error in the passage at 1:56:16 Highlight the passage at 1:56:16

1:56:26 that we can know to help ourselves and all other living beings. And with a purpose in Report an error in the passage at 1:56:26 Highlight the passage at 1:56:26

1:56:43 time as you leave and enjoy meditation. I want to Report an error in the passage at 1:56:43 Highlight the passage at 1:56:43

1:57:06 make some final announcements. Is that cute or what? And then the big one is the syllabus. And I think I just made 10, so there should be enough. But if not, I might have Palmo. I could just give you one at home. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:06 Highlight the passage at 1:57:06

1:57:28 Yeah, if somebody else doesn't, let me know and I can send it to you electronically. So as Teresa mentioned, Saturday morning at 8, there's going to be a four-week meditation series. Venable Carol will be teaching, so if people want to join that, that's happening this Saturday at 8 o 'clock. Here at the center. And as Terry mentioned, there's a retreat with Tenzin Chokyi at Vajrapani in May, the weekend of the 17th, which I think would be perfect for you guys at your level if you're interested. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:28 Highlight the passage at 1:57:28

1:58:04 It's Introduction to Meditation, so it's a great place to leap in. And I'll make more announcements as things come up that I think would be of interest to you guys, you know, both here and at the neighboring centers, our sister centers. And so I'll just try to keep you abreast on what's going on, but I wanted to mention those things in particular. Geshe-la is also teaching Kamala Shila's stages of meditation on Sunday mornings at 10, and then also the lamrim on Wednesday nights. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:04 Highlight the passage at 1:58:04

1:58:37 I think he's gaining on... He's been doing Precious Human Rebirth and he's gaining on death and impermanence. Eight in Report an error in the passage at 1:58:37 Highlight the passage at 1:58:37

1:58:51 the morning, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:51 Highlight the passage at 1:58:51

1:58:59 Thanks you guys. What's the next class? What's your day? All right, see you wait. Did you get your homework? All right, good. Sneak out of here, Steve. Here you go. You want to take this? There's lots of scribbles on it. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:59 Highlight the passage at 1:58:59

1:59:20 Oh, sure. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:20 Highlight the passage at 1:59:20

1:59:42 Thank you. of like if you desire that intention that to leave. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:42 Highlight the passage at 1:59:42

2:00:40 Thank you. Good night you guys, thanks. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:40 Highlight the passage at 2:00:40

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:01:31 And maybe, you know, Report an error in the passage at 2:01:31 Highlight the passage at 2:01:31

2:01:35 Thank you. I think it actually has to be about choreographed. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:35 Highlight the passage at 2:01:35

2:02:01 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:01 Highlight the passage at 2:02:01

2:02:15 that was all good. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:15 Highlight the passage at 2:02:15

2:02:44 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:44 Highlight the passage at 2:02:44

2:02:52 you. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:52 Highlight the passage at 2:02:52

2:03:18 Yeah, for me this is just not a base for the class. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:18 Highlight the passage at 2:03:18

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:03:36 Yeah, just so that we know which students are in the class. a little question for you if you can. There's a little bit of no. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:36 Highlight the passage at 2:03:36

2:04:02 Thank you. no, no, but I just don't want to see the person who's doing that. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:02 Highlight the passage at 2:04:02

2:04:26 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:26 Highlight the passage at 2:04:26

2:04:38 Thank Report an error in the passage at 2:04:38 Highlight the passage at 2:04:38

2:05:05 Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:05 Highlight the passage at 2:05:05