The Spiritual Teacher - Discovering Buddhism (part 1)

0:00 Vinnie rented it. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:06 When you do go to the back of the room, do you mind kind of closing them so nobody sees what small classes are? I'm kidding. Actually, I think the last time, actually every time we've offered this, this is actually the third, it's my second. Report an error in the passage at 0:06 Highlight the passage at 0:06

0:22 People don't come to classes on the spiritual teacher for whatever reason. I know, he sent me an email. Report an error in the passage at 0:22 Highlight the passage at 0:22

0:35 Just like that, yeah, that's good. But also people tend to join as these classes go along. So I have a syllabus for this class that didn't make it into the bind. Oh, all the binders are in the office. Amy's working with Roland and forgot to hand them out. Maybe just get like, yeah, just get the four and then we can always, there's just four, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 0:35 Highlight the passage at 0:35

1:15 Slight changes. They actually change some of the stuff. You can look it over and decide what you want, yeah. Just don't underline anything. You can't always use it again. And that's always an option too. If you decide to do more than one Discovering Buddhism class, you might just decide to take the inserts out and hand back the binders and put them in a larger binder or whatever so you don't end up with, you know, 14 binders. Report an error in the passage at 1:15 Highlight the passage at 1:15

1:38 Anyway, well why don't we start with a short meditation and then we can hand out, I can hand out the syllabus when I hand out your homework. Anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

1:46 Let me just do that, because otherwise you guys would be sitting there reading the syllabus the whole time anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:46 Highlight the passage at 1:46

1:54 So get comfortable. You guys just did the meditation class, so you're probably long-time meditators now. So we're just going to find your posture, Report an error in the passage at 1:54 Highlight the passage at 1:54

2:11 whatever that means. So you might want to kind of roll your sits bones underneath you and have your spine extended. Relax your shoulders if you're holding them up. Have them back just a little ways. Report an error in the passage at 2:11 Highlight the passage at 2:11

2:35 And then usually in this tradition we have our hands in our lap, right over left thumbs touching. Or you can have your hands on your knees, whichever you prefer. Report an error in the passage at 2:35 Highlight the passage at 2:35

2:52 Tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth. Jaw relaxed. And your eyes can be either closed or slightly open. Report an error in the passage at 2:52 Highlight the passage at 2:52

3:08 If you're sleepy, it's good to have a little bit of light coming in. And Report an error in the passage at 3:08 Highlight the passage at 3:08

3:34 then the final of the eight points is your breath. Just relaxing your breath, letting it be what it is, not changing it, not making it stronger breath or more shallow breath or more regular. Report an error in the passage at 3:34 Highlight the passage at 3:34

3:50 And just focusing your attention on it for a few minutes just to bring your mind to neutral and let go of your day. Report an error in the passage at 3:50 Highlight the passage at 3:50

4:00 Just letting go of whatever you did. Right before you came here, whatever conversations you've just been having, any work from the day or whatever it took for you to find parking, letting all of that go and just focusing on the sensation of the breath entering and exiting your body. And you can either have your attention at your belly and the sensation of your belly expanding and contracting or in your chest or on your nostril. Report an error in the passage at 4:00 Highlight the passage at 4:00

4:36 remembering that each breath is completely New breath, and with each in-breath trying to bring more attention, more awareness, and each out-breath letting go of any distraction, either from your own mind or from sounds in the center or sounds on the street. Report an error in the passage at 4:36 Highlight the passage at 4:36

· · · silence, 3 minutes

7:40 Start just thinking a little bit about some of the suffering that we see in our own lives, Report an error in the passage at 7:40 Highlight the passage at 7:40

7:50 people that we know well, we know they're suffering, mental or physical suffering, our own suffering, or there is... Physical pain or illness, Report an error in the passage at 7:50 Highlight the passage at 7:50

8:07 people we work with, people we see on the streets, some of the homeless people, people we see on the news. Report an error in the passage at 8:07 Highlight the passage at 8:07

8:22 And think about how unbearable it is to just keep seeing this pain day after day and how much we'd like to be able to relieve it, Report an error in the passage at 8:22 Highlight the passage at 8:22

8:34 remove that pain and to bring happiness, not just to ourselves, which would be pretty amazing, and not just to our loved ones, but actually to all beings. Report an error in the passage at 8:34 Highlight the passage at 8:34

8:52 Imagine how amazing that would be. Report an error in the passage at 8:52 Highlight the passage at 8:52

9:04 So Shakyamuni Buddha was just like us. He had delusions just like we do. He got impatient, frustrated, jealous, attached, angry, bored. Report an error in the passage at 9:04 Highlight the passage at 9:04

9:25 And as he looked around and he saw the suffering that everyone else was going through, he decided there must be a way to transcend this. There must be a way for me to be able to help. Report an error in the passage at 9:25 Highlight the passage at 9:25

9:40 And he determined to do just that. And he figured out how to do it. He figured out how to eliminate every single delusion, from the largest to the most subtle, and to perfect every quality of his mind. That's really what it means to be enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 9:40 Highlight the passage at 9:40

10:05 And then when he began to teach, he said, actually all of us can do this. Report an error in the passage at 10:05 Highlight the passage at 10:05

10:15 And not only that, but it's really the only way that we're going to be able to remove the suffering in ourselves, in our own minds, and bring happiness to ourselves, and be able to then do that for all beings. It's actually the only method and Report an error in the passage at 10:15 Highlight the passage at 10:15

10:36 it begins with this wish to bring happiness to others and take away their pain. Report an error in the passage at 10:36 Highlight the passage at 10:36

10:50 So imagine this wish in your own heart taking the form of this glowing white light and Report an error in the passage at 10:50 Highlight the passage at 10:50

11:01 imagine it filling up your heart and Report an error in the passage at 11:01 Highlight the passage at 11:01

11:07 then filling up your whole body like this limitless unceasing spring of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 11:07 Highlight the passage at 11:07

11:24 And imagine this love and compassion beginning to warm you until you yourself begin to glow. Your whole body feels completely reborn with this powerful desire to help all beings. Report an error in the passage at 11:24 Highlight the passage at 11:24

11:45 And then imagine this glowing radiant white light pouring out of you from every pore and spreading out as far as your mind's eye can see, Report an error in the passage at 11:45 Highlight the passage at 11:45

11:58 filling every being that it comes into contact with, with bliss and removing all their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 11:58 Highlight the passage at 11:58

12:12 And just imagine it flying out infinitely and Report an error in the passage at 12:12 Highlight the passage at 12:12

12:25 just rest in this feeling of connection with all beings. Report an error in the passage at 12:25 Highlight the passage at 12:25

12:42 And then when it starts to fade, allow yourself to come into this room again, back in your own body, in your own seat, and feel real joy that we're able to come together and begin this class together tonight on Report an error in the passage at 12:42 Highlight the passage at 12:42

13:01 the spiritual teacher, Report an error in the passage at 13:01 Highlight the passage at 13:01

13:08 finding, relating to and relying upon a spiritual teacher and how this empowers your path. Report an error in the passage at 13:08 Highlight the passage at 13:08

13:18 There's probably not too many people in the city that are in a class like this tonight, so we can really rejoice. We Report an error in the passage at 13:18 Highlight the passage at 13:18

13:36 motivate. That it becomes the seed in each of our hearts to be able to reach that state of Shakyamuni Buddha himself, of full enlightenment, so that we're truly able to benefit every single living being without exception. Report an error in the passage at 13:36 Highlight the passage at 13:36

14:10 You're ready? You can end your meditation. And we'll start with the opening prayer. Report an error in the passage at 14:10 Highlight the passage at 14:10

14:19 There's a white booklet in front of you on page 8 of that booklet. There's a picture of His Holiness. And Report an error in the passage at 14:19 Highlight the passage at 14:19

14:31 I usually do this three times. Sort of take the place of refuge in bodhicitta. It covers it all. With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

15:00 As long as space remains. As long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 15:00 Highlight the passage at 15:00

15:32 As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. With a wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment, inspired by wisdom and compassion. Today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening. Report an error in the passage at 15:32 Highlight the passage at 15:32

