Lama Tsong Khapa Guru Yoga (part 3)

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:22 So we'll start with 20 minutes of calm abiding. Report an error in the passage at 1:22 Highlight the passage at 1:22

1:40 So whether you actually see the important point for calm abiding is to have the back straight. So you have to put the height of the cushion so that, you know, your back is comfortable and straight. Report an error in the passage at 1:40 Highlight the passage at 1:40

2:00 And then whether you put your hand on the knees or, you know, in meditative pose, whatever is comfortable for you. Usually for calm abiding it's better to meditate the eyes slightly open. The mind is more stable than Report an error in the passage at 2:00 Highlight the passage at 2:00

2:32 whether you focus on the air at the level of the nostril or the whole inhale or like we did this morning, inhaling, holding the breath and then exhaling. Report an error in the passage at 2:32 Highlight the passage at 2:32

2:53 Or you can also focus on the space in front of your eyes and that space reflects the space within your mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:53 Highlight the passage at 2:53

3:05 Basically, it doesn't matter what object you choose. You need something that you're comfortable with. And then you decide, now I'm focusing on that. Report an error in the passage at 3:05 Highlight the passage at 3:05

3:19 And then as soon as the mind wanders away, you simply bring it back. And you try to extend the duration of not forgetting the object. Report an error in the passage at 3:19 Highlight the passage at 3:19

3:34 Till the point where at least with one part of the mind, you never forget the object. You hold it. You have a continuous holding of the object. Report an error in the passage at 3:34 Highlight the passage at 3:34

3:57 Of course at the beginning you need a lot of pressure, a lot of effort, but gradually you will need less and less. And Report an error in the passage at 3:57 Highlight the passage at 3:57

· · · silence, 2 minutes

5:57 if you get tired to the effort, you simply relax, you take a break and you start all over again when you're refreshed. Report an error in the passage at 5:57 Highlight the passage at 5:57

· · · silence, 6 minutes

11:46 If you're getting sleepy because you just had food, so again you have to open a bit more your eyes and you have to hold your object a bit tighter. Report an error in the passage at 11:46 Highlight the passage at 11:46

12:09 And if that doesn't help, You have to stop your meditation for a little while and visualize a sphere of light above your head. Report an error in the passage at 12:09 Highlight the passage at 12:09

· · · silence, 10 minutes

22:38 So then, in space in front of you, you imagine your object of refuge. So you imagine what enlightenment could be like. Space of goodness, light, perfection, intelligence, love, compassion, bliss, joy, joking. Report an error in the passage at 22:38 Highlight the passage at 22:38

23:06 Whatever for you is the lightness of enlightenment and Report an error in the passage at 23:06 Highlight the passage at 23:06

23:17 try to entrust yourself to this basic goodness, this basic purity. So whether you visualize Shakyamuni Buddha or any other enlightened beings, you can do that. And then as you inhale, you imagine that you inhale light coming from the heart and filling all the cells of your body or just from the space of goodness. Report an error in the passage at 23:17 Highlight the passage at 23:17

23:48 You know, space of light, you inhale that light with all these enlightened qualities and you imagine that it regenerates all the cells of your body, fill all the cells of your body with light and transform them into, your body gradually transforms into a light body and Report an error in the passage at 23:48 Highlight the passage at 23:48

24:15 this light body is full of joy and bliss and peace. Report an error in the passage at 24:15 Highlight the passage at 24:15

24:25 So with each inhale, you inhale more qualities. More light and gradually transforms your ordinary body into a light body. Report an error in the passage at 24:25 Highlight the passage at 24:25

· · · silence, 1 minute

25:54 And we can recite three times the refuge formula. Report an error in the passage at 25:54 Highlight the passage at 25:54

26:03 I go for refuge until enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma and Saṅgha by my virtuous actions of giving and so on. May I become a Buddha to benefit all living beings. I go for refuge until enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma and Saṅgha. By my virtuous actions of giving and so on, may I become a Buddha to benefit all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 26:03 Highlight the passage at 26:03

26:34 I go for refuge until enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma and Saṅgha. By my virtuous actions of giving and so on, may I become a Buddha to benefit all living beings. May all beings have equanimity. Free of attachment and aversion. May all beings have happiness and its causes. May all beings be free of suffering and its causes. Report an error in the passage at 26:34 Highlight the passage at 26:34

27:06 May all beings always obtain a higher rebirth or liberation. So here you stop for a little while and with the exhale you imagine sending out loving kindness, giving happiness to all beings. And as you inhale, you imagine taking away their problem with empathy for whatever difficulty they might have. Report an error in the passage at 27:06 Highlight the passage at 27:06

27:36 So as you exhale, you give love, care, joy, happiness. And as you inhale, you take away their difficulties. Report an error in the passage at 27:36 Highlight the passage at 27:36

· · · silence, 2 minutes

29:29 surface of the earth in every direction be pure without even a pebble. As smooth as the palm of a child hand, narrowly polished as lapis lazuli, and may all the space be filled with the material offerings of God and man, both those set before me and those mentally created, as a perilous cloud of Samantabada offerings. Report an error in the passage at 29:29 Highlight the passage at 29:29

30:00 So you try to imagine this place as a pure land, made of rainbow light energy. Your body is made of rainbow light energy and all the other peoples in this room have rainbow light body energy. Report an error in the passage at 30:00 Highlight the passage at 30:00

30:22 And this city, you know, is Shambhala or Shangri-La or whatever pure land you imagine. Report an error in the passage at 30:22 Highlight the passage at 30:22

30:34 Everything is made of blissful light energy and Report an error in the passage at 30:34 Highlight the passage at 30:34

30:41 it's adorned with jewelry, canopies, pearls. Report an error in the passage at 30:41 Highlight the passage at 30:41

30:50 So at night, you know, all the neons, all the light is... Glittery jewel, you know, glittering jewels adorning the city, Report an error in the passage at 30:50 Highlight the passage at 30:50

31:19 all the sound, the sound of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 31:19 Highlight the passage at 31:19

31:43 From the heart of Matreya, the protector of the hundreds of deities of the joyful pure land, emanates on thick white clouds, the all-knowing Lama Tsongkhapa, king of Dharma with his head. I request you to come before me, please. So you visualize. Matriya Buddha and from his heart comes a beam of light to the space in front of you on which sits Lama Tsongkhapa and Kedubche and Kelsabche facing you and you try to feel their presence. Report an error in the passage at 31:43 Highlight the passage at 31:43

32:20 In Report an error in the passage at 32:20 Highlight the passage at 32:20

32:49 the space in front of an alliance on lotus and moon sits my kangaroo smiling with delight, all supreme field of merit for my faithful mind. Please remain for a hundred say unto the Spirit of the teaching. Your holy mind whispers is all knowable things. Your eloquent speech is a near ornament for forth to your mind. Report an error in the passage at 32:49 Highlight the passage at 32:49

33:13 Your divine body is a renewed reunion. To you, meaningful to see, hear, or remember, I bow down. Free drinking water, beautifully arranged flowers. Fragrant incense, light, sanded water and so forth, clouds of actual and imagine offering, I offer to you, Supreme Field of Mary. I regret whatever non-virtues of body, speech and mind, and especially transgressions of my three worlds. Report an error in the passage at 33:13 Highlight the passage at 33:13

33:48 That I have committed since beginningless time, and I fervently confess them all from the death of my heart. In this degenerated time you have abandoned the eight worldly concerns, and made this life of freedom and opportunity meaningful by striving for knowledge and realization. I rejoice sincerely, union extensively. Report an error in the passage at 33:48 Highlight the passage at 33:48

34:13 Please, holy, kind gurus in the sky of Dharmakaya, from their lowing clouds of wisdom and compassion, rein vast and profound Dhamma upon us, you fortunate disciples. Whatever merit I have collected, may it greatly benefit the Dhamma and all beings, and may the heart teachings of Venerable Lama Tsongkhapa shine forever. Report an error in the passage at 34:13 Highlight the passage at 34:13

34:41 Oh, this ground and on wind-centered water and stoot with flower, adorned by Mount Merod, a full land, a sun and a moon. I imagine as a Buddha land and an offering that all beings may enjoy this pure land. Oh, I send forth this old mandala to you, my precious good. Report an error in the passage at 34:41 Highlight the passage at 34:41

35:20 So Report an error in the passage at 35:20 Highlight the passage at 35:20

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36:17 while we request, sing the request to Lama Tsongkhapa, so you imagine beams of light coming from his heart and pouring into your body-mind and granting you, you know, removing all obstacles to your life, to your spiritual attainment and granting you, you know, whatever. Experience your wish in all good conditions. Report an error in the passage at 36:17 Highlight the passage at 36:17

