Discovering Buddhism: The Spiritual Teacher (21 March 2013)

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1:26 Yeah, right, in process. I know, I know the feeling. It's in the door. Report an error in the passage at 1:26 Highlight the passage at 1:26

1:43 Water should be hot, so help yourself if you just got here. Feel free to get some. Who Report an error in the passage at 1:43 Highlight the passage at 1:43

1:55 was in the daily practice class who did not make it to the practice day? In the hands? Okay, good. Report an error in the passage at 1:55 Highlight the passage at 1:55

2:13 And who, I know you weren't here, they saw, so I'm going to... That's okay. I'm going to just have you sign the, or not sign it, but take the roster. Maybe on the break. Yeah, that's good. And you weren't here last time too, so I'm going to have you put your name down. I think the rest of you were all here last week, so that's good. So I'll let you. Report an error in the passage at 2:13 Highlight the passage at 2:13

2:42 That's it. Okay, so we'll just start with a little meditation on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

2:54 Use the opportunity to play the breath. Report an error in the passage at 2:54 Highlight the passage at 2:54

3:01 So I just focus on the in-breath, bringing you whatever you need. Breathing out whatever you don't need. Report an error in the passage at 3:01 Highlight the passage at 3:01

3:13 You need focus, Report an error in the passage at 3:13 Highlight the passage at 3:13

3:18 enthusiasm, passion. And breathing out any sleepiness or distraction or any parts of conversations that are left and finished. And just leave them at the door with your shoes. Put them at the middle. Report an error in the passage at 3:18 Highlight the passage at 3:18

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4:30 Expanding about Report an error in the passage at 4:30 Highlight the passage at 4:30

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5:03 understanding speaking, insights or ideas or thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 5:03 Highlight the passage at 5:03

5:12 to a sense of class tonight. Report an error in the passage at 5:12 Highlight the passage at 5:12

5:29 help create the cards. a perfect teacher that you're trying to pass. that might be, whoever that might be. We're going to Report an error in the passage at 5:29 Highlight the passage at 5:29

6:11 do the foundation of all good qualities, which is in here. Report an error in the passage at 6:11 Highlight the passage at 6:11

6:29 Yeah, 137. Report an error in the passage at 6:29 Highlight the passage at 6:29

6:33 Well done. 137 in the gold book. And then we're also going to do our same old couple out of the white book that are on page 7 and 8. It's Report an error in the passage at 6:33 Highlight the passage at 6:33

6:54 cool, Shantide, because when you came in, the door, it's like the sun is right there, so it's like this. I know. It's like, wow, this motivation's going really well. Report an error in the passage at 6:54 Highlight the passage at 6:54

7:06 I know. That seed was really planted. Report an error in the passage at 7:06 Highlight the passage at 7:06

7:13 Alright, page 137. The foundation of all good qualities is the kind and perfect pure guru. Correct devotion to him is the root of the path. By clearly seeing this and applying great effort, please bless me to rely upon him with great respect. Understanding that the precious freedom of this rebirth is found only once, is greatly meaningful and is difficult to find again. Report an error in the passage at 7:13 Highlight the passage at 7:13

7:38 Please bless me to generate the mind that unceasingly, day and night, takes its essence. This life is as impermanent as a water bubble. Remember how quickly it decays and death comes. After death, just like the shadow follows the body, the results of black and white karma follow. Finding firm and definite conviction in this, please bless me always to be careful. Report an error in the passage at 7:38 Highlight the passage at 7:38

8:03 To abandon even the slightest negativities and accomplish all virtuous deeds. Seeking samsaric pleasures is the door to all suffering. They are uncertain and cannot be relied upon. Recognizing these shortcomings, please bless me to generate the strong wish for the bliss of liberation. Led by this pure thought, mindfulness, alertness and great caution arise. The root of the teachings is keeping the Pratimoksha vows. Report an error in the passage at 8:03 Highlight the passage at 8:03

8:32 Please bless me to accomplish this essential practice. Just as I have fallen into the sea of saṃsāra, so have all mother migratory beings. Please bless me to see this train in supreme bodhicitta and bear the responsibility of freeing migratory beings. Even if I develop only bodhicitta, but I don't practice the three types of morality, I will not achieve enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 8:32 Highlight the passage at 8:32

8:57 With my clear recognition of this, Please bless me to practice the bodhisattva vows with great energy. Once I have pacified distractions to wrong objects and correctly analyzed the meaning of reality, please bless me to generate quickly within my mindstream the unified path of calm abiding and special insight. Report an error in the passage at 8:57 Highlight the passage at 8:57

9:18 Having become a pure vessel by training in the general path, please bless me to enter the holy gateway of the fortunate ones, the supreme Vajra vehicle. At that time, the basis of accomplishing the two attainments is keeping pure vows and samaya. As I have become firmly convinced of this, please bless me to protect these vows and pledges like my life. Report an error in the passage at 9:18 Highlight the passage at 9:18

9:41 Then, having realized the importance of the two stages, the essence of the Vajrayana, by practicing with great energy, never giving up the four sessions, please bless me to realize the teachings of the Holy Guru. Like that... May the gurus who show the noble path and the spiritual friends who practice it have long lives. Please bless me to pacify completely all outer and inner hindrances. Report an error in the passage at 9:41 Highlight the passage at 9:41

10:07 In all my lives, never separated from perfect gurus, may I enjoy the magnificent Dharma. By completing the qualities of the stages and paths, may I quickly attain the state of Vajradhara. Report an error in the passage at 10:07 Highlight the passage at 10:07

10:25 To the bottom of the first column on page 7. 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. I forgot to say it three times. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 10:25 Highlight the passage at 10:25

10:57 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. Next page just because I love it. 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 10:57 Highlight the passage at 10:57

11:23 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. Now Report an error in the passage at 11:23 Highlight the passage at 11:23

11:46 you have to take a front row seat. Report an error in the passage at 11:46 Highlight the passage at 11:46

11:53 All right. Report an error in the passage at 11:53 Highlight the passage at 11:53

11:59 So I did some check-in with some of you by email. But if anybody else has questions or... Any of the same people have questions or anything they want to share. Welcome. Or anything they want to share about the homework or last week's class or just things that have been coming up for them this week. This is a good time. And if you do, we don't have Jenna tonight or Palmo, so Anne's been elected. Report an error in the passage at 11:59 Highlight the passage at 11:59

12:30 There's a... it. Report an error in the passage at 12:30 Highlight the passage at 12:30

12:31 There's a mic there and we try to record, I didn't mention that last time because most of you have done classes before, but we try to record the questions so that if anybody's listening at home then they'll hear the question as well as the answer and they won't be confused. Report an error in the passage at 12:31 Highlight the passage at 12:31

12:46 Anybody have anything coming up that they want to share or ask or wonder? A loud? Report an error in the passage at 12:46 Highlight the passage at 12:46

12:58 A remote? Alright, well there'll be other questions. Okay, you can rest now. At ease. Report an error in the passage at 12:58 Highlight the passage at 12:58

13:08 All right. I mentioned last week, and I'll mention it again, that we spend a lot of time in this class focusing on the outer guru. In other words, how to check up on and make decisions finding this teacher, these many teachers it could be, but especially the main teacher, the root guru. And often, like I said, His Holiness says to take up to 12 years to do that. So it's not a snap decision. Although for some people it is a recognition and it takes less time. Report an error in the passage at 13:08 Highlight the passage at 13:08

13:42 But trying to follow our wisdom mind and not so much our attachment mind or our, I don't know what, some sort of intuition mind. Sometimes our intuition mind is a good thing to follow. Sometimes that gut feeling is a good thing to follow. But it's also good to check up that it's not something else. Because our gut mind has also gotten us into trouble. So check up before you make the leap. Well, I know that that comes up a lot. Report an error in the passage at 13:42 Highlight the passage at 13:42

14:13 I think people sometimes feel like following the gut is always the right thing. And I guess it sort of depends on the gut. Some of you may have a really finely tuned gut. And some of you... Like me too, I've been following my gut for lifetimes and maybe it hasn't gotten me very far, so I kind of want to use my wisdom mind a little bit. But anyway, so we're focusing a lot on that, but it is really important to remember that this outer guru serves as a bridge to our own inner guru, our wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 14:13 Highlight the passage at 14:13

14:45 So as our wisdom gets stronger and develops, then the need for an outer guru... Becomes less important. However, that could be lifetimes. So it may not be something that we don't need again in this lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 14:45 Highlight the passage at 14:45

15:03 I mean, I don't know where all of you are. That's the thing with Buddhism. We don't know where each other is in our attainment level. So as far as I'm concerned, you could all be Buddhas and I wouldn't have a clue. You could be just manifesting as students so that I have this opportunity to brush up on my Dharma and blah, blah, blah for two hours. Report an error in the passage at 15:03 Highlight the passage at 15:03

15:22 Feel really great about myself. Actually, you guys are all meeting afterwards and going, wow, she's got a long way to go. I think next time you should ask really weird questions and see what she does. So with that in mind, if you guys are ordinary beings, as I am, then this whole practice of the Dharma is to... Report an error in the passage at 15:22 Highlight the passage at 15:22

15:47 Develop our own wisdom along with compassion and love and all these other great qualities that the Buddha embody. And we learn that through having a guru. And so I just mention that because there is, just like with Tantra, in the lower levels of Tantra, we focus a lot on the outer deity and making prayers to the outer deity. Report an error in the passage at 15:47 Highlight the passage at 15:47

16:13 And then we begin to... Arise as the deity ourselves, generate as the deity ourselves as we get into the upper levels of tantra and the more advanced practices of those levels. So it's very much like that with the guru as well. Report an error in the passage at 16:13 Highlight the passage at 16:13

16:30 Yeah, I won't even say that. I was going to say, that's why it almost doesn't matter if you're, conventionally speaking, it totally matters who your guru is because our wisdom isn't strong enough yet. So we spend a lot of time checking up. Before we make a decision who our teachers are, because we're going to have that teacher for many lifetimes. I mean, they say, especially with a root girl, that you are with that being in whatever form until you get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 16:30 Highlight the passage at 16:30

17:01 So it's a long-time decision. It's bigger than marriage. And there's no divorce. Actually, that's not entirely true. We'll talk about that in some of the later classes. But... Report an error in the passage at 17:01 Highlight the passage at 17:01

17:14 In most cases, once you make the decision that somebody is your guru, you have to at least retain an element, a sincere respect for that holy being for the rest of your life. So that's very, very important, the rest of all your lives. But we can only get our mind, I can only get my mind around one, so I'm sticking with that. And we talked about last time, hey Tammy, you're here, I was wondering. Report an error in the passage at 17:14 Highlight the passage at 17:14

17:41 No, no, no, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay. I know I actually came, because Paul was down at the retreat, I actually came by public today. And so I got here really, really early, but certainly not through Muni's assistance. Report an error in the passage at 17:41 Highlight the passage at 17:41

17:55 I just hoofed it. I realized that my train wasn't coming, so I was just going to walk as far as I could. So that's totally fine. Report an error in the passage at 17:55 Highlight the passage at 17:55

18:05 We also talked about why we even need a spiritual teacher, especially right now in this kind of day and age when, you know, it's easy enough to get a lot of things online and, you know, books are so readily available. A lot of books actually now have been translated from Tibetan or from Sanskrit into English, which is great. It's easy to watch. Report an error in the passage at 18:05 Highlight the passage at 18:05

18:29 You don't actually have to go to the teaching. A lot of times you can download it or you can watch it on YouTube. Without ever meeting the teacher, which unfortunately a lot of people I think do, especially the younger the person, I think it's very, very possible to do. And so we talked a little bit last week about the blessings that we miss that way when we don't have the sort of mouth to ear, as they say, teachings where it's going directly from us. Report an error in the passage at 18:29 Highlight the passage at 18:29