16:01 For the benefit of all sentient beings, as long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 16:01 Highlight the passage at 16:01

16:22 Okay, so my name is Chokyi, I'm Lobsang Chokyi, and I go by Chokyi. And I'm the program coordinator here, and at least I've met all of you. You guys have been in my classes quite a few times. Tim was actually my very first class. He's been with me that long. He's actually done this class before, so you guys can probably ask him a lot of questions too. Report an error in the passage at 16:22 Highlight the passage at 16:22

16:47 But this is actually one of my favorite classes because it's a juicy topic. I think a lot of people are kind of not so sure about what does this whole guru devotion thing mean. I actually think it's one of the most powerful things. Of course, I probably say that every class, right? I love karma. I love emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 16:47 Highlight the passage at 16:47

17:07 but, But finding a teacher, especially a main teacher, and we're going to talk about all the different kinds of teachers that there are. Report an error in the passage at 17:07 Highlight the passage at 17:07

17:21 Finding and connecting with your main teacher is like an earthquake. It's like your life is never the same again. And it's not something you want to rush, but it's definitely something that you want to kind of understand a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 17:21 Highlight the passage at 17:21

17:36 Before this might happen to you. So I think these Discovering Buddhism classes are great for that because I didn't take any of these classes. I sort of got the information where I could. I was really fortunate to go to two different Copan courses, which is our sort of mother monastery in Nepal where the FPMT started 30 years ago or so, probably more than 30 years ago. Report an error in the passage at 17:36 Highlight the passage at 17:36

18:04 And every November there's a month-long course, it's called the November Course, and it covers the whole lamrim, where they try, usually as a Western teacher. Report an error in the passage at 18:04 Highlight the passage at 18:04

18:17 And then they also have a meditation section, and they do sort of practices, prostrations every morning. They run it like a retreat, you stay there, it's residential. And then I think usually 10 to 12 days you're doing what's called eight Mahāyāna precepts. You know, fasting for the afternoon and evening and only eating one meal a day, right? I think they only do one meal a day. Right? Report an error in the passage at 18:17 Highlight the passage at 18:17

18:42 You get a cocoa. But it's intensive. It's an intensive covering. And these Discovering Buddhism courses, a lot of them sort of came out of that environment. Of course, we're doing it in some ways a comfortable manner. You're staying in your own home and you're only coming once a week, but the information is still the same. Report an error in the passage at 18:42 Highlight the passage at 18:42

19:07 It's still the graduated path to enlightenment that the Buddha taught and then various Lamas put together, like a Tisha put together in a form that we can meditate on and gain realizations. Report an error in the passage at 19:07 Highlight the passage at 19:07

19:23 But it's a wonderful program, and we offer this. We usually go through, there's actually 14 modules in total, 13 classes in one experiential module, and we go through it in about 18 months at this center. We do it twice a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays. And so as you guys know, because you did, did you both do both of Amy's classes? No, you just did one. Report an error in the passage at 19:23 Highlight the passage at 19:23

19:48 So you did both. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 19:48 Highlight the passage at 19:48

19:52 So. And we try to put them in order. This is actually the fourth out of the 13 classes, and the one that's going to be on Thursday night is the third. So that's the only slight variation. I try to change the night of the week that they get offered. So last time this was on a Thursday night, and so I kind of switched off so that sometimes people can only come Tuesday and only Thursday and like that. Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

20:17 But we do just kind of go through them like that. You don't have to do them all in order, but it's useful. They do, what do you call it, they do build on each other, but it's not a necessity. Some people start, one of the students started, Louis started with wisdom. Some people start just whenever they can and just spiral through. I always like to say that with the lamrim, it's not like you ever get done with the lamrim. You just keep... Report an error in the passage at 20:17 Highlight the passage at 20:17

20:47 Studying it and it keeps going deeper and deeper into your heart and into your mind and making changes. And every time that you study the lamrim, it goes in deeper. And your mind has changed, so you get more out of it. No matter what the change is like. Because the more that you're practicing in other ways, the more the teachings just go in deeper and deeper. Report an error in the passage at 20:47 Highlight the passage at 20:47

21:10 So this class is actually seven weeks, not eight weeks. I was thinking it was an eight-week class, but it's seven weeks. It goes until September 25th, which is the last Tuesday in September. And then the practice day, I was originally going to do it the first Saturday in October, and now I'm going to do it on the 20th of October if there's enough interest. Report an error in the passage at 21:10 Highlight the passage at 21:10

21:31 Considering the size of the class, we'll have to see how that goes. We might combine it with the presenting the path practice day. Report an error in the passage at 21:31 Highlight the passage at 21:31

21:40 So we can talk about that later. And so this particular topic, I think, is one of the ones that can get the most, sort of the worst rap. I think especially in the West, and maybe even more especially in America than any other place, there's this whole kind of fear of cult stuff. You know, I mean, right here in San Francisco, we have the whole Jim Jones thing, the People's Temple. Did anybody ever see that documentary? Report an error in the passage at 21:40 Highlight the passage at 21:40

22:12 It's pretty intense, huh? Oh my God. It was actually really well done, though. Just, you could see, I mean, they were all like really interesting, normal-looking people. I mean, there were just like all these people that had gone through that. So there's this kind of wariness of this whole idea of trusting a girl. Report an error in the passage at 22:12 Highlight the passage at 22:12

22:32 And I don't actually think it's such a bad thing. I actually think it's a good thing. And the Buddha himself was always like about every single one of his teachings. He always said, check up, check up, check up, you know. We spend more time, Geshe is always saying this, you know, we spend more time checking out, you know, a piece of electronic equipment than we do a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 22:32 Highlight the passage at 22:32

22:53 People are always running off to empowerments and things like that. And you're making a commitment to that guru. I mean, not necessarily if you're taking it as a blessing, but, you know, if you're taking it on any other level. It doesn't mean that every time that you go to any teaching, you're taking that teacher as a guru. And we'll talk about that too. Actually going to different teachers and hearing what their teaching style is like and what your connection with them is like and all that. Report an error in the passage at 22:53 Highlight the passage at 22:53

23:22 That's actually good. That's a really positive step to see how you connect. Because we all, I think, have ideas about what the teacher-student relationship is like. And our ideas are just a form of fantasy at this point. They aren't necessarily based in reality. So it's actually really good for us to check out other kinds of teachers and our relationships with them and see how that connects. Report an error in the passage at 23:22 Highlight the passage at 23:22

23:48 Because as Venerable Amy said at one point, she said she never expected to have this little Sherpa as her main teacher, who is Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who is my main teacher too. He's nothing at all like what I thought. My root girl would be like, but he's my root girl. So it was just kind of like, it's great to sort of have this, to think about this and what your relationship will be like with the teacher. Report an error in the passage at 23:48 Highlight the passage at 23:48

24:15 And of course, I'll tell you stories based on my experience and then everybody's going to have different experiences because you have your own karma. We're going to spend a little bit of time in a couple of, especially third and fourth classes, talking about karma. Just to make sure that we all kind of are on the same. Report an error in the passage at 24:15 Highlight the passage at 24:15

24:34 In terms of that, because actually karma is huge in our lives in terms of determining what kind of teachers we meet, what our relationship with them is like, how we can prepare ourselves to be good students. That I think is actually why it comes so early in the path to enlightenment. In a lot of ways, we aren't really ready yet at our level to make a commitment to a root guru. Report an error in the passage at 24:34 Highlight the passage at 24:34

25:03 But they always start, I mean actually a Tisha's lamrim starts with the spiritual teacher. When you read, you know, Jason Kappas does as well, it's like number one of all the points. They don't actually have one on meditate or mind. We put that in for Westerners because we don't know how to meditate and we don't know much about our mind from the Buddhist point of view. Report an error in the passage at 25:03 Highlight the passage at 25:03

25:25 So those two aren't actually part of the traditional lamrim. The teacher is actually the very first one. And the reason is... Again, thinking of the lamrim not like you start A and you go to B and you never look at A again, but rather more like a spiral. Having a really good teacher, working out this connection with a guru is the foundation to your entire physical, your entire spiritual practice. Report an error in the passage at 25:25 Highlight the passage at 25:25