36:50 Chandrazi, great treasure of objectless compassion. Manjushi, lord of stainless wisdom. Vajrapani, destroyer of Marazami. Tsangkapa, crown jewel of Tibetan sages. Lose Andrapa to you I pray. Chenresi, great treasure of objectless compassion. Manjushi, lord of stainless wisdom. Vajrapani, destroyer of Māra's armies. Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of Tibetan sages. Lose Andrapa to you I pray. Report an error in the passage at 36:50 Highlight the passage at 36:50

37:30 Chenrezig, great treasure of objectless compassion, Manjushi, lord of sinless wisdom, Vajrapani, destroyer of Māra's armies, Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of Tibetan sages, Lozan Rapa, to you I pray. Chenrezig, great treasure of objectless compassion, Manjushi, lord of sinless wisdom, Vajrapani, destroyer of Marazamis, Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of Tibetan sages, Lausanne Rapa, to you I pray. Report an error in the passage at 37:30 Highlight the passage at 37:30

38:16 Te-chan-chan-re Report an error in the passage at 38:16 Highlight the passage at 38:16

38:43 Shantideva, Shantideva, Shantideva, Report an error in the passage at 38:43 Highlight the passage at 38:43

39:07 Legendas por TIAGO ANDERSON Report an error in the passage at 39:07 Highlight the passage at 39:07

39:28 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 39:28 Highlight the passage at 39:28

39:59 Rene Feusi about bodhicitta, emptiness and Report an error in the passage at 39:59 Highlight the passage at 39:59

40:06 lamrim. Report an error in the passage at 40:06 Highlight the passage at 40:06

· · · silence, 2 minutes

41:53 Magnificent and Precious Root Guru, please Please abide on a lotus and moon seat above my head. Guide me with your great kindness and grant me the realizations of your holy body, speech and mind. So here you visualize the two disciples. They absorb into Lama Tsongkhapa and then they implement Lama Tsongkhapa, absorb into himself. Report an error in the passage at 41:53 Highlight the passage at 41:53

42:20 And he comes to rest on a lotus and moon seat above your crown of your head. So he turns, he faces the same direction as you. So you imagine, for example, His Holiness Dalai Lama sitting on the crown of your head, in the aspect of Lama Tsongkhapa. Report an error in the passage at 42:20 Highlight the passage at 42:20

42:41 So he faces the same direction as you. And then you imagine, you see this white light at his crown chakra, red light at his throat chakra, and blue light at his heart chakra. And as we recite... Om Ahum, so with one breath, while we exhale Om, you visualize a beam of light rays coming from the crown chakra of His Holiness Dalai Lama, Lama Tsongkhapa, and enter you, it goes down through his body and enters your crown chakra and opens your head chakra. Report an error in the passage at 42:41 Highlight the passage at 42:41

43:18 Feel it with blissful white light that then radiates throughout your whole body. And then you imagine, as we recite Ah. You imagine red light coming from the throat chakra, the center of the speech from His Holiness Dalai Lama, Lama Tsongkhapa, goes down to his body and to the crown of your head and opens your throat chakra, filling your whole body with red light. Report an error in the passage at 43:18 Highlight the passage at 43:18

43:50 And as we say whom, you imagine that blue light comes from his heart chakra down to his body. And opens your heart chakra and fills it with blue light. And as we recite Om Ahum together, you imagine all three lights coming together and entering into your three chakra together. Report an error in the passage at 43:50 Highlight the passage at 43:50

44:13 So we take a deep breath with each syllable. Report an error in the passage at 44:13 Highlight the passage at 44:13

· · · silence, 1 minute

45:38 magnificent and precious Udghur. Please abide on our lotus and moon seat at my heart. Guide me with your great kindness and always be with me until I attain enlightenment. So for those which have the permission, they can absorb Lama Tsongkhapa into their heart. For the other ones, they just melt Lama Tsongkhapa into the light and absorb the light energy and they merge that light energy of Lama Tsongkhapa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with the light energy of your own mind in your heart. Report an error in the passage at 45:38 Highlight the passage at 45:38

46:25 So you dissolve Lama Tsongkhapa, His Holiness, into light and that light energy enter into your heart and you focus on your heart area and you imagine that your mind is one with the enlightened mind of all the Buddhas. Report an error in the passage at 46:25 Highlight the passage at 46:25

46:46 And you try to stay non-conceptually without any thought. You focus on the space in your heart area full of light and bliss. Report an error in the passage at 46:46 Highlight the passage at 46:46

47:01 So you imagine light, you imagine bliss. So it's by imagination that gradually you get to the experience. Report an error in the passage at 47:01 Highlight the passage at 47:01

· · · silence, 1 minute

48:17 So the I that exists is a mere designation on that space of awareness and this body. Report an error in the passage at 48:17 Highlight the passage at 48:17

48:33 The other I, the dualistic I, the separate I, the one that appears to be slightly independent and possesses the body and mind that says, this is my body, these are my thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 48:33 Highlight the passage at 48:33

48:51 These are my emotions. Report an error in the passage at 48:51 Highlight the passage at 48:51

48:56 That one, like a mirage, doesn't exist at all. It has no essence. Report an error in the passage at 48:56 Highlight the passage at 48:56

· · · silence, 2 minutes

50:43 merit of this earth to men Report an error in the passage at 50:43 Highlight the passage at 50:43

50:56 Lead all beings ever. Report an error in the passage at 50:56 Highlight the passage at 50:56

51:04 into that enlightened state. May the precious body mine not yet born arise and grow and may that born not decline but increase more and more in the snowy mountain paradise. You're the source of good and happiness, powerful pens in Gyatsochenrezi. Please remain until saṃsāra ends. Great upholder of the moral way, the bountiful bearer of all good. Report an error in the passage at 51:04 Highlight the passage at 51:04

52:06 Sustaining and spreading Buddha's word expounding, magnificent prayer. Khyam Chesoppa, the great rimbo, Che protecting disciples, please live. Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

52:55 Many Tibetans, you know, in the monasteries, they recite this. Prayer every morning, you know, so that's one of the first things they do in the morning is this practice. Report an error in the passage at 52:55 Highlight the passage at 52:55

53:08 So we, when I was in Nalanda Monastery with Kenzu Rinpoche, you know, Geshe Jamba Tekcho, so we would do that every morning and we'd sit together and recite this, meditate on that, and then we would sit for, you know, 45 minutes in silence and everybody would do their own personal prayer. you know, during that time. Report an error in the passage at 53:08 Highlight the passage at 53:08

53:34 Do you have any questions or otherwise we can just chit chat? Yes. Report an error in the passage at 53:34 Highlight the passage at 53:34

53:49 Would you call this a sadhana? Yes. Okay, this seems to be the only sadhana that I've ever been given an initiation to practice where you don't arise as a deity. Yes. Can you speak a little bit about that? So this practice is a practice that you can do in the sūtra context and in the tantra context, right? Report an error in the passage at 53:49 Highlight the passage at 53:49

54:18 So that's why it's so open to everybody. You don't need an initiation to do it. But if you have an initiation, of course, you would do it yourself, visualize yourself as your yidam or, you know, as your deity, and you would do it in that context. Report an error in the passage at 54:18 Highlight the passage at 54:18

54:35 When I first got this, I thought, wait, I arise as Lama Tsongkhapa? This doesn't, you know. No, so usually at the end, you see if you have a high yoga tantra empowerment, things like that. So you would arise, you know, out of clear light, and you would arise as you eat them, things like that. And there's many different types of visualization that would need empowerment to be able to do, you know. Report an error in the passage at 54:35 Highlight the passage at 54:35

54:58 So this is the sūtra way of doing it, then you have tantric way to do it, you know. So it can be elaborated in many different ways. But the basic practice is really open to everybody like that. Yeah, just a simple question. Report an error in the passage at 54:58 Highlight the passage at 54:58

55:19 Just a simple question. When you do the absorption at the end, do you leave up the objects of refuge and Maitreya or do they all absorb into Lama Tsongkhapa? Well, you leave the Perlund where it is. You just absorb the 2D7 and 2Lama Tsongkhapa into you. Could Report an error in the passage at 55:19 Highlight the passage at 55:19

55:54 you please summarize, once again, what are the seven parts of the seven languages? So, actually here, I send a beautiful file. Yeah, the pure language, you Report an error in the passage at 55:54 Highlight the passage at 55:54

56:08 You know, to the center to print it out, but it got corrupted in the printing, you know. She couldn't print it out properly, so she had to paste and, you know, copy-paste, and it got copy-paste a bit in the wrong way, you know, so I'm apologizing for that. So on Report an error in the passage at 56:08 Highlight the passage at 56:08