18:57 Sometimes you'll notice the more teachings you go to, the way the teachings, you know, the teacher will suddenly kind of at you and then start saying something slightly different or that you may hear one thing and Ann hear something else, you'll come out and discuss that and it's karma. And so if you're not hearing it live, those things won't happen. Report an error in the passage at 18:57 Highlight the passage at 18:57

19:20 You'll still have your own karma with it, but it won't be that same sort of personal instruction as when you're there. And don't, don't. Don't think that it doesn't happen in a crowd of 1,000 people, because it does. Or 10,000 with His Holiness, 30,000. You'll still hear things that are precisely meant for your ears, and sometimes nobody else hears them. You're like, wasn't that great when he said the blah, blah, and everyone's like... Report an error in the passage at 19:20 Highlight the passage at 19:20

19:57 You know, I didn't hear that. And I was there the whole time and I was really present, you know, and then you're just kind of like, well, I heard it and I wrote it down. So that's what I'm sticking with. It happens all the time with these teachings. It's very, very interesting. We also talked a little bit last week about why you need a teacher, you know, to begin with, you know. Report an error in the passage at 19:57 Highlight the passage at 19:57

20:19 So we kind of were relating it a little bit to learning other things like the piano. Which is a great analogy. If you want to not just become a piano player, but like a brilliant piano player. Like a master piano player. Or not just a carpenter, but somebody who can make the most incredible cabinets with the most intricate detail. Report an error in the passage at 20:19 Highlight the passage at 20:19

20:48 Or not just a jewelry maker, but somebody who works with the Hope Diamond. Then you start in a relationship that's much more like an apprenticeship and a master kind of relationship. And this is much more like that. One of the things we're going to talk about is we're going to start talking about some of the qualities to look for tonight. Report an error in the passage at 20:48 Highlight the passage at 20:48

21:09 And we're also going to talk about some of the qualities that we have to have as students. In later classes, and it's really, I think we also will a little bit tonight too, it's really important to know that when you're ready and when you're not ready, I guess. Report an error in the passage at 21:09 Highlight the passage at 21:09

21:31 Because I think some people leap into relationships a little bit earlier than probably necessary. And there's nothing, there's no... There's no law against it, I guess you could say. It wouldn't be necessarily the same for two people. Two people could go to the same teaching, one could come out of there completely and utterly changed for life, and the other could think, that was all right, but I like blah, blah better. Report an error in the passage at 21:31 Highlight the passage at 21:31

22:02 Or, oh, that was really interesting, and then I'll just go out and yell at the cab driver. So life is usual for person B. And that, again, is due to karma. So we have to think about, in worldly terms, if we want to master something, when do we know that we're at the point where we want to take on whatever it's going to take to master something. Report an error in the passage at 22:02 Highlight the passage at 22:02

22:30 If we want to go for, you know, if we want to become an athlete who's a really fast runner, that's one thing. But if we want to go for the, you know, the world championships or the gold. That's taking it to a whole other level that we're going to need to put in a lot more effort and a lot more effort to finding somebody who not only is good at it, but who is available in a way that can give us the kind of guidance that we need to get to that level and would be for years. Report an error in the passage at 22:30 Highlight the passage at 22:30

23:03 So it's a whole different relationship than with the high school coach. So that's why we have to think about the fact that... There is a presupposition that when you make this leap that you're ready to make this leap and that you're looking for that depth of relationship. And so I'm just sort of bringing up some of the things that we talked about last week because I want us all to sort of start on the same square. Oh, I need it. See, because I set up, oh, of course it's Marcella. Report an error in the passage at 23:03 Highlight the passage at 23:03

23:33 Do you want to set up another cushion? I took down some cushions because I was doing a mental count and I was like, no, I want it to look. comfortable, but I don't want it to be. Report an error in the passage at 23:33 Highlight the passage at 23:33

23:46 one coming. There's one coming. Thank Sure. I wanted it to feel comfortable because there's nothing worse than an empty classroom. And then, of course, if you build it, they will come. Or rather, if you dismantle it, they will come. I knew that Russ wasn't going to be here, Jenna wasn't going to be here, Palma wasn't going to be here, so I was trying to like... Report an error in the passage at 23:46 Highlight the passage at 23:46

24:13 All right, you guys double thought me. Okay, so we're going to start tonight with this. There's four, another list. There's a few lists tonight. There's actually many lists tonight, so get ready for lists. I didn't write them out for you either. Sorry, you have to listen. But you can ask. If you missed something, just ask me again. That's fine. It's good to hear it more than once. Report an error in the passage at 24:13 Highlight the passage at 24:13

24:39 I didn't finish that thought. So if you're thinking about finding somebody who's going to take you all the way to enlightenment, which is a many, many lifetime proposition, you want to find somebody who not only knows how to work with the mind and knows the methods that the Buddha taught to work with the mind, but they have experiential knowledge of that and they themselves have attainments. Report an error in the passage at 24:39 Highlight the passage at 24:39

25:00 In other words, they have qualities, like really well-developed qualities that you want, which is a useful thing. Even if you don't immediately think this is somebody I want to be like, but if you at least see in them qualities that you admire, that's a really useful start. Report an error in the passage at 25:00 Highlight the passage at 25:00

25:20 I would think that you would, but in some ways it would be commonsensical, but I want to bring it up anyway. So, okay, yeah, I think that's all I'll say about that. Report an error in the passage at 25:20 Highlight the passage at 25:20

25:36 So the four reliances, we're going to talk about the four reliances. This is kind of the beginning list of helping us figure out what we are looking for in a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 25:36 Highlight the passage at 25:36

25:49 So I'll say all four first and then I'll go into each one. Rely on the message of the teacher and not on the personality. Message of the teacher and not the personality. Report an error in the passage at 25:49 Highlight the passage at 25:49

26:04 Rely on the meaning and not the words. Report an error in the passage at 26:04 Highlight the passage at 26:04

26:15 Rely on the definitive meaning and not the provisional meaning. Report an error in the passage at 26:15 Highlight the passage at 26:15

26:29 And rely on your wisdom, your wisdom mind of deep experience and not your ordinary judgmental or critical mind. Report an error in the passage at 26:29 Highlight the passage at 26:29

26:42 Rely on your wisdom mind of deep experience and not your ordinary judgmental mind. Report an error in the passage at 26:42 Highlight the passage at 26:42

26:56 So rely on the message of the teacher and not on his or her personality. This one comes up because people can get really swayed by a really charismatic teacher and not... Which doesn't mean that all charismatic teachers are bad. You might end up with a really charismatic teacher and there's nothing wrong with that. But listen to what they're really saying. Report an error in the passage at 26:56 Highlight the passage at 26:56

27:21 So it's not so much a personality contest. Some people may be just like steady, good Dharma. And some people might be a lot of sparkle. And they both might be accurate if you check up and that's okay. But it's really good to make sure that whatever they're teaching is authentic Buddhism. It's really what the Buddha taught. Report an error in the passage at 27:21 Highlight the passage at 27:21

27:47 It's probably better at first, I think, to connect with the teachings. So if you're connecting with the teachings through whatever teacher and your own reading and so forth, then you'll know if it's authentic teachings. And if they say something that doesn't sound right to you, you might... Check up in some way. Like maybe ask them questions or ask other teachers who you already trust. Or be one of those people at His Holiness who submits a question for him to answer on the Q &A part. Report an error in the passage at 27:47 Highlight the passage at 27:47

28:27 So check up. This keeps coming up. Check up, check up, check up. Rely on the meaning and not just the words. Again, people can sound really good, but you have to make sure that it's authentic. I guess you'll learn something like that, questions. Report an error in the passage at 28:27 Highlight the passage at 28:27

28:43 We had a translator here for a while who made things sound incredibly beautiful and we thought he was a really great translator. And then this Tibetan woman came and she said, he's not saying at all what Geshe-la is saying. And this was years into the relationship. It was a horrible feeling. I probably shouldn't be saying this. Report an error in the passage at 28:43 Highlight the passage at 28:43

29:08 But loads of us thought that it was a great translator simply because the words sounded incredibly beautiful. It was beautiful English, right? How did we know? None of us spoke Tibetan, you know? And Geshe-la's English, of course, at that point wasn't so great either. So, yeah, tricky. Now that was in a case where somebody was translating their teachings. But still, people can make things sound really beautiful and you can write it all down even. Report an error in the passage at 29:08 Highlight the passage at 29:08

29:35 But you have to, again, check up and make sure that it's authentic teaching. Report an error in the passage at 29:35 Highlight the passage at 29:35

29:43 Or you'll just end up with the skill of making things sound good. But I won't go any deeper than that. Rely on the definitive meaning and not the provisional meaning. So this is where you're going a level deeper and you're investigating what's really being taught. And you're not making this snap decision based on some gut feeling. Report an error in the passage at 29:43 Highlight the passage at 29:43

30:06 Really taking time, like what's the ultimate meaning of this teaching? Buddhist teachings don't always make us feel good or comfortable. That's really important to mention. I think there's kind of a New Age thought out there that that's true. What could be happening is it could be shaking up your whole world view. Report an error in the passage at 30:06 Highlight the passage at 30:06

30:26 So it might make you feel uncomfortable first. And in fact, I can almost guarantee that it will at some point. It may not in this... This class, or I probably will in this class, actually. I can actually guarantee you that it will in this class. Maybe not tonight, but perhaps before this class is over. Report an error in the passage at 30:26 Highlight the passage at 30:26

30:45 But it probably will if you stick around for the rest of the whole Discovering Buddhism series and we get into the suffering of saṃsāra and... Even bodhicitta, you know, which a lot of people think is some sort of feel good thing. Now it's really hard. You have to have compassion for everybody. You don't even get to leave anybody out. And yourself, which can be just as hard, you know. And of course when we get to emptiness, you know, and emptiness can really shake you up. Report an error in the passage at 30:45 Highlight the passage at 30:45

31:20 So Buddhism isn't really about feeling good. If somebody's teachings always make you feel good, out. Report an error in the passage at 31:20 Highlight the passage at 31:20

31:27 Then actually there might be leaving something out. I call it, I actually used to think, and I think to some degree a lot of us still have that. I have like the bag lady. I used to have the bag lady spiritual approach where you take what you wanted and put back what you didn't. So anything that was too hard, you put back, right? Report an error in the passage at 31:27 Highlight the passage at 31:27

31:46 I mean, you know. I think that's actually quite common in... American spiritual life is we take the elements of various spiritual paths and if something is hard we might stick it back. It's like a little bit too difficult. So you want to try and it's hard as it comes to the West but you want to try to choose a teacher who has an authentic lineage all the way from the Buddha basically. Report an error in the passage at 31:46 Highlight the passage at 31:46

32:20 Somebody who is fully trained and continuing to learn and continuing to practice and so forth and practicing what they teach to some degree. I mean, you can't always see that, but we can try to check out. Number four, rely on your wisdom mind of deep experience and not your ordinary judgmental mind. This one's really hard because we judge, I should speak for everyone, but we judge everybody, right? We judge everybody. Report an error in the passage at 32:20 Highlight the passage at 32:20

32:49 Stay open. Just watch. Just listen. As Mary did in the Bible, ponder these things in your heart. Try to stay open. Sometimes things will surprise you. And sometimes you will need to go with your gut feeling. And that's fine. But it's sort of like going with a gut feeling and your wisdom mind. We're trying to do both. We're trying to develop both. Report an error in the passage at 32:49 Highlight the passage at 32:49