25:55 So that's why it's there, I think. Also to begin looking at the requirements of being a good disciple because karmically being a good student is how you're going to get a good teacher. Report an error in the passage at 25:55 Highlight the passage at 25:55

26:13 So finding out how to become a good student is what's going to prepare you to meet these teachers of your dreams basically. Report an error in the passage at 26:13 Highlight the passage at 26:13

26:24 There's a direct link karmically speaking. So I think that's part of why it's one of the very first things. They say there's a very brief teaching that I'll give to you guys later in this course. Oh, it's cold water tonight. Someone new on duty. Report an error in the passage at 26:24 Highlight the passage at 26:24

26:52 There's a teaching, a really brief lamrim text by Lama Tsongkhapa called The Foundation of All Good Qualities. Has anybody heard of it? And that's basically, it's actually the first line because a lot of times in Tibetan when they don't have titles for things, they just all go by the first line. Like if I'm helping Geshe-la find something, I'll be like, it's Sanghi, and he'll know which one I'm talking about just by the first, you know, four syllables or whatever. But the foundation of all good qualities is the guru. Report an error in the passage at 26:52 Highlight the passage at 26:52

27:25 I mean, that's what they're saying. That's that, what that. And what that means is once you relate to a spiritual teacher, once you actually follow his or her advice, which is actually the best way to be able to relate to a spiritual teacher, and we'll get to what that means, that's how you're going to get all those great qualities. Report an error in the passage at 27:25 Highlight the passage at 27:25

27:48 You get those qualities in service or in your relationship with your guru, and of course it takes you a long time to get to that point. Lama Tisha, for example, took 12 years to find his root guru, checking up. And His Holiness actually says it's hard for us to do in this day and age, but he said it's actually not a bad idea to take 12 years. Report an error in the passage at 27:48 Highlight the passage at 27:48

28:12 I didn't do that, but I like to put it out there, liability-wise. It's good. It's great to check up. It's great to check the students of your teachers, see what they're like. I didn't realize that's what I was doing when I was checking up Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche, looking at his students and thinking about, do they have qualities that I want? Report an error in the passage at 28:12 Highlight the passage at 28:12

28:41 I mean, the very first thing you're thinking when you meet a teacher is, what are his or her qualities and would I want those qualities? I mean, that's sort of a really basic one. Report an error in the passage at 28:41 Highlight the passage at 28:41

28:52 There's a great quote. I can't even know. I know it's in one of the upcoming classes. I actually saw it when I was preparing my notes again. But something like, be careful who you choose for your guru because you'll become like them for better or for worse. So I don't know if that means I'm going to become a short Sherpa in my next life. Report an error in the passage at 28:52 Highlight the passage at 28:52

29:16 But it is really important. So you want to just think about it. So it's not necessarily just somebody who's charismatic or who's, you know, popular or all your friends happen to like this particular teacher or whatever like that. So you have to really think about, does this teacher have qualities that I want? And also, does this teacher really move my mind? Report an error in the passage at 29:16 Highlight the passage at 29:16

29:42 And we'll talk about that too. A root guru especially is the one who moves your mind the most. And that's a hard thing to judge. And so it's like very, very subjective. Report an error in the passage at 29:42 Highlight the passage at 29:42

29:54 So wanting to find a main teacher or a guru. And we're going to talk a lot. In this class, we actually use a text by Alex Berzin relating to a spiritual teacher. And he gets into a lot. The breakdown of what these words mean in Sanskrit originally and then in Tibetan so that we can kind of get closer to the original meaning because they don't translate a lot of times into English. Report an error in the passage at 29:54 Highlight the passage at 29:54

30:25 We don't have terms really for guru in the way that they meant guru or for disciple for that matter, the way that they meant disciple. So we're going to get into that a little bit because it helps us get closer to what this is like. Report an error in the passage at 30:25 Highlight the passage at 30:25

30:42 actually closer to To the old days when you would consider apprenticing yourself to a master. It's much more like that. And we don't do that so much anymore. But you do still in some trade work where you really work with somebody for a long time, sometimes for life. And you're not just watching how they build a cabinet, for example. You're watching how they are, you know... Report an error in the passage at 30:42 Highlight the passage at 30:42

31:11 From sunup to sundown, you're like watching how they are when they sell the cabinet and how they are when they buy the wood for the cabinet and how they are all the way through. This is very much like that. You're watching. I remember one of my teachers in one of the, actually both the alum room courses, Venerable Neal, saying, watching your teacher eat lunch can change your life. Report an error in the passage at 31:11 Highlight the passage at 31:11

31:38 Which is really true for Rinpoche. I mean, just he'll spend hours offering it up, even if he never has the chance to eat it. Report an error in the passage at 31:38 Highlight the passage at 31:38

31:50 He's just completely on a different planet in terms of what the rest of us do when the food gets put in front of us. There actually is a story like that where he's on a short flight and they actually bring food. A lot of time in Asia between, you know, like Delhi and Kathmandu. They'll still bring food even though it's only like an hour flight. And so he was offering it the whole time and the waitress, the stewardess said, you know, I have to take this now. Report an error in the passage at 31:50 Highlight the passage at 31:50

32:18 And he said, oh, that's okay. The best part's already done. He just was offering it for the entire hour. So, I mean, yeah, so watching, watching the teacher, especially when the teacher's not teaching. You know, watching how they are in the world, watching how they are with their students, watching how... Because we can't see what their minds are like, unless we're clairvoyant. Report an error in the passage at 32:18 Highlight the passage at 32:18

32:45 But we have to kind of go with... We have to go with our gut feeling and we have to watch a lot. We have to think a lot. So, anyway... In this class, I'm going to, so this class is sort of a combination of a lot of the traditional teachings on finding and serving a spiritual teacher and also based on, you know, different experiences that I've had. Report an error in the passage at 32:45 Highlight the passage at 32:45

33:16 And things like that. So we'll do a little of both. It'll also include both presentation of material and also meditation and also discussion. So if you're reading stuff and you have questions, definitely jot down your questions and bring them back. We have lots of time to talk about stuff that comes up for you. Report an error in the passage at 33:16 Highlight the passage at 33:16

33:39 Because this class in particular stuff might come up for you. We've all had a billion teachers in our lives and we probably carry a little bit of baggage about teachers and authority and things like that. So this is a place to talk about some of that. Report an error in the passage at 33:39 Highlight the passage at 33:39

33:58 So the format of the class is that we usually take a break about two-thirds of the way through. And Venerable Bader wants to make sure that everybody knows that... If you get a coffee or a juice in the cafe, you're directly supporting Seichen Ling and LPP. I just said I would do that plug. Report an error in the passage at 33:58 Highlight the passage at 33:58

34:20 If you ever need to take a break at any other time, just leave. That's fine. You don't have to bring attention to yourself. I do always like to point out that this is only a seven-week class, and so the best way to... Get the maximum profit, as Rinpoche is always talking about, to get the maximum profit for your time is to be able to, first of all, come to all the classes as much as you can. Report an error in the passage at 34:20 Highlight the passage at 34:20

34:47 If you can do nothing else, just show up, at least show up. And then secondly, as much as you can to try to do the homework assignments. And for homework, basically it's either reading and or meditation slash contemplation. is what it is so Report an error in the passage at 34:47 Highlight the passage at 34:47

35:08 It's not usually a major amount. And of the two, I would say the meditation slash contemplation is the most important. The Discovering Buddhism program, I always assume there's probably not so many people that are doing it. Report an error in the passage at 35:08 Highlight the passage at 35:08

35:25 For certification and if there are then there are certain assignments. I think in your binders actually there will be a completion card that has like all the different assignments that as the teacher I would sign off on and so on like that. Most otherwise I'm just assuming that people are coming informationally. They want information and so that's kind of the level that I'm usually teaching to. Report an error in the passage at 35:25 Highlight the passage at 35:25