56:35 the first page, Report an error in the passage at 56:35 Highlight the passage at 56:35

56:42 so it goes by four lines. So you have four lines. In the space in front of the land from lotus and moon sits my kangaroo smiling with delight, O supreme field of merit for my faith. Please remain for hundreds of eons to spread the teaching. So here you request the teacher to... Report an error in the passage at 56:42 Highlight the passage at 56:42

57:11 So you ask him to stay a long time, you see? So that's the verse of requesting for lasting longer. So you can put a little line there, because this is the first verse. And then it starts the second verse. Your holy mind perceives all knowable things, your eloquent speeches, your divine body are radiant with glory, renown. Report an error in the passage at 57:11 Highlight the passage at 57:11

57:30 To you, meaningful to see and remember, I bow down. So that's another verse, right? So here normally should be a gap. But somehow it didn't happen. So this is the verse of bowing down, of prostrating, right? And then comes the verse of offering, you know, crystal clear drinking water, beautifully orange flower, fragrant incense, light-scented water and so forth, cloud of action and imagined offering offered to you, supreme field of Mary. Report an error in the passage at 57:30 Highlight the passage at 57:30

57:54 So that's the verse of offering, right? And then is the verse of confession, you know, and then is the verse of rejoicing, you know, rejoicing in its qualities. And then is the verse of requesting teaching. And then it's the verse of dedication. So here in this practice, they don't come in the normal order. Normally you have prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, asking, teaching and requesting to have long life and dedication. Report an error in the passage at 57:54 Highlight the passage at 57:54

58:25 And here the order is a bit different. So here you ask first to have a long life and then you make the other seven in prayer. So the order. You know, it's a bit different. Yeah, so good point. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 58:25 Highlight the passage at 58:25

58:49 I mean, if, you know, if somebody wants the file, I can send it to via email and maybe your printer works better than the center's printer and you have it properly. Report an error in the passage at 58:49 Highlight the passage at 58:49

59:01 Does doing this sadhana substitute for one of the six session guru yogas? Report an error in the passage at 59:01 Highlight the passage at 59:01

59:18 Not this one. The Lama Tsongkhapa, if you add a few verbs, yes, but not this one. Or you would have to add quite a few verse. Yes. Because you don't have the 17th commitment of the five Dhyani Buddha. You know, they're not in here. Report an error in the passage at 59:18 Highlight the passage at 59:18

59:45 Emily wants the microphone. Report an error in the passage at 59:45 Highlight the passage at 59:45

59:54 I've been talking a lot about the importance of calm abiding. And I find that when I do a lot of stabilizing meditation, I get very attached to that. And I'm wondering if you would talk a little bit about the antidote to that attachment. Report an error in the passage at 59:54 Highlight the passage at 59:54

1:00:21 Meaning you become lazy for the other things, you know, because, you know, you rather do calm abiding than doing other things, or in which sense attacks? Yeah, and then becoming attached to this, having a peace of mind, a quiet mind, and a reluctance to go out into the loud, noisy world. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:21 Highlight the passage at 1:00:21

1:01:00 I think there's different periods in one's life, you know, different stages where one does more one or the other, you know, until we can actually integrate both. You see, personally, you see, morning early I do my shamatha stuff, you know, kind of calm abiding, and then later throughout the day, well, you know, life unfolds and I have to go here and there and do this and that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:00 Highlight the passage at 1:01:00

1:01:26 So for me it doesn't... Report an error in the passage at 1:01:26 Highlight the passage at 1:01:26

1:01:30 It doesn't contradict, you know, it's just, I know my shamatha practice morning early and then the rest of the day, it's not that anymore, right? So, but in, depending on your object, you can always have breaks throughout the day and bring back your mind of calm abiding. So if you use, for example, yourself as... Report an error in the passage at 1:01:30 Highlight the passage at 1:01:30

1:01:52 Visualize yourself as an enlightened being or giving and taking, you know, put onto the breath or the space like nature of the mind. Basically, I can enter into meditation waiting for my coffee at Starbucks, you know. You know, I sit down a little bit or even standing there and like that. So for five, I can have five minutes here and there throughout the day to bring me back into that, you know, like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:52 Highlight the passage at 1:01:52

1:02:22 Basically it helps me not to get scattered, because somehow throughout the day you start getting involved into thinking about this, that, that, doing this and that, and basically you have always to do all these plannings, and especially when you're people, you chat a lot, so it's kind of difficult at that moment to be in a state of calm, abiding, because... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:22 Highlight the passage at 1:02:22

1:02:48 Speaking involves thought, you know, and thinking of what you're going to say or, you know, and listening to what they say, you know, the whole thing. So basically, but if you have moments of break, then I go back to that, you know. So you see, it cuts, it cuts the internal radio that goes then freely on and on and on, you know. You finish talking so you could have a break, but no, the mind goes on, rumbles, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:48 Highlight the passage at 1:02:48

1:03:13 So calm abiding cuts that, you know, this. Rambling like that. But it's true, there's a form of, basically, there's a form of attachment that arises from being in that samādhi or in peace of mind, this inner peace, which is not necessarily bad. Because otherwise, what would we be attached to? We would be attached to the coffee or the tea or going to talk or going for a walk. So we are attached to that, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:13 Highlight the passage at 1:03:13

1:03:42 And as you... When you're familiarized with that state, you go more and more effortlessly quicker into it. Then you use it for your other meditation. So the aim is not to have calm abiding per se. It's a step towards then using it to realize emptiness or your other thing. You use that calm. But before having reached a certain stage, to use... Report an error in the passage at 1:03:42 Highlight the passage at 1:03:42

1:04:01 than, you know, to, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:01 Highlight the passage at 1:04:01

1:04:08 You know, the inside becomes kind of counterproductive because the stability is not stable enough yet. So, yeah, I don't know. What do you think? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:08 Highlight the passage at 1:04:08

1:04:23 What's your experience? My experience is that I need to do a lot of meditation on bodhicitta before, you know, and really set my motivation before I do calm abiding because otherwise I can easily. ha, ha, ha. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:23 Highlight the passage at 1:04:23

1:04:41 Just want to stay in this kind of peaceful state. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:41 Highlight the passage at 1:04:41

1:04:49 So it depends on the individual. You see, sometimes Report an error in the passage at 1:04:49 Highlight the passage at 1:04:49

1:05:03 if one makes too much meditation on bodhicitta before, by the time one is in the state of bodhicitta, one is exhausted and can actually not do calm abiding after. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:03 Highlight the passage at 1:05:03

1:05:13 Right? So... Personally, usually I do the other way around. I do calm abiding first and then I do refuge and then I do bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:13 Highlight the passage at 1:05:13

1:05:27 I go to the 11th point of generating bodhicitta. I stay in each state of mind a little while like that and I do then giving and taking and then unfold. But if I start with that, because I get lost in bodhicitta myself, you know, so it takes me half hour. So by the end I finish that, well, there's no more time for my shine, you know, my calm abiding. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:27 Highlight the passage at 1:05:27

1:05:50 So I put it that way around, especially because the best period in the day is early morning for calm abiding. I choose to do that way. So usually I start with, you know, the six session guru yoga while I'm waking up, you know, I have that. The tape recorder in my head, so I do some prayers before, but when I sit down, I start usually refuge, bodhicitta, you know, the motivation. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:50 Highlight the passage at 1:05:50

1:06:16 But in a short way, I don't elaborate too much because, you know. So I think basically different people have, you have to listen to your own intuition from your own experience. So I think it's good what you do, you know. Basically, you have to follow your own. What I'm saying is what's worked for me, then you from your experience, it's perfectly valid to go down your own way. So each one of us have to try what works for oneself. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:16 Highlight the passage at 1:06:16

1:06:58 Yeah, but it's a good point. Personally, I feel there's not so much danger to get... I think I get more distracted by the attachment to cyclic existence than the attachment to the bliss of sine, you know. You know, the real distraction is my attachment to worldly things, you know. It's not so much my attachment to the meditative state yet. I would love it would be more that, my problem. I Report an error in the passage at 1:06:58 Highlight the passage at 1:06:58

1:07:42 remember once the story, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was staying in his cave in Laudo, you know, in the... Himalaya region. And Lama Yeshe was wanting to go on tour. And he sent a helicopter up with Jackie asking Rinpoche to come down. And Rinpoche didn't want to leave his cave. He said, no, I don't want to go. So Rinpoche sent another student and said, Rinpoche, where's your compassion? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:42 Highlight the passage at 1:07:42

1:08:21 So like that, you know, a little bit like that, you know. So I think you can, you know, one can get attached to meditation in some ways. You know, like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:21 Highlight the passage at 1:08:21

