Establishing a Daily Practice: Discovering Buddhism (part 5)

0:00 I think, you know, because I've had mine for like 10 years, so it's just like slowly the butt kind of wears it down. No, no, it's all right. The butt has to start wearing it down. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:14 Exactly. Report an error in the passage at 0:14 Highlight the passage at 0:14

0:23 Oh, thanks. She's doing the International Sign Language for I'm Getting You Water. Report an error in the passage at 0:23 Highlight the passage at 0:23

0:49 Okay, let's just start. Report an error in the passage at 0:49 Highlight the passage at 0:49

0:56 Oh, look at that. She's bringing me a lovely cup. No, no, no. She's getting me some water. Exactly. Report an error in the passage at 0:56 Highlight the passage at 0:56

· · · silence, 1 minute

0:59 cut them. Report an error in the passage at 0:59 Highlight the passage at 0:59

1:03 I'm teasing you. Okay, so let's start checking our posture. Those of us on new cushions are sitting up very nicely. Report an error in the passage at 1:03 Highlight the passage at 1:03

1:19 The most important thing is keeping your spine extended. Report an error in the passage at 1:19 Highlight the passage at 1:19

1:25 Your shoulders back just Report an error in the passage at 1:25 Highlight the passage at 1:25

1:32 a little bit forward. Chin, I should say. Tongue on the roof of your mouth. Report an error in the passage at 1:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32

1:42 Hands in your lap with your thumbs touching lightly or you can have them on your knees. Report an error in the passage at 1:42 Highlight the passage at 1:42

1:55 And your legs crossed in some way that you can... Do, you know, for a few minutes. We're not going to do that long. Later on we'll do a longer one at the end. Report an error in the passage at 1:55 Highlight the passage at 1:55

2:14 We're just going to take a little time to meditate on the breath. So Report an error in the passage at 2:14 Highlight the passage at 2:14

2:29 just let go of the day and just focus your mind on either a little patch of skin inside the nostril or on your abdomen as it lowers and rises. Report an error in the passage at 2:29 Highlight the passage at 2:29

2:42 And we'll just take a few minutes to do that. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

· · · silence, 4 minutes

6:42 The sounds, the traffic sounds we hear, Report an error in the passage at 6:42 Highlight the passage at 6:42

6:48 all those people want to be happy. Just like we do. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

6:57 All those people want to avoid suffering just like we do. Report an error in the passage at 6:57 Highlight the passage at 6:57

7:07 People driving, other people walking, everyone on the streets tonight. The Report an error in the passage at 7:07 Highlight the passage at 7:07

7:20 problem is most of them don't know how to bring themselves happiness and they keep chasing after more happiness and get suffering. So Report an error in the passage at 7:20 Highlight the passage at 7:20

7:43 we do this class for them. Report an error in the passage at 7:43 Highlight the passage at 7:43

7:54 Whatever insights we gain or whatever experiences we have tonight help us transform our minds that Report an error in the passage at 7:54 Highlight the passage at 7:54

8:08 we can perfectly benefit. Every one of them. And in fact, all beings. Report an error in the passage at 8:08 Highlight the passage at 8:08

8:35 We're actually going to do the Refuge in Bodhicitta prayer. So it's in the teaching prayer section. Report an error in the passage at 8:35 Highlight the passage at 8:35

8:48 It's page 20, I think it is. Report an error in the passage at 8:48 Highlight the passage at 8:48

8:57 22, actually. Report an error in the passage at 8:57 Highlight the passage at 8:57

9:07 So it says, Refuge in Bodhicitta before teaching. And we'll do it twice in Tibetan, and then we'll do it once in English. And traditionally, the leader, the chant leader, or umse, Sing Sangye by themselves and then you guys all jump in on Ch, which means Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 9:07 Highlight the passage at 9:07

