Discovering Buddhism: The Spiritual Teacher (28 March 2013)

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:08 Did you fly? She comes from Castro Valley. Report an error in the passage at 1:08 Highlight the passage at 1:08

1:27 Another week, Report an error in the passage at 1:27 Highlight the passage at 1:27

1:32 the rocket and fuel. Report an error in the passage at 1:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32

1:54 Always. Somebody's working with their teacher. Nice little reflection going on. Report an error in the passage at 1:54 Highlight the passage at 1:54

2:07 Next week we'll have both Jenna and Palmo back. I don't think Jenna went to the same thing, but they both just went to the same thing. Okay, we'll just start with a little bit of meditation on our breath. Report an error in the passage at 2:07 Highlight the passage at 2:07

2:20 Bring our mind to neutral and kind of let go of our day and our commute and parking and whatever else, bridges, tolbos, unpeopled, tolbos for some of us. Report an error in the passage at 2:20 Highlight the passage at 2:20

2:38 Just Report an error in the passage at 2:38 Highlight the passage at 2:38

2:42 let your breathing relax to normal and just focus on the in-breath and the out-breath. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

3:16 And if it helps, you can imagine the in-breath bringing in whatever. Energy and curiosity and dissolving all the negative states of mind and embracing the mind. Report an error in the passage at 3:16 Highlight the passage at 3:16

3:58 A sort of motivation for tonight's class. Report an error in the passage at 3:58 Highlight the passage at 3:58

4:08 Items are brought up tonight, whatever thoughts are shared in the class. Students in their own mind, things that come up for you, that it all plants the seeds for each of us to be able to meet the perfect teacher for us. Report an error in the passage at 4:08 Highlight the passage at 4:08

4:27 Having met them, having recognized them, being connected with them, being able to work with them, then Report an error in the passage at 4:27 Highlight the passage at 4:27

4:41 we get a fully awakened beam so that we can perfectly benefit all others. Report an error in the passage at 4:41 Highlight the passage at 4:41

5:00 Here we can have a foundation of all good Report an error in the passage at 5:00 Highlight the passage at 5:00

5:10 qualities, which I think was on 237. See if you can do it again. Report an error in the passage at 5:10 Highlight the passage at 5:10

5:22 No, it must have been 137. Report an error in the passage at 5:22 Highlight the passage at 5:22

5:31 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:35 only have memory for numbers, so I should just call you all by numbers. 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 saying 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 5:35 Highlight the passage at 5:35

6:03 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 a 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 to abandon even the slightest negativities and accomplish all virtuous deeds. Report an error in the passage at 6:03 Highlight the passage at 6:03

6:32 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 a 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 pratimuksha vows. Report an error in the passage at 6:32 Highlight the passage at 6:32

6:55 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 developed only bodhicitta, but I don't practice the three types of morality, I will not achieve enlightenment. With my clear recognition of this, please bless me to practice the bodhisattva vows with great energy. Report an error in the passage at 6:55 Highlight the passage at 6:55

7:27 Once I have pacified distractions to wrong objects, And correctly analyze the meaning of reality. Please bless me to generate quickly within my mind stream the unified path of calm abiding and special insight. 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. Report an error in the passage at 7:27 Highlight the passage at 7:27

7:51 At that time, the basis of accomplishing the two attainments is keeping pure vows in Samaya. As I have become firmly convinced of this, Please bless me to protect these vows and pledges like my life. 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. Report an error in the passage at 7:51 Highlight the passage at 7:51

8:18 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. 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 8:18 Highlight the passage at 8:18

8:43 And in the white prayer book on page 7, Report an error in the passage at 8:43 Highlight the passage at 8:43

8:54 we'll do refuge in bodhicitta on the bottom of the first column. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. Report an error in the passage at 8:54 Highlight the passage at 8:54

9:17 By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. And then on the next page. With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 9:17 Highlight the passage at 9:17

9:50 Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain. Until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 9:50 Highlight the passage at 9:50

10:21 So does anybody have anything they want to bring up or question anything from the homework or the reading or what Report an error in the passage at 10:21 Highlight the passage at 10:21

10:35 else? Report an error in the passage at 10:35 Highlight the passage at 10:35

10:40 Burning questions. Not too burning. A bit burning in here. It says 73. I don't know if it really is. I think we get the evening sign. Report an error in the passage at 10:40 Highlight the passage at 10:40

10:55 Did you have anything? No, you just did. You get called on if you go like that. Scratch the side of your face, you're on. Report an error in the passage at 10:55 Highlight the passage at 10:55

11:05 Okay, well there will be more questions, I mean more chances for questions as the class goes on. Pabanka Rinpoche, who is the teacher who taught, I've mentioned a couple times, kind of the background on the lamrim teachings and he gave a... A teaching, a commentary on the lamrim that lasted 24 days in 1921 that was then written down by his disciple, Trijang Rinpoche, who became the junior tutor, I believe, of the current Dalai Lama and then passes on down to us if we've studied with any of His Holiness students. Report an error in the passage at 11:05 Highlight the passage at 11:05

11:47 So Pabanka Rinpoche said that developing guru devotion is one of the most difficult realizations on the path. So even though they place it at the beginning and we talk about it first, although we don't in here, but traditionally it's taught first. Report an error in the passage at 11:47 Highlight the passage at 11:47

12:08 It is... One of the, if not the most difficult ones to actually practice. You know, Gesala sometimes when he's teaching the lamrim, he'll say, that's fairly clear, right? You know, because it's phrased clearly. But then he'll say something like, but very difficult to practice, right? So it's, I don't even think it's necessarily all that clearly phrased with guru devotion or with serving a spiritual teacher or whatever you want to call it, relying on a spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 12:08 Highlight the passage at 12:08

12:38 And so that's why we're kind of going into the detail that we're going into. But even if the words are clear, the realization of them or the ability to do them well takes time. Report an error in the passage at 12:38 Highlight the passage at 12:38

12:54 And in that way, it's similar to meditation, right? I mean, we can understand the words of what we're supposed to be doing in meditation, not what we might actually be doing. Report an error in the passage at 12:54 Highlight the passage at 12:54

13:07 even the The instructions in terms of how to sit, whether we can do that or not, how to prepare, what prayers to do, how to end it. But the actual accomplishment of it, it takes some time. Just like that piano playing, it takes time. So this is like that. He said, and I've got a number of quotes tonight, I've got a number of lists and a number of quotes tonight. Report an error in the passage at 13:07 Highlight the passage at 13:07

13:38 So whenever you're falling asleep, I'll just suddenly launch into something else. So he said, if you have any hope of reaching up to the highest spiritual qualities of the various levels and paths, then from the outset you must absolutely find and follow a Lama who can show you how to do so. And the Lama we are describing here isn't just anyone you might happen to come across. This was Tibet, remember. It's not just anyone they call a Lama. Report an error in the passage at 13:38 Highlight the passage at 13:38

14:08 And that I think is true now too because I think whenever I see that people are calling themselves Lama somebody, I always want to know why. Now in some traditions actually, and starting to be even in some branches of our tradition, if somebody has completed a three year retreat, they're often called Lama. Report an error in the passage at 14:08 Highlight the passage at 14:08

14:28 Like Lama Surya Das actually completed a three year retreat. But some people just call themselves Lama. Some people may be... Kind of told by their teachers that they can be called a Lama. So it's just up to us to investigate. If somebody's being called a Lama or somebody is professing a spiritual background, it's very, very good to look up. Report an error in the passage at 14:28 Highlight the passage at 14:28

14:53 I'll often, if somebody sends me something, I'll often kind of look up who we are on the website, you know. Read the little thing and then if they say the main teacher is Baba, then I go to their website. I mean, why not? I mean, I don't know who these people are. If I haven't heard of them, I'm very, very wary. So I think it's a good thing to do. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:18 It doesn't mean that you have to be disrespectful. It just means that it's good for us to look and to try to investigate a little bit, especially if we're going to start receiving teachings with that person or even reading their books. If we like their books a whole lot, we should... If you if you. Report an error in the passage at 15:18 Highlight the passage at 15:18

15:37 That's a form of being a teacher. If we're really studying their books and taking it as gospel, to mix metaphors, then we should know who that person is. We should at least check out who that person is. Just because the books are easy to get doesn't mean there's something that we want to put into our precious mind. Report an error in the passage at 15:37 Highlight the passage at 15:37

16:02 And it is important to think of our mind that way because we can load it with a lot of stuff. So you want to make sure that you're loading it with stuff that's going to help you purify and protect it and perfect it. Report an error in the passage at 16:02 Highlight the passage at 16:02

16:18 So we're going to start, tonight we're going to talk about the qualities to look for, but we're going to start with the benefits of serving a teacher. In some ways, I almost, at the last minute at home, I was like, maybe I should switch this around. And I thought, no, traditionally they actually usually start with the benefits of anything, because I think it's like an advertisement, you know, is to get you excited about whatever. Report an error in the passage at 16:18 Highlight the passage at 16:18

16:44 I think it can sometimes have the opposite effect, but... Well, that's what they do. So, for example, when we study Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, he spends the whole first chapter just describing what bodhicitta is to get you kind of excited and the benefits of attaining bodhicitta and generating bodhicitta, I guess is the better way to say it. Report an error in the passage at 16:44 Highlight the passage at 16:44

17:06 So you spend quite a bit of time just studying that and then you get into how to do it because it's kind of like your little, like, how to rev yourself up, you know, how to motivate. So we'll talk about that because it's traditional. And it's a list. So there are eight, and then the inverse of those are how not to serve. Report an error in the passage at 17:06 Highlight the passage at 17:06

17:29 Or they're actually, I should say, the disadvantages. So these are the advantages, and so then the inverse of them will be the disadvantages. But we'll say those two. Sometimes they just say, and the inverse of those are, and it's like, no, no, no, let's say what it is. We ought to know what it is. Okay, so the first is that we will be closer to Buddhahood. We will be closer to Buddhahood. And that has two parts. Report an error in the passage at 17:29 Highlight the passage at 17:29

17:55 Because this is a Galupa class. A. One A. We'll get closer to Buddhahood because we're practicing the instructions that the Buddha gives us, that the teacher gives us. So if we found a good teacher and we're practicing their instructions, we'll become a Buddha faster. If we've spent the time and the teacher is all that they seem to be. And actually to some degree, and we'll talk about this sort of as we go along, to some degree it almost doesn't matter because if we're practicing, that's where the work's happening. Report an error in the passage at 17:55 Highlight the passage at 17:55

18:32 If we have devotion, that's where the work's happening. So if our mind is transforming, but I don't want to quite say that because there are a lot of charlatans out there and we don't want to get one of those teachers. But the main work in any kind of spiritual relationship actually happens in your own mind. So 1A is that we get that closeness from practicing their instructions to us, the instructions that they gave us. Report an error in the passage at 18:32 Highlight the passage at 18:32