1:08:32 So then Rinpoche, of course, went, you know. He jumped into the helicopter because the message came from his teacher, you know, Lama Yeshe. He was very devoted. So probably, you know, if it wouldn't be for him meeting Lama Yeshe. You know, as his main teacher. Because it's Lama Yeshe basically that sat at all this center and traveling around and things like that. So if it were for Lama Yeshe, maybe Lama Zopa Rinpoche would have had a completely different life. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:32 Highlight the passage at 1:08:32

1:09:13 So then when Lama Yeshe passed away, Rinpoche accepted to take it over. But basically this at the beginning was Lama Yeshe's baby, you know, all these things. And Lama Zopa Rinpoche was... I'm going to follow behind. I think the Report an error in the passage at 1:09:13 Highlight the passage at 1:09:13

1:09:42 danger of calm abiding, I mean, how many people amongst us have a problem with danger of being stuck in calm abiding? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:42 Highlight the passage at 1:09:42

1:09:56 It's that if you get, you know, there's one vows not to get attached to the bliss of the mind, you know, because you can't. It's tight. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:56 Highlight the passage at 1:09:56

1:10:05 I mean, I don't know anybody here that might be a problem yet, you know, to get attached to the bliss of the mind that you don't want to come out of meditation. For example, there's a story of this, I don't know whether some of you have read the autobiography of a yogi from Yogananda, right? So there in those books they speak about that guy which went into the Himalaya to see Babaji. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:05 Highlight the passage at 1:10:05

1:10:31 You know, his guru. And he came home and he was married and he was a teacher. So at night, you know, so he would go to bed with his wife and when his wife would fall asleep, he would sit up in meditation and he would start levitating on the bed, you know, above the bed, sit in meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:31 Highlight the passage at 1:10:31

1:10:48 And then his wife would wake up and see her husband levitating in the room, you know, kind of like that. And he got kind of attached to that state of blissful absorption, you know. So he went to see his mass and his mass told him, you know, you have to keep on working and, you know, your meditation will progress even though he was a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:48 Highlight the passage at 1:10:48

1:11:17 So, you know, you can continue to go to school, teach your class and, you know, kind of like that. So I think when it's new... I think at the beginning where you have a stage where, because actually you reach a stage where you realize that the bliss of the mind is much more interesting than any worldly pleasure. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:17 Highlight the passage at 1:11:17

1:11:41 That you experience more joy inside than coffee, than going to the movie, than going for a walk. You know, you're actually more pleasurable to sit and meditate. So of course, you know, you look at, oh, you know, just stay home, just stay home. You know, I like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:41 Highlight the passage at 1:11:41

1:12:00 So, and then once you complete, then because it's new, you have the, how to say, the fear of losing that state. So, you know, you cultivate very much to make it really your own because your fear of losing it. But then once you reach stability in it, you're comfortable that you're not going to lose, then, you know, you can do other things. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:00 Highlight the passage at 1:12:00

1:12:21 You know, and when you have a break, like, you know, Lama Zopa Rinpoche is busy the whole day, but when he goes into his room, you know, it's just like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:21 Highlight the passage at 1:12:21

1:12:30 So he's not at the stage where he can lose it again. So he doesn't mind to do things for others. When other people go to bed, he just sits. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:30 Highlight the passage at 1:12:30

1:12:46 But how many of us are at this stage? Calm abiding is an obstacle. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:46 Highlight the passage at 1:12:46

1:13:01 So there's Alan Wallace, an American teacher, which leads a lot of retreats on calm abiding. Because actually it seems that... We Westerners have such a scattered mind that what before used to take six months a year to develop, nowadays has become very, very difficult. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:01 Highlight the passage at 1:13:01

1:13:23 So he puts a lot of energy on leading retreat and calm abiding. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:23 Highlight the passage at 1:13:23

1:13:36 Anything else? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:36 Highlight the passage at 1:13:36

1:13:49 I think it's good to develop calm abiding while you walk around. I think walking meditation in a city is very good for calm abiding. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:49 Highlight the passage at 1:13:49

1:14:00 If you don't chit-chat while walking, you can actually meditate. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:00 Highlight the passage at 1:14:00

1:14:10 And it's interesting because you cannot, you have to be mindful of the traffic, the red light, you know, time to, so actually you constantly, you know, and you can do the whole thing with having a completely silent mind. You know, mindfulness brings you into kind of a silent mind and your body can move around, you know, you decide I have to go there, so you go, but the whole way. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:10 Highlight the passage at 1:14:10

1:14:38 You can do it with a completely silent mind because you are absorbed into, you know, either space-like nature of your mind or Tonglen, giving and taking, or seeing everything as they, you know, whatever your object is, basically. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:38 Highlight the passage at 1:14:38

1:14:59 I always remember, I went once to see Krishnamurti in Sarnath in Switzerland and he was making the comment, he can go for three, four hours' walk without a single thought. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:59 Highlight the passage at 1:14:59

1:15:14 So kind of like his mind completely silent. So I think many yogis have that experience. Their mind can be very silent. And personally, I don't have a silent mind, but I have much, much, much less thought than I used to have. Kind of like that. So definitely. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:47 Yeah, and also, you know, from what Emily was saying, some people, they develop bodhicitta first. And then emptiness. And some people get to shine emptiness first and then bodhicitta. So I think different people put the emphasize in different order in their spiritual development. So you have both ways and both are completely valid. Both are completely valid approach. So each one has to see what's better for him or herself. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:47 Highlight the passage at 1:15:47

1:16:35 You gave the example of that lady who had, you know, never done retreat and it was just so powerful for her. But in that instance, wouldn't it be because she had so much merit and maybe purification? And could you talk then a little bit about merit, purification and the power of blessing? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:35 Highlight the passage at 1:16:35

1:17:28 You see, for example, that person hadn't done Many preliminaries or practices like that. But she dedicated her life. She was a nurse and helped the sick people and the dying people and things like that. So basically her life was based on kindness. And she lived very simply, had a certain level of renunciation and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:28 Highlight the passage at 1:17:28

1:17:52 So yeah, she has had really a nice life like that, serving others. A lot of positive karma being created like that. So I think all these things definitely help. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:52 Highlight the passage at 1:17:52

1:18:11 But whether we have a lot of merit or not, we don't know. Basically we don't know what we have done in previous life. Maybe we have a huge store of merit, we just haven't started, can't put ourselves in the condition for them to ripen. you know. And... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:11 Highlight the passage at 1:18:11

1:18:26 So she never thought that anything could happen. And then she started and actually something incredible good happened to her. But she had given up hope of actually even trying. And so I Report an error in the passage at 1:18:26 Highlight the passage at 1:18:26

1:18:49 think it's unless we try, we don't know what our capacity, our potential is. And it's only by trying actually that you know whether... What are your obstacles, your limitations, how far you can go. So I think either you have studied extensively, you know a lot about the spiritual path, or you have a teacher you rely upon. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:49 Highlight the passage at 1:18:49

1:19:22 You see, I think it's good to work with a teacher to set up your program, to set up your meditation, and you can... You know, I did this, I tried like that, and this and that happened, and then he or she will say, look, put more emphasis on that, or try this way, try that way, and you try for a few weeks, and then you report back, yes, I tried what you said, and this and that happened. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:22 Highlight the passage at 1:19:22

1:19:47 You see, and like that, you... If you have somebody like that that you can work with, it's really fantastic, you know, it's really very helpful because it gives you confidence that you try, you know, you follow that wise and you try, and then this and that happen, and that person from his experience of having tried the same thing, okay, oh, you get there, okay, so try this in that way, you know, like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:47 Highlight the passage at 1:19:47

1:20:11 And, you know, it's like that. You can use the experience of that other person to make quicker. Then if you have to try that all by yourself, you know, like that. But I think it would be good, you see, if you can arrange short retreats, even if it's only one day, if it's only two days, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:11 Highlight the passage at 1:20:11

1:20:42 Why don't we do it, you know. You say one day, I'm doing one day retreat. So what you do, you turn off your phone, you put the answering phone machine, you say to your friend, I'm not available today. You take the 8 Mayana precepts at 4 o 'clock in the morning, and the whole day you alternate sitting, walking, reading. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:42 Highlight the passage at 1:20:42

1:21:03 The whole day you make a day of meditation. And you shut up, you close the mouth, you're not going to talk the whole day. I mean, I found it fascinating, you know, Gandhi. He had quite a busy life. One day a week, he would be in silence. So the reporter, you know, journalists who come from all over the world, they come to meet, you know, Gandhi. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:03 Highlight the passage at 1:21:03