33:18 So anybody miss any of those? Rely on the message of the teacher and not the personality. Rely on the meaning and not the words, or not just the words. Report an error in the passage at 33:18 Highlight the passage at 33:18

33:29 Rely on the definitive meaning and not the provisional meaning. And rely on the wisdom mind of deep experience and not your ordinary judgmental mind. Report an error in the passage at 33:29 Highlight the passage at 33:29

33:45 If you take the time to check up, the teachings act sort of like a rocket. And if you find the right... If you find the right teacher, then that teacher can be like the fuel for your rocket and can make your rocket take off, can make the teachings take off for you, your practice take off. So it's really, really important to spend time checking up on the fuel that you put in your tank. I'm going to take that analogy a little further. I wanted to also say tonight a little something about this word blessing. Report an error in the passage at 33:45 Highlight the passage at 33:45

34:20 In the last class, we began to visualize... Sort of the blessings of the guru coming into us and we sometimes would visualize that in the form of light and that comes up in various visualizations that we'll continue to do in this class. And sometimes you hear this expression, the blessing of the guru. Blessings are not fairy dust. So when we pray or make requests for the blessings of the guru, when we visualize receiving blessings of the guru or the deities. Report an error in the passage at 34:20 Highlight the passage at 34:20

34:54 It's not something coming from outside that does the work for us, like we still have to do the work. No, right? But it does act as inspiration for us. I mean, you could translate it as inspiration, but it's specifically inspiration from somebody who's done the work. So somebody who has already taken this path to... Report an error in the passage at 34:54 Highlight the passage at 34:54

35:02 It's like. Report an error in the passage at 35:02 Highlight the passage at 35:02

35:24 You know, whatever level you think that they've taken it to, hopefully full enlightenment. So it translates in Tibetan, this word blessing, translated into English as blessing, in Tibetan it's Jinlop, and that's translated as waves of blessings that uplift and bring magnificence. I love how it's all in just like one little tiny word like that. Report an error in the passage at 35:24 Highlight the passage at 35:24

35:50 Waves of blessing. That's why when we're saying our parts in English and Geshe was saying it in Tibetan, he finishes like half an hour and he's like drinking his tea and we're like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you know, because we just don't have the words for this stuff in English. Report an error in the passage at 35:50 Highlight the passage at 35:50

36:04 Waves of blessings that uplift and bring magnificence. So it's somebody who has the experience, can inspire us and can bring us to magnificence. I mean, there's a lot to that word, blessings. But ultimately, we still have to do the work. We need that outer inspiration. We need somebody to mirror for us what we can become. Report an error in the passage at 36:04 Highlight the passage at 36:04

36:39 But we still have to do the work. We have to work on our minds. We have to ultimately do the gardening. Report an error in the passage at 36:39 Highlight the passage at 36:39

36:48 But we also have to see that they have those qualities that can take us to magnificence. Report an error in the passage at 36:48 Highlight the passage at 36:48

36:56 Okay, so here's another list. A list of four qualities. And we're going to get into several longer lists of qualities needed for a guru. But this is, again, just some beginning, initial lists. They speak essential truth. Report an error in the passage at 36:56 Highlight the passage at 36:56

37:23 They are calm. Report an error in the passage at 37:23 Highlight the passage at 37:23

37:28 Again, I'll just go through it and then I'll fill them out a little bit. They have some kind of perceivable wisdom, and Report an error in the passage at 37:28 Highlight the passage at 37:28

37:38 they benefit us. So they speak essential truth, but the very foundation of their teachings is some kind of truth. How do you know? You know? You'll know a little more by the end of this class series, but how do you know? Report an error in the passage at 37:38 Highlight the passage at 37:38

38:01 It has to, on some level, it has to make sense to you. You have to be able to gain some understanding, some wisdom by attending these teachings. They're calm. A calm mind, calm manner. Does it mean they're aloof? No. Does it mean that they're boring? No. Does it mean that they can't move quickly? No. None of those things are true. They have to have some sort of calm in the middle somewhere, somehow. I'm mentioning that simply because Report an error in the passage at 38:01 Highlight the passage at 38:01

38:36 Venerovina is hardly calm of manner. However, I think she has this calm within her. And I've never once, and she lived for a long time in the center, I never once came to her, and it could have been the middle of the night, honestly, because things were always happening in the middle of the night somehow, that she wouldn't just drop everything and hear you. Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

39:01 And there was that calm at that point. 3am calm was really different than the running around calm. So I mention that just because the outer manifestation might look different until you kind of have checked up a little bit. Same with both Geshe-la and Rinpoche. When they are serving their gurus, I've never seen anybody move so fast. Report an error in the passage at 39:01 Highlight the passage at 39:01

39:24 When they're being the guru, then they can be all slow and quiet and all that stuff. But when, you know, for example, when Chin Rinpoche arrives and we go to the airport with Geshe-la, and Geshe-la drops everything and runs through the barrier and falls on the ground and prostrates. Geshe-la's 80. We never see him move that quickly, you know. Report an error in the passage at 39:24 Highlight the passage at 39:24

39:47 And the first time it happened, we were like, oh my God, you know, and it's still, it's still like my whole heart just like explodes when I see that, you know, and it's, it's, he's not doing it for us, you know, he's just so overcome with seeing his guru again. Report an error in the passage at 39:47 Highlight the passage at 39:47

40:06 Rinpoche is the same. When Rinpoche sees his guru, he's like off the throne and like racing across the compound, you know, whatever it takes, whatever is needed in that moment. He's just a helper at that moment. It's like you and Rinpoche carrying something, you're like, you know, because at that moment, he's a student. He's become a student, so he's of the student team, you know. Report an error in the passage at 40:06 Highlight the passage at 40:06

40:26 It's very interesting to watch your teachers with their teachers and to see them sort of embodying how to be a student, you know, like Rinpoche taking notes. He doesn't need to take notes. You know, he's got books of them, and he always manifests in writing down every word, you know, and you're like, Report an error in the passage at 40:26 Highlight the passage at 40:26

40:48 It's very, very interesting. It's very, very interesting. They're trying to show us. They're trying to show us how to be students. Report an error in the passage at 40:48 Highlight the passage at 40:48

40:59 So that was they are calm. I went off on that one. Number three, they have some kind of perceivable wisdom. And their wisdom should connect us with our wisdom. They aren't trying to make us more dependent on them. They're trying to help us find our own wisdom. Again, another example from Rubina. When you say something and she challenges you, she's usually trying to have you think out. It's sort of like in debate when you're getting to the consequence. Report an error in the passage at 40:59 Highlight the passage at 40:59

41:33 Why the highest school is called the consequential school in Buddhism, in Tibetan Buddhism, or in Buddhism period, is the debates are trying to help you to figure out what the ramifications are of a certain way of thinking. Rubina will do that too. So if your thinking is taking you to some place that isn't going to help, she's trying to help you figure that out. Report an error in the passage at 41:33 Highlight the passage at 41:33

42:00 If you can, on the other hand, prove that your thinking is taking you to where you want to go, she drops it in an instant and never brings it up again. It's the most interesting thing. The times that she's challenged me again in the kitchen at 3 a.m., if I'm able to state my point succinctly and that it's obvious that I have thought this thing through, Completely drops it again. So she's just trying to get you to think about where your wisdom mind is leading you and whether or not you've really thought out something thoroughly before you're acting on it. Report an error in the passage at 42:00 Highlight the passage at 42:00

42:33 It's very fascinating. I find it very fascinating. It wasn't always at the moment I find it very fascinating. But afterwards, I found it very fascinating. Report an error in the passage at 42:33 Highlight the passage at 42:33

42:45 So they shouldn't be increasing our dependence. And they benefit us. We should gain some benefit from attending these teachings. We should be able to sort of map our progress from attending these teachings. Our mind should be improving in some way. Maybe not hugely right at first. I think His Holiness says to kind of look over. Report an error in the passage at 42:45 Highlight the passage at 42:45

43:14 After a year, how have things changed? After five years, how have things changed? After ten years like that? I mean, we have to think long term. In Tibet, the monks and nuns and even lay people would study for years and years and years and years and never assess. They would just continue studying. They were just like, this is just what we do. Here in the West, we sort of have so many other choices that it's probably really good for us to assess sometimes. Report an error in the passage at 43:14 Highlight the passage at 43:14

43:43 Is this... Report an error in the passage at 43:43 Highlight the passage at 43:43

43:48 So they speak the truth, they're calm, they have some sort of perceivable wisdom and they benefit us in some way. How can you tell? Again, watch, listen, learn. Watch, listen, learn. Examine their students. Do you see changes in their students? How do they act when they're not teaching? How do they act even just walking from the throne to the car? Report an error in the passage at 43:48 Highlight the passage at 43:48

44:15 Can you see something in that person that makes you think? Or are they really bitchy to people and then they come out and talk about love and compassion? It's definitely worth thinking about. that makes you think. Report an error in the passage at 44:15 Highlight the passage at 44:15

44:36 um... One of the assignments that I gave you guys was a couple of chapters of Alex Berzin's book. And in one of the chapters, it gives a list of eight possible teachers, levels of teachers. And I found that to be really, really useful. And so I'm going to talk about that next. And it sort of helps us to understand that you might actually encounter all of these... Report an error in the passage at 44:36 Highlight the passage at 44:36

45:07 Yeah, you could. I think... You could encounter all of these levels of teachers at Sechen Ling or any Buddhist center. You could even say in one or two, I mean in very few cases, but in some cases they all could be the same teacher. Probably not, however. So it's useful to know that we could have relationships with different teachers along this whole list that look really different. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

45:38 And then in some case they could really intersect. I found this to be a really, really useful list. So the first one is a Buddhism professor. I think we're seeing this more and more in the West. A lot of the people that come to the DB classes that I meet, a lot of people that come to the center, actually started with taking Buddhism classes in college or in high school. Report an error in the passage at 45:38 Highlight the passage at 45:38

46:04 I find that really fascinating. We didn't have that where I came from. But it's becoming much more common, definitely at the college level and post-grad level. So that could be like taking a class with Bob Thurman or somebody like that. Report an error in the passage at 46:04 Highlight the passage at 46:04

46:24 In the West often, in Bob Thurman's case this isn't true, but in the West often that person may not even be Buddhist. They could be teaching about Buddhism and really have their facts right, but they may not have any experiential knowledge. And then again, they might. So for example, with somebody like Robert Thurman, where he's been a Buddhist for a very long time, was a monk for a long time, and is an amazing being. Report an error in the passage at 46:24 Highlight the passage at 46:24

46:52 I think he's an amazing being. He's sort of like, he's like Ravina on steroids. He's incredibly funny, but his mind is like razor sharp. I mean, really, really knows his stuff. And knows what... What young people's minds are like, too. It's interesting to hear him almost in debate and Q &As in New York and in some of His Holiness' teachings. Report an error in the passage at 46:52 Highlight the passage at 46:52

47:17 He always attends His Holiness' teachings if he can. And sometimes he'll do a panel or something like that in the evening go if you have a chance and listen to him because he definitely is very, very interesting to listen to. Report an error in the passage at 47:17 Highlight the passage at 47:17

47:32 But most of the time when we get somebody who's a Buddhism professor, it could just be that it's Mary's time to take the class. It may have nothing to do with what that person practices out in their world. So it's important to know that. Report an error in the passage at 47:32 Highlight the passage at 47:32

47:51 Is that person a guru? Not necessarily. And then again, like in the case of Bob Thurman, he might be qualified. But I would say... Don't make that decision during the first term. Wait till a relationship develops. It's certainly not true always, and I would say not usually, but I can't say never. It's one of those situations. For this very first level, even for the very first level, you can't say never because I just don't know who's out there teaching. Report an error in the passage at 47:51 Highlight the passage at 47:51