35:51 I'm happy to teach to both levels. But what I try to assign is something that's going to keep this topic in your mind all week. So you don't necessarily even have to do it as a formal sitting meditation. You can think about it on the bus. You can think about it when you have a down moment at work. You can think about it when you're stuck in traffic. Report an error in the passage at 35:51 Highlight the passage at 35:51

36:15 You can think about it when you're eating, whatever. So just kind of keep this in your mind so that it goes in a little bit. And so it's really useful because in a class this short, you're otherwise, you're just going to be gathering information. It's not necessarily really going to change your life very much. Report an error in the passage at 36:15 Highlight the passage at 36:15

36:36 And actually it has the capacity to change your life. So I just invite you to participate as much as you can in that way. But that being said, life happens, so if nothing else, just show up, because you can get a lot just from absorbing. You can certainly get more from absorbing the energy of other students than you can. Report an error in the passage at 36:36 Highlight the passage at 36:36

36:58 Once you miss a class, it's just so much easier to miss. That energy kind of gets broken. I do want to send a class roster around, Tim, if you don't mind. It's just a quick way that if I have to reach all of you, I can. Report an error in the passage at 36:58 Highlight the passage at 36:58

37:17 And so if there's any kind of emergency or anything like that, I can reach you. Let's see. Report an error in the passage at 37:17 Highlight the passage at 37:17

37:27 Most, for the lineage of this, most of the teachings that I've ever received on the spiritual teacher have come, traditionally, those teachings have come from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who's my main teacher, and Riba Rinpoche. Venerable Neil, who I just mentioned, Thubten Dundrup. Um... Report an error in the passage at 37:27 Highlight the passage at 37:27

37:46 He's an Australian monk who taught the Kopan course both times that I was there. Spent a lot of time on the spiritual teacher and a monk by the name of Venerable Brian Smith. Report an error in the passage at 37:46 Highlight the passage at 37:46

37:58 In terms of experiential teachings, in other words, just watching them with their gurus, it would have to be Lama Zopa Rinpoche who... Report an error in the passage at 37:58 Highlight the passage at 37:58

38:12 He's such an amazing disciple. If you want to know how to be with your guru, watch Lama Zopa with his gurus. Watch him with His Holiness. Watch him with Riba Rinpoche. Watch him with Kirti Sintra Rinpoche. Watch him with Chuddin Rinpoche. Just amazing. Geshe Michael Roach, also a very big influence in terms of, I think, especially early on for me, Report an error in the passage at 38:12 Highlight the passage at 38:12

38:39 How you treat your guru, how you act with your guru. And Venerable Sarah Thresher, who is right now going around Kailash with Venerable Munlum and Janet. They made it in. Well, I think at least they got their permits. I haven't heard that they got it in. They got stuck on the border for a week. Yeah, but I heard that they got their permits a couple days ago, so they should be in. Report an error in the passage at 38:39 Highlight the passage at 38:39

39:09 So, um... I guess the biggest thing I think in terms of my own personal experience with this topic is realizing that for me what happens with a strong relationship with a guru and actually you can have many gurus, not necessarily just one. You usually only have one root guru. Report an error in the passage at 39:09 Highlight the passage at 39:09

39:41 But first of all, it changes a lot over time. And secondly, one of the biggest things I think that it does is to really, really push you. It pushes you beyond what you think you're capable of. Because if I'm really trying to become a Buddha, I can't just stay little old me in the back of the room. Like, you have to break out of that. So Chad, I'll let you get away with this now. Report an error in the passage at 39:41 Highlight the passage at 39:41

40:09 but, um, But it really, it's like, it's really like, you know, with a coach and an athlete that's going for the Olympics or something like that. Because really, we're going for the Olympics, right? I mean, once you decide that you want to become a Buddha. You're going for the Olympics in a really big way. So you can't just stay on the small course. You have to take it to the big track. You have to train a lot. Report an error in the passage at 40:09 Highlight the passage at 40:09

40:38 And it's very much like that. I mean, Rubina's always using these kind of examples where we can understand it in terms of somebody wanting to go for the gold medal, that they're going to have to put in a lot of effort and put in a lot of time and all that stuff. But for some reason, with our spiritual life, we think we should just be able to sit down for 10 minutes once or twice a week. Report an error in the passage at 40:38 Highlight the passage at 40:38

40:57 Not even every day. And we should get enlightened in no time, right? Actually, I just got back from a month retreat and there was one, it popped out at me this time. You know how every time you go through the lamrim, I was doing the lamrim, and it was on karma. And it was talking about the principles of karma and it said, you know, basically, if you are experiencing a result, you caused it. Report an error in the passage at 40:57 Highlight the passage at 40:57

41:23 It's that principle. In other words, you can't blame anybody else. And the reverse of that logic is, if you want a result, and the way that Venerable Sarah wrote it is, you have to do something. You can't just expect to get enlightened by being nice. Like, you actually have to create causes, in other words. It really bumped out at me. Report an error in the passage at 41:23 Highlight the passage at 41:23

41:45 I was kind of like, oh, yeah. And she said, and this, I think, this is during a teaching of... So I'm not sure if it was Sarah who was saying this or Riba Rinpoche, but he said, she or he said, if you want to have a cup of tea, you have to boil the water. If you want to get enlightened, you have to do something. I just thought that was great. I actually copied it out and put it on the wall. I was like, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 41:45 Highlight the passage at 41:45

42:11 I mean, it sounds so simple, but the reality is, you know. Our gurus, our teachers see that for us and then they push us into doing that something because that's their whole goal. If they are a qualified guru and if they are a genuine teacher in this tradition, they will push you beyond what you think you can do because they want to get you enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 42:11 Highlight the passage at 42:11

42:44 That's really all they want. They have no other agenda than that. They want you to be able to purify and accumulate all the merit that you need. They want you to be able to transform your mind. And so item by item, you have to eliminate all the obstacles. You have to eliminate all the things that keep you little, that keep you stuck, that keep you... Report an error in the passage at 42:44 Highlight the passage at 42:44

43:11 You know, either in critical mind, self-critical mind, or criticizing other people. They keep you in negative space, that keep you depressed, or they keep you whatever it is that your particular inner demons are. Report an error in the passage at 43:11 Highlight the passage at 43:11

43:26 They help you break out of them. But sometimes to break out of them, you have to sort of break through them. It's sort of like there's no way around but through. So that's a big role of a guru or of a teacher is that I have found in my relationship with Rinpoche is just they'll push you farther than you think you can go and then interestingly you realize you can do it. Report an error in the passage at 43:26 Highlight the passage at 43:26

43:55 And what did I think it was going to be like? I didn't think it was going to be like that. I didn't think it was going to be scary and I didn't think it was going to be uncomfortable. I think I thought it was going to be like... Kind of more like Santa Claus or something, you know, like a really nice old guy and he kind of just sat there and he just kind of did what he said in some really safe, easy way. Report an error in the passage at 43:55 Highlight the passage at 43:55

44:15 And that, of course, that was always easy. It wasn't hard. And that you'd always be with them once you found them. You know, the way these stories about Milarepa and things like that, they're always like kind of in the same physical room half the time with their gurus. Report an error in the passage at 44:15 Highlight the passage at 44:15

44:32 And what I began to realize actually in the example with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche actually is the spiritual director of the FPMT. This center's part of the FPMT. And there are at this point between 130 and 140 centers and projects around the world. That is Rinpoche's mandala. Any of those centers and serving in any of those centers is living within. Report an error in the passage at 44:32 Highlight the passage at 44:32

45:01 Rinpoche's mandala. And so no matter where he is in the world, for me to be here serving him is like living in his home, actually. And so I had to really change my mind. I had to expand my vision about that because, of course, his vision is so huge to figure out that it was different than probably my fantasy was about what a root guru was like. Report an error in the passage at 45:01 Highlight the passage at 45:01

45:32 But it is a stretch. I mean, there are times especially that it really almost does feel like a physical, like your skin is really stretching beyond what you can possibly do. And there's nobody really that you can share it with. It's like once you connect with this being, this being is more important to you than anyone else. Report an error in the passage at 45:32 Highlight the passage at 45:32