19:02 And the second is we get that closeness to Buddhahood by respecting and honoring them. And this is going to come up again and again. So you have to choose somebody that you're going to be able to respect and honor. Report an error in the passage at 19:02 Highlight the passage at 19:02

19:20 And continue to, even if they're scolding you or teaching you something that's kind of pushing your buttons. So you have to keep respecting this being for a really long time. So it really needs to be somebody that you can respect. So that's an important thing, but we'll get to that with the qualities. Report an error in the passage at 19:20 Highlight the passage at 19:20

19:42 these. Report an error in the passage at 19:42 Highlight the passage at 19:42

19:49 And we'll talk more about karma. We kind of continually always will be talking about karma, but we will talk a little bit more about karma formally. But this is also just a karmic thing because serving a teacher is a hugely merit-producing activity. Report an error in the passage at 19:49 Highlight the passage at 19:49

20:12 And for those of you that have studied karma, the object is important, right? how Report an error in the passage at 20:12 Highlight the passage at 20:12

20:19 So if you're, for example, if you're giving a dollar to, well, I don't want to say that, but I'll say it anyway, okay, an ordinary street person, which of course we don't actually ever know who those street people are, but if it was an ordinary street person and not, you know, a Buddha just manifesting in that form to help Chokyi with her generosity, giving that person a dollar versus giving a dollar to translate a Dharma text, that would maybe benefit. Report an error in the passage at 20:19 Highlight the passage at 20:19

20:49 You know, hundreds of thousands of people versus giving a dollar to, you know, I'm just sort of thinking about like all the different ways that you could, the same action, they're all generosity, could be generosity, hopefully, hopefully you remember to dedicate when you give that person a dollar on the street. Report an error in the passage at 20:49 Highlight the passage at 20:49

21:06 But who you give it to and how you give it and what's in your mind, remember karma and emptiness and wisdom and all that stuff, that's going to increase the karmic result. And the same is true serving a teacher. It's not like fairy dust again. If you're serving a teacher with a mind of wisdom, knowing that karma is co-creating this being and my relationship with him is going to get me enlightened, that's wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 21:06 Highlight the passage at 21:06

21:32 So you're serving them as this wisdom and that's what's going to create merit. If you're just serving them to be dutiful. You'll probably get a certain amount of merit, but it won't be quite the amount of merit as kind of doing it with eyes wide open. You know, like, this is going to get me enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 21:32 Highlight the passage at 21:32

21:53 So try to always kind of keep that end result in mind. Number two, one of the benefits is that you will please the Buddhas. You'll please, they actually say the conquerors, but conquerors is a code word for Buddhas because they've conquered all the afflictions in Lama. So you'll please the Buddhas. Report an error in the passage at 21:53 Highlight the passage at 21:53

22:15 Again, two parts. By fulfilling their aim, which is to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment. So if you're getting closer to that aim, you're pleasing them. This is one of the things they want. They want us to get enlightened. This is one of their goals for us, for us to get enlightened, for us to be able to perfect our minds and help them out with all the suffering sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 22:15 Highlight the passage at 22:15

22:40 But also, it's said, it's taught that Buddhas will actually come into your teachers, whether you've asked them or not, if you're serving them correctly. And no matter what kinds of offerings you give to your teacher, that pair of socks, remember I mentioned a friend of mine who gives a pair of socks to Geshe-la every year. Report an error in the passage at 22:40 Highlight the passage at 22:40

23:04 It doesn't matter the type of offering, but if you're making an offering to the teacher with the right mind... All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas kind of move into that teacher, and you're actually making offerings to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. That's what they say. So, not, you know, I haven't directly perceived it yet. Report an error in the passage at 23:04 Highlight the passage at 23:04

23:23 But I am, I'm the conduit. I'm the messenger. So, you know, the opposite. If you're not serving properly, then the Buddhas aren't pleased. That's what they say, but we'll get to those. Number three. It's an interesting one. And I'll come back and say, you know, did anybody miss one that they want me to? Number three says demons and evil companions will not be able to harm us. Report an error in the passage at 23:23 Highlight the passage at 23:23

23:51 Demons and evil companions will not be able to harm us. What does a demon look like? A demon is when your car won't start and nobody can figure out what it is. So a demon doesn't have to have little horns and a tail and a little red suit, you know. It could be... Doubt coming up in your mind or laziness that's like, ah, I don't feel like going to class tonight. Demons can show up in all sorts of ways. Report an error in the passage at 23:51 Highlight the passage at 23:51

24:25 They don't have to be a being necessarily. It's always the front row. It's always the front row on this side that's open. Report an error in the passage at 24:25 Highlight the passage at 24:25

24:41 Evil companions, when Geshe-la describes evil companions, so we're going through the benefit. benefits are the advantages to serving a teacher. So we've done, you'll get closer to Buddhahood and then you'll please the Buddhas and now we're on demons and evil companions will not be able to harm us. So we were just talking about demons are just kind of things that keep you from your practice. They don't have to be little beings, you know, that dance around you and that sort of thing. Report an error in the passage at 24:41 Highlight the passage at 24:41

25:19 could be like, you know, a An evil companion could be somebody who is not necessarily evil-evil, but somebody who doesn't respect the path you're on. And so they're like, you don't got to go to that class tonight. Let's go out drinking, or let's go to that movie instead. It's not going to be a problem if you miss one class, and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 25:19 Highlight the passage at 25:19

25:41 So they're not really evil-evil. They're just... If it's somebody that is an influence in your life and you're allowing them to be an influence in your life, that's what Geshe-la considers evil companions. Report an error in the passage at 25:41 Highlight the passage at 25:41

25:58 If they're just somebody that you know and they're saying that and it's not necessarily going to ever affect what you're going to do, then it doesn't matter. So it's not saying to stay away from people who are different and have different paths. It's specifically talking about people who... Would turn you from your goals, once these are your goals. I'm not even sure that's entirely true for everyone here. At any rate, if you are serving a teacher properly, then their power is meaningless over you. Report an error in the passage at 25:58 Highlight the passage at 25:58

26:28 They are powerless over you. Report an error in the passage at 26:28 Highlight the passage at 26:28

26:33 So, number four is our mental afflictions and bad deeds would automatically come to an end, which is a little bit commonsensical, because if we're Report an error in the passage at 26:33 Highlight the passage at 26:33

26:48 Serving a spiritual teacher, which as Geshe-la phrases, he defines serving a spiritual teacher as following their advice. Report an error in the passage at 26:48 Highlight the passage at 26:48

26:56 So again, I always have to say that because I think that idea of serving a spiritual teacher sounds like we're bringing them tea, rice in the morning, which, you know, I was fortunate enough to live in the same house or same center, residential center as Geshe-la for many years, so I did get to bring them breakfast in the morning and that was a really, really amazing thing to do. Report an error in the passage at 26:56 Highlight the passage at 26:56

27:17 But that's not necessarily what this is talking about. This is really talking about if they give you advice, trying your best to follow it. And if they are your teacher and they give advice in a class, that's also considered advice. Once that person has become our teacher, once we recognize them as a teacher, it's good for us to kind of keep track of what they're saying. A lot of times people come up to teachers and want to... Report an error in the passage at 27:17 Highlight the passage at 27:17

27:43 I want to talk to them afterwards and they want something different. And I've heard teachers say, I just talked about that in class. And it's sort of like you're not going to get a different answer. It's the same. I just dealt with that. So it's one thing if you're asking for a fine point or if you have a different problem or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 27:43 Highlight the passage at 27:43

28:05 But if you're asking them what they just spent two hours explaining, then it's wasting their time. So the fourth is our mental afflictions and bad deeds. Oh, I said that already. I'm sorry. If we're following their advice, then we'll learn how to work with those mental afflictions and avoid those bad deeds. Report an error in the passage at 28:05 Highlight the passage at 28:05

28:27 So that's what the common sense aspect of it is. The fifth one is all of our realizations on the paths and their levels will develop further. The phrasing of this is actually from Babanka Rinpoche. it. Report an error in the passage at 28:27 Highlight the passage at 28:27

28:44 Paths is actually talking about the realizations in your mind. So you'll hear this term a lot as you're studying the lamrim, which is also lam as a path. Report an error in the passage at 28:44 Highlight the passage at 28:44

29:03 And there's a number of ways to look at it. I mean, you can look at it as the path that we're on, the spiritual path, kind of in that figurative sense. And then there are actual paths that are realizations of the mind. For example, the five paths that are sort of encompassing the whole of our path to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:24 I think part of it is because English just doesn't have the words, and so we use the same word over and over, path, path and path. But there are five main paths, and we don't even get on to the first one until we generate bodhicitta. No matter how many years you've been studying, we're still not on it yet. It's always kind of depressing. The path of accumulation, or the path of merit, sometimes called the path of merit. Report an error in the passage at 29:24 Highlight the passage at 29:24

29:53 And this is, you don't have to write this down unless you're interested. Path of preparation, path of seeing, which is the direct perception of emptiness. And the other two are getting ready for that. Report an error in the passage at 29:53 Highlight the passage at 29:53

30:09 Path of meditation or concentration or habituation, I've also heard it translated as, where you're getting used to what happens on the path of seeing. And the path of no more learning, which is actually Buddhahood. It's a code name for Buddhahood. You got no more learning to do. I just think that's such a funny word, but that's the way it's always translated. Report an error in the passage at 30:09 Highlight the passage at 30:09

30:33 So path of accumulation, path of appropriation, path of seeing, path of meditation or habituation and path of lamar learning. And so our realizations will develop further, having a teacher. That makes sense. Again, they're showing us, they're giving us maps, they're giving us advice that's going to take us further into those spiritual paths. Report an error in the passage at 30:33 Highlight the passage at 30:33

30:57 Number six is we'll never lack a spiritual teacher in all of our future lives. And this has to do with karma. If we recognize our teacher and become their student and then serve them, and we're serving them well, it creates the cause to have other teachers. Just like playing a piano creates the cause to be able to play a piano, both in this life but also in our next life. Whatever we do on a habitual basis actually creates the cause for more of it, which is why... Report an error in the passage at 30:57 Highlight the passage at 30:57

31:36 We have to work on the afflictive states of mind like anger and depression and jealousy and things like that because every time we allow ourselves to do them and to actually not just to have like a blip of anger but to get into it, you know, and then you're like, oh, wait, you know, there's no real reason to get angry, you know, blah, blah, blah, and you can kind of analyze your way out of it. Report an error in the passage at 31:36 Highlight the passage at 31:36

32:01 That's one thing, but if you just... You know, getting more and more irritated because that driver in front of you is going slowly and you're just stirring it up. That's just creating the cause for more anger. Report an error in the passage at 32:01 Highlight the passage at 32:01