48:26 Geshe Sopa, who is... One of the gurus, he was both the guru of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, and now is, gosh he must be close to 90 now, up at Madison. He taught at the University of Wisconsin in Madison for like 30 years or something, as a professor. So, qualified to be a guru? Absolutely, you know, no question. But most of the people who walked through his class probably didn't see him that way. Report an error in the passage at 48:26 Highlight the passage at 48:26

49:01 Took notes in the test. Dharma instructor. I kind of use that term for somebody like me. It's somebody who has some level of scriptural knowledge and some level of experience. So somebody like Venerable Carol and me, of course I don't know who Venerable Carol is, you know. But I'm going to say somebody like Venerable Carol and I. Somebody teaching at this level of Discovering Buddhism class. Report an error in the passage at 49:01 Highlight the passage at 49:01

49:33 Same like for Emily. Emily Hsu was teaching here like that. So they're teaching, they're explaining, they know a little bit more than you maybe. Report an error in the passage at 49:33 Highlight the passage at 49:33

49:46 But mostly the key word here I think is experiential. They've been trying to work with it in some way, some level of experience. That could also be somebody like Tenzin Chokyi or Steve Carlier or some of the visiting monks and nuns. Or those people could become a guru. Who knows? It depends on your karma. It depends on, once you've checked up, whether you want to take it to that level or not. Report an error in the passage at 49:46 Highlight the passage at 49:46

50:17 But at the first level, when you interact with that person, they're more like a Dharma instructor. And you can see the difference already between a Dharma instructor and this Buddhism professor, right? Although, of course, somebody could be both. In the situation where Bob Thurman, he definitely has had experience. He's definitely done retreat. Richard Gere has done retreat. Report an error in the passage at 50:17 Highlight the passage at 50:17

50:40 He's probably a far better practitioner than I am, even though people laugh when you hear his name. What he's doing is getting out there and serving his guru. I mean, he's an amazing disciple. Report an error in the passage at 50:40 Highlight the passage at 50:40

50:53 When His Holiness asks him to use his status and his celebrity to help the Tibetan people, he does it. And he gives up quite a bit to do that. So say what you will. He might be on our list here somewhere. Meditation. Number three is meditation or ritual teacher. This is getting a little bit more experienced. Somebody who has a lot deeper experience with especially these two things, meditation and ritual. Report an error in the passage at 50:53 Highlight the passage at 50:53

51:23 It could be a senior student. Like, for example, if... I'm showing you how to do the water bowls or frustrations, but probably not. It's probably a little bit more advanced. For example, Venerable Ninjay, who is going to be coming up in May, who's down at the Land of Kama Viding, I remember once I finished a retreat, a deity retreat, and she helped me from start to finish with my fire puja. Report an error in the passage at 51:23 Highlight the passage at 51:23

51:55 Which I had done fire pooches before, but usually somebody just already did them. She was really firm about you have to learn this because somewhere down the line you won't have anybody else around. So she was very clearly teaching me everything. Do I know it all? Who knows? I'm sorry. But I felt like in that moment she was definitely like a ritual instructor. Report an error in the passage at 51:55 Highlight the passage at 51:55

52:19 Venerable René for many of us is like a meditation instructor. He's taken it to a whole different level. Venerable René right now is leading the retreat that Venerable Palmo is at. Report an error in the passage at 52:19 Highlight the passage at 52:19

52:33 He takes it beyond the 6 of that and the 8 of that and the 15 of that to... Speaking just completely from his heart based on his experience for many, many years in the tree. So it's like a whole different level of instructor. Can that person then become a guru? Yes, of course they could. Do they have to? No. And that's true, of course, with Dharma instructor. Report an error in the passage at 52:33 Highlight the passage at 52:33

53:05 That's true for a Buddhism professor. Yes, they can, but not necessarily. Absolutely not necessarily. The fourth one is spiritual mentor. This one definitely could become a guru. It doesn't have to become a guru, I don't think. I should probably reread Alex's list. But these are teachers who inspire us through embodying the teachings. And really, they could be somebody like Venerable Rene or Venerable Tencent Chokyi or these other ones who are kind of a little unclear. Report an error in the passage at 53:05 Highlight the passage at 53:05

53:44 It's really important for us to remember that Westerners could become our gurus. So it doesn't always have to be a Tibetan. I think there's a little bit of gray area there where some people, some long-time practitioners think that only those Tibetan Lamas can become our gurus. That's not true. If somebody's really been practicing hard for 35 years, of course they can become our guru. Report an error in the passage at 53:44 Highlight the passage at 53:44

54:11 You know, is somebody who's teaching the Discovering Buddhism program on Thursday nights? No. And I'm not being humble. When Russ asked that last week, I think it, well, first of all, he could be a Buddha. But if he's not a Buddha and he was asking that question, it's clear that he's not checking up, you know, because I don't have the qualities of a qualified teacher. Report an error in the passage at 54:11 Highlight the passage at 54:11

54:34 And once we get into what those qualities are, you'll see. Again, Do gurus advertise their qualities? No. And that's the hard part. But spiritual mentor is taking it to that extra level where they really are embodying those qualities. So if you're watching somebody and they may, for example, I feel like Venerable Rubina is that to me and definitely was when we were living in the same house. Report an error in the passage at 54:34 Highlight the passage at 54:34

55:02 And Venerable Renee to some extent too. I go to those people and ask them questions, you know. Venable Neal, you know, certain people that I've received teachings from for a long time and I can sit and kind of talk about like how to do my practice in a different way that's more, you know, that livens it up or things like that. Report an error in the passage at 55:02 Highlight the passage at 55:02

55:21 That's what I think of as a spiritual mentor. Do I think of those people as gurus? Not quite yet, but could gain. Definitely by the time I die I could be there, you know. So it's not, they aren't mutually exclusive. But they, yeah, it's a much bigger step. Because I'm trusting their advice, right? And I know who their gurus are. I know just from knowing them and having received teachings that they're trustworthy. Report an error in the passage at 55:21 Highlight the passage at 55:21

55:50 And so already it's up more than, like I wouldn't necessarily go to a Buddhism professor or even a Dharma instructor and ask them the kind of questions that I've asked, practice questions to these people that I consider mentors. So hopefully that feels clear. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 55:50 Highlight the passage at 55:50

56:13 This could be somebody like Geshe-la, though, right? You know Geshe-la's, even without having studied with Geshe-la for a long time, you know Geshe-la's qualities in terms of, well, you know who his teachers are. He's Trudan Rinpoche and His Holiness, so that much you know. You know that he's worked for Lama Zopa for now 14 years. Report an error in the passage at 56:13 Highlight the passage at 56:13

56:38 So that's pretty good, refs. He's got some good creds, good street creds. You know he's a Geshe and that he studied at Sarah. So you could kind of just look up on his background and feel like, okay, he's pretty trustworthy. A lot of people are a little bit afraid of Geshe-la or in awe of Geshe-la. And I feel like he's this huge resource of just somebody who's... Report an error in the passage at 56:38 Highlight the passage at 56:38

57:05 Thoroughly trained and could answer questions. So if you have questions, simple questions about practice or something like that. If it's really simple, you can bring it to me. But if it's, you know, for example, when I was doing a retreat, a couple of us actually were doing the same retreat. We went and he taught us for a couple of evenings, you know, sort of what we should do. How amazing to have somebody that you could just, you know, ring up and make an appointment with and talk to. Report an error in the passage at 57:05 Highlight the passage at 57:05

57:33 I was talking to a student recently about starting his nundra practice, and he was kind of trying to decide what the next step was, and I said, this is a perfect question for Geshe-la. And I said, how would you feel about that? Because the student has attended Geshe-la's classes. And so there's a little nervousness, but he's ready now to go ahead and take it to Geshe-la and talk to Geshe-la about it. Report an error in the passage at 57:33 Highlight the passage at 57:33

57:57 So Geshe-la could be a spiritual mentor too, where you get that kind of question, without having to think of that person as your guru. That's the point. So you're able to get advice, and it may be practice advice, and it may be incredibly profound practice advice, but you're still not thinking of that person as a guru quite yet. Report an error in the passage at 57:57 Highlight the passage at 57:57

58:16 Will that person become a guru for you later? Maybe, but not necessarily. And then the next four, that's where you shift. That's where the leap happens. And a lot of times people don't think it starts this early, so I think it's important to hear. Refuge or vow preceptor of any kind becomes a guru. Report an error in the passage at 58:16 Highlight the passage at 58:16

58:42 So any kind of the lay vows, for example, if you take the lay vows or you take the five lay vows or if you take refuge. They actually say with refugee you aren't carrying vows, you're holding precepts. It's a fine line, but it's more like training wheels rather than any kind of a vow. But still, once you've taken that, you have made this connection with the teacher who has given it to you that lasts for your whole life. Report an error in the passage at 58:42 Highlight the passage at 58:42

59:13 So it's important when you're ready to take refuge or you're ready to take lay vows to think about who you're going to get them from. Because, you know, you'll have that connection for life. You may never see that teacher again. You know, sometimes people will go and take it with His Holiness and they never get another ticket, you know, for the rest of their lives. Report an error in the passage at 59:13 Highlight the passage at 59:13

59:33 But it is important to think about that and to consider that teacher one of your teachers. And that becomes important later as you have a refuge tree. You're actually seeing, you're supposed to see your gurus when you're doing your prayers and so forth. So you don't want to leave that one out. When I took refuge, I did not know the Lama very well. However, over time, I am impressed that I managed to have the karma to have this particular holy being give me refuge and bodhisattva bells, actually. Report an error in the passage at 59:33 Highlight the passage at 59:33

1:00:13 Although I didn't know that I was taking bodhisattva bells at the time. I know. This is why I teach this stuff now. It's like, wow. Fortunately for me, another teacher swiftly came to town and taught a class on the bodhisattva vows and then offered them again at the end. So there was only a period of like a couple of months where I was probably breaking them left and right, which is the useful thing about bodhisattva vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:13 Highlight the passage at 1:00:13

1:00:39 You can take them again, although they say, of course, it's better not to break them. So refuge of vow preceptor, and that's talking about the pradhimoksha vow level. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:39 Highlight the passage at 1:00:39

1:00:50 Mahāyāna Master is somebody that you would take the bodhisattva vows from. So this is even a step farther because this is the first vow level where they actually consider we carry these vows until we get enlightened. So it's like lifetime after lifetime after lifetime. So not only are you making the connection in this life, but this holy being is going to accompany you now all the way to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

1:01:14 So you want to take some time to think. It's really important to want to take the bodhisattva bells and to study them, which you actually can before you take them and so forth, and to think it through, blah, blah, blah. But again, think of who you're taking them from because that connection remains and that teacher remains one of your gurus until you get enlightened, which is hard for us to even imagine. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:14 Highlight the passage at 1:01:14

1:01:39 So if you take it from somebody like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, you're probably fine. If not, really good to check up on that person. So not to be so focused on, to be focused on the whole package. You know, not just the vows and what it means to carry the vows and so forth, but also who's giving them to you and what that's going to mean to have that relationship. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:39 Highlight the passage at 1:01:39

1:02:04 Again, you may never see that being again in this life. But you don't know that and for the rest of your life and your many lifetimes that being will hold that position of granting you this set of vows that awoke your bodhicitta and allowed you to get enlightened. So it's actually really pivotal. Bodhicitta really translates as the desire to get enlightened for the benefit of all beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:04 Highlight the passage at 1:02:04

1:02:32 So when this is awoken in us and... It doesn't just, you know, like Venabo Rinne was teaching about love and compassion, which is just a key word for bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:32 Highlight the passage at 1:02:32