45:54 This person is the one who's going to get you enlightened. This is, of course, after you've checked up really carefully and all that. Report an error in the passage at 45:54 Highlight the passage at 45:54

46:02 But it's an intensely personal relationship that you develop with this being. And other than other students of his, it's kind of hard to describe it to anybody else. So you kind of, with those other students who become like your family in that sense. Report an error in the passage at 46:02 Highlight the passage at 46:02

46:25 You can kind of talk about it, but you begin to realize that there's really no reason to talk about it either. We tend in our culture, I think, to over-talk about just about everything. We've talked about this in the house before. It's kind of like, why are we discussing this? It's just kind of like you're going through stuff in your practice and you feel like you have to blah, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 46:25 Highlight the passage at 46:25

46:46 And ultimately you begin to sort of see that teacher in other teachers. You begin to hear... His particular, in my case, you know, teachings in something you're reading or in something that Venom Rubin is saying or in something that, you know, somebody else is saying to you on the street. All of a sudden it's like, you know, it's kind of like, what's happening? And it's a way that you begin to finally realize that you're not really separate from this teacher no matter where you are. Report an error in the passage at 46:46 Highlight the passage at 46:46

47:21 If you're still trying in your heart to... To follow the instructions, which is really the best offering that you can ever make to your teacher is in your practice. Because they don't really need anything from you. They don't need any offerings from you. They don't need things. They don't need money. They don't need that. They just want you to get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 47:21 Highlight the passage at 47:21

47:45 And the only way you can get enlightened is to try to apply the Dharma. that. It's, it's, um... Report an error in the passage at 47:45 Highlight the passage at 47:45

47:51 The Buddhist teachings, that's really the only way. So it's not like you can win them over by giving them flowers or something. Report an error in the passage at 47:51 Highlight the passage at 47:51

48:02 And ultimately, I think one of the other things that's really big with a guru is that they really try to help you dismantle your ego. And that's part of why it gets so uncomfortable. Report an error in the passage at 48:02 Highlight the passage at 48:02

48:19 But ultimately, liberating. So, Report an error in the passage at 48:19 Highlight the passage at 48:19

48:21 Because our ego is nothing but a construct. It's something that we've conceptually created and then we cling to and really believe that it exists in this solid way that we then defend at all costs, you know, this I. Report an error in the passage at 48:21 Highlight the passage at 48:21

48:43 But we can't become a Buddha with an ego like that. It actually blocks us. It's actually a hindrance to us. Report an error in the passage at 48:43 Highlight the passage at 48:43

48:53 One of the things that gurus are really good at is to point that out and then help you sort of dismantle that. Has anyone here ever seen the movie, there's a documentary called Words of My Perfect Teacher, one of his disciples, one of his students. Zansar Kinsey Rinpoche is a Nyingma Lama who Report an error in the passage at 48:53 Highlight the passage at 48:53

49:23 Made the film The Cup and Travelers and Magicians. He's a wild, he's one of those crazy wisdom teachers. So one of his students decided to make a film about him, partly to figure out what her relationship with him is, you know. So she's trying to figure it out and he's really working her. Actually, maybe we'll watch that. It's a really good film. Report an error in the passage at 49:23 Highlight the passage at 49:23

49:48 Actually, I was just thinking the other day that I might just own that one. It's very, very good. Because he's just wild, you know, he just like disappears while they're traveling together, you know, and just suddenly turns out he's off during retreats somewhere. He's just like dumps her somewhere. But, you know, playing with your mind is part of it because we are, a lot of our mind is just these sort of... Report an error in the passage at 49:48 Highlight the passage at 49:48

50:12 We've just created all these stories and fantasies about everything. I mean, that's what entire relationships half the time are built on. He thinks this. Why does he think this? And then you just go to this whole thing. And then it turns out he didn't think any of that. He just went to the bank or something. But we do that. Report an error in the passage at 50:12 Highlight the passage at 50:12

50:30 We just go around and around and around. And the Buddha's point is actually all of that stuff doesn't even exist. It's like our mind is actually completely free of all that. Get it out of the way. Gurus are really good at helping to point that out too. Report an error in the passage at 50:30 Highlight the passage at 50:30

50:50 Like I said, the love that they have for you is actually unconditional. It's this enormous love. It's probably bigger than any love that you've ever had for yourself, which is also uncomfortable. To be loved by somebody more than you love yourself. So. . Report an error in the passage at 50:50 Highlight the passage at 50:50

51:12 And they don't even care if you don't like them. They don't even care if you're like pissed off at them, which of course you shouldn't do. We'll talk about that one once you decide that they are your teacher. They can manifest as being wrathful in the same way that like a parent would be wrathful with a little kid. Report an error in the passage at 51:12 Highlight the passage at 51:12

51:34 You know, I told you, you were supposed to clean that room, you know. But isn't necessarily, in the way a parent sometimes might be really pissed actually. But in most cases with little kids, you're just kind of trying to be stern for a reason. Gurus can do that too. They can definitely pull that look, which just, you know, when you get it. But are they really displeased? Report an error in the passage at 51:34 Highlight the passage at 51:34

52:02 No. They just want you. So they're trying to figure out the best ways. The thing that's interesting with gurus is that if they are who they seem to be, and we're talking about gurus along the League of His Holiness the Dalai Lama or something like that, they can actually see your past and future karma. Report an error in the passage at 52:02 Highlight the passage at 52:02

52:22 They can see what you're capable of doing, what you've already done in your most recent lives. So they have different tools in their toolbox than we do. And once you really trust them, then you might not think doing Medicine Buddha practice for three months is going to be so helpful, but they'll see that it actually is going to help you move through a certain obstacle, and so they'll ask you to do that, things like that. Report an error in the passage at 52:22 Highlight the passage at 52:22

52:48 And that's something that a really qualified teacher can do that we can't do for ourselves. Their whole point of being in your life is to get you to develop your mind, to transform your mind. Report an error in the passage at 52:48 Highlight the passage at 52:48

53:02 And so for that reason they actually get to be huger in your life than anybody else. Report an error in the passage at 53:02 Highlight the passage at 53:02

53:11 So I'm telling you some of this stuff based on my own experience. But basically your own karma will create your relationship with your particular teachers in your life and then also once you do find your guru, your root guru, your karma creates that. So it'll be a different situation with each of you. But I can only speak from my own experience. That's all I can ever. I'm not like a highly learned being. Report an error in the passage at 53:11 Highlight the passage at 53:11

53:47 I have no qualities to be teaching. There's simply the need. So I step forward. So you have the karma to have me on this throne right now, but it's simply... I'm just telling you from my own experience, my own relationships with my teachers. So what I thought we could do is actually just quickly go around and check in with you, introduce yourselves to each other and to me, and also just to say a little bit about why this class, why did you take this class, and also your relationship with Buddhism so far. Report an error in the passage at 53:47 Highlight the passage at 53:47

54:25 Is this your second class? 15th class, whatever like that, and also kind of just a little like that. So just to tell me where you are at this point on your path and also maybe also is anything coming up in terms of the terms guru and like is that kind of freaky, you know, like is any kind of nervousness coming up about studying relationship with gurus and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 54:25 Highlight the passage at 54:25

54:56 Tim, I'm going to have you start. Oh yeah, the talking stick. Every time you ask questions and things, really, really important to use that because we upload all the classes online and then people can download them and if they can't hear the question, it's a little annoying. Report an error in the passage at 54:56 Highlight the passage at 54:56

55:14 So my name is Tim. I've been coming here for a couple years now and I've been taking a lot of Chokyi's classes. I think you've taken all of them except maybe two or something. Sometimes like once... Once a week. Right, yeah. Maybe not twice a week. Right. So I've missed some. Yeah. Taking some of Geshe-less classes. And then going to go study in Italy in January. Report an error in the passage at 55:14 Highlight the passage at 55:14