1:21:29 Oh, sorry, today he's in silence. You have to wait tomorrow. That was Gandhi, you know. So he was a politician doing all these things. But one day a week, he wouldn't speak, you know. So, you know, it's fantastic, you know. So if Gandhi can do it. You know, which was kind of making a revolution in India. What kind of excuse we have to not do? Report an error in the passage at 1:21:29 Highlight the passage at 1:21:29

1:22:00 And it's so powerful, you know, to keep silence for a day. It's a really incredibly powerful practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:00 Highlight the passage at 1:22:00

1:22:29 Venerable, I have actually a couple of questions. The first one is the clear and knowing nature of the mind. Is that the same as the Buddha nature? Report an error in the passage at 1:22:29 Highlight the passage at 1:22:29

1:22:50 Simply saying yes, it can become more complicated than that. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:50 Highlight the passage at 1:22:50

1:23:00 You see, Report an error in the passage at 1:23:00 Highlight the passage at 1:23:00

1:23:10 if you want to go real Buddha nature, you would have to speak about the emptiness of that mind. So the true Buddha's mind is the emptiness of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:10 Highlight the passage at 1:23:10

1:23:31 And then if you speak it from a tantric perspective, you have to say, speak about the, Report an error in the passage at 1:23:31 Highlight the passage at 1:23:31

1:23:40 not the, The emptiness of the ordinary mind, but the emptiness of the most sudden mind of clear light. So it speaks about a more sudden level of consciousness. So there's quite a few ways of speaking about it, but simply speaking, when one speaks about Buddha nature, in a simple way, how to say, Report an error in the passage at 1:23:40 Highlight the passage at 1:23:40

1:24:11 Zonza Kenze Rinpoche uses a language, you know, you have to... The real definition and then you have path language. It's not the final answer, but it's a language that's helpful on the path and it changes your progress. So in that sense, I often use this kind of language that's not a real complete final answer, but it's helpful because otherwise you have to go into detail, complex. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:11 Highlight the passage at 1:24:11

1:24:42 philosophical explanation and one gets lost and it's actually useless at the stage where one is on the path personally I often feel it's better to know just what you need ahead and then there you know what you need there and there you need there instead of getting this complex image and you get completely lost in all this detail So, personally, myself, I noticed at the beginning I studied too much and I get... Report an error in the passage at 1:24:42 Highlight the passage at 1:24:42

1:25:11 Lost in all these complex philosophical language and I had to simplify all these things to be able actually, you know, to grow, you know. So often you read these things of the people that become Geshe, you know, doctor in Buddhist philosophy and then they say they have actually to forget all their studies to be able to start meditating, you know, because their study became an obstacle to their spiritual progress. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:11 Highlight the passage at 1:25:11

1:25:41 And then I think later on, then they benefit from all these extensive studies, but definitely at one stage, because you always think you are going to miss something or it's not completely perfect. So you know too much and that too much knowledge actually hinders your actual step progress. So can you more or less consider the clear knowing mind as kind of like the conventional level of the Buddha nature? I mean, if you don't want to go to the more complex level? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:41 Highlight the passage at 1:25:41

1:26:18 Yes. Okay, so in that case then, my next question is, does that clear and knowing mind, does it have like a chattering nature or is it just clear knowing? So I'm saying that in terms of like when I'm looking in my mind, I know I have like... The I self, which is like my neurotic I, like dualistic with the good and the bad and constantly arguing against each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:18 Highlight the passage at 1:26:18

1:26:45 And then the clear and knowing that we kind of invoke when we do the calm abiding session. But in the everyday life, when I try to do that during my normal day, like five minutes, ten minutes, I'm just wondering that when there is like a... You know, a chattering voice, even if it's saying like the best thing, would that still just be part of my dualistic mind or does the clear and knowing mind also has a voice that is telling you to do things? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:45 Highlight the passage at 1:26:45

1:27:21 No, the clear and knowing nature, no, it doesn't have any voice. I don't think so. So it's pretty much just coming from my dualistic voice. Okay. So my... On that point, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:21 Highlight the passage at 1:27:21

1:27:44 you see, if you know the clear and knowing nature of the mind, then what you would try to see is the difference between the mind when there is thoughts and no thoughts. So if you see that the essence of thoughts is the same as the space-like nature of the mind, you actually become free of the thought even though the thoughts are there because you know their nature. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:44 Highlight the passage at 1:27:44

1:28:11 So you don't see that the nature of the thought and the content of the thought is different than the mind itself because the thought, they arise out of the space-like nature of the mind and the nature of the space-like nature of the mind and they dissolve back into it. They are not different, right? So if you see that, then whether they are thought or not thought, it doesn't matter to you because you see their essenceless nature. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:11 Highlight the passage at 1:28:11

1:28:35 And then on that base, you try also to see the essenceless nature of the mind. When there's no thought, right? And then that would be Buddha nature. So my last question. When you say that there are the two paths, you could go from bodhicitta to emptiness or emptiness to bodhicitta. So this is just my thought, my theory, is that when you achieve emptiness, you're pretty much quieting your dualistic mind completely. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:35 Highlight the passage at 1:28:35

1:29:08 And most of the... You know, kind of, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:08 Highlight the passage at 1:29:08

1:29:10 Most of this grasping really comes from the dualistic mind. And so when it's more or less quiet, then that's how the bodhicitta can arise. Is that more or less the way that it works? Because for me, I mentioned it to you before, I always think that I would have to go in it through the emptiness path, and I just never could understand how you could get... Report an error in the passage at 1:29:10 Highlight the passage at 1:29:10

1:29:34 From one to the other. But then after the retreat, I kept thinking that maybe once I quiet down the neurotic mind, then the bodhicitta is more or less the nature of the emptiness mind. And so it has the chance to kind of show itself or something. So there's two, there you see, personally I've heard two things. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:34 Highlight the passage at 1:29:34

1:30:00 So one way to speak about is that the arhats. You see, they get attached to the bliss of liberation and although they have incredible love and compassion for others, what it misses is that they tell me I'm going to free all beings. So they have, they say, a hundred times more love and compassion for others than a mother for her only child. So they have incredible love and compassion for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:00 Highlight the passage at 1:30:00

1:30:28 But what's missing is I myself are going to come back to help them. I myself will keep on coming back till all beings are free. So that's the aspect that is missing in an arhat, right? But then also one speaks about in the Dzogchen tradition that beings which realize emptiness have spontaneous bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:28 Highlight the passage at 1:30:28

1:30:55 So that the enlightened mind, that the pure mind has spontaneous bodhicitta. So personally, I still haven't figured out how to put these two explanations together. For me, they seem to be a little bit contradictory. So personally, where I am in that understanding is that in the... Report an error in the passage at 1:30:55 Highlight the passage at 1:30:55

1:31:23 In the Arhat path or in the Theravāda path you use the ordinary mind, the gross mind. So you reach a state of liberation based on the gross mind. Whereas in Dzogchen you don't use the gross, you use the most subtle mind of clear light. So I think the state, even though it's the same emptiness, but it's a different mind that realizes that emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:23 Highlight the passage at 1:31:23

1:31:48 So perhaps the effect, the result is different. So that's where I'm at at the moment. Emily, you have another, you would explain it in another, how would you see the difference? You also heard these two explanations, right? So how do you understand? Report an error in the passage at 1:31:48 Highlight the passage at 1:31:48

1:32:14 Somebody else has an idea about that? This Report an error in the passage at 1:32:14 Highlight the passage at 1:32:14

1:32:32 isn't my idea, but I remember one of my teachers saying that when you realize the emptiness of... suffering in people's problems, then you generate a huge compassion realizing how easily it could be overcome. You see, for me I'm quite puzzled because I think somehow, sometimes I feel, for Report an error in the passage at 1:32:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32:32

1:33:06 example, if you read the biography of Acharya Mum, you know, so first of all, He explained sometimes in his... He was a bodhisattva in a previous life and he gave up bodhicitta. At some point in this life, he gave up bodhicitta to become an arhat. And his wife from his previous life, which was in a formless room, appeared to him and cried. She said, how come that you give up on me? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:06 Highlight the passage at 1:33:06

1:33:37 Where is your bodhicitta? How could you give up bodhicitta? And then he gave us a teaching and appeased her mind. We don't know what teaching he gave her. He didn't say in the book. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:37 Highlight the passage at 1:33:37

1:33:51 Basically, you know, he helped her to progress. So he had incredible concern and love for others. He would help others and things like that. And when he reached Arhat, there's all these Buddhas manifest to him, you know, all these beings manifest to him, this endless stream of people from the God rooms come to request him teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:51 Highlight the passage at 1:33:51