1:02:45 It doesn't just stay on fire when the fire is lit. We have to keep the fire burning, which is the way Riva Rinpoche spoke of it all the time. We have to keep that fire burning and the fire keeps wanting to go out and we have to keep the fire burning. So whoever lights that fire is this profound connection. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:45 Highlight the passage at 1:02:45

1:03:04 Even if... You may not receive teachings again from that teacher in this lifetime. There are ways, you know, I do mention that just because we live in an age now where we have sort of the traveling teacher phenomena where teachers come to town, a big thing happens, you go and then you come out of it and you're like, what the heck happened and what did I just commit to? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:04 Highlight the passage at 1:03:04

1:03:26 Don't do that. But it happens. You can do, you can backpedal. So you can research more about what you just took. You can research more about the teacher. If you end up in one of those morning after moments, research that guy or woman because that person is now your person. It's no longer a theory. Better to do it in advance. So if you know that next Friday something's happening and you really want to go, look up who this person is. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:26 Highlight the passage at 1:03:26

1:03:59 See what their relationships are. Are they connected to His Holiness the Dalai Lama? Which is a really big one. If not, why? You know, kind of check up. Do a little search. A little easier now, I guess, with Google, right? But don't believe everything you see online, too. There's like all these levels of maybe ask some other Dharma students if they've had any dealings with this teacher. Or some senior Dharma students, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:59 Highlight the passage at 1:03:59

1:04:26 If you can't tell who they are, then, you know, ask me. At least I'll have an opinion. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:26 Highlight the passage at 1:04:26

1:04:33 So that's important, and especially if you're going to take the level of commitment where you take bounds. It's just really, really important to think about, and we don't. I mean, as I said, I didn't really know what I was getting into when I took it, and yet everything's turned out all right, I think. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:33 Highlight the passage at 1:04:33

1:04:52 I ended up with some great masters, but I think I did leap a little quicker than I looked. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:52 Highlight the passage at 1:04:52

1:05:03 Tantric Masters. Okay, now we're going up another level. Tantric Masters. And this happens a lot. There are four classes of Tantra. A lot of times people think that the lower classes aren't really Tantra, right? They're just a blessing. It is possible out of the kindness of the Guru's heart that they might say, yes, it's okay to come or to come the first day or something like that for a blessing. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:03 Highlight the passage at 1:05:03

1:05:31 Find out. I would just say if it's not listed on the website, send an email. If the commitments aren't listed on the website, send an email. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:31 Highlight the passage at 1:05:31

1:05:44 Find out. If you get to the door and you don't know, you shouldn't go in the door. You have to find out. I have actually had the situation where the morning after moment was minutes after where the guru said, this is the commitment and we all just sort of looked at each other and went, okay, you know, because there was nothing we could do. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:44 Highlight the passage at 1:05:44

1:06:08 It had already happened. So we already had that commitment. So now we have that commitment for life, which is actually not a bad thing. But at the moment it was a little bit, okay, that's not what we thought. So find out. Check, check, check. Very, very important. All levels of tantra count in terms of tantric master. Highest yoga tantra, which is the highest level, that you get both bodhisattva and tantric vows during the empowerment. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:08 Highlight the passage at 1:06:08

1:06:38 So you walk out of there with hundreds of commitments. Hundreds of commitments. Whether you knew it or not. Actually... It's not entirely true. I think probably for most of us in the West, we attend these empowerments and our body is in the room, but our mind is nowhere to be seen. We're thinking about what we're going to eat as soon as we get home, what the traffic's going to be like tomorrow, going to work, whether I forgot to do that thing in my inbox. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:38 Highlight the passage at 1:06:38

1:07:08 And so if we get anything, it's actually pretty amazing. But the reality is if we were there and we said all the little blah blah blahs, blah blah blahs, there's all these moments where you're like and you don't know, you're just trying to follow what everybody else is saying, you know, because a lot of times it's in Tibetan. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:08 Highlight the passage at 1:07:08

1:07:26 You're agreeing to a lot of stuff. So if you get to that moment and you don't know what you're agreeing to, it might be good to leave, actually. It might be really good to leave if you ever find one of those moments. Check up very, very seriously on who this teacher is because you are now entering this relationship with this teacher that goes beyond even the Mahāyāna master for many, many lifetimes until you get to be a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:26 Highlight the passage at 1:07:26

1:07:56 And that particular guru is trying to help you become a Buddha. And you have to see that guru as a Buddha. Always. No backpedaling after that. You have to be able to see them as a Buddha. With certain gurus like His Holiness, it's not such a leap. But with other teachers, they become a little, it becomes a little trickier. So you have to prepare your mind through studying the lamrim, butt on the cushion, however many hours a day. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:56 Highlight the passage at 1:07:56

1:08:29 You know, you really should be prepared before you even take the lowest level tantra things. However, that being said, if a Lama says it's totally open, there's no commitment, people can come and just get a blessing, and you feel some affinity for that deity, and you feel some affinity for that guru, and you have some tiny little amount of bodhicitta in your heart for your reasoning, it can be minute. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:08:58 And probably later you'll realize how minute it was at the time, but you thought it was really big. Then go. Because you could die tomorrow and this could be your only chance in this lifetime to get that seed of the Tantra. And at this point they actually say that's a lot of what Tantra is about in the West. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:58 Highlight the passage at 1:08:58

1:09:17 There's probably like two and a half people who are really practicing it for all it's worth. And you usually see those guys in the front row, like the really old gashets are like, yeah, yeah, you know, and they know exactly what he's saying and how they're going to put it into practice. And then it kind of goes from there and the guy in the back is asleep, you know, and that's usually most of the rest of us. I actually have heard, and this has nothing to do with anything, but it reminds me of during an empowerment in, I think in Singapore, where everybody went to sleep. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:17 Highlight the passage at 1:09:17

1:09:51 This is something that happens at Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Empowerments because he often will go all night. And part of it, I think, is a weeding out process because most of the people go to sleep. But I actually heard, I was present at one where everybody but like 17 of us fell asleep. And then all of a sudden he did the empowerment just like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:51 Highlight the passage at 1:09:51

1:10:12 And then it was done. And everybody missed it except those seven. And I remember at the time because I was like writing. This is the way I normally do it. I just write, write down every single word he's saying just to stay awake, you know. And all of a sudden he was like, and he went into the text and I was like, and I looked around and I could see all these people in various forms and they were just spread out and there wasn't any time to even wake him up. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:12 Highlight the passage at 1:10:12

1:10:32 He was just kind of like, oh, okay, this is it. Okay, you know, it was like the time and it was done. I heard it happen like that in Singapore with just one person. Everybody else was asleep and the one guy got everything. He just got it all. And so Rinpoche just kept teaching to this one guy with his little bright-eyed bushy tail in the front. I mean, who knows if it was true or not, but I have heard that story. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:32 Highlight the passage at 1:10:32

1:11:00 And it's very interesting what happens at these things. So don't take them until you're ready. That's the moral of the story. And then when you're ready, go for it. It's kind of like that. When you're ready, go for it. Don't miss the chance when you're ready. And then the final one, and then we'll take a break, is Root Guru. This one is huge. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:00 Highlight the passage at 1:11:00

1:11:24 This is really rare in this life to be able to connect with. This is the one that changes your mind the most, shifts your mind the most. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:24 Highlight the passage at 1:11:24

1:11:40 This is the one that sort of breaks your heart wide open. This is the one that makes you cry when you think about them. You know, Report an error in the passage at 1:11:40 Highlight the passage at 1:11:40

1:11:49 This is the one that in some ways you fall in love with. It's like you recognize this connection that they have followed you for lifetimes to find you and that they will stay with you against all odds until you get, no matter what it takes or how long it takes. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:49 Highlight the passage at 1:11:49

1:12:16 So this is like the most special relationship in the world and it doesn't happen. That often. So if it happens, it's sort of like, I guess it's sort of like the direct perception of emptiness. You don't have to ask. They actually say that when you have a direct perception of emptiness, when you actually have this direct realization of the nature of reality, you don't have to run out and ask your teacher because you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:16 Highlight the passage at 1:12:16

1:12:51 There's no doubt in your mind. And it's like that. When you realize who your root guru is. Again, you don't want to jump into this one too quickly. This one's really, really more serious than a marriage. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:51 Highlight the passage at 1:12:51

1:13:09 And there's a huge difference between this one and all the rest. And I think it's fairly obvious why. But we'll talk more about... When we talk about gurus and lamas in this class, a lot of times we're talking about the root guru. That's really the one we're talking about. Can you have more than one root guru? And we'll talk about this too. It is possible. Like you hear, I think, I can't remember how many Milarepa had. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:09 Highlight the passage at 1:13:09

1:13:37 You know, you hear about these great masters of the past who had several root gurus. Even I think Rinpoche has several root gurus. As I said last time, Geshe-la said this once in a teaching that if you... able to follow the grooves. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:37 Highlight the passage at 1:13:37

1:13:57 If you're able to serve a guru, which means following his advice, he said that kind of like the fine print. Because at first you're like, well, I can give him tea, sure, that's all right. Oh, wait, following his advice, you know. Like at first you're kind of like, yeah, of course I can do that, and then it gets harder. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:57 Highlight the passage at 1:13:57

1:14:19 Then he said, and you know, and you have the right motivation, you know, bodhicitta. It should always be the motivation. You want to get enlightened as quickly as possible for the benefit of others, of all others, not those three people you want to leave out. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:19 Highlight the passage at 1:14:19

1:14:36 Then he says you have no choice but to have as many teachers as possible. He said if you can't, then better just to have one. And it's like that. I think it's sort of tread cautiously and then just try to... Follow the advice of the ones you do know. So don't bite off more than you can chew. Just try to connect with the ones that you do know. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:36 Highlight the passage at 1:14:36

1:15:02 So these are all the different levels. It is interesting to talk about these different levels because, like I said, you could really come across all these levels even just at Sechen Ling. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:02 Highlight the passage at 1:15:02

1:15:14 It's important to know that not everybody teaching at a center is going to be the same level. you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:20 It's also important to note that not everybody studying at a center is going to be the same level. And in fact, two best friends could go to the same teaching and not have the same connection or relationship with the same teacher, even if they've been studying the same amount of time. I remember actually before I met the Dharma, I was studying to be a midwife, and I remember a certain midwife I was studying with, a lay midwife. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:20 Highlight the passage at 1:15:20

1:15:48 I was studying a lay midwife. She was a lay midwife, too. But anyway, she said something in a class that I thought of a couple times in terms of the Dharma, too. She said, it's important for you to know that you and your best friend might be studying these classes together, but you both won't become a midwife at the same rate. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:48 Highlight the passage at 1:15:48

1:16:06 And that's true for the Dharma. You and your best friend may study, and it's great to have Dharma friends, and we need Dharma friends. They can be our lifeline. to getting enlightened, even if they live across the world. But it's important to know that you are going to travel your own rate. You're going to climb that mountain at whatever your rate is, which could be like that, and they could take lifetimes, or the opposite. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:06 Highlight the passage at 1:16:06

1:16:33 They could leave you in the dust. So it's better just to work on your own mind and not compare what's going on with somebody else. Questions about any of this? That's a lot of lists. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:33 Highlight the passage at 1:16:33

1:16:48 The talking stick is receiving blessings. Is it tap on the top? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:48 Highlight the passage at 1:16:48

1:17:00 That happens in empowerment too. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:00 Highlight the passage at 1:17:00

1:17:06 The person you take refuge with, that's considered your teacher, but is that considered a formalization of the student-teacher relationship? Are those two separate things? Formalization. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:06 Highlight the passage at 1:17:06