55:42 He's going to do the master's program. Yeah, and then what else? You went to Copan. Yeah, I went to Copan. I did one of the November courses. Anything else? Are you freaked out by any idea of a teacher? No, not really freaked out, but I definitely don't have. One like that now, but hopefully eventually. You can send a postcard when you do. So each of you, no matter where you are in the world, I want you to send me a postcard. Report an error in the passage at 55:42 Highlight the passage at 55:42

56:10 I'll probably still be here because this is where my teacher has me. Found him. Love for it. I think that's it. I think that's it. Yeah, just, yeah. My name is Chad. It's almost a year now. October, it'll be a year. Oh, well done. I know, it's gone really fast. Coming here to the center, coming to classes. Report an error in the passage at 56:10 Highlight the passage at 56:10

56:34 It was a huge step for me to stop solely reading books and come here. You know, it's very safe to read books and be able to close them and come here weeks later. Give them away. But, you know, that's pretty much my whole spiritual experience up until coming here, I guess. You know, I mean... Experience is important as well, but not having a human person that you can either talk to about that experience or get new information that you aren't expecting. Report an error in the passage at 56:34 Highlight the passage at 56:34

57:07 You can't really choose what class you're coming to, but it's easier to choose a book title. So I think having a guru or having a teacher is probably going to be the next step. That's even less safe than choosing a class to come to. Report an error in the passage at 57:07 Highlight the passage at 57:07

57:26 So yeah, I think that's where my thoughts are right now. Very cool. Report an error in the passage at 57:26 Highlight the passage at 57:26

57:39 The second class I've taken here, and what were their statements? Have you taken other Buddhist class anywhere else? No. Okay. No. But I guess I just wanted to, I could reflect some of the comments here too. It's like definitely getting out of book land and into... teacher land and uh that's good and i'm also intrigued by you know things like you And as far as choosing a guru, it does seem like somewhat of a fearsome step, just because the amount of trust involved there and the whole relationship word is a big step. Report an error in the passage at 57:39 Highlight the passage at 57:39

58:24 Commitment, yeah. Commitment, right. That could be a mantra for this class. And so it definitely seems like a big step, but I'm glad to hear I have 12 years to make my decision. Yes, yes, yes. As a massive procrastinator. At least, at least. No problem. Thank you. Excellent, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 58:24 Highlight the passage at 58:24

58:46 Hi, I'm Cedric, and I guess I've had a fair amount of exposure to Buddhism, but also mostly through books. I took a lot of classes at San Francisco State, so I learned about Buddhism that way. And maybe 15 years ago, I started to practice like a form of Chinese Buddhism, but I wasn't really just ready to make a commitment or keep a steady practice, so I kind of drifted away from it. Report an error in the passage at 58:46 Highlight the passage at 58:46

59:22 But I've always had an interest in it. Also, it just looks like the next step is to move towards finding a teacher at some point. And this is my third class here. Excellent. What led you to say something? It's just random. I just, one of those internet searches. Internet thing, yeah. That's how most people, I think, find us, actually. Report an error in the passage at 59:22 Highlight the passage at 59:22

59:49 If it's not through a friend, which is Brett, right? Yeah. I guess you were through internet, right? Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 59:49 Highlight the passage at 59:49

59:57 No, you were through Roland, yeah, yeah. You were through internet, yeah, so yeah. Well, I'm Chokyi, and I have been teaching here, I guess, how long? A little over two years, yeah, I guess in April of that year, right, I think. And the only reason I started teaching was because Venerable Carol, who was pretty much our... Report an error in the passage at 59:57 Highlight the passage at 59:57

1:00:27 So she went home to see her parents, both of her parents are quite elderly, and couldn't come back. And so. They needed me to teach, and so that's how I started teaching. I never felt like I was qualified to teach, and so I always start every class. I'm not qualified to teach, so I'm just doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:27 Highlight the passage at 1:00:27

1:01:00 But that being said... Like I said, this is a really, really important class to me. I do take it very seriously. I'll do my best to prepare. I put my email address on the syllabus. I'm always happy if questions come up between classes and you want to just shoot me a question. One of the students that... Report an error in the passage at 1:01:00 Highlight the passage at 1:01:00

1:01:25 I took the first class and took all the classes pretty much, I think, until now. Peter is the master of that one. Middle of the night questions. 3 a.m. questions. Open up my email in the morning. There's like these long questions. That's fine. It's totally fine. As long as you're patient. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:25 Highlight the passage at 1:01:25

1:01:41 The other thing is that if you know you're going to miss a class, you can let me know and I can also then send you my notes. I prepare notes for what I'm going to say and so I can email those to you and you can know before the next class so you know what you've missed. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:41 Highlight the passage at 1:01:41

1:01:59 I'd like to just invite you guys to go take a break. Stretch your legs a little bit. We're going to finish up with a little bit more material, including do I even need a teacher? You know, especially in this day and age of so much internet access, sort of the blessing of having live teachers versus internet surfing and all the books that we all have read before we got brave and finally went to a class because I did the same thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:59 Highlight the passage at 1:01:59

1:02:25 I call it walking around the swimming pool until you finally decide to just jump in. But anyway, so why don't we take something like a 10-minute break and just, you know. Stretch your legs. Go see if you'd like some juice or coffee or something. Do it for me. No, I'm kidding. There's naked juice. Any coffee drink you want. Michelle said she'd make it. I think they've got some treats out there, too. They usually do. When Haley's here, we usually have, like, cupcakes. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:25 Highlight the passage at 1:02:25

1:02:59 I know we have some candy bars now. Well done. Yeah, yeah. I even bought an endangered species bar yesterday. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:59 Highlight the passage at 1:02:59

1:03:10 Yeah, yeah. And Chad, my lovely assistant, will be handing out your binder. And actually, why don't we... I can hand out... I wanted to give you six reasons why there's a blessing to studying with a live teacher versus just reading books or surfing online or watching videos. Although those are also good ways to supplement your learning. This is a list that one of my teachers... Report an error in the passage at 1:03:10 Highlight the passage at 1:03:10

1:03:42 gave Geshe Michael Roach, actually. The first is that with a live teacher you receive the blessings from a living lineage. And so that's really big in our tradition. A lot of times when you go to receive like a teaching from His Holiness, for example, the Dalai Lama, he'll spend some time at the beginning or often at the end saying, I received this teaching from... Report an error in the passage at 1:03:42 Highlight the passage at 1:03:42

1:04:05 And he received it from blah, blah, blah, and he received it from blah, blah, blah. And you can actually trace it, whether he spends that time, but you can actually trace it all the way back to the Buddha. And that's really important, and it's one of the, I think one of the cool things about Buddhism, that we appreciate that, that we recognize that, that it is a direct link from... Report an error in the passage at 1:04:05 Highlight the passage at 1:04:05

1:04:30 Mouth to ear they usually say, the whispered teachings they would say from mouth to ear, from disciple to guru, back to the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:30 Highlight the passage at 1:04:30

1:04:41 The second is that spiritual teachers or masters teach you the pitfalls and they warn you in advance. So they teach you from their own mistakes because they have experience on the whole path and they can kind of keep you from making the same mistakes. Which you don't normally get from an impersonal source like a book or video or whatever. You might get some of the stories, but you might not. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:41 Highlight the passage at 1:04:41

1:05:09 It can actually save you years of pain of doing it wrong, which is quite useful. The reverse of that is that they can kind of teach you tricks about what does work and why, what worked for them, which can also save you pain. They can Report an error in the passage at 1:05:09 Highlight the passage at 1:05:09

1:05:28 So that's number three. Number four, when you find a living master, you have a companion for life and a family in his or her disciples, which really become like that. And you can learn a lot from them, too, especially those students of his or hers that have been students for many, many years. Sometimes they're more like Benarubina. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:28 Highlight the passage at 1:05:28

1:05:57 For example, I've been a student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche for 30 years. So she has her own experiences with him that also teach me. So that's, you know, you can see that in other students. Number five is when you find a real master, suddenly you enter this whole different world because they have all these new resources in terms of tools. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:57 Highlight the passage at 1:05:57