1:34:10 So for him, he's a strange type of Arhat because he has all these Buddhas and bodhisattvas appear to him. Teaching endlessly every night to all these people. So he behaves very much like a high bodhisattva. So for me, you know, sometimes I think this kind of explanation comes from one tradition. You know, the Theravāda have one way of speaking and then the Mahāyāna Buddhists have one way of speaking. Tibetans have one way of speaking. So I think sometimes it's kind of, in terms of concept, of language, maybe there are differences in them in terms of experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:10 Highlight the passage at 1:34:10

1:34:43 Maybe it's quite, you know, similar. you know. So, you know. So I don't know more than that. So that's why I think it's actually good to be exposed to different traditions. You see, when you're Tibetan Buddhist, you only have the Tibetan Buddhist way of knowing, of learning, of experimenting. So one doesn't know, and then you read these Acharya Mums. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:43 Highlight the passage at 1:34:43

1:35:10 But I'm quite impressed, really surprised by his experience. Have many people here have read that book? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:10 Highlight the passage at 1:35:10

1:35:21 It's really an amazing, very powerful book if you can read that. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:21 Highlight the passage at 1:35:21

1:35:46 This may be a question other people know. I'm just thinking about this. Why is it that... Have many people read? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:46 Highlight the passage at 1:35:46

1:35:28 yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:28 Highlight the passage at 1:35:28

1:35:54 A person who, a being that decides to take liberation instead of being reborn to help other suffering beings, why are they prevented from doing that if they make that choice? Are they still not available then to be of service to others? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:54 Highlight the passage at 1:35:54

1:36:37 You see, liberation, it's single-point absorption into emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:37 Highlight the passage at 1:36:37

1:36:49 So for a mind which is absorbed single-pointedly into emptiness, there's no more suffering, there's no more other beings, there's no more self, there's no more cyclic existence, there's no more other. There's only the blissful absorption into emptiness. So I think that's where they get stuck. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:49 Highlight the passage at 1:36:49

1:37:15 For them, it's not that if suffering beings would appear to them, they would go to hell, but they have no experience of suffering beings. They are absorbed into a complete otherness where there's no more suffering beings. There's no more even the world's suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:15 Highlight the passage at 1:37:15

1:37:35 So I think that's why they say the Buddhas have a hard time to try to... Take them out of that state because they are in a state where there's just utter bliss. I think it's indescribable where they are, these beings. It's not a place. They don't have a body. They are not in a place. They absorb into emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:35 Highlight the passage at 1:37:35

1:38:01 So in that state, there's nothing else than that experience. So then those people are different than a Buddha. Yes, yes. And another unrelated question was based on what Kim said in terms of mind and clear light. I also have the experience where I have this sort of dualistic mind and a lot of negative thought and then I have this other mind that is the mind that tells me to... Report an error in the passage at 1:38:01 Highlight the passage at 1:38:01

1:38:37 To calm down, to meditate, to go to that mind of clear light. I'm trying to figure out, is that my dualistic mind? What is that sort of in-between consciousness? It's still dualistic mind. We have a good dualistic mind, we have a bad one. Okay. I guess that's why it's dualistic. We have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:37 Highlight the passage at 1:38:37

1:38:41 but that neither my is that Report an error in the passage at 1:38:41 Highlight the passage at 1:38:41

1:39:14 You see, if you go beyond the dualistic mind, there's a seeing there. I think it's closer to intuition. I think, how to say, there's seeing, there's understanding, there's insight, and then the words come after. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:14 Highlight the passage at 1:39:14

1:39:32 There can be words, but first there's the seeing, the intuition, the knowing, and then you can put words onto it. you know so you know When it's something deep, it comes from there. But then also it can come from the space like of the conventional mind, which most of our stuff comes from. I would say 99,9 % comes from that. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:32 Highlight the passage at 1:39:32

1:40:00 Because if it would be pure appearance, it would come from a mind that has an insight into emptiness. So the mind would be purified through emptiness and then pure transcendental insight would come from that. So I think there's many different levels. But then also different clairvoyance and intuition can come just from shamatha, from calm abiding. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:00 Highlight the passage at 1:40:00

1:40:27 You know, different clairvoyances. So I think there's many, many phenomena like that and it's kind of hard to tell them apart. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:27 Highlight the passage at 1:40:27

1:40:42 Also dreams. You know, the dream state is very interesting, you know, how much one can learn from our dream, you know. The dreams are very, I myself, I can check my mind to my, you know, it's almost my dreams are kind of my guru. They tell me what mistake I do, what I think wrongly, what's wrong, what I need to purify. Actually, my dreams are very speaking. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:42 Highlight the passage at 1:40:42

1:41:10 I never see any Buddha or any teacher. I just see my mistakes. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:10 Highlight the passage at 1:41:10

1:41:18 But it's great teachings. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:18 Highlight the passage at 1:41:18

1:41:30 You mentioned using Zen to help with meditation and emptiness. Can you explain? I don't know what that is. Could you talk a little bit about that? How that works. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:30 Highlight the passage at 1:41:30

1:41:47 So in Madhyamika you use a valid reasoning to show to yourself that things don't exist the way they appear. In Zen you use an absurdity to come to the same point. You reach a point where the conceptual mind cannot find an answer. You come to a point where that sentence, although it seems... There should be an answer, there's no answer to it. So you enter into that gap where your conceptual thought cannot find an answer and you stay in that gap. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:47 Highlight the passage at 1:41:47

1:42:33 What's the sound of one hand clapping, for example? What's that sound of one hand clapping? And you try to find an answer and you go to see your teacher and you say, you know, it's like that. All right, go back. so you you know Report an error in the passage at 1:42:33 Highlight the passage at 1:42:33

1:42:36 you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:42:36 Highlight the passage at 1:42:36

1:42:50 Go back, try a little bit more. And I think you exhaust one type of mind, a rational mind, and you come to certain insights. So myself, I don't know more about that path because I haven't followed it, so I couldn't say exactly the process. So you would have to ask a Zen teacher. I had once a conference with some Zen teacher, and they were saying like that, you would get to that gap where you... Report an error in the passage at 1:42:50 Highlight the passage at 1:42:50

1:43:20 Basically, your conventional ordinary mind cannot function anymore and you stay in that space. And probably within that space, then you start realizing who you really are and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:20 Highlight the passage at 1:43:20

1:43:48 One more question. You talked about, you know, with the sūtra path, that after you get enlightenment, you come back over and over again for eons, times, versus the tantric path. It's just one time and you're done. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:48 Highlight the passage at 1:43:48

1:44:06 I guess I couldn't really understand how you could be, you know, what is the process or how you could be coming back from the sūtra path. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:06 Highlight the passage at 1:44:06

1:44:19 So if you're enlightenment, if you reach enlightenment to the sūtra path, so the tantric path is the same enlightenment, it's not to enlightenment. So once you're Buddha, you're Buddha, right? So it's the same Buddhahood. And then you spontaneously manifest till the end of time, you know? So you would have your pure land, you would have many pure lands, and you would manifest, you know, countless rebirths, wherever people have. So what you were saying actually was in the sūtra path it takes many eons of life to get to enlightenment versus the tantric path. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:19 Highlight the passage at 1:44:19

1:44:54 Yes. It only takes, okay. Yes. Thank you. Yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:54 Highlight the passage at 1:44:54

1:45:24 I think everybody should do a day of silent meditation, you know. You should, everybody, all of you next Sunday, you know, you just... Shut up, you know. You wake up at four in the morning, you know, take the eight Mayana precepts and you're not going out of your room, you know. Just have one lunch and, you know, just make that experience, you know, one day. So to do it with the eight Mayana precepts is very powerful. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:24 Highlight the passage at 1:45:24

1:45:57 Because there's a lot of blessing coming from taking the Eight Mayana Precepts. And it makes it actually very easy to have just one meal a day. So you have less cooking to do, less shopping to do. It's very, very nice. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:57 Highlight the passage at 1:45:57

1:46:17 Because the point is, it seems that most people here don't have the time to go into retreats, to go away. So you have to arrange your life. Personally, I remember the time I used to work in a flower shop in Geneva. So basically on the weekends I would do weekend retreats. One day I would do my socializing and one day it would be my retreat. I wouldn't go out of my room. I had this small flat. There was a kitchen in my sleeping room. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:17 Highlight the passage at 1:46:17

1:46:53 I wouldn't go out of my apartment. The phone was turned off. And that was it, you know, one day. I didn't exist for the world. That was it. So, you see, unless you take it in your hand, if you wait for the world to give you the condition to do retreat, it will never come about. You have to do it yourself. So, I think, you see... Report an error in the passage at 1:46:53 Highlight the passage at 1:46:53