1:17:20 When you ask someone to be your teacher, in my mind I was thinking that there's a formalization process that happened. We'll talk about that a little bit too in another class. There are many ways to do that and you don't always formally request. Sometimes it's unspoken. So that's possible too. But when you receive refuge from somebody, it's still... Report an error in the passage at 1:17:20 Highlight the passage at 1:17:20

1:17:49 That, I guess, in itself, that formal ceremony is that formalization. They could, you know, they could say no. They could see you in the audience and say no. Rinpoche does that number too, where everyone shows up and he just never gets to the empowerment and says, okay, we have to come back tomorrow night and then we do it again and then he just never gets to the empowerment. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:49 Highlight the passage at 1:17:49

1:18:12 And then finally somebody doesn't come and then he gets to the empowerment. So... I don't know what's going on there, but I'm just praying it's not me. I'm like, oh God, I'm still here. He's still not doing it, you know? So I don't know. But yeah, I think the ceremony itself is the formalization. Because he could say no, or she. This stuff is always written with the guru being he, but of course gurus can't be me. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:12 Highlight the passage at 1:18:12

1:18:42 Good question. Anybody else? You mentioned empowerment. I'm confused about what it is. We'll get to that in Tantra. It's not really the scope of this class, but it's cool. We will deal with it. It's just a later class. It becomes like the spiral. You go at least through all the DB classes before you take on a guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:42 Highlight the passage at 1:18:42

1:19:11 guess otherwise, you know. But it's basically a ceremony through which you are given permission to do a certain practice and enter the mandala or the sphere of power of a particular deity. So like a Tara empowerment, you would be empowered to do a particular practice and you would connect with that deity through the connection of that guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:11 Highlight the passage at 1:19:11

1:19:40 So that guru kind of was like, come on in, I'll show you around. And in fact... And I can say this, I don't think it's a secret visualization, but you are sort of, he's leading, he or she is leading you through the mandala and like introducing you to the deities in the visualization, if you're not asleep and thinking about what you're doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:40 Highlight the passage at 1:19:40

1:19:58 So, yeah, like that. But, so, it's important to think that that teacher actually has the capacity to do that, right? We studied a really important text with Geshe-la called The Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra, which was the highest level of the basic program, which the whole time Geshe-la was teaching it, I kept thinking the incredible kindness of him. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:58 Highlight the passage at 1:19:58

1:20:26 Not one of us in that room was qualified to be studying that text. But I did get so much out of it. I just thought it was amazing. And of course, he did it with almost no notes. He was just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And he was showing all these details about measuring things with string and all this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:26 Highlight the passage at 1:20:26

1:20:42 And we're all just writing profuse notes. But who understood any of it? But anyway, so I know there was a point to that. Anyway, when he talked about the reasonings that you would take an empowerment, Why you would take an empowerment, the level of the qualities of the teacher who would even give an empowerment. Geshe-la has refused. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:42 Highlight the passage at 1:20:42

1:21:09 Every time I've ever heard anybody ever request Geshe-la to give an empowerment, other than Ravina says, we have to keep asking anyway, just from our side. He could surprise us all right, you know. When he's 90 or something, he'll go, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:09 Highlight the passage at 1:21:09

1:21:26 But the level of their capacity in our mind, we have to know that one of the levels is that the deity hasn't prohibited them from giving it. So they have to have enough connection with the deity that the deity isn't going, well, no, Ray can't do this. He doesn't get this stuff. And just the fact that that's even one of their qualities is kind of an amazing thing. So we have to believe that, too. So if I'm going to choose somebody to give me an empowerment. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:26 Highlight the passage at 1:21:26

1:21:55 I have to believe that they have an in with the deity. They are that high that they have enough connection with the deity that they can actually check in with the deity and see if the deity is okay with them giving this empowerment, which is like so beyond what I can even imagine. That's why it's really high on that list. So you don't want to take an empowerment from just anybody. And most teachers who I have... Report an error in the passage at 1:21:55 Highlight the passage at 1:21:55

1:22:24 ever known won't even give vows much less to empowerment unless they have to you know people like Rubina and And I remember that coming up with Munlum when he was visiting the prisons too, and he worked out a way that he would get enough prisoners who would take... vows from Geshe-la, and then we'd bring Geshe-la in for a day, sort of mass, give them all the vows that they wanted, and then another two years would go, and then Geshe-la would go back, so that he wouldn't have to do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:24 Highlight the passage at 1:22:24

1:22:59 But yeah, most Westerners that I know won't even because we know what a guru is, and we're afraid to make that leap, unless Of course, be glad to have the call on this. So why don't we take a break? Report an error in the passage at 1:22:59 Highlight the passage at 1:22:59

1:23:21 Maybe, and I will ask you, actually, after people have had coffee and stuff, there's a little, you know the little kettle in the kitchen? Maybe turn it on and refill it right after the break so that after class it'll already be hot water in there. So after, after Airbase had tea. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:21 Highlight the passage at 1:23:21

1:23:58 Thank you. So I think I, there's also, yeah. So let me get your information too, Report an error in the passage at 1:23:58 Highlight the passage at 1:23:58

1:24:10 if you don't mind. Yeah, there will be registration. However, it won't happen for another week. Because Palma's not here and Jenna's not here. So if you would rather, yeah, you want to just, if you're going to join, then you can just wait a couple weeks and pay for it all at once. And if you'd rather just do it class by class. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:10 Highlight the passage at 1:24:10

1:24:36 You can do it that way, yeah. You can do it that way. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:36 Highlight the passage at 1:24:36

1:24:53 you're still overpicking your income? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:53 Highlight the passage at 1:24:53

1:25:12 But you weren't alone before, so you weren't alone. was just the last, but not by mom. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:12 Highlight the passage at 1:25:12

1:25:40 What's the next one? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:40 Highlight the passage at 1:25:40

1:25:54 I know what happened on Street Air, but I didn't know you could get it off the freeway. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:54 Highlight the passage at 1:25:54

1:26:06 Yeah, yeah, thank you. This one's actually just for me. It's just so in case something comes up and I have to reach everybody really quick. I think everybody's on this list now, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:06 Highlight the passage at 1:26:06

1:26:17 Except like one poor person in the bathroom or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:17 Highlight the passage at 1:26:17

1:26:23 Well, I'm glad you made it. I'm glad you also have a GPS. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:23 Highlight the passage at 1:26:23

1:26:39 Right? Oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:26:39 Highlight the passage at 1:26:39

1:26:49 good, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:49 Highlight the passage at 1:26:49

1:26:53 close, she's never seen this before. Yeah, she lives in the . So, yeah, she could . Yeah, because Palma often gives her a light, and she knows that Palma's going to be here, so she's probably going to take the chance. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:53 Highlight the passage at 1:26:53

1:27:18 So, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:18 Highlight the passage at 1:27:18

1:27:28 thank you for all this lesson. I Report an error in the passage at 1:27:28 Highlight the passage at 1:27:28

1:27:38 guess I was going to understand. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:38 Highlight the passage at 1:27:38

1:27:43 I can see my teachers in some of my life. Like, I thought, you know, it's interesting to be, like, as a student-teacher relationship, so I'm a little bit, like, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:43 Highlight the passage at 1:27:43

1:27:54 I think you're doing two different traditions, which is probably, and I know nothing about any tradition other than Galipa, and I've only ever been pretty much, but my understanding when you take refuge, that person becomes your refuge Lama. So you don't have to ask, it just becomes that, I think it's good to trust that First of all, you should be ready. I think you can assume if they are the level to give you that, that they approved it in some way or they would have stopped the process if you weren't ready. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:54 Highlight the passage at 1:27:54

1:28:43 That's my understanding. I think certain centers might have different... And I know at our center now what I try to do is I put it out for example that Michelle is going to offer refuge. He probably will in the fall right after we do the refuge class. And I kind of put it out to other students. And then if I say you have to contact X, me, or the SBC or whoever. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:43 Highlight the passage at 1:28:43

1:29:10 And then I try to sit down with every single person and talk about what they are committed to and what their relationship with him may be. So I try to do that again. You never can control it. Somebody leaps up, you've never seen them before, and they just take it. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:10 Highlight the passage at 1:29:10

1:29:29 I just, you know, I just like that one. that what I'm saying? Teach or that what I do it perfectly? No. I don't know. It is a karmic thing, and you did make a karmic connection, and that person is your refuge Lama for life. Yeah, exactly. And I think we can assume if they are the level that you think that they are, that they would have stopped it if it wasn't time. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:29 Highlight the passage at 1:29:29

1:29:57 It's funny how it happens. Woman in the third row, out of here. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:57 Highlight the passage at 1:29:57

1:30:07 I know, right? Me too. Oh, wow. But you know, it's testing. Right, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:07 Highlight the passage at 1:30:07

1:30:15 And it's karma, too. I mean, I think some of us have connected with these teachings before. We hear them again, and it's just like, oh, wow, there it is. That makes sense, you know? And you didn't even know you were searching, necessarily. It was just all of a sudden, you're just, oh, wow, oh, yeah, that makes sense. And so you want to dive in. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:15 Highlight the passage at 1:30:15

1:30:33 It's exciting to dive in. I'm just... Yeah. That's like an impulse sometimes, isn't It is a little impulse, and there's no one right answer about when that impulse is good to follow and when it's not. All I can do is try to say that that impulse exists, and you have to use your wisdom. And I can't say, like, you shouldn't have jumped and I should have. I know for me it all worked out already. I ended up with some amazing mamas, and I feel like I'm okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:33 Highlight the passage at 1:30:33

1:31:05 No regrets. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:05 Highlight the passage at 1:31:05

1:31:10 But, yeah, I'm just trying to bring a little wisdom into that. Shed a little light on the situation. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:10 Highlight the passage at 1:31:10

1:31:27 Oh, wait, I want to put you on the list, too, because you're not on the list. Just so that I have you on the rosters in case I have to reach everybody in the class. You must have been the one in the bathroom when I maybe announced. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:27 Highlight the passage at 1:31:27

1:31:47 Yeah, I know, and I don't know how to do that anymore, so I'm just going to wait until either Jenna or Palma comes. Neither of them is here next week, but then they'll both be here, the one after that, and then we'll work it out. Or if you'd rather just pay time by time, that's okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:47 Highlight the passage at 1:31:47

1:32:10 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:10 Highlight the passage at 1:32:10

1:32:34 Yeah, so actually, yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:32:34 Highlight the passage at 1:32:34

1:32:42 I sent you an email actually to see if you were going to do it again. So Lisa, I sent you the binder readings and Mariel and I did you. So Sam and Tammy, I'll just make sure that I send you guys the notes and the homework from last time and then the binder reading. And it's a short binder this time. It's like 30 pages or something. So it's not. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:42 Highlight the passage at 1:32:42

1:33:13 I'll do that. It'll be like the end of the class. Anyway, yeah, thank you for reminding me. That's why I have these notes. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:13 Highlight the passage at 1:33:13

1:33:25 I do forget. Okay. So now we're going to talk about when you take a guru. And do we take a guru? And there's nothing set in stone. I was just saying, I was just discussing with one of the students. You know, there's so many ways to do things. Well, like they say with the Buddhist teachings, there's... Report an error in the passage at 1:33:25 Highlight the passage at 1:33:25

1:33:52 84,000 teachings because there's 84,000 kinds of minds. And the same is true about relationships with a guru. There's not like one set way that we take a guru. And even for one person and the many different teachers that you might take over a lifetime, there might be different, really, there will be really different relationships that you have with those teachers. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:52 Highlight the passage at 1:33:52