32:14 The same is true for the positive states of mind, right? So if we are kind or trying to become kind, even the idea of faking it till we make it to try to do more kind acts or more generous acts or more patient acts allows us to create a new habit. Which then becomes karmically a habit that comes with our subtle most mind when we pass away and we go into our next rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 32:14 Highlight the passage at 32:14

32:42 So serving a spiritual teacher well, you know, with wisdom and with devotion and all those things, you know, we'll talk more about that later, creates the karmic cause to be able to do it again. You know, so that's an important thing to think of too. Report an error in the passage at 32:42 Highlight the passage at 32:42

33:06 We will not fall into the lower realms, is number seven. We will not fall into the lower realms. And I think it's important to say, even if we don't fully believe in them yet. Report an error in the passage at 33:06 Highlight the passage at 33:06

33:18 Right? I mean, sometimes when we hear the stories about the lower realms that are... I wish I knew which class was going to be the next one, but it'll probably be either the very next class that's taught here or the one after that. There'll be a class on... Report an error in the passage at 33:18 Highlight the passage at 33:18

33:34 Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa. So it'll talk a lot about how Saṃsāra is structured and it'll talk about the different realms. We do see animals and that's one realm that we can see. We can definitely see humans. And so we can see that there is a lot of hellishness in some human lives without looking very far. I mean even if you can't see it. Report an error in the passage at 33:34 Highlight the passage at 33:34

33:54 Just around you, which I think you'd have to be completely dense not to. Even in this city, we can see a lot of hellishness. Just think of the hellishness of one person's mind who has schizophrenia, for example, and who might, and no medication for it, and just is on the streets and probably abusing. Report an error in the passage at 33:54 Highlight the passage at 33:54

34:12 And if you ever see somebody who's like that, you can see a hellishness. And that's a hell realm. A person's having a hell realm. Or even think about, you know, the state of Syria. Minutes before anything started happening, it was fine. Or Sarajevo or whatever. And then all of a sudden it became a hell realm. And it literally can happen like that so quickly. It can change. Or like those houses on Whidbey Island. Report an error in the passage at 34:12 Highlight the passage at 34:12

34:44 Just went off the cliff. And no, they can't quite figure out why they did. No rain, no wet soil, you know, except for the fact, of course, that they were built on a cliff and it could happen. But, you know, minutes before, beautiful house worth thousands, hundreds of thousands probably. And then minutes afterwards, not. Report an error in the passage at 34:44 Highlight the passage at 34:44

35:05 Fortunately, no one in it, but, you know, that one that went over. But still, it could have become a hell room. I did hear about, and I think we have heard about. Landslides where people have been in the houses and have died in that. They were in their own house. Report an error in the passage at 35:05 Highlight the passage at 35:05

35:22 So sometimes with me, since this whole idea of the different realms and the beings and all the things and all that, it kind of gets too much, then I just think of human, the human realms, the people living in human situations that are hellish situations and that's a hell realm as far as I'm concerned. Report an error in the passage at 35:22 Highlight the passage at 35:22

35:19 and then suddenly the house became a homeowner. Report an error in the passage at 35:19 Highlight the passage at 35:19

35:42 Even in a situation of domestic violence, somebody probably within this neighborhood is in a hell room right now, which is heavy to think about. So just because we can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. And that helps my mind kind of get my mind around these whole little like, you know, gods and hell beings and pretas and all that stuff. Report an error in the passage at 35:42 Highlight the passage at 35:42

36:10 So just because I can't see it. I think the Buddha actually did take a couple of doubting students with them and went to the hells and showed it to them and then brought them back. And I always think, God, that would be kind of, I mean, talk about getting rid of your doubt in an instant, you know. You'd just be like, come on, you know, I'll show it to you. The rest of us, we kind of figure out, like, whether we can trust the source, and if we can trust the source, then at least we can take it with a grain of salt and hope that at some point we can understand it more without having to go there. Report an error in the passage at 36:10 Highlight the passage at 36:10

36:41 So serving a spiritual teacher properly means that we won't go to the lower realms. Again, if we're following the teacher's advice and we're purifying and we're accumulating merit and so forth, that's really what's going to keep us from falling to the lower realm. So it's not like he's going to swoop in, he or she's going to swoop in and save us, although they might. Report an error in the passage at 36:41 Highlight the passage at 36:41

37:10 I mean, I have heard stories like that, you know. So they do say one of the best things, of course, to do as you're dying is to take refuge, you know. And I always think that the one that I can imagine taking refuge in is Rinpoche, you know, because, of course, I can generate the mind of refuge a little more slowly in the morning by thinking about the qualities of the Buddha and the qualities of the Dharma, which is the real refuge and the qualities of the Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 37:10 Highlight the passage at 37:10

37:36 But Rinpoche is the one I want with me for that process. So when there's turbulence on the plane, I take refuge in Rinpoche because I want him to swoop in, you know. I don't know if he can. I think he can. But I want him there. So I practice. I practice at those moments because that's what's really going to protect our minds. Report an error in the passage at 37:36 Highlight the passage at 37:36

37:58 The eighth one is we'll achieve all of our temporary and ultimate aims effortlessly. Talk about a good advertisement, right? Report an error in the passage at 37:58 Highlight the passage at 37:58

38:09 Which is getting back to the fact that serving a guru is the root of all of our qualities. And that's why, you know, the foundation of all good qualities. So that first stanza of the foundation of all good qualities is simply saying that this experience or this practice of serving a teacher once you've found them is the source of all of your attainments, your spiritual attainments. Report an error in the passage at 38:09 Highlight the passage at 38:09

38:36 And temporary. So when they say temporary, that usually means worldly ones too. So things will improve on a worldly sense as well as on a spiritual sense. So there's another translation of that first verse that I absolutely love. And it's called the source of all my good instead of the foundation of all good qualities. Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

38:59 And it goes like this. The source of all my good is my kind Lama, my Lord. Bless me first to see that taking myself to him in the proper way is the very root of the path. And grant me then to serve and follow him with all my strength and reverence. Report an error in the passage at 38:59 Highlight the passage at 38:59

39:20 Okay, so the disadvantages, and then I'll go back through and make sure nobody missed anything. The disadvantages of those are the inverse, so we'll spend less time on those, but you won't get closer to Buddhahood because you're continuing to follow your own deluded thoughts. Instead of the advice that you're given due to what? Pride probably, anger, disrespect, like whatever your reasoning is. Report an error in the passage at 39:20 Highlight the passage at 39:20

39:47 Laziness probably by and large laziness. Forgetfulness. I mean it doesn't have to be like these huge strongly negative things. Sometimes they're just like oops I forgot. You won't get closer to Buddhahood so your qualities won't improve. forgot. Report an error in the passage at 39:47 Highlight the passage at 39:47

40:05 You won't please the Buddhas because you're just continuing to do whatever you want to do instead of helping others or helping the Dharma or helping your teachers' projects. Report an error in the passage at 40:05 Highlight the passage at 40:05

40:21 Demons can harm you. Your car will break down. The train will break down. It didn't break down today. Report an error in the passage at 40:21 Highlight the passage at 40:21

40:37 You will suddenly decide, maybe I won't go, I'll just watch that movie. Report an error in the passage at 40:37 Highlight the passage at 40:37

40:44 It's too difficult to get there. Whenever I think about how the little old ladies in Tibet will go climb over a mountain with one leg, prostrating, just to see His Holiness. And we're like, I don't know, like 30 minutes on the train. I just forget it. I can't. And it's just, I mean, it's amazing, really, when you think about it. Report an error in the passage at 40:44 Highlight the passage at 40:44

41:08 And you see some of those at His Holiness' teachings. And they just, the entire time, they're just... They're so happy to be there, and they've got their little hands put together, and they're just like, you know, watching him with this amazing adoration, sometimes sobbing, you know. And they've just come from such a great distance just to see him, and it's just kind of like, you know. And we do that all the time, right? I mean, it's like, oh, it's a clash of ponies. Report an error in the passage at 41:08 Highlight the passage at 41:08

41:32 It's two hours away. Report an error in the passage at 41:32 Highlight the passage at 41:32

41:37 It's funny. So check out, check out. See if those demons are getting in there. You'll keep your mental afflictions. It's the fourth one. You'll keep those mental afflictions. Mental affliction is a translation of klesha. Sanskrit word is klesha. I love the word klesha. I just think it perfectly fits. Klesha attack is a mental affliction attack. It's like a MAC attack. Report an error in the passage at 41:37 Highlight the passage at 41:37

42:00 So that's like, you know, when that anger mind explodes and we just follow it. So not only will we keep our mental afflictions, but they'll grow. Report an error in the passage at 42:00 Highlight the passage at 42:00

42:13 And we'll talk about why, because that's a karmic thing too. If we don't purify negative karma, it not only stays there, which is bad enough, but it grows. It grows and grows and grows and grows. And they often talk about the idea of like an acorn versus an oak tree. Or any seed versus whatever it turns into. Report an error in the passage at 42:13 Highlight the passage at 42:13

42:37 And the same is true for us. The good thing is, is positive karma does that too. So it starts really small and then it gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger too. So having a really kind thought towards somebody, even if it's very, very tiny, those socks again, that can grow, you know, that can grow. Report an error in the passage at 42:37 Highlight the passage at 42:37

42:57 So if you don't have a lot of time or you don't have a lot of money and you want to help, helping in a tiny way with all of the proper motivations and the proper dedication can grow into something really, really big. So you don't always have to start at the top and offer your house or something. In fact, you're not supposed to because you'll regret it and that's even worse. Number five, your spiritual path won't develop because you're no longer following your path. Report an error in the passage at 42:57 Highlight the passage at 42:57

43:29 Number six, you'll lack a spiritual teacher in future lives because you haven't created those karmic causes. And Report an error in the passage at 43:29 Highlight the passage at 43:29

43:42 number seven, you can fall to the lower realms because you're not doing the virtuous actions that get you a positive rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 43:42 Highlight the passage at 43:42

43:53 In fact, you're probably doing non-virtuous actions. And number eight, you won't achieve any of your aims, temporary or ultimate. Report an error in the passage at 43:53 Highlight the passage at 43:53

44:07 Okay. So what did people miss? Do you want a repeat of the main eight of disadvantages? You'll keep your mental afflictions, and in fact, they will grow as pletia attacks. Report an error in the passage at 44:07 Highlight the passage at 44:07

44:32 No, that's number four. Number three is those demons can harm you. Report an error in the passage at 44:32 Highlight the passage at 44:32

44:42 Don't forget those demons. Report an error in the passage at 44:42 Highlight the passage at 44:42

44:48 Who else missed one? That might be the easiest way. Did anybody else miss eight of the advantages? We will achieve all temporary and ultimate aims effortlessly. Report an error in the passage at 44:48 Highlight the passage at 44:48