1:06:21 And that's kind of what I was talking about in terms of practices, texts, teachers. Places to go. Things that you might not think about. You know, I just recently was able to see Lama Zopa Rinpoche when he was here at our Center for His Holiness, His Teachings in May. And I was able to talk to him for the first time in many years about my practice. And I was trying to think of how to say this. And I just did this. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:21 Highlight the passage at 1:06:21

1:06:50 I just said, Rinpoche, my mind's sometimes like... Report an error in the passage at 1:06:50 Highlight the passage at 1:06:50

1:06:56 With that, he gave me an extra hour of practice a day. No, but he gave me things I never would have thought of. He has me doing all these Chenrezig mantras, medicine Buddha practice, things like that that I wouldn't have thought of to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:56 Highlight the passage at 1:06:56

1:07:14 When I went to him years ago and I asked for my nundro, my preliminary practices, some of the practices that he gave me are kind of off. Off the traditional charts and aren't necessarily ones that certainly aren't anything I would have thought of to do. And yet having done them, either completed them or still working on them, I can see how they've begun to transform my mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:14 Highlight the passage at 1:07:14

1:07:39 So it's just like that. I wouldn't necessarily know. Geshe is the same way when you go to ask a Shidakpa a question and he'll sort of reach up and grab some text. I remember I came to him one time. And somebody in the community had a loved one who was dying. And he got up on his throne, he was standing up, he started going, rummaging through his shelves and everything. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:39 Highlight the passage at 1:07:39

1:08:04 He pulled out Kalachakra's sand and he gave it to me to give to them. And then it turned out that the person wasn't with the person when they died. But I was just like, that's so great. You know, I mean, his little tool bag is just different than what we would come up with. On our own, if we were sitting there thinking, how can I help this person be with their brother when they die or whatever? And then number six actually has three parts. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:04 Highlight the passage at 1:08:04

1:08:31 They take you outside, beneath and beyond yourself. Outside is that they act as a mirror for you. We often... We can see the faults in others, but we can't often see the faults in ourselves. In fact, sometimes we don't even want to see the faults in ourselves. So the master or the spiritual teacher can do that. They can help point that out and they can help us correct our faults and our problems, which is sometimes, that's kind of one of those things that I was talking about that can be uncomfortable. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:31 Highlight the passage at 1:08:31

1:09:09 Beneath means you learn humility. By admitting that you don't know this stuff. And they say, actually, that pride is the biggest obstacle in our spiritual path. And I think, actually, pride can also be the reverse, being not just I'm really great and I know it all, but also I'm really stupid and I don't know anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:09 Highlight the passage at 1:09:09

1:09:33 Because that's kind of the Western spin on pride, is that I'll never get enlightened, you know, which is one of my... My personal problems is thinking that I can never do it. And so the Buddha actually, and the Buddha, the spiritual teacher actually helps us get through both of those. And beyond is what I was talking about in that they push you beyond what you think you can do. And you can think about this like if you've ever done something like work on yoga, if you've ever worked with a yoga teacher and you think you can't. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:33 Highlight the passage at 1:09:33

1:10:10 You can't hold it another second or you can't stretch this arm out two inches farther and then you can and how good that makes you feel when you can actually kind of push through. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10:10

1:10:21 In fact, you wouldn't do it if you were just in your room. For sure you wouldn't do it if you were following a book. But having somebody say, yeah, you can do it, you can do it, it's okay, just do it. Two more breaths and you do it. And a spiritual teacher does the same thing. You go past where you would have given up. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:21 Highlight the passage at 1:10:21

1:10:40 If you had been working on your own. So that's beyond. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:40 Highlight the passage at 1:10:40

1:10:46 The best way to hook a teacher is to serve. And they say that service actually creates the karma to find a spiritual teacher. So it's a little bit like a catch-22 because who do you serve if you don't have a spiritual teacher? But they say actually any great lama. If you know that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for example, has projects, you know, that you can somehow help with. If you know the Geshe Laza project, or, you know, you've been a Rabina or whatever with Shara Plaza. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:46 Highlight the passage at 1:10:46

1:11:25 Or it doesn't even have to be a huge project. It's not like you have to go out and do marketing for some gigantic thing. You can just see if Geshe-la needs some more avocados, you know, get him a pair of socks. You know, it doesn't have to be like this enormous thing. That's actually a lot how Stephen, who is right now filling in for monlam or monlams in Tibet, as Geshe-la's attendant and really has a very, very sweet relationship, disciple relationship with Geshe-la. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:25 Highlight the passage at 1:11:25

1:11:52 It just began that way. You know, just taking him to Walgreens or whatever, you know, taking him on BART or whatever. It just starts small that way. Any way that you can serve, any way that you can help. That Lama may become your Lama and they might not, but karmically it creates the causes. And so I guess just briefly, what is karma? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:52 Highlight the passage at 1:11:52

1:12:18 Because we talk about this term a lot. and I just And we will spend a little bit more time on it in the next, actually not so much in next week's class, but in the third and fourth class. So the Buddha actually taught that in Buddhism there actually isn't a creator god of any kind. There's not like an external being that judges you in any way and there's not, you know, that tells you what to do or that sends you to any kind of a hell if you do bad and sends you to a heaven if you do good. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:18 Highlight the passage at 1:12:18

1:12:50 There's nobody like that. The Buddha taught actually that we create our own environment. We create everything. We create our entire experience. They actually say it's taught that we created everything from the body that we're in right now to everything that's happening, the people that happen to be in this class. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:50 Highlight the passage at 1:12:50

1:13:10 That's your own karmic. You've created that karma. Definitely when you're talking about your spiritual teacher. How you have served spiritual teachers in your last life will have an effect on the spiritual teacher that you meet in this life. So how you serve them, the good thing about karma, the empowering thing about karma is you can't blame anybody else anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:10 Highlight the passage at 1:13:10

1:13:38 Whatever is happening to you has been... It's caused by your actions of body, speech or mind, which then ripen in the form of suffering or pleasure, a positive or negative result, based a lot on your, 95 % just about on your intention when you did that action. So the good news is that then you can decide what it is you want and then create the causes for that to happen. And that's how you take the teachings on karma and you make them work for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:38 Highlight the passage at 1:13:38

1:14:12 So karmically, being a good student creates the cause for getting a good teacher. Karmically, being a good student also creates the causes to become a good teacher and to have great students. So it kind of just keeps rolling along, you know. So one becomes the cause for the next. And one of the important causes for finding and relating well to a good teacher is becoming a good student. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:12 Highlight the passage at 1:14:12

1:14:43 And that just means, we'll talk about the qualities of being a disciple and whether or not we have them yet. But one of just, basically it just means, you know, being appreciative and being respectful of the teacher. And I'm not saying this so that you're super appreciative of me. I'm saying this so when you go to one of Geshe-Los classes, for example, or something. That's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:43 Highlight the passage at 1:14:43

1:15:07 But it's important to hear. It's important to learn because a lot of times in Tibetan Buddhism you find out you've done something wrong once you've done it. Usually you're going down to prostrate at the wrong time or something when somebody stops you and gasps or something. So I like to tell you whatever I can to keep you from embarrassing yourself like I have. But yeah, being respectful. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:07 Highlight the passage at 1:15:07

1:15:30 Being appreciative, you know, showing up, not interrupting, not coming in late, like those kind of things that are fairly common sense. But most importantly, trying to apply what it is that you're learning. And that's hard. It's hard to remember to do. But, you know, if you're encountering a problem in your life, to actually think, what's a dharmic approach to this problem, rather than... Report an error in the passage at 1:15:30 Highlight the passage at 1:15:30

1:15:55 You know, going out and running a movie or something, you know, which is, I mean, we all do it, right? Actually remembering to follow some of the teachings that you've received from your teacher and to apply them. That's actually the best way to be a student. And so in terms of Buddhist teaching. So getting it and applying it. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:55 Highlight the passage at 1:15:55

1:16:21 So this week we're actually going to start with just kind of looking at some of the feelings that you have about teachers, some of your own experiences, both negative and positive with teachers in your life. I think it's one thing, though, to just sit down. I think the meditation one is really thinking about some of the teachers in your life who have had a profound... Report an error in the passage at 1:16:21 Highlight the passage at 1:16:21