1:47:21 What I would suggest to you is that if a bunch of people want to do it together, it's even better. You come here and one day you make silence. You start early morning or you sleep here the day before in the gompa, everybody, Tibetan style, you put your sleeping bag, everybody. And you wake up in the morning, you take the eight mayana precepts together and the whole day silence. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:21 Highlight the passage at 1:47:21

1:47:43 You just practice together the whole day. Incredibly powerful. So, you know, if you do it alone, if you have the strength to do it alone, it's fantastic. If you find it more powerful to have support to do it with others, do it, you know. I think it's a matter of doing, you know, just do, do, do, do, go for it, you know. Don't wait. The years pass so fast, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:43 Highlight the passage at 1:47:43

1:48:13 You see, we're already October, we just were January. You know, I mean, it's amazing, you know. The years pass so quickly. And then suddenly the body becomes more and more difficult. And then suddenly your mind, you start losing your memory. So each year that passes, it doesn't become easier with each year that passes. It becomes more difficult with each year that passes. So I think procrastinating is a great mistake. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:13 Highlight the passage at 1:48:13

1:48:45 whatever you Your lifestyle, your karma allows you, just go for it, you know, just go for it. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:45 Highlight the passage at 1:48:45

1:49:00 And you would be surprised what you can achieve, you know, you would be surprised. It's just, Report an error in the passage at 1:49:00 Highlight the passage at 1:49:00

1:49:10 I mean, I would be happy to come to do one day of calm abiding just together, you know. I mean, just sit, you know, the whole day, make half hour sitting, then you walk around the block, you come back, you sit back, you know, another half hour. You walk around the block, you sit. The whole day like that. Put something on top. Just sit. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:10 Highlight the passage at 1:49:10

1:49:35 And you go through. You see, of course, there's inner turmoil. All this comes out. But it's part of the process. Don't think your mind gets agitated. You have all these emotions, anger, irritation arising, and you think it's bad. No, it's good. It's part of the process. It has to come out. That's part of the purification. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:35 Highlight the passage at 1:49:35

1:49:58 It's part of the process. Don't think, oh, it's not working. No, it's the opposite. It's actually working. That's why you have this effect. And if you go through that, then you get to the peace. By going through that dark period, dark night of the soul, it's by going through that that you emerge on the other side. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:58 Highlight the passage at 1:49:58

1:50:25 So for me, I'm always surprised, you know, people have this honeymoon period with Dharma where at the beginning you discover, you know, the Lamas and the Dharma, you know, beautiful. And then when they reach that point where the actual work actually starts, they gave up, you know, say, oh, some problem, you know, it doesn't work, you know, oh, it doesn't work for me, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:25 Highlight the passage at 1:50:25

1:50:49 And then they go from group to group like that, you know. Kind of spiritual shopping here and there. And they always stay at that stage where it's pleasant and enjoyment and entertaining. And when the actual work starts, you know, because I think in the West we have some kind of romantic idea of the spiritual path. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:49 Highlight the passage at 1:50:49

1:51:10 I don't know why we have this idea from that the spiritual path has to be fun and has to be entertaining, has to be, you know. I don't know we have kind of idea of the spiritual path. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:10 Highlight the passage at 1:51:10

1:51:27 We think we don't have to ever confront the ego. We never have to confront our past negative karma, our delusion. We never have to confront. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:27 Highlight the passage at 1:51:27

1:51:42 But we have to somehow. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:42 Highlight the passage at 1:51:42

1:51:58 All right, let's do five minutes break and then we do a last meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:58 Highlight the passage at 1:51:58

1:52:05 Tea break. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:05 Highlight the passage at 1:52:05

· · · silence, 13 minutes

2:05:04 A state of mind of equanimity. Realizing how some people are close to us now because they help us. So we call them our friends, or they think alike, similar to us, and people which harm us, which have antagonistic beliefs, kind Report an error in the passage at 2:05:04 Highlight the passage at 2:05:04

2:05:36 of don't like them. And towards the others, which we don't know, the strangers, kind of a little bit indifferent. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:36 Highlight the passage at 2:05:36

2:05:52 So see how this is changeable. It's due to circumstance, due to life. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:52 Highlight the passage at 2:05:52

2:06:02 It's nothing stable. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:02 Highlight the passage at 2:06:02

2:06:09 And decide that from your side you're going to treat everyone in the same way, Report an error in the passage at 2:06:09 Highlight the passage at 2:06:09

2:06:25 whether they like you or not. From your side you Report an error in the passage at 2:06:25 Highlight the passage at 2:06:25

2:06:34 will see everyone like one of your dear mother, or like a dear partner, dear child, dear friend. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:34 Highlight the passage at 2:06:34

2:06:47 Each one you see has been once your intimate friend that has helped you, with whom you have shared your... Deeper secret, Report an error in the passage at 2:06:47 Highlight the passage at 2:06:47

2:07:03 each being has been, you know, your mother, your father, your friend. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:03 Highlight the passage at 2:07:03

2:07:12 Each of these beings has loved you, has cared for you. So each being in this room has Report an error in the passage at 2:07:12 Highlight the passage at 2:07:12

2:07:23 been incredibly kind to you. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:23 Highlight the passage at 2:07:23

2:07:33 Each being in this city, Report an error in the passage at 2:07:33 Highlight the passage at 2:07:33

2:07:43 each being on this planet. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:43 Highlight the passage at 2:07:43

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:08:18 And every day we get food, clothes, we have a roof, we can walk in the street. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:18 Highlight the passage at 2:08:18

2:08:28 Every day we can survive due to the kindness of others. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:28 Highlight the passage at 2:08:28

2:08:38 So try to feel how you are a recipient of kindness. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:38 Highlight the passage at 2:08:38

2:08:53 Our very existence depends upon others, Report an error in the passage at 2:08:53 Highlight the passage at 2:08:53

2:09:04 our very survival day after day. Then Report an error in the passage at 2:09:04 Highlight the passage at 2:09:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:09:56 you wish to repay the kindness by being kind back and being helpful, being a service to others. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:56 Highlight the passage at 2:09:56

2:10:17 And then try to realize how much... You want to be happy and have the right to be happy is exactly the same for each and every living being. They have the same right and wish to be happy. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:17 Highlight the passage at 2:10:17

2:10:34 So put yourself into the shoes of people close to you in your life and see life from their perspective and gradually expand to all living beings that they are exactly like myself. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:34 Highlight the passage at 2:10:34

2:10:50 They have the same wish and same right as me to be happy. There's no difference between me and others. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:50 Highlight the passage at 2:10:50

2:11:05 So all the people in this room are like me, each one who just wants to be happy and has the same right and wish to be happy. Each one has Buddha nature, each one has the potential to become a pure being of light. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:05 Highlight the passage at 2:11:05

2:11:36 Then you explain to the whole city, the whole planet and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:36 Highlight the passage at 2:11:36

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:12:18 Then you reflect on the fact that the self-centered attitude is the root cause of all our problems. Because of our selfishness, we harm others, directly or indirectly, and that karma comes back onto oneself. And Report an error in the passage at 2:12:18 Highlight the passage at 2:12:18

2:12:43 all the happiness there is in the world comes from cherishing others, from caring for others, wishing them to be happy and working for their happiness. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:43 Highlight the passage at 2:12:43

2:13:14 They are out of love for all these beings. You wish them to be happy. You wish them to create good karma so that they get good rebirth. You wish them to realize emptiness so that they reach liberation. You wish them to develop bodhicitta so that they enter the Mayana path. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:14 Highlight the passage at 2:13:14

2:13:39 You wish them to reach liberation and enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:39 Highlight the passage at 2:13:39

2:13:50 You start with people close to you in your life and Report an error in the passage at 2:13:50 Highlight the passage at 2:13:50

2:13:58 then gradually you expand so you wish. A good rebirth, liberation and enlightenment to all the people in this room, Report an error in the passage at 2:13:58 Highlight the passage at 2:13:58

2:14:21 then to all the people of the city, the planet and all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:21 Highlight the passage at 2:14:21

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:14:58 Then with empathy, we wish all beings here to be free from aging, sickness, death, being under the influence of karma and mental affliction, of being under the control of ego grasping. Report an error in the passage at 2:14:58 Highlight the passage at 2:14:58

2:15:20 So we wish them to be free from that. So each being in this room, you wish them to be free from all suffering, physical and mental, mental affliction, ego grasping, self-charging. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:20 Highlight the passage at 2:15:20

2:15:40 And you would rather experience that suffering yourself. If you could free them, you would rather experience it yourself than them to have to undergo that. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:40 Highlight the passage at 2:15:40

2:15:53 So with that courageous mind, that empathy, Report an error in the passage at 2:15:53 Highlight the passage at 2:15:53