45:11 Two for advantages. You'll please the conquerors, or the Buddhas. You'll please the Buddhas. And that had two parts by fulfilling their aim. Report an error in the passage at 45:11 Highlight the passage at 45:11

45:21 And they will actually abide within your own guru. That's one of those woo-woo things, but I'm passing it on anyway. But just if you have, you'll please the Buddhists, that's fine. Report an error in the passage at 45:21 Highlight the passage at 45:21

45:36 I mean, it's not like I'm going to give a pop quiz or anything, but you never know. Anybody else miss one? Hey, come on in. Report an error in the passage at 45:36 Highlight the passage at 45:36

45:48 You missed all the advantages and disadvantages of serving a teacher, all of them. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I know, I know. Well, we're not just sitting here twiddling our thumbs, right? Geshe-la actually does that. Have you ever watched Geshe-la while he's sitting there? He's twiddling his thumbs. Report an error in the passage at 45:48 Highlight the passage at 45:48

46:14 In addition, there are disadvantages of improperly serving a Lama or letting your devotion lapse, which means you've already found one, you spent... I wish I saw that. Report an error in the passage at 46:14 Highlight the passage at 46:14

46:26 However long years checking up and then you become a disciple. So this isn't somebody that you just met yesterday. This is somebody that you spent a long time and then decided you wanted to enter this apprenticeship with basically. And then you let it turn. So you let your mind turn. And the first aspect of that is scorning that teacher. Report an error in the passage at 46:26 Highlight the passage at 46:26

46:54 And by scorning, that just means dissing them, right? Disrespecting them, disparaging them. I like dissing them because it, I think, kind of covers all the disses, right? Report an error in the passage at 46:54 Highlight the passage at 46:54

47:09 But scorn also sounds like something that you would never do. It's kind of like scorn is such a kind of an old-fashioned word. It doesn't sound like something that we do, whereas disrespecting or dissing somebody, it sounds like something that we might do. And this is actively. It's not like... You don't understand them one day or something like that. It really is you've, you're, in your mind you're disrespecting them, but often it goes, the next step is our speech, right? Report an error in the passage at 47:09 Highlight the passage at 47:09

47:35 So then we're like talking about, you know, with our friends at the coffee thing or something, you know, it's like, you know what I heard, you know? So it usually takes that next step, you know. Report an error in the passage at 47:35 Highlight the passage at 47:35

47:47 That's really, really heavy negative karma. Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches it that this is probably to protect our minds because our minds tend to be hypercritical as a rule. There might be one exception in this room. Or maybe you guys, of course, are all here, but it's probably from my mind. But he teaches it that basically this teaching may be to protect our minds from ourselves because we can be so critical of everyone, not... Report an error in the passage at 47:47 Highlight the passage at 47:47

48:21 Not just teachers, but of everyone that we see. But at any rate, it's best not to disregard or diss the teacher or scorn them, if you're having one of those days. They say, actually, by scorning the teacher, we scorn all of the Buddhas. Report an error in the passage at 48:21 Highlight the passage at 48:21

48:47 This one's kind of heavy. I always have to think, do I even want to teach this one? But I'm going to say it anyway. If we become angry with our guru, we remain in the hells for as many eons as moments of age. Report an error in the passage at 48:47 Highlight the passage at 48:47

49:07 Probably best not to. Very heavy to get angry with your guru once you have one. You can disagree with what they're asking you to do, and we'll talk about that in a few minutes actually. Report an error in the passage at 49:07 Highlight the passage at 49:07

49:20 There are ways to tell them that you can't do what they're asking, or that if you don't. Either you can't do it for some reason physically or whatever, or time-wise or whatever, or even if you are not understanding or even fully respecting whatever they're teaching, there are ways to handle that by protecting your mind so you don't go down the angle, go down the avenue of getting angry with them. Report an error in the passage at 49:20 Highlight the passage at 49:20

49:53 Best to protect your mind in that way. It is, of course, taught in all of the teachings that it's very heavy to get angry with anyone. And I think part of that is to protect us. Again, for those who did the book workshop, it's the concentric circle. If you're not getting angry with anybody, you'll never get angry with your teacher, you know, if you're on this outermost circle. Report an error in the passage at 49:53 Highlight the passage at 49:53

50:22 It's hard not to get angry with anybody, but in Shantideva, Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, in Chapter 6 on patience, patience is hugely taught. You have to develop patience to get enlightened. I know drag, right? Report an error in the passage at 50:22 Highlight the passage at 50:22

50:39 We don't know if somebody's a bodhisattva. We have no idea if somebody's a bodhisattva. So getting angry at anybody... Could mean they were getting angry at a bodhisattva and in that case it would destroy all of the merit that we've created up to that point. Report an error in the passage at 50:39 Highlight the passage at 50:39

51:00 I know. So they say better not to get angry at anybody because you just don't know. How can you know? I mean unless you have a clairvoyance, unless you develop clairvoyance. Report an error in the passage at 51:00 Highlight the passage at 51:00

51:11 So getting angry with our guru, this is somebody who if we've checked up on that person and he or she has the qualities that we're seeking. And that person is trying to help us, even if they're trying to help us as pushing our buttons, probably especially if they're trying to help us as pushing our buttons, then for us to get angry is really negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 51:11 Highlight the passage at 51:11

51:41 For the same reason that serving them is really positive karma. So it makes sense when you think about it, although it is really heavy to... To say out loud or to teach, and I'm sure to hear. Though we practice Tantra, we'll never attain the goal. In other words, it won't work. So if you're practicing really diligently but you're dissing your Lama, you know, it's not making sense, you know, much less scorning them to other people or disrespecting them to other people. Report an error in the passage at 51:41 Highlight the passage at 51:41

52:20 If the path is really what happens in your mind, it doesn't matter how many offerings on your altar, how pretty your altar looks or how beautifully you do your prostrations if you're dissing your Lama when you get up and go out of the room. So the most important thing is what you're doing in your mind, even if you have no altar, no offerings, no holy anything. Report an error in the passage at 52:20 Highlight the passage at 52:20

52:43 If you're working with your mind on a daily basis, then you're practicing. Report an error in the passage at 52:43 Highlight the passage at 52:43

52:54 There's another one. Even if we try to practice Tantra diligently, it's like we're putting all of our effort into trying to be reborn in the hell. Report an error in the passage at 52:54 Highlight the passage at 52:54

53:07 These are so hard to say. Again, it's just the same. Three and four, I think, are very close. Basically, one is just saying it's not going to work, and the other one is saying it's going to have the opposite result than what you want. I had one teacher say that, you know, that's actually one of the worst things because if we don't get the results that we're seeking because of the way we're practicing, then we lose respect for the practice as well. Report an error in the passage at 53:07 Highlight the passage at 53:07

53:36 And then we can also create a version of our minds towards the Dharma. And then we can then blah, blah, blah to other people. And then they'll, even if they have some sort of... A draw towards the Dharma, then they might be swayed. You might become somebody else's evil friend, right? Hang on, don't go to that. I tried that for 10 years. Report an error in the passage at 53:36 Highlight the passage at 53:36

53:57 It didn't work. And what didn't work about it is because you didn't actually work on your mind. You just, you know, did whatever, you know, the instructions were without starting at the very beginning and you didn't work with your mind. So it'll have the opposite result of what they're seeking. Report an error in the passage at 53:57 Highlight the passage at 53:57

54:16 If we disrespect our guru, we'll generate no new knowledge and whatever we have will degenerate, which is very close to some of the other ones that we've said. Report an error in the passage at 54:16 Highlight the passage at 54:16

54:29 And we'll be afflicted by diseases and other adversities, which of course you never know. So don't, you know, if you get sick with something, it could also be purification. So don't immediately assume you're doing something wrong. I won't get into that because that's the karma thing. But sometimes getting... Report an error in the passage at 54:29 Highlight the passage at 54:29

54:51 Sick or having other adversities, other things go wrong, problems and so forth, is actually a really good sign. Even though it seems like maybe you don't, Report an error in the passage at 54:51 Highlight the passage at 54:51

55:04 if you understand how karma works. In future lives we'll wander endlessly in the lower realms, which we've talked about this. Report an error in the passage at 55:04 Highlight the passage at 55:04

55:16 Again, if we're not creating the causes for positive reverse, then we won't get one. And again, we'll be without spiritual teachers in our future lives. Report an error in the passage at 55:16 Highlight the passage at 55:16

55:29 So some of these are repeats of the ones before, but they're worth saying. So the moral of the story seems to be spend a long time checking up and practicing and making sure this is exactly what you want to do. And then once you find that person, it's sort of like there's two aspects. One is... Report an error in the passage at 55:29 Highlight the passage at 55:29

55:55 Understanding the qualities that you're seeking and then taking time and finding that teacher who has them and then entering that relationship with the teacher. And then the second half is that once you've entered that, then just trying to do your best to properly serve that teacher. So it's sort of like there's the two aspects of it. Questions on that or missing? Report an error in the passage at 55:55 Highlight the passage at 55:55

56:21 There were actually eight of that last one, too. I don't know. I just didn't do the numbers. Did anyone miss some? Do you want me to repeat the main title? I see confusion in some people's eyes. Yeah, that's okay. Report an error in the passage at 56:21 Highlight the passage at 56:21

56:45 Oh, okay. Yeah, this is all the way that Babanka Rinpoche phrased it. If we become angry with our guru, we remain in the hells for as many eons as moments of anger. Report an error in the passage at 56:45 Highlight the passage at 56:45

57:04 If we become angry with our guru, we remain in the hells for as many eons as moments of anger. Report an error in the passage at 57:04 Highlight the passage at 57:04

57:26 This little like song in the background. Did you miss one time? Report an error in the passage at 57:26 Highlight the passage at 57:26

57:36 Even if we try to practice tantra diligently, it's like we're putting all of our effort into trying to be reborn in the hells. So we won't get the result that we're seeking. Report an error in the passage at 57:36 Highlight the passage at 57:36

57:52 So these keep talking about tantra because I think most of these heavy teachings... actually come from the Tantras. Report an error in the passage at 57:52 Highlight the passage at 57:52

58:01 is very advanced, that's why they're called advanced teachings. Report an error in the passage at 58:01 Highlight the passage at 58:01

58:08 else me? Report an error in the passage at 58:08 Highlight the passage at 58:08

58:14 So we're going to start talking about the qualities of teachers, which is a little more fun. Let me get that out of the way and then we start looking for qualities. Report an error in the passage at 58:14 Highlight the passage at 58:14

58:26 Traditionally there are ten qualities that are taught and I was thinking about just asking people what qualities they I would think, but I think we're sort of running a little bit out of time, so you should definitely bear that in mind because there might be individual qualities that aren't mentioned that are qualities that you would seek in a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 58:26 Highlight the passage at 58:26