1:34:16 So your relationships with each guru might be different. Some might be more hands-on, some might be incredibly distant. I do know of one student who considers, and I'm sure this is true for many others, I just happen to know one, who considers His Holiness the Dalai Lama her root guru. She sees him as her root guru and she makes prayers to him the same way. Whenever she needs an answer, she gets her answer. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:16 Highlight the passage at 1:34:16

1:34:42 You know, most of us go to these 30,000 seat stadiums and see His Holiness the Dalai Lama, you know, but she just knew the minute she met him, that was it, and there was no question after that. So it doesn't always look like what we might think it will look like. You're not always sitting at his or her feet, you know, actually rarely sitting, if the girl is sitting, but we get into that in class five. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:42 Highlight the passage at 1:34:42

1:35:08 You're probably up running around doing something, just like His Holiness, or like a... Lama Zopa is running across the compound at 50 miles an hour when his guru gets out of the car. So when you take a guru, we did mention this last time, and just like at the beginning when we read the foundation of all good qualities, the foundation of the whole lamrim is the spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:08 Highlight the passage at 1:35:08

1:35:31 It's the first subject taught in the traditional lamrim, the graduated stages of the path. So a lot of times people in the West are like, well, so... I can't even start studying until I find a teacher, right? No, that's not what it means. It means that the foundation of our practice, the foundation of our qualities, the qualities of our mind and our heart develop with a guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:31 Highlight the passage at 1:35:31

1:36:00 But we have to actually be studying for a certain amount of time before we even know what we're looking for and whether we even want a guru, right? I remember actually taking really in-depth teachings on the guru and having this nun turn around and kind of go, wow, why would you want to enter into this relationship? Report an error in the passage at 1:36:00 Highlight the passage at 1:36:00

1:36:19 This is a nun saying it. And if you don't want to get enlightened, there's no reason to enter into this relationship. There's not. There's no reason to do this path all the way if you don't want to get enlightened. It's sort of like, why would you... Look for a really great piano teacher if you don't really want to play the piano. You have to decide first that you want to play the piano before you even start looking for a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:19 Highlight the passage at 1:36:19

1:36:46 And you usually study for a little bit with the various other people, as we've heard next door, before you get to the concert piano level and decide you need a really, really great teacher. Who that person might be, I don't know, that teacher next door. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:46 Highlight the passage at 1:36:46

1:37:05 Spiritual teacher is the root of the realizations, the qualities in our entire path. That's what it means. That's why it's the first level. In the Discovering Buddhism program, it's actually taught fourth normally, although we're teaching at ninth. And like I said last time, John Lando was teaching at last. But it's taught after you have some understanding of the mind and how the mind... Report an error in the passage at 1:37:05 Highlight the passage at 1:37:05

1:37:34 What exists or doesn't exist from its own side and what goes from life to life and so forth. You have some understanding of meditation because we need to have some understanding of meditation to do this path. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:34 Highlight the passage at 1:37:34

1:37:50 You get those first and then we study who the teacher is. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:50 Highlight the passage at 1:37:50

1:38:02 There's a certain level that we need to be on the path before We start looking for a teacher in earnest. I mean, obviously, we can keep our eyes open, right? And you have your experience if you're attending teachings that you follow, and you follow your logic and so forth, and you might decide that a certain teacher, you'd like to have more teachings from a certain teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:02 Highlight the passage at 1:38:02

1:38:24 But you need a basic spiritual maturity before you make this connection with somebody. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:24 Highlight the passage at 1:38:24

1:38:34 Lama Tsongkhapa actually taught, and like I said, a lot of these instructions are coming from Lama Tsongkhapa, who is the founder of this particular tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and he is the author of the Lam Rimchen Mo, which is pulling together all the sūtra teachings of the Buddha. But he felt that the student should have a very, at minimum, At least four qualities, these four levels of understanding on the path before they try to seek out and build a relationship with a spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:34 Highlight the passage at 1:38:34

1:39:08 The first one is having at least a basic level of renunciation. Some people don't like the term renunciation. I think people can get confused about what renunciation is. It sounds like the whole... shirt and the closet and you know. That's not really what renunciation is. Renunciation is this understanding and recognition of our experience in saṃsāra, meaning this repeated rebirth caused by our karma and affliction. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:08 Highlight the passage at 1:39:08

1:39:44 So having some understanding of that and this whole dissatisfactory experience of saṃsāra. And not just getting fed up with it, you know, so we have to get fed up with it. I mean, it's hugely fed up with it. It's actually more, when Geshe was teaching about it on Sunday, he was saying, it's not just being fed up with it, it's actually more like repulsed by it. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:44 Highlight the passage at 1:39:44

1:40:13 Lama Zopa Rinpoche said, it's like you see saṃsāra as dirty toilet paper. I mean, that's... Huge. Most of us would not see a movie as dirty toilet paper. He's not saying that we can't enjoy things, but we have to get it at a level where we see that our deepest happiness doesn't come from that movie, that boyfriend, that job, that car, like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:13 Highlight the passage at 1:40:13

1:40:40 We have to get to that level where we get it how psychic existence exists. My experience of psychic existence, how that arises, and that I'm never going to find perfection and happiness within psychic existence. I keep trying to perfect what isn't going to ever be perfect. And there's something better. And we forget that, because sometimes we can get to the first just when life is really horrible, or somebody we adore dies, or leaves us, or we lose our job. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:40 Highlight the passage at 1:40:40

1:41:18 We can get to the point where we get sort of this sugar-coated version of renunciation. We have to then get to the next level where we want to get out of it, that there's something better. We know that it's possible to have something better. So we need both. We're fed up and we want to get out. And Prabangka Rinpoche said that we have to have fierce renunciation, not wishy-washy. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:18 Highlight the passage at 1:41:18

1:41:43 So it's like strong renunciation. Which comes after years of study and contemplation and practice. I mean, it takes time contemplating all this stuff. So a basic level of renunciation. In addition, you have to have at least a basic idea of the Buddha's teachings. I mean, hopefully this is common sense, but, you know, it's good to say. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:43 Highlight the passage at 1:41:43

1:42:11 The Tibetans always say what to take up and what to avoid. What to take up and what to avoid. Because certain things are not so skillful or useful, as we might have figured out by getting to a certain point in life. And certain things will get us closer to our goal. Certain practices and so forth. And this points to some understanding of karma and how karma works. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:11 Highlight the passage at 1:42:11

1:42:42 Karma and delusions or afflicted states of mind keep us in saṃsāra. So you have to sort of have that. The third is having some level of bodhicitta. And that's why I said even the tiniest bit of bodhicitta, which is basically wanting to get enlightened for the benefit of all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:42 Highlight the passage at 1:42:42

1:43:08 Even if, you know, it's tiny, it's like the barest spark of that fire, you know. And it's not enough yet to get us enlightened, but it is enough to... To enthuse us to practice and so forth. So I can at least say that in my misguided, deluded way that all of the things, all the commitments and all the gurus I've ever taken on have had some spark of bodhicitta in my heart before I made those leaps. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:08 Highlight the passage at 1:43:08

1:43:40 Whether it was real bodhicitta, no, probably not. But it was that spark. And so it's always really good to check your mind and your heart before you, you know. make some sort of a loop like this. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:40 Highlight the passage at 1:43:40

1:43:53 Bodhicitta is renunciation turn outward. So it's the same state of mind, but now we're turning it towards others. So with renunciation, we're seeing that we're not going to find deep lasting happiness in saṃsāra and we're wanting to get out. We're sort of like having compassion for ourselves. We want to end our own suffering and get out of saṃsāra. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:53 Highlight the passage at 1:43:53

1:44:14 With bodhicitta, we're kind of like, oh yeah, you guys are in here too. I want to get you guys out. I want to get all living beings out of this suffering, this repeated rebirth, cycle of repeated rebirth, and get you enlightened too. So bodhicitta is the same state of mind that we developed with renunciation. And the final is some basic level of refuge, which is... Report an error in the passage at 1:44:14 Highlight the passage at 1:44:14

1:44:40 Basically understanding who the refuge objects are, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Saṅgha, and specifically in this form of when you take refuge, the true refuge is the Dharma jewel, which is the realizations in the mind. So it's not the texts. It's not even the words of the Buddha. The realizations that those texts and those words and those teachings will actually awaken in your own mind. That's your real Dharma, Jewel. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:40 Highlight the passage at 1:44:40

1:45:14 That's what protects you. You know when they say if you take refuge then you're protected from lower rebirth, that's really what protects you. Again, it's not like fairy dust being sprinkled on you. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:14 Highlight the passage at 1:45:14

1:45:25 If you have those realizations in your mind, that's what's going to protect you at the moment of death. That's what's going to protect you from doing harm to somebody and so forth. So some level of refuge. So the four are some level of renunciation, some understanding of the Buddhist teachings, some level of bodhicitta and some level of refuge. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:25 Highlight the passage at 1:45:25

1:45:50 You know, do you have to take an exam? No. It's sort of like, you know, when people have to take exams to become U.S. citizens and I always think, man, if the rest of us had to take those exams, we'd all be out of here. Thankfully, Thankfully, you know, it's between you and the guru, ultimately, and that's on a completely different level. So you check up as well as you can. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:50 Highlight the passage at 1:45:50

1:46:14 Give yourself a pop quiz and see. But it's good to know kind of what you should have, at least at a basic, basic level. Anybody miss any of those four? Report an error in the passage at 1:46:14 Highlight the passage at 1:46:14

1:46:26 So we're going to talk just a little bit in the final few minutes of class. We're going to just talk a little bit about the... Etymology of the words guru and Lama and disciple. And this is also from Barazin. So if you've read it, this will be a repeat. But I think it's really useful to know what we're talking about and why when you're talking about a Lama and a guru, how that's different from like an instructor or a teacher, you know, at just a regular level. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:26 Highlight the passage at 1:46:26

1:46:54 It's like up here versus down here. Without being any disrespect for the instructor or the teacher. It's just, you know. It's a completely different thing. Literally, the word guru means heavy or weighty. Does that mean fat? No. It means heavy with qualities and heavy with presence. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:54 Highlight the passage at 1:46:54

1:47:22 So heavy with qualities. As much as we can tell. Can we tell? How do you tell? It's not... It's really clear how to tell. All those ways that I'm telling you. Watch them. Watch them off the throne. What are they like? What have they written? What are their students like? What is your feeling watching them class after class and so forth? Heavy with qualities. Heavy with presence. The guru also refers to this hidden body. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:22 Highlight the passage at 1:47:22

1:47:55 They don't broadcast their qualities, which is... Difficult when you're shopping for a guru. In the East, that worked. It's hard in the West because the ones that advertise their qualities are probably not the ones you want to go to. And so it's almost like it goes against our shopping channel background here. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:55 Highlight the passage at 1:47:55

1:48:25 It's like, couldn't they just say that they have this quality or that quality? But they don't because they also have the quality of humility. They're very humble. The most qualified gurus would never ever say what their highest capacity is. They wouldn't even say that they even had any capacity. Sometimes you'll hear one guru talking in praise about another. That's like guru's version of gossip. Rinpoche does that. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:25 Highlight the passage at 1:48:25

1:48:54 Where he'll talk about so and so Rinpoche letting on that he had had a direct perception of emptiness or had realized bodhicitta or something. But that's like the most sometimes. And then you can kind of be like, oh yeah, oh I know him. But otherwise you don't have any idea. Or sometimes you'll hear it like with senior students. They'll tell stories. Things that happened to them. Personal experience or... Report an error in the passage at 1:48:54 Highlight the passage at 1:48:54