1:16:46 And maybe they weren't like school teachers. Maybe they were people that taught you in some less formal way. And they can be teachers in books too. You can count them. So anyone that may have had an effect on your life. And some of us I know have had experiences with teachers. They don't have to be spiritual teachers. They can be teachers in any realm where that teacher went out of their way. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:46 Highlight the passage at 1:16:46

1:17:11 To help you learn something or maybe taught you in an unusual way or maybe really helped if you were having family problems or something like that. So just try to think about all the teachers that you had and just to develop this appreciation for the role of teachers in your life. And you're just kind of doing it as a reflection and that's really what your meditation assignment is going to be. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:11 Highlight the passage at 1:17:11

1:17:39 And so that's actually what we'll end with tonight. We'll just take a couple minutes with that. And then also to begin reading the Berzen book, one of the required readings for this class along with the binder is Alex Berzen's book relating to a spiritual teacher, which we have for sale in the bookstore. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:39 Highlight the passage at 1:17:39

1:17:57 Alex Berzin is great because he's got so many things available online and you can just download it. So you can do it that way too if you decide you really like it. I really enjoy owning it and it may be one that you do too. But it's nice to have that option so you don't... I guess I shouldn't say that. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:57 Highlight the passage at 1:17:57

1:18:22 But anyway, so does anyone have any questions about all of this? Anything that's come up before we do the closing meditation and the final dedication? um... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:22 Highlight the passage at 1:18:22

1:18:31 Yeah, Cedric, and you want to pass him the talking stick? I know, I know, but just think if you were the listener at home. What was number three? Number three with my list of, they teach you what works. So the first, number two is what the pitfalls, and then number three is what actually works and why. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:31 Highlight the passage at 1:18:31

1:18:54 Yeah, yeah. Again, through their own experience. Did anybody else miss any of the rest of those? Okay. Anything else? Any other questions? Issues? You can all sit and hold hands. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:54 Highlight the passage at 1:18:54

1:19:14 All right. Well, let's end then with a meditation. And just a little something. You don't have to do it this way. This is just kind of a way to begin looking at some of the teachers in your life and developing an appreciation of them. and just like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:14 Highlight the passage at 1:19:14

1:19:31 So again, you just start in the same way of reviewing your posture, doing whatever you need to do to feel comfortable. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:31 Highlight the passage at 1:19:31

1:19:44 Most importantly of all of the points of the posture is keeping your spine extended. I actually find the two points of keeping my shoulders back a little bit and also keeping my spine extended are the two that keep my concentration stronger. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:44 Highlight the passage at 1:19:44

1:20:04 And then you can also start with watching your breath. For a minute, which helps you let go of the day. If you do your meditation in the evening when you get home from work, or if you do it in the morning, it just sort of develops your concentration a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:04 Highlight the passage at 1:20:04

1:20:25 And I'm actually working, there's a book, Alan Wallace has a book out now called The Attention Revolution, which I think is a great book for developing concentration, kind of in an easy way of watching your breath. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:25 Highlight the passage at 1:20:25

1:20:42 But the main thing is just to have like sort of a sense of joy about it, like not berating yourself when your mind gets distracted or you get distracted by sounds or your thoughts or whatever, just to keep letting go of them, letting them dissolve and just keep replacing your focus, your attention on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:42 Highlight the passage at 1:20:42

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:21:38 And we'll just start with thinking about some of the teachers in your life and just bring to mind even just a couple. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:38 Highlight the passage at 1:21:38

1:21:49 You can start with any that might have had a profound effect on you. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:49 Highlight the passage at 1:21:49

1:21:59 Or maybe just somebody who inspired you in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:59 Highlight the passage at 1:21:59

1:22:06 Maybe you have a teacher from school who challenged you or took a little bit more time with you or changed the way you thought about the world in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:06 Highlight the passage at 1:22:06

1:22:40 Maybe you can't even remember their names now. Maybe they're not even living anymore. That doesn't matter. You can just kind of imagine them coming in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:40 Highlight the passage at 1:22:40

1:23:03 And then you can kind of let your mind review some of the other teachers. Maybe those who taught you how to read, which might have been a parent. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:03 Highlight the passage at 1:23:03

1:23:16 Maybe somebody who had to discipline you, but it was done in a way that you realized that it was for your own good. Maybe you were headed in some dangerous direction. Maybe Report an error in the passage at 1:23:16 Highlight the passage at 1:23:16

1:23:32 somebody who inspired you to love poetry or music or film. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:32 Highlight the passage at 1:23:32

1:23:54 Maybe there was somebody at the very beginning who just taught you how to play nicely. With the other students. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:54 Highlight the passage at 1:23:54

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:24:36 Then you can think of another kind of teacher. Teachers like His Holiness the Dalai Lama or Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh. Maybe famous teachers that you might not have had a chance to talk to personally, but they've inspired you in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:36 Highlight the passage at 1:24:36

1:24:57 Maybe their teachings have inspired you through books. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:57 Highlight the passage at 1:24:57

1:25:04 Or maybe great beings who didn't even think of themselves as teachers like Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:04 Highlight the passage at 1:25:04

1:25:20 You can think about people in your life who have shown you how to act or be or just taught you through how they lived or how they died. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:20 Highlight the passage at 1:25:20

1:25:54 Imagine all of these beings coming and joining the group in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:54 Highlight the passage at 1:25:54

1:26:19 Maybe some of these people you've never met actually. They're famous. That's okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:19 Highlight the passage at 1:26:19

1:26:33 And allow space for those teachers that you haven't met yet who will play an integral part in your life. Maybe you can't recognize them yet. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:33 Highlight the passage at 1:26:33

1:26:47 But just let yourself feel this abundance of teachers filling your life and feel all this gratitude, even if you don't have time now to picture them all and just to be aware of how many there are. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:47 Highlight the passage at 1:26:47

1:27:19 Now you can imagine a special teacher coming forward. This is your main spiritual teacher, your root guru. And maybe you have an inkling who this is and maybe you don't have any idea. You can just imagine that this person embodies all you want to become. And can take you all the way to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:19 Highlight the passage at 1:27:19

1:27:45 And you can imagine the love that this person feels towards you, which is completely free of wanting anything from you or attachment or anything other than wanting your ultimate freedom and happiness. You Report an error in the passage at 1:27:45 Highlight the passage at 1:27:45

1:28:07 can feel that love flowing into your heart and allowing it to open. And that openness of your heart allows you to be able to love all beings without exception. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:07 Highlight the passage at 1:28:07

1:28:29 Being able to touch that love gives you the power to help all beings. Liberate themselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:29 Highlight the passage at 1:28:29

1:28:44 You just rest in that potential, that awareness and try to feel that it actually can happen. We just have to create the causes and anything can happen. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:44 Highlight the passage at 1:28:44

1:29:15 So we dedicate the energy that we've created, the positive karma from doing this class together. Any insights that we may have gained, any ideas, any seeds that might have been planted. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:15 Highlight the passage at 1:29:15

1:29:37 To creating the causes for each one of us to be able to find and serve the perfect spiritual teacher for us as Report an error in the passage at 1:29:37 Highlight the passage at 1:29:37

1:29:47 the direct cause for our own enlightenment so that we can perfectly help all beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:47 Highlight the passage at 1:29:47

1:30:10 You can enter meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:10 Highlight the passage at 1:30:10

1:30:35 Okay, thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:35 Highlight the passage at 1:30:35

1:30:41 I hope you all have a great week. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:41 Highlight the passage at 1:30:41

1:30:46 And if anybody has any energy and feels like helping me stack the cushions, that would be great. Actually what I usually do is set up for the morning puja. So we use... Report an error in the passage at 1:30:46 Highlight the passage at 1:30:46

1:31:01 Seven cushions. So seven cushions can stay. And we use, yeah, I do. Me, I'm here and then Katie's here and Vena Rubina's here facing each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:01 Highlight the passage at 1:31:01