58:50 For example, if you really, really feel like you need to learn to focus or something like that, then you might need to find a teacher who's very focused or something like that. But there are general qualities. There's ten qualities and then... It gets lessened to, well, at least six in this degenerate age. And then at the very least, you have to have three. So it sort of goes like that. Report an error in the passage at 58:50 Highlight the passage at 58:50

59:15 So we'll do that. The ten qualities of a spiritual master. So the first three really come down to the three higher trainings. They have to have mastered the three higher trainings. So subdued, when you see the first one is subdued, they're talking about ethically subdued. The first... Report an error in the passage at 59:15 Highlight the passage at 59:15

59:36 So they're ethical. They should practice ethics. And we'll talk about what that means, but basically they should be following the law of cause and effect, that form of ethics. Report an error in the passage at 59:36 Highlight the passage at 59:36

59:58 Subdued is the way they say that. Peaceful. So subdued is talking about your mind is subdued. Peaceful. Is talking about being a good meditator or having the higher training in meditation. So the first one is the higher training in ethics, the second one is the higher training in meditation. Meaning that they've attained meditative stabilization or calm abiding. But at the very least that they can deeply meditate. Report an error in the passage at 59:58 Highlight the passage at 59:58

1:00:31 Because that's one of the biggest methods that we use on the path. So if they can't meditate. They can't help you meditate. If they've actually attained calm abiding, then that means they're also clairvoyant, but that's another issue. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:31 Highlight the passage at 1:00:31

1:00:50 It's going to be useful, but also frightening. Very peaceful is the way they phrase number three. It means having a higher training in wisdom. In this case means a good intellectual understanding of emptiness, an Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

1:01:12 intellectual understanding of emptiness. And when we talk about emptiness, we did talk about it in the previous class, and we do talk about it sort of periodically in this one, in the relationship with karma. The thing that allows karma to work is emptiness. The fact that things don't exist in some inherent, unchangeable, concrete way, which is unfortunately the way it feels like things exist. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:12 Highlight the passage at 1:01:12

1:01:39 It feels like I exist that way. I am what I am. I can't change. I can't change. As Popeye would say. But fortunately that's not true. We can change. Everything does change whether we like it or not. Everything around us physically changes. Our mind is changing all the time. And so the deeper the understanding, we have to study this for many, many, many hours, classroom hours. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:39 Highlight the passage at 1:01:39

1:02:11 To gain this really good intellectual understanding of emptiness. So we're seeking somebody who has put in the hours, who understands it. Number four I'd like, and I would hope that this would be a basic bottom line, they should have spiritual qualities superior to yours. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:11 Highlight the passage at 1:02:11

1:02:32 Useful, that one's useful. Spiritual qualities superior to yours. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:32 Highlight the passage at 1:02:32

1:02:42 Some of this seems commonsensical, but needs to be said. Number five is one of my personal favorites. They should be energetic about their practice. So they should, when there is one of the six perfections that works for the first, it's kind of right in the middle and it works for the first few and it works for the last few and it's joyful effort. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:42 Highlight the passage at 1:02:42

1:03:09 And joyful effort is really talking about this delighting or taking joy in spiritual practice or spiritual activity. So, um, it's... What we're looking for is somebody who has that. So if somebody is like, well, let's do a thousand offerings, they don't go, you know, like I probably would. Oh, God, that's going to take forever, you know. They like leap up and they're like the first one to get the table out and, you know, and they're just all excited about it, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:09 Highlight the passage at 1:03:09

1:03:43 It's like Rinpoche, when Rinpoche, when you watch Rinpoche, he's just, he's thrilled to go out and like, you know, set up. Four billion offerings because, you know, Chitma Rinpoche is arriving at midnight or something, you know, so that's the kind of energy that you want because that's going to fuel your energy towards your own practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:43 Highlight the passage at 1:03:43

1:04:02 If that person's like, ah, forget it, let's just go watch a movie, you know, then it's not going to fuel your energy. You're looking for somebody who's got that energy. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:02 Highlight the passage at 1:04:02

1:04:13 They're learned in scripture. And scripture in this case really is like all of the sutras, all of the commentaries on the sutras, all of the writings of the great masters over the last 2,500 years. It's been quite a lot written and they should be able to draw on those. They should know, they should have studied those in some sense, maybe not in this lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:13 Highlight the passage at 1:04:13

1:04:41 But sometimes somebody isn't a learned... Excuse me, person in this life. In other words, they don't have a degree. They aren't a gesche, but they have studied on their own or they have restudied. Like, you know, when they first studied with somebody, it makes sense and it comes back to them, which is sort of due to past life. So learned in scripture means they're drawing on past masters, not just making up stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:41 Highlight the passage at 1:04:41

1:05:14 Number seven is a little hard to find, but... The way it's actually written is they have realized suchness. They've realized emptiness. This is talking about an experience, having the direct perception of emptiness. How can you tell? They don't say. Are they living ethically? Are they living according to karma? Report an error in the passage at 1:05:14 Highlight the passage at 1:05:14

1:05:38 Having a direct perception of emptiness should make you follow karma even more. And direct perception of emptiness is what happens on that. That middle path, that path of seeing. It's a very interesting path. The first two paths are eons long, many lifetimes. We're accumulating merit, we're preparing to have this direct perception of emptiness, we're studying, we're creating the merit to do it, we're studying, learning from different teachers, we're contemplating and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:38 Highlight the passage at 1:05:38

1:06:08 The path of seeing could be as short as 20 minutes. You go into this deep, deep, deep state of meditation, which is why you have to be able to meditate, and you have this completely experiential, non-conceptual realization of how the Buddha explained that reality exists. You come out of that completely changed. It's like the mind stream is completely different. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:08 Highlight the passage at 1:06:08

1:06:37 It enters the meditation and comes out almost like a different color. And you don't have to say, did that happen? You know it happened. You don't have to ask your teacher, I think maybe blah, blah, blah. You know it happened. At least this is what I've heard. And once it happens, you actually have this whole, for the whole rest of that day that that happens, and you have this whole succession of all these realizations where you get that all these teachings actually are true. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:37 Highlight the passage at 1:06:37

1:07:13 And you see your own, like how many lifetimes it's going to be until you get enlightened. So you have no more doubt anymore. It's very cool. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:13 Highlight the passage at 1:07:13

1:07:22 And then the other paths take a long time. Then you have to get used to that and you have to apply that direct realization to all of the mental afflictions, all that anger, all that jealousy, all the depression, whatever your personal favorite flavors of Kaleisha's are. That direction, that direct perception of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:22 Highlight the passage at 1:07:22

1:07:42 We'll dissolve them all, but you have to put in the time of applying it over and over and over. So you go back into that deep state of meditation to have that direct perception of emptiness over and over and over again. And each time you come out, it's almost like you're schizophrenic, where the world still looks concrete the way we see it now, but you know it doesn't exist that way anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:42 Highlight the passage at 1:07:42

1:08:06 You don't buy it anymore. Throw it at me. I know you guys don't really exist this way. But you have to keep going into the deep state of meditation to be able to perceive it that way until you're a Buddha. Or I should say, actually, until you're an Arhat. Once you have attained nirvāṇa or full enlightenment, then you don't. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:06 Highlight the passage at 1:08:06

1:08:29 Then Buddhas actually see both things simultaneously. So they see things the way we see it, but then they also see it the way it really is. Which gives them compassion for us because we see things so solid. It's very interesting. Anyway, so our teachers have to have realized suchness. And all we can do with some of these is to watch them and to try to see how they live, how they teach. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:08:58 Are they trying to get us to create positive karma? Are they trying to get us to avoid creating negative karma? That's also living in accordance with the rules of karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:58 Highlight the passage at 1:08:58

1:09:09 Number eight is endowed with eloquence. They're a skillful teacher. They can teach to all levels of students, so not just the really, really, really high ones, but the kind of goofballs in the back row or the person who shows up only every 10 months and asks the same question and then disappears. Can they reach that person too? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:09 Highlight the passage at 1:09:09

1:09:39 I like watching Geshe-la teach, especially in classes like a Sunday morning class, because you do get all levels. And he never, ever, ever disrespects whatever the question is. Whoever's translating might, but Geshe-la never does. And I've heard him get some really out there questions. And in fact, all of us are like, you know, and making faces and just like, I can't believe she asked that. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:39 Highlight the passage at 1:09:39

1:10:02 And after a couple of years, she just don't anymore, because... You realize that every question that he gets, he's going to give the same amount of consideration and the same amount of respect that he would if it were like the highest gesche asking some incredibly logical question, blah, blah, blah. And he always gives an answer that makes that person happy. Like I might not understand the answer in relationship to the question, but if that person's happy, that's what matters. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:02 Highlight the passage at 1:10:02

1:10:30 And it's very skillful. I think that's quite skillful. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:30 Highlight the passage at 1:10:30

1:10:36 The ninth one is compassionate nature. Their main motivation for teaching should be love and compassion, concern for their students. That should be their main motivation. Obviously not making money, not getting a house, fancy shiny car. How do you know, right? Again, you just got to watch them, you know. You just got to watch them and listen, think about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:36 Highlight the passage at 1:10:36

1:11:06 And the last one is the tireless. They never tire of teaching. They never get discouraged with their students. Again, getting the same questions over and over and over again. And he never gets disappointed in us. He just repeats the answer, you know, over and over. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:06 Highlight the passage at 1:11:06

1:11:27 He doesn't, you know, he doesn't get tired. He just keeps showing up, you know. I mean, he's nearly 80. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:27 Highlight the passage at 1:11:27

1:11:37 And it's not like he goes to the Bahamas in his time off. He just goes to other teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:37 Highlight the passage at 1:11:37

1:11:48 It's very interesting. Rinpoche is like that too. Even when doctors tell him to rest, unless there can be something else happening, like they might say, well, Rinpoche could do a little retreat, and then he might agree or something like that. So they have to phrase it. you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:48 Highlight the passage at 1:11:48

1:12:08 That's when the disciples have to become skillful. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:08 Highlight the passage at 1:12:08

1:12:14 So in this degenerate age, they say, it's hard for us to find all ten. So we have to at least look for five. I think I said six earlier. It should be five. That's when I should wear my glasses. They should at least have the first three, the higher trainings in ethics, meditation and wisdom, subdued, peaceful and very peaceful. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:14 Highlight the passage at 1:12:14

1:12:38 That's what it's called. They should at least have the last. The second to last one, they should be compassionate. Their main motivation for teaching should be a concern for us. And they should have a realization of emptiness. Well, that's hard. Again, I think what we can look for is somebody who at least had experience meditating on emptiness for many, many, many years. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:38 Highlight the passage at 1:12:38

1:13:09 So they have that experience that they can help train us with. And at the very least, they should have three. More virtues than faults. Again, I would hope. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:09 Highlight the passage at 1:13:09

1:13:25 According to whom? According to you. So this is where you have to trust your own mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:25 Highlight the passage at 1:13:25