1:49:21 They saw it happening, you know, or something like that. It's better if they're involved. It's not just word of mouth. But I've definitely heard some very, very interesting stories that way. Because otherwise, how do you know? In Tibetan, they translated the word guru into Lama, and it's very similar and it contains all of that, but then they expanded it a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:21 Highlight the passage at 1:49:21

1:49:46 La literally means unsurpassable, sublime. Amazing. Ma. Ma, amazing not in the way Americans use amazing, where we use it for every other thing. Ma means mother. So Lamas are like mothers in that they've given birth to what's sublime. They've already given birth to what's sublime. In other words, they're extraordinarily advanced. So again, they don't broadcast it. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:46 Highlight the passage at 1:49:46

1:50:18 How do we know? Moreover, they help others give birth to their own attainments. So they're like midwives in that sense, but mothers in that sense too. And unsurpassable also specifically refers to bodhicitta. And so this mind totally dedicated to wanting to get enlightened for the benefit of all beings. This hugely vast and hugely selfless mind of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:18 Highlight the passage at 1:50:18

1:50:48 So possessing all those qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:48 Highlight the passage at 1:50:48

1:50:54 So the original meaning of this word Lama is... Is this highly advanced practitioner fully capable of leading disciples along the path all the way to enlightenment? That's why you can't compare it to just somebody that you would take a class at. You know what I mean? It's a whole different level. That's why I like to use the word qualified spiritual master, meaning that they have this... Report an error in the passage at 1:50:54 Highlight the passage at 1:50:54

1:51:22 This intense or this dense heaviness of qualities. They're very advanced practitioners, not just whoever is teaching on Thursday or Friday or something like that. You have to check out. Disciple is the same. Disciple also has this level. Sometimes I'll say so-and-so is a student of so-and-so. Sometimes I'll say, usually for people in the class, I don't say that anyone is my student. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:22 Highlight the passage at 1:51:22

1:51:52 I'll say so-and-so is a student of discovering Buddhism. Sometimes I'll say so-and-so is a disciple of somebody because they've reached this other level where it's more advanced. It's like with Lama. He is a great teacher. So in Sanskrit there are four levels, four descriptions of different types of disciple. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:52 Highlight the passage at 1:51:52

1:52:19 And Tibetan again takes those and kind of builds on them a little bit. Sheshka, it's S-H-A-I-K-C-H-A, Sheksha, actually, Sheksha. Someone who offers him or herself for training by a spiritual mentor. So that person is... Report an error in the passage at 1:52:19 Highlight the passage at 1:52:19

1:52:40 That's already huge, right? I'm not even on the list yet, right? I'm offering myself for spiritual training. So I'm kind of already stepping into a position that's a little bit bigger than showing up for class. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:40 Highlight the passage at 1:52:40

1:52:57 Specifically, they're referring to the three higher trainings, what's called the three higher trainings, ethics, concentration and wisdom, which are said to be the path to liberation. Ethics. Concentration and wisdom. These will come up periodically. You need ethics to develop concentration. You need concentration to develop wisdom. So that's the first. The second is Shishya, S-H-I-S-H-Y-A. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:57 Highlight the passage at 1:52:57

1:53:29 Somebody who learns about the three higher trainings through observing their behavior, the teacher's behavior. and character and by listening to their teachings. So that's a little bit more of what we might do if we're attending Geshe-less classes. We're learning about him, we're checking him out, what is he like compared to what I'm writing down here. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:29 Highlight the passage at 1:53:29

1:53:51 So we kind of might be doing that or with His Holiness or with Lama Tsongkhapa or something like that. So probably we should do Shishya first and Sheikshya second where we're offering ourselves. That sounds a bit bigger. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:51 Highlight the passage at 1:53:51

1:54:06 Veneya is somebody who trains in the Vinaya, or these teachings that the Buddha gave on ethical discipline, which is like the vows, especially the monastic vows and so forth. So that's a specific type of disciple. And Bhajana is somebody who is literally a vessel or a container for receiving and holding the teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:06 Highlight the passage at 1:54:06

1:54:33 And this will come up. We'll talk about this a little bit more, but this idea of becoming a vessel or a receptacle for the teachings. Am I a qualified receptacle for these teachings? And so I'm just giving this to you. We're running out of time, so I'm just going to give these to you, and then we'll kind of go into more detail later. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:33 Highlight the passage at 1:54:33

1:54:55 In Tibetan, they took these same four, but they combined the first two. So they combined... Of course the Tibetans will hit you. The sheiksha and the sheiksha are put into one and that's called lobma. Lobma. And that's somebody who is watching, right, and listening, but then they also offer themselves up. So they've already made that leap. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:55 Highlight the passage at 1:54:55

1:55:21 So you're no longer just coming to a class. They have you All in one you're making this leap in offering yourself for training and receiving the training simultaneously. But they say disciples train to discriminate for themselves what is constructive from what is destructive. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:21 Highlight the passage at 1:55:21

1:55:42 So you're developing your own wisdom. That's what you're trying to do. What to take up, what to avoid. What to take up, what to avoid. So they say the Loma. The Ma they add is for wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:42 Highlight the passage at 1:55:42

1:55:56 This feminine is often for wisdom. Bajana is translated as nu, I wouldn't even spell it, N-O-umnaut, meaning the disciples serve as vessels for receiving and holding the refined essence that a mentor can offer. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:56 Highlight the passage at 1:55:56

1:56:19 So again, it's the same idea, I think. And getrug is kind of like... It's actually not, so they don't have one specific for the Vinaya. They just consider the Vinaya as part of one of the others. They have a third that they came up with, which is Getrug, and that literally comes up, translates into constructive child. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:19 Highlight the passage at 1:56:19

1:56:45 That's a child raised by the spiritual mentor to be constructive. So in this case, child isn't referring to a little one, although it might be, especially with their system, right? But it's talking about your spiritual maturity. So when does one become a true disciple? Report an error in the passage at 1:56:45 Highlight the passage at 1:56:45

1:57:07 You have to really have a certain level of maturity in your practice. They say that it's good for us to have at least the basic level of those four, this basic level of renunciation about what to take up and what to avoid about bodhicitta and about refuge. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:07 Highlight the passage at 1:57:07

1:57:28 Also say that it's good for us to study this ethics concentration and wisdom a little bit in order to focus our minds a little bit and gain a clear idea about where we're headed on the path. Somebody who doesn't expect miracles or something instant, instantaneous. I think a lot of times at first we are thinking things will be a little quicker. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:28 Highlight the passage at 1:57:28

1:57:54 Either in our own mind or our ability to get. Something might be a little bit quicker. So somebody who's a little bit more relaxed about it and thinks this is long term, His Holiness is always saying take the long view, take the long view, take the long view. Assume that this is probably going to take many lifetimes. But then on the other hand, it's important to know that sometimes you have to leap too. I think it's important to know that you have to take the long view, but then it's also important to know that we could die tomorrow. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:54 Highlight the passage at 1:57:54

1:58:26 So it's sort of like you have to do, that's where the wisdom comes in. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:26 Highlight the passage at 1:58:26

1:58:32 And it is important to know that none of this makes sense unless you have this desire to get enlightened for the benefit of others. So you wouldn't even enter these relationships. You wouldn't even think about entering these relationships unless that was your bottom line. So obviously if you're going to become a disciple, then that has to be a driving force for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:32 Highlight the passage at 1:58:32

1:58:57 There has to be a reason. If you're going to become a concert pianist, you have to really, really want to play the piano. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:57 Highlight the passage at 1:58:57

1:59:08 So that's it. Any questions on that? Any questions on the section that I gave you after the break? Disciple, Lama, Guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:08 Highlight the passage at 1:59:08

1:59:21 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:21 Highlight the passage at 1:59:21

1:59:25 So a couple of announcements. Impermanence. Of course, as soon as I put it in print. Things have changed. And don't freak, but things have changed. So our final practice day is actually now going to be Saturday, April 27th. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:25 Highlight the passage at 1:59:25

1:59:46 And the better day for the nuns at the Aftos house is actually April 20th. And I know that for some of you that won't be as good. I'm thinking that if you have a strong wish to go on the field trip to Rinpoche's house and it doesn't happen this time, I'm probably going to be teaching refuge later in the summer and that would be a nice time to do another field trip. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:46 Highlight the passage at 1:59:46

2:00:10 So just tell me and then that way I can kind of keep a list of people who would like to go. So the field trip for Rinpoche's house, which of course could totally change. You could come back to the States or something and then the whole thing is off. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:10 Highlight the passage at 2:00:10

2:00:24 At this point, it seems somewhat safe for us to plan on Saturday, April 20th, and I'll ask for a hand count later if people would like to go. That'll be a morning. We'll probably go and come back after lunch, something like that. We'll get lunch in Santa Cruz. Dharma's. I mean, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:24 Highlight the passage at 2:00:24

2:00:47 And the practice day is... On the 27th and that's like about 10, it usually goes like 10 to 3, depends on how long things go and it's sort of a little chance to practice some meditation together and have some discussion and kind of close up the class and that's kind of a practice. The other classes will stay the same, so everything else stays the same. But the reason that we had to back up on the practice day is that... Report an error in the passage at 2:00:47 Highlight the passage at 2:00:47

2:01:14 Venable Ninjay has agreed to come up and do an experiential approach to refuge in bodhicitta, which hasn't been announced yet. So that could change. But she has agreed for Friday night and Saturday the 3rd and the 4th of May. And she's great. She's totally accessible and fantastic. And that'll be a really great thing for us to have here. So there's more benefits. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:14 Highlight the passage at 2:01:14

2:01:41 Any questions about that? All right. Okay. So let's do a little final dedication, just taking some time to like all this stuff, just kind of imagine it swirling around in your mind, you know, like the Wizard of Oz crystal ball, right? Or maybe it was the Wicked Witch of the West, but anyway, let's make it the Wizard of Oz. All these things swirling around and kind of allowing them to just come to rest in your heart. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:41 Highlight the passage at 2:01:41

2:02:24 seat of your wisdom mind, your own wisdom mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:24 Highlight the passage at 2:02:24

2:02:32 this is your future interview. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:32 Highlight the passage at 2:02:32

2:02:39 just rest on that awareness of your own. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:39 Highlight the passage at 2:02:39

2:02:46 Compassion, love. of those qualities that you will perfect on this path. have the beds right now, you have the seeds right now. May Report an error in the passage at 2:02:46 Highlight the passage at 2:02:46

2:03:04 anything that we talked about in class plant seeds that take you all the way to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:04 Highlight the passage at 2:03:04

2:03:16 They also become a direct karmic ripening so that each one of us is able to meet qualified spiritual teachers on this path in this life as quickly as possible. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:16 Highlight the passage at 2:03:16

2:03:40 Homework! Report an error in the passage at 2:03:40 Highlight the passage at 2:03:40

2:03:44 One still moment before. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:44 Highlight the passage at 2:03:44

2:03:50 I thought maybe I'd done too many and now I wonder if I did enough. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:50 Highlight the passage at 2:03:50

2:03:57 It's wrong. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:57 Highlight the passage at 2:03:57

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:04:34 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:34 Highlight the passage at 2:04:34

2:04:39 If people feel like making some extra merit, we could take down the cushions and the books and stack them up in some manner. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:39 Highlight the passage at 2:04:39

2:05:06 What's that? Yeah, let's just take up everything because the next class will Report an error in the passage at 2:05:06 Highlight the passage at 2:05:06

2:05:20 be... Report an error in the passage at 2:05:20 Highlight the passage at 2:05:20

2:05:25 okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:25 Highlight the passage at 2:05:25

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:06:04 so glad it comes to you. I'm so glad you're coming. Yeah, thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:04 Highlight the passage at 2:06:04