2:15:59 you imagine that you have the power to evaluate the suffering of others. Report an error in the passage at 2:15:59 Highlight the passage at 2:15:59

2:16:10 So you start with the people in this room and then San Francisco and then the whole planet and all living beings. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:10 Highlight the passage at 2:16:10

2:16:20 There are deep empathy for what a difficulty comes to your mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:20 Highlight the passage at 2:16:20

2:16:35 You see, if you have sickness or physical problem, by myself experiencing that problem, may nobody else have to experience that. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:35 Highlight the passage at 2:16:35

2:16:47 By myself experiencing that, may I free all other people from that problem. I take all their sickness upon myself. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:47 Highlight the passage at 2:16:47

2:16:59 I take all their old age upon myself. I take all their dying upon myself. Report an error in the passage at 2:16:59 Highlight the passage at 2:16:59

2:17:11 If I could free them, I would rather experience it myself and all this living being be free. I Report an error in the passage at 2:17:11 Highlight the passage at 2:17:11

2:17:24 take all their anger upon myself, all their jealousy, pride, attachment. I Report an error in the passage at 2:17:24 Highlight the passage at 2:17:24

2:17:38 take all their negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:38 Highlight the passage at 2:17:38

2:17:48 I take all their selfishness, all their ego grasping, all their ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 2:17:48 Highlight the passage at 2:17:48

2:18:07 And then you put these two state of mind upon the breath. As you exhale, you give enlightenment to all beings. And as you inhale, you take the obstacles upon yourself. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:07 Highlight the passage at 2:18:07

2:18:28 And if you practice Deity Yoga, you can do that yourself as the Deity or otherwise just yourself. Out of deep empathy and sympathy for others, your heart bursting with love and care for others, Report an error in the passage at 2:18:28 Highlight the passage at 2:18:28

2:18:51 you become a wish. Fulfilling jewel for others. Report an error in the passage at 2:18:51 Highlight the passage at 2:18:51

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:20:00 Then you generate a strong, peaceful determination. I will never give up helping others till each and every one has reached enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:00 Highlight the passage at 2:20:00

2:20:20 I will be there for them till the last one has reached enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:20 Highlight the passage at 2:20:20

2:20:46 And it is for their sake that I wish to remove ego grasping. It is for their sake that I wish to reach enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:20:46 Highlight the passage at 2:20:46

2:21:00 In order to get the Bodhisattva quality, the clairvoyances, Buddha's omniscience, to be fully qualified to help them, you aspire to full enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:21:00 Highlight the passage at 2:21:00

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:22:41 So like Shantideva says, you know, one moment of generating a bodhicitta has the power to purify eons of negative karma. So Report an error in the passage at 2:22:41 Highlight the passage at 2:22:41

2:23:02 this wish to reach enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:02 Highlight the passage at 2:23:02

2:23:15 It's an incredible jewel of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:15 Highlight the passage at 2:23:15

2:23:24 So even to have this aspiration for a moment is incredibly powerful. So Report an error in the passage at 2:23:24 Highlight the passage at 2:23:24

2:23:35 today we have meditated. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:35 Highlight the passage at 2:23:35

2:23:41 We have thought about the spiritual journey to enlightenment. We have renewed our aspiration. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:41 Highlight the passage at 2:23:41

2:23:51 So all this positive energy we have gathered to now we offer for the enlightenment of all beings. May that energy keep on working. Till each and every living being has reached enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:23:51 Highlight the passage at 2:23:51

2:24:13 May that energy keep on working till we ourselves have reached enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:13 Highlight the passage at 2:24:13

2:24:22 May that energy help us to develop bodhicitta, to make it stable and ever increasing. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:22 Highlight the passage at 2:24:22

2:24:33 May that energy help all the people that are dying right now, which have died, which are in the bardo. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:33 Highlight the passage at 2:24:33

2:24:44 Help them to meet enlightened beings and guide them to pure lands. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:44 Highlight the passage at 2:24:44

2:24:51 May that energy help all the people which are sick in hospitals or which don't even have the means to go to the hospital. Report an error in the passage at 2:24:51 Highlight the passage at 2:24:51

2:25:05 May that energy help all the people which are experiencing war or fear of war or being under the oppressive regime. Report an error in the passage at 2:25:05 Highlight the passage at 2:25:05

2:25:32 May that energy help our friends and relatives to Report an error in the passage at 2:25:32 Highlight the passage at 2:25:32

2:25:42 have a peaceful life and to meet the spiritual path. Purify their mind and reach enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:25:42 Highlight the passage at 2:25:42

2:25:57 May that positive energy help us never to abandon the spiritual journey. We have this inner strength and courage to overcome all inner obstacles. Report an error in the passage at 2:25:57 Highlight the passage at 2:25:57

2:26:20 May we all become a source of inspiration, a refuge for others in this and all future lives. And Report an error in the passage at 2:26:20 Highlight the passage at 2:26:20

2:26:40 then you can offer this spiritual energy to any being in your life that needs help right now. Beings who have a karmic connection, special connection, beings that can only be benefited by you because of this close karmic connection, so you offer them this spiritual energy. Report an error in the passage at 2:26:40 Highlight the passage at 2:26:40

2:27:21 Then to the long life and good health of His Holiness Dalai Lama, Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche, Geshe Dagpa and all our other spiritual masters that help us, inspire us and guide us on our spiritual path. Report an error in the passage at 2:27:21 Highlight the passage at 2:27:21

2:27:41 And for all the ones which have left this planet, like Rinpoche, Ketisanchab Rinpoche and so forth, so that they may quickly come back from their pure land to guide us again. Report an error in the passage at 2:27:41 Highlight the passage at 2:27:41

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:28:26 Okay, thank you very much. Report an error in the passage at 2:28:26 Highlight the passage at 2:28:26

· · · silence, 3 minutes

2:31:33 You know, I think you're very fortunate to have this place here. And I Report an error in the passage at 2:31:33 Highlight the passage at 2:31:33

2:31:44 think, you know, when one takes refuge, you know, to grow spiritually, You need a teacher, you need the teachings, but you need a spiritual community. So one refuge is the spiritual community, and if you don't have a spiritual community, actually it's very hard to grow. Without the support of other people, of like-minded people, it's just very difficult. Report an error in the passage at 2:31:44 Highlight the passage at 2:31:44

2:32:20 I think to help the local spiritual community is really important. So you see one offer service to the guru, to the teacher, to the teachings, but to help the spiritual community to actually put energy into creating a spiritual community I think is very important. So with whatever way we can participate and help the local spiritual community I think is really, really a great reward for one's mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:32:20 Highlight the passage at 2:32:20

2:32:50 It's not like a service you offer to others. You benefit from it yourself. The first person that benefits is the one that offers the service. Whatever you do, it just makes sense. You see, for example, at Vajrapani now in the morning, we sit an hour together in silence. Basically, we do 15 minutes Guru Yoga Flama Tsongkhapa and we sit. Report an error in the passage at 2:32:50 Highlight the passage at 2:32:50

2:33:17 45 minutes in silence together. And all the people say that completely changed their practice, the sitting together in silence together. Because some which are Buddhist, some are non-Buddhist. But just they say the power sitting together in silence. And in the teaching they say, if you pray alone, if you do a puja alone, it has a certain benefit. Report an error in the passage at 2:33:17 Highlight the passage at 2:33:17

2:33:40 And if you do it with other people, it multiplies the power by the number of people you do the puja with. So, you see, we in the West, we are quite, how to say, individualistic. We think, you know, by myself I can do it alone, you know, my own way, you know. But actually, if you start doing things with others, you see the benefit and the power of it, you know. It's just that much easier if you do it in group, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:33:40 Highlight the passage at 2:33:40

2:34:08 So I think you're very fortunate to have this place here, and I think it's very blessed because, you know, many... Highly realized being came here, and you have many qualified teachers around, you know. So I think you're very fortunate. So I have to say, I think you would more appreciate what you have if you would move to a city where this doesn't exist. Report an error in the passage at 2:34:08 Highlight the passage at 2:34:08

2:34:32 So then you say, oh, wow, you know, Tsai Chani was really nice. You know, really. So I think, you know, it's good. You see, we need a spiritual family. So to help each other, to help us grow, you know, so I think it's really excellent. So, yeah, you know, so thank you very much for the energy you put into this place and, you know, so I think it's also a service to San Francisco, you know, to, you know, to the city to make it, you know, grow. Report an error in the passage at 2:34:32 Highlight the passage at 2:34:32

2:35:09 Thank you. Thank you, director. Thank you. Thank you, Emily. Thank you, all the people which work here, you know, make this place possible. Thank you very much. Report an error in the passage at 2:35:09 Highlight the passage at 2:35:09