1:13:33 Because you might have the karma of perceiving more virtues than that being. And, you know, somebody else could only see faults. That's according to their karma. It's not absolute. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:33 Highlight the passage at 1:13:33

1:13:47 More virtues than faults. They give more importance to future lives than the present life. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:47 Highlight the passage at 1:13:47

1:13:58 So, I mean, they actually say we're not even fully a Buddhist unless we're more concerned about the future life. Because we're living, otherwise we're just living for, and in Buddhism it's really important for us to think where we might be able to continue to do this practice in the past. If we get enlightened in this lifetime, no problem. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:58 Highlight the passage at 1:13:58

1:14:22 But for most of us, we want to be able to get the conditions so that we can just kind of hit the ground running, so to speak. You see people born into Buddhist families in this country and they can start studying really young. And the same, of course, with the little kids in Tibet. If you're born into a situation where everybody encouraged you to study karma or encourage you to go off and become a monk or nun. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:50 Whereas in our culture, it's more rare. But now there are second and third generation Buddhists in those entries. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:50 Highlight the passage at 1:14:50

1:15:00 And the third one is more concerned about others than themselves. Again, according to who, according to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:00 Highlight the passage at 1:15:00

1:15:12 You've just got to watch them. There's no shortcut, you know. But at the very least, having those three. And of course, Babanka Rinpoche adds two more. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:12 Highlight the passage at 1:15:12

1:15:25 He, again, it's always in the word of he, but he or she is never careless about what they do, say or think. Everything that they do and say, even in passing, is a teaching, if it's a real teacher. Nothing's wasted. So even a little side comment at the airport. You're always like, what? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:25 Highlight the passage at 1:15:25

1:15:51 I always have to write down stuff. did I say, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:51 Highlight the passage at 1:15:51

1:15:55 You know, if suddenly Rinpoche calls me over, I'm just like, just write it down, you know, or bring a friend, you know, because otherwise I'll forget and I don't want to get it because everything, he might just say like, you know, how's your mother or something, but then the very next thing could be some major piece of advice, you know, so nothing is wasted word, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:55 Highlight the passage at 1:15:55

1:16:17 If he says something like, where are you staying or something like that, then it's usually just to calm you down. And then he's going to jump into the main aspect of it. So, yeah, good to be ready. And finally, he or she should never lead their disciples along the path that's mistaken. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:17 Highlight the passage at 1:16:17

1:16:40 Going against the Buddhist teachings. Doing something that doesn't feel right. And we're going to talk about that more in detail in the later classes. If you see your teacher doing something that doesn't feel right, what do you do with that? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:40 Highlight the passage at 1:16:40

1:16:57 Okay, so anybody need one of the ten? Subdued. Peaceful, very peaceful. These are three higher trainings. Spiritual qualities superior to yours, even a little bit. Energetic about their practice. Learned in scripture. Realized emptiness or realized suchness. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:57 Highlight the passage at 1:16:57

1:17:26 Endowed with eloquence. Skillful teacher. Compassionate nature, meaning that they're motivated by love and compassion for their students. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:26 Highlight the passage at 1:17:26

1:17:38 And never tire of teaching. Those are the ten. And then at the very least, you have the same first three, and then compassionate nature and realization of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:38 Highlight the passage at 1:17:38

1:17:54 And at the very least, three, more virtues than faults, giving more importance to future lives than the present life, meaning just karma, practicing karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:54 Highlight the passage at 1:17:54

1:18:08 More concerned about others than themselves. And then Pablanca Rinpoche added, never careless. Especially what they do and say. We don't know what they think, right? I don't. I don't have that realization. But using everything to teach. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:08 Highlight the passage at 1:18:08

1:18:33 And never leading your disciples down a mistaken path. Meaning especially nothing that goes against what the Buddha taught. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:33 Highlight the passage at 1:18:33

1:18:46 Especially and then labeling it Buddhism. So then there's a quote by... The Buddha from the Tantra requested by Subahu, giving the qualities of a Tantric teacher in these degenerate times. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:46 Highlight the passage at 1:18:46

1:19:06 They should have, and I'm not going to do it as a list because it's just a quote, but I'll read it twice. They should have intelligence, a good appearance, great purity, be of reputable lineage and inclined toward the teachings, have great confidence, perseverance, and have disciplined the senses. They should speak pleasantly, be generous and compassionate, forbear hunger, thirst and the afflictions. They should be focused, adept, grateful to their teachers and have faith in the three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:06 Highlight the passage at 1:19:06

1:19:42 Since those who have all such qualities are very rare in this age of degeneration, mantra practitioners should rely on those with one half, one quarter. Or at least one-eighth of these qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:42 Highlight the passage at 1:19:42

1:19:59 I love that. Does anybody want me to read that again? Okay. They should have intelligence, a good appearance, great purity, be of reputable lineage and inclined towards the teachings. I would hope. Have great confidence, perseverance, and have disciplined the senses. They should speak pleasantly. Be generous and compassionate. Forbear hunger, thirst and the afflictions. They should be focused, adept, grateful to their teachers and have faith in the three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:59 Highlight the passage at 1:19:59

1:20:36 Since those who have all such qualities are very rare in this age of degeneration, mantra practitioners should rely on those with one half, one quarter or at least one eighth of these qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:36 Highlight the passage at 1:20:36

1:20:52 So why don't we take a break after that. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:52 Highlight the passage at 1:20:52

1:21:03 Ponder those things in your heart. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:03 Highlight the passage at 1:21:03

· · · silence, 3 minutes

1:23:46 Sorry? Report an error in the passage at 1:23:46 Highlight the passage at 1:23:46

1:24:14 Oh, you're welcome. Sorry, it took me a couple of days. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:14 Highlight the passage at 1:24:14

1:24:20 That's right, I know, I know. I was really happy that we were getting to that. is actually green tea. I'll swallow this and then just get water. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:20 Highlight the passage at 1:24:20

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:23:44 turn my head around? need to be doing more. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:44 Highlight the passage at 1:23:44

1:24:05 Leave me on the altar. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:05 Highlight the passage at 1:24:05

1:24:35 How's the new house? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:35 Highlight the passage at 1:24:35

1:24:41 Shocking. You haven't done them all? Come on, Lisa. Slacker. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:41 Highlight the passage at 1:24:41

1:24:51 Really? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:51 Highlight the passage at 1:24:51

1:25:02 Then you would be doing that commute together? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:02 Highlight the passage at 1:25:02

1:25:07 Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah, so then the traffic pattern. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:07 Highlight the passage at 1:25:07

1:25:25 Right. That'd be great. That's right. That's right. I just got some emails from her, actually. She's doing a retreat in Spain. But she sent all these pictures of Burma. She did this kind of a... blacker? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:25 Highlight the passage at 1:25:25

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:25:41 Sounded like a boot camp kind of retreat, which of course sounds like her. I was like, if anybody's going to do it. But then she followed up with all these pictures of her in Burma and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:41 Highlight the passage at 1:25:41

1:25:57 She sounds like she's doing good. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:57 Highlight the passage at 1:25:57

1:26:02 Well, and I don't know, do you know Betty? Do you know Betty Grayson? Do you know her? At that one, Pooja? Yeah. At the shooting. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's in transplant. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, but she's definitely daytime. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:02 Highlight the passage at 1:26:02

1:26:31 Yeah, yeah. I Report an error in the passage at 1:26:31 Highlight the passage at 1:26:31

1:26:38 think she's going to retire in a few years. Another two or three. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:38 Highlight the passage at 1:26:38

1:26:54 What's that? Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:54 Highlight the passage at 1:26:54

1:27:07 I can't say we couldn't ever do it because, you know, obviously we might have to, but it would be hard. I mean, even not just post the treatment, but I've just always been like a really morning person. Oh, well, then that's helpful. Yeah, oh, that's right, right. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:07 Highlight the passage at 1:27:07

1:27:31 That helps. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:31 Highlight the passage at 1:27:31

1:27:44 What's that? You mean like an offering? You do that one mantra that I sent out. Do you remember that one that's, yeah. at Eden Payne-A-Ren-A-Payne-A-N-A-Payne-A-N-Payne-A-N, so, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:44 Highlight the passage at 1:27:44

1:27:58 Email me again if you can't find that email and I'll send it to you again. And then you blow on it. So like if it's an apple, you know, you just do that. Or even at the end of the day if you're going to drink the water or going to give the water to the kitty or something like that, to blow that on there. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:58 Highlight the passage at 1:27:58

1:28:13 It's supposed to purify that kind of grasping mind, I think. That makes us like look at the chocolate bar and go, at the end of the day I'm going to take that off and then I get to eat it. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:13 Highlight the passage at 1:28:13

1:28:23 We're trying to get rid of that mind. Yeah, but yeah, just email me again if you can't find it and I'll send it to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:23 Highlight the passage at 1:28:23

1:28:37 Thank you, Anne. I didn't even have to remind you. Jenna's not going to get her job back if you're doing it so well. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:37 Highlight the passage at 1:28:37

1:28:50 Okay, so the purpose of spending all this time talking about the qualities is so that, obviously, so we know what to look for in a teacher. don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:50 Highlight the passage at 1:28:50

1:29:02 And we know what to develop in terms of our karmic perception of a teacher. We're going to talk about that for a second. And then we also know what we want to develop in ourselves. These are the qualities that we want to ultimately attain in order to get enlightened, these same qualities. But first of all, obviously, we want to find them in a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:02 Highlight the passage at 1:29:02

1:29:28 So karmically, we might perceive... If we have really good karma, we might find somebody with three qualities. If we have even better karma, we might see somebody with six. And if we have really good karma, we might see somebody with all ten. And that's according to our karma. Does that person inherently or not inherently have those qualities? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:28 Highlight the passage at 1:29:28

1:30:04 If we understand how karma and emptiness works, that person is empty. Even the Dalai Lama is empty of having inherent qualities or inherent... It's a negative of quality. I can never think of a negative of quality. Bad traits. Bad characteristics. So, for example, somebody with pretty reasonable karma might think His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a really friendly guy that they saw in Time magazine. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:04 Highlight the passage at 1:30:04

1:30:36 Like my mom. That was her karma with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She respected him. She thought he looked really friendly. She, for some reason, always thought I worked for him. Which was not a bad thing, you know. She brought it up with all the other people that she lived with at the assisted living place, you know, which is really sweet. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:36 Highlight the passage at 1:30:36

1:30:58 But, you know, she didn't have the karma to see him as a teacher. She didn't have the karma to actually go and attend teachings with him. And then some of us have the karma to go and attend those teachings and think that he's a really good teacher but maybe not understand anything. And then some people have the karma to go and actually understand it and it changes their lives. And then some people have the karma to actually go and perceive him as a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:58 Highlight the passage at 1:30:58

1:31:27 Again, those two Geshes in the front row whose eyes are like this or that little lady who's got her little hands together and she's just overcome with this devotion. Her karma with him might be really different than my karma. Or then you hear about somebody who goes who spends all this money on a really good seat and they have the karma and have a big column in front of them the entire time or the speaker doesn't work for just that one seat or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:27 Highlight the passage at 1:31:27

1:31:57 Karma is all about the fact that we have co-created whatever the experience is. And it's true for our teachers as well. It's true for our headaches. It's true for our teachers. It's true for our parking space. It's true for the Dharma Center. It's true for the teachers that come to the Dharma Center. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:57 Highlight the passage at 1:31:57

1:32:15 We have the karma to create it all and not create it all. And the other thing is you can kind of work backwards into it. If you have taken somebody on as a teacher and you've already taken them on as a teacher, then you kind of have to work with your own mind about this. If you're contemplating these qualities and you're not able to see all of those qualities, they say that first we see, we have to look and see, like for example, if I don't see my teacher as a meditator, then I need to meditate more. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:15 Highlight the passage at 1:32:15

1:32:53 If I see my teacher as impatient, I need to work on my own patience and like that. So it's very much like we do with karma in the rest of our lives. If we're experiencing money problems, then we need to work on generosity. So we figure out the karmic causes of whatever the situation that we're in and we work on those. The same is true seeking a teacher and the same is true once we've found a teacher and we're trying to work with our mind around that teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:53 Highlight the passage at 1:32:53

1:33:26 So you can look, if for example I don't see, it looks like my teacher isn't being compassionate, I need to work on my compassion. We need to work on our own mind and the karma that we're creating that causes us to see that. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:26 Highlight the passage at 1:33:26

1:33:45 So what do we do once we've found a teacher, a spiritual teacher? And I think Shanti asked this question, it's interesting that she's not here. But anyway, I think I answered it for her again on the break. But she asked this question in the class, and then I think we talked about it more on the break. But first of all, there is that question of if somebody is humble and doesn't broadcast their qualities, how are you going to see their qualities? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:45 Highlight the passage at 1:33:45

1:34:18 And that's just what I was just saying. You just have to watch over time. I think it's useful to not just look at their students, but maybe even talk to their students. What has knowing that teacher done for your mind and your life and your practice? So don't be afraid to ask them. Well, maybe not the first time you come to class, but maybe check up on the students too and be like, I'm going to talk to that guy. He looks nice or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:18 Highlight the passage at 1:34:18

1:34:44 And then talk to them a little bit about what their relationship with that particular teacher has done for them. Again, it's karma too. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:44 Highlight the passage at 1:34:44

1:34:54 If that student has really thrown themselves into it and practiced everything that the teacher has given them to do, then their karma may be different than the one who just kind of hangs out in the back and scribbles notes to the person next to them or texts or whatever during the class. So those two people could have attended the same teachings for the same amount of years and have a completely different relationship with the teacher too. It's probably good to check up and see if you see a student who... Report an error in the passage at 1:34:54 Highlight the passage at 1:34:54

1:35:23 Looks like maybe somebody with qualities. You know what I mean? Like somebody that you want to ask and then talk to them. But totally fine to do. And then what do you do once you've recognized? So now you've spent all this time. You've found this teacher. You have this connection. It feels like it's that moment. Do you go and talk to that teacher and ask them if you can become their student? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:23 Highlight the passage at 1:35:23

1:35:52 Do you ask them if they... If they'll become your teacher. I love the expressions on your face, Terry. The grimace. Just like, oh God. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:52 Highlight the passage at 1:35:52

1:36:05 There's mixed feelings about this. I actually didn't know you were supposed to do this, so I never did with any of my teachers. For me, it was something that happened in my mind. It was very private. It felt reciprocated. And I just kind of went on, you know. And I think I mentioned in the beginning class that after I recognized that Rinpoche was my teacher, I didn't say the words. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:05 Highlight the passage at 1:36:05

1:36:34 I didn't use the word guru for like a couple of years, probably a couple of years. And the first time I did, it was in a letter. It was the opening, my holy precious guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:34 Highlight the passage at 1:36:34

1:36:51 And I remember that meeting with him because he didn't open the letter. He put his hand on the letter and then the whole thing changed. And it was just shifted. It was, again, I went into that meeting in one state with one experience of one. I still consider him my teacher even in that, going into that meeting. But coming out, it was like I was a disciple, you know. I had gone from being a student to being a disciple. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:51 Highlight the passage at 1:36:51

1:37:24 And I can't say that nothing was said, but it felt more like it was almost like a mental experience. But I have known people who have recognized that somebody is their teacher, and especially, you know, they've, for example, living for many years with all the different people who came in and out of residence at the center and worked there and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:24 Highlight the passage at 1:37:24

1:37:45 You would know when the various people were going to make this. And I remember this one woman. Who recognized Rinpoche as her teacher and talked to Rinpoche about it. And Rinpoche was like, oh, you know, of course, Rinpoche was like, oh, you have to make an offering to them. They represent the Buddha's body, speech, and mind. I mean, it was like this whole thing and there was going to be a tray and she got the mandala and all of this stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:45 Highlight the passage at 1:37:45

1:38:11 And I was like, you know, I didn't know we had to do all that, you know. And I think probably, you know, I always think, you know, when we do these little, like, kind of faux pas, that it shows up on our tankas later when we get enlightened. And so that'll be me, and I'll be just writing the note, like, at the bottom of the tanka, and everyone will be like, what does this mean on the bottom? Meanwhile, Tiziana's will be this, she'll have this great, you know, amazing tray of all these gifts and stuff, you know, with Rubina maybe walking along behind her. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:11 Highlight the passage at 1:38:11

1:38:42 So I think you can, and then probably everything in between. You know, I mean, I've also heard of people who just simply, you know, send them a letter and say, you know, will you be my teacher? Or, can I be your disciple? I actually also heard of somebody who went to a teacher and asked, and that person said, no. Which, yeah, exactly. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:42 Highlight the passage at 1:38:42

1:39:07 That's what you're afraid of, right? It's like asking somebody out, right? But worse. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:07 Highlight the passage at 1:39:07

1:39:16 Right, right. But he said, the reasoning he said is, I'm not your teacher, your teacher's coming. And he sent that person to Lama Tsongkhapa. So he knew, you know, and it's very interesting. I actually, I find that very, very interesting. Yeah, and I'm sure that happens more than once. It just happened that I overheard that whole scene. So it's mixed. I think you can do it in either way. Whatever feels right to you, I think, is probably fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:16 Highlight the passage at 1:39:16

1:39:47 I would say probably it is probably better to ask, but not having done that, I can't very well do what I say and not what I do. It worked for me. I was already meeting with Rinpoche at that point, actually, to ask for advice on what to do about things, and I mentioned that, I think, in earlier classes. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:47 Highlight the passage at 1:39:47

1:40:11 Sometimes you're in this situation where Two or three or even four or five things. I remember once I gave him a list of like six things. They all are virtuous. They all seem like a really good thing to do. I don't know which is the better thing to do. And so I would go to him with like these various things. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:11 Highlight the passage at 1:40:11

1:40:35 This is of course when I wanted to go live anywhere but the center. And he kept coming back with, you have very, very, very strong karma. Very, very, very strong karma. It would always be like that. I would say, I have seven possibilities. Like this and this and this and this. So I asked him, you know, because I trusted him. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:35 Highlight the passage at 1:40:35

1:41:05 I had checked up. I believe he had the wisdom. And then I also want to get enlightened. So those things are, and I can't trust myself yet. I might choose something that's easier simply because it's easier or maybe in a sunny place. You know what I mean? It may not necessarily be for the right reasons because I'm not enlightened. And so that's why we go and ask teachers questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:05 Highlight the passage at 1:41:05

1:41:34 Also because I wanted to serve him in some capacity. I wanted to serve him. I wanted to serve the Dharma. Again, checking your motivation as well as you can, knowing that we're imperfect beings, but trying to have a good motivation. Not to go and just hear yourself talk and ask him for some light reason, so that you can tell your friends what you did on your Christmas break or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:34 Highlight the passage at 1:41:34

1:42:02 You really want to think about why you want to ask him the questions, whether you're going in person or whether you're sending him a letter. But if you've taken all this time to choose somebody and you believe that they have, If you have those capacities and you know that you don't, you know that they are superior in their practice to you, then why not ask them? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:02 Highlight the passage at 1:42:02

1:42:23 That's what I say. I know a lot of people are actually scared to ask Rinpoche anything because he's a taskmaster. I can't say that three times fast. He can often give you very... Seemingly difficult activities to do, like seven Nunez or something like that, just for an example. But if I really think he is who he is, why not give it a try? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:23 Highlight the passage at 1:42:23

1:43:00 I wouldn't have necessarily chosen that tool, right? But how do I know that it won't work? So that leads to another issue, and that's it's really poor form. To put it in a British sense, it's really poor form to go from teacher to teacher to teacher with the same question. Because it looks like basically you're going to keep asking until you get the answer that you really want to hear, which I think is usually what's going on there. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:00 Highlight the passage at 1:43:00

1:43:30 So if you go to a teacher and they give you some advice for a certain problem and you don't like it and you just keep going to other teachers, they actually say that's really bad karma. If you're going to ask somebody, You should wait and make a decision on who you're going to ask and know that you're willing to follow what they're going to say, even if they tell you to do a million prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:30 Highlight the passage at 1:43:30

1:43:53 So don't just ask the second it's in your head. Maybe think about it first. If it's a big one. I'm not saying don't ever go to Geshe-la and ask him how to get started on a daily practice or something. Of course you could do that. But I'm saying with something big like what should I do? Next year, you know, or something like that. Should I, you know, should I leave the center and do this or, you know, like something like that. Ask him a good question. Because if he gives you some advice and then you go, oh, forget that. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:53 Highlight the passage at 1:43:53

1:44:26 That's not good karma. And it sort of, it creates, again, the causes not to have teachers to ask the questions of. Now, if you get a result, I remember I went to a teacher who was actually, is my Lama, my... Refuge Lama and also my first tantric teacher. I went to him at a time that I felt like I had some obstacles to getting ordained because it took me all of like a couple of years. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:26 Highlight the passage at 1:44:26

1:44:58 There's obstacles. It's not happening immediately. So I went to him and he said, I know. His big smile on his face. He said, I know. He said, you can do 100,000 prostrations to Vajrasapha. And I said, oh. And I burst into tears because I was living in a sublet and I didn't have even any room in my room. I didn't even have room in my room to do them. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:58 Highlight the passage at 1:44:58

1:45:24 And I would sneak to the kitchen to do like my 21 a day and then run back out before my housemates got up. But I just didn't have the room. And so I explained to him, I said, you know, oh, you know, I can't do that and this is why. Because I remember this teaching. So this might come up for you at some point. If your teacher, if you go to a teacher and you ask and they give you advice that you can't do for some reason like that, like it's not just simple laziness, although I'm sure that was there too, but there's some physical reason that you can't do it, you know, or your whatever, the hours that you work or where you live or your knees out or whatever, just explain that's why. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:24 Highlight the passage at 1:45:24

1:46:10 However, after I did that, and I always thought, I was like, okay, at least I was like above board, you know, and told him. I remember talking with a student about that, and I said that afterwards, he always manifested not remembering my name. Ever since, this has been years, obviously, because I've been ordained now, 13, but... Report an error in the passage at 1:46:10 Highlight the passage at 1:46:10

1:46:29 But he's always manifested not knowing my name. And she goes, you have to do those hundred thousand. And then he's going to remember your name. So it's in my head to do. As soon as I finish my first hundred thousand for Rinpoche, then I'll do the second from Geshe Seppel. But at some point I will do that and then he'll manifest knowing my name. But I was above board. I was totally honest with him for the situation as I saw it. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:29 Highlight the passage at 1:46:29

1:46:52 And if that ever happens to you where they give you some advice, you've asked for some advice, they give you some advice that you can't do for some reason like that, just explain. That's totally respectful. They might still say, you know, still it may be better to move. You don't know what they're going to do with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:52 Highlight the passage at 1:46:52

1:47:11 But from your side to be as honest and to speak up and not to just go, like leave there going, oh my God, and not do it. It's better to just say something, you know. You're allowed to say something. So, yeah, that's important to mention. And it's important for us to know that we should give these things a try because they have this box of tools that we haven't really even begun to peek at. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:11 Highlight the passage at 1:47:11

1:47:42 And one of them might help. I mean, if things are karmically created and you change the karma through... I'm not sure what you're saying. I'm Report an error in the passage at 1:47:42 Highlight the passage at 1:47:42

1:47:50 Intense practice of some sort, the situation is going to change. So you just never know what advice they're going to give you. All you have to lose are your delusions and your ego. So I'm going to, I guess we've got a little bit more time. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:50 Highlight the passage at 1:47:50

1:48:13 I want to give you one more quote. Lama Tsongkhapa said this in a letter. Take your advice to a student. Take yourself to the ultimate spiritual guide, one who grasps reality, one who has controlled his senses, who takes your heart away as soon as you lay your eyes on him, the one that when you follow what he teaches, the good in you begins to flower and the bad begins to fade. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:13 Highlight the passage at 1:48:13

1:48:40 Isn't that beautiful? Take yourself to the ultimate spiritual guide, one who grasps your reality, meaning has... Direct perception of emptiness. One who has controlled his senses. One who takes your heart away as soon as you lay your eyes on him. The one that when you follow what he teaches, the good in you begins to flower and the bad begins to fade. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:40 Highlight the passage at 1:48:40

1:49:11 And then I'm going to end with a couple more quotes. And these, you'll get these in a couple of weeks as homework just to contemplate because some of them are just so profound, you know, that it's... But they're just beautiful, so I don't know what to do with them except to read them to you. So I just collect them and I read them. Geshe Potawat, one of the Kadampa Geshe's who followed Master Atisha in the first wave of the Dharma after Lama Atisha came from India. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:11 Highlight the passage at 1:49:11

1:49:43 To reach liberation, there is nothing more important than a Lama. Even in the simple things of this present life, there are things you learn just by watching someone. You can't get anywhere without a person to show you. So how on earth are you going to get anywhere without a Lama when you want to go somewhere you've never been before and you've only just arrived from a journey in the lower one? Report an error in the passage at 1:49:43 Highlight the passage at 1:49:43

1:50:12 Geshe Gampopa, another one of the Kadampa Geshe's. He gives three metaphors for a spiritual teacher. Just as a traveler needs a navigator for traversing an unknown route, a guide for making a dangerous journey, And an oarsman for crossing a mighty river. A spiritual seeker needs a mentor for treading the path to enlightenment. As a navigator, a spiritual master supplies correct information so the disciple knows the way. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:12 Highlight the passage at 1:50:12

1:50:45 As an escort, he or she remains close to the journey so the disciple doesn't wander astray. As an oarsman, he or she provides the energy that drives the disciple on to reach his or her goal. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:45 Highlight the passage at 1:50:45

1:51:03 Saki Pandita. He's one of the great Sakyamasters. Compares the Lama to a magnifying glass. Without a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun, the sun itself cannot light a flame. In like manner, unless a student finds and works with a teacher to focus the Buddha's teachings and influence, the latter cannot themselves spark the student's enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:03 Highlight the passage at 1:51:03

1:51:33 So any questions? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:33 Highlight the passage at 1:51:33

1:51:46 pondering these things in your heart. Mary, would you please? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:46 Highlight the passage at 1:51:46

1:51:58 Take yourself to the ultimate spiritual guide, one who grasps reality, one who has controlled his senses, who takes your heart away as soon as you lay your eyes on him, the one that when you follow what he teaches, the good in you begins to flower and the bad begins to fade. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:58 Highlight the passage at 1:51:58

1:52:21 I think it is important to know that not everyone knows the second their teacher comes into the room. I didn't. I mean, some of us are more dense than others. I first heard Rinpoche teach in 92. I recognized Rinpoche as my guru in 98. It was a little bit of a lag time there. But I have known of people, like the minute they hear the person's name, you know, they're intrigued. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:21 Highlight the passage at 1:52:21

1:52:51 I actually had that happen with a friend of mine. She just knew somebody was her guru. I don't think it was a root guru, but still she just knew that was a teacher of hers the minute she heard her name. And she just put their picture on her altar. She hadn't even received any teachings from that person. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:51 Highlight the passage at 1:52:51

1:53:07 I think that's just karma. And then some of us, our karma is just so obscured. And it takes a while to dig it out. Digging out the gold in the sand or something. Anybody else want any of the rest of them again? Report an error in the passage at 1:53:07 Highlight the passage at 1:53:07

1:53:31 So let's do a little final contemplation, dedication. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:31 Highlight the passage at 1:53:31

1:53:52 So part of why we can't always see somebody else's qualities is because of our own aspirations, due to our own negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:52 Highlight the passage at 1:53:52

1:54:03 And the Buddha taught that if we work on cleaning of our own life, our own mind, and creating the causes, we'll be able to see some of these qualities, and then eventually we'll be able to have these qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:03 Highlight the passage at 1:54:03

1:54:26 First I'll be able to see these qualities in not just one mama, and eventually I'll be able to see them in more than one. And finally I'll be able to see these qualities in everyone around me. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:26 Highlight the passage at 1:54:26

1:54:45 It starts with just this one relationship with this holy being, the spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:45 Highlight the passage at 1:54:45

1:55:06 So let's dedicate this class and the merit that we've created since we came in here to Report an error in the passage at 1:55:06 Highlight the passage at 1:55:06

1:55:20 each of us being able to create the karma, to meet. To recognize, to connect with and to serve perfectly qualified spiritual teachers so they can take a salary at 10 minutes, Report an error in the passage at 1:55:20 Highlight the passage at 1:55:20

1:55:42 no matter how long that takes, so that we can benefit others. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:42 Highlight the passage at 1:55:42

1:56:00 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:00 Highlight the passage at 1:56:00

1:56:05 So a couple of announcements. Andrew, are you going to hand out the homework? I don't know if I have enough again. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:05 Highlight the passage at 1:56:05

1:56:19 So just again, announcements about the things coming up. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:19 Highlight the passage at 1:56:19

1:56:26 As you may have seen if you're on the email list, Iman Fala is going to do a four-week series on meditation on Tuesday nights, starting on the 9th. So meant for all levels, but I think especially for beginners. So if you need help with your meditation practice, Iman, you might recognize him. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:26 Highlight the passage at 1:56:26

1:56:48 Done some Sunday morning classes and things like that before. Good guy. Been around a long time. Our field trip to Rinpoche's house is going to be happening on the 20th of April. It's optional, of course. Probably next week I'll ask for a hand count to try to start getting an idea of how many people are thinking about doing that. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:48 Highlight the passage at 1:56:48

1:57:13 It'll probably be leaving in the morning to get there around 10-ish or 10.30. Coming back, having lunch someplace in Hadarmas in Santa Cruz-ish area and then coming back. So we'll be back after lunch. So it'll be like that, like the morning part of the day. April 27th is now our practice day. And then the 3rd and 4th of May will be Venerable Ninje doing this little mini-retreat on an experiential approach to refuge and bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:13 Highlight the passage at 1:57:13

1:57:50 And that would be great. If you have a chance to come to that, definitely make time. She's great. She's very accessible. She's an old student of Lama Yeshe, actually. And she's done more than eight, probably nine years of long retreat. She did two four-year retreats. Not back-to-back, but almost. Yeah, and she's the director now at Land of Kama Biding near Big Sur. So, yeah. And I think that weekend she's also going to do Vajrasattva Sok afterwards. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:50 Highlight the passage at 1:57:50

1:58:31 She's agreed to do that because Geshele is going to be teaching in the South Bay so we won't be leading Sok. So I asked her if she could lead the Sok too. And Vajrasattva Sok is a very fun one to do. If you've never done it before, it's a... She likes to sing. She's got a gorgeous voice. And so she has like a chantable version she's going to send. And so we can all do that. And you don't have to have entered tantra to do so. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:31 Highlight the passage at 1:58:31

1:58:55 You can just follow it and follow the leader. So anyway, if you have time, come. And I think with that one, you'd be okay just coming when you can. If you can't come to the whole thing, I think it's not restricted. I should mention that Iman's for week one is not going to be a drop-in. You have to sign up for all four. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:55 Highlight the passage at 1:58:55

1:59:13 So you have to do all four if you're going to do that. Okay, great. Oh, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:13 Highlight the passage at 1:59:13

1:59:24 I think she's just going to do 10 to 3 on Saturday, so I don't know how she's going to break it up. She's just going to, yeah. So it'll be Friday night, probably 7 to 9-ish, and then Saturday, 10 to 3. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:24 Highlight the passage at 1:59:24

1:59:39 And the soak's going to just follow, whatever. Yeah, she might do a break or something for us to set it up, but basically, yeah, I don't know that we have a time yet for the soak. I would assume maybe 4-ish. Just assuming, because it'll have to be like some of the people will go home and then we'll set it up and stuff. It might be just 3.30. We'll find out. Something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:39 Highlight the passage at 1:59:39

1:59:58 And that soak is fairly fast, too. You know, depending on how she does it. I think it's usually, it's less than an hour. It's much faster than the Lama Tsongkhapa one. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:58 Highlight the passage at 1:59:58

2:00:12 Okay, thank you. Thanks, you guys, for your patience. Thank you. Good night. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:12 Highlight the passage at 2:00:12

2:00:34 Who didn't go around? Report an error in the passage at 2:00:34 Highlight the passage at 2:00:34