9:30 Sangye Chodan Soggyi Chonam La Jangshap Ardu Dagni Kapsuchi Dagyi Chanyangyi Pe Sonam Gyi Dro La Penchir Sangye Drupar Shok Sangye Chodan Soggyi Chonam La Junction Jankshabardhu dagni kapsuchi dagi chanyengi pe sonamgi la penchir sangye druparsho I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 9:30 Highlight the passage at 9:30

10:22 May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. And then we'll go to our traditional one that we do, the Prayers of Aspiration, section page 18. Report an error in the passage at 10:22 Highlight the passage at 10:22

10:34 And we'll just do it once. Report an error in the passage at 10:34 Highlight the passage at 10:34

10:43 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. 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 10:43 Highlight the passage at 10:43

11:25 There's a little feedback, yeah. Do you want to try to fiddle with it? It's in the, Tim, you also know how to do it too. It should be trans, it should say trans, yeah, like that. Report an error in the passage at 11:25 Highlight the passage at 11:25

11:38 Can you hear me still? It doesn't sound like it's amplifying very much. Amanipemo, Amanipemo. Are you getting it? Okay. How about checking there and seeing if you're seeing something on the... Report an error in the passage at 11:38 Highlight the passage at 11:38

11:51 Yeah? Amanipemo, Amanipemo, Amanipemo. Okay, good. Okay. I feel like it's more beneficial to say Amanipemo than it is just to say testing one, two, three. Report an error in the passage at 11:51 Highlight the passage at 11:51

12:03 So do people have any questions from the week? We do want to mention... What reading was that, Peter, about the altar? Report an error in the passage at 12:03 Highlight the passage at 12:03

12:12 So it's a longer one. Oh, setting up the altar, right? So setting up the altar article has the stupa in text reversed. So just be aware. It should be stupa on the Buddha's left, text on the Buddha's right. And I think whoever transcribed it just did it incorrectly. I checked out a couple of places. And my understanding is also that. And that's also what it says in the FPMT. Report an error in the passage at 12:12 Highlight the passage at 12:12

12:44 How to set up your altar book, and that's also what Geshe-la taught us, and so I think we're all right with going with it. But thanks for bringing that up. Actually, Kendall, like I said, I think I mentioned in my email to you that you'll probably get tonight, Peter. Kendall also mentioned it in her transcription of this course that it's incorrect and that they should change it. Report an error in the passage at 12:44 Highlight the passage at 12:44

13:10 She was working for the education at that point. um, um, Report an error in the passage at 13:10 Highlight the passage at 13:10

13:12 Then she left the education department and probably never got fixed, if I am guessing. Does anybody else have any questions? I was Report an error in the passage at 13:12 Highlight the passage at 13:12

13:32 in Report an error in the passage at 13:32 Highlight the passage at 13:32

13:39 a different meditation class and somebody was saying that in the Tibetan tradition, you keep your eyes slightly open if you're prone to visions. Report an error in the passage at 13:39 Highlight the passage at 13:39

13:49 Prone to vision, I haven't heard. I've heard open for if you get sleepy. To have more light. And they say it's very good for visualization to have them open. So training ourselves to do it with them open is supposed to be better for later when we're assuming that we're going to enter Tantra. And we'll be visualizing a lot. So I haven't heard that of your brown divisions. It's not a problem I have. If I've heard it, maybe I just discarded it. Report an error in the passage at 13:49 Highlight the passage at 13:49

14:21 Next life. But I don't know. Yeah. I did hear once, actually I did read once, Lama Yeshe said if you, how did he say it, something like, it was something like you can get caught up in your own fantasies a lot with your eyes closed. And that was another reason why he suggested having the eyes open. Yeah, it does. I could see that. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 14:21 Highlight the passage at 14:21

14:52 Yeah, Eve. Report an error in the passage at 14:52 Highlight the passage at 14:52

14:58 Chokyi. Visualization. When you are trying to visualize a Buddha or what you're meditating on, not hallucination, when you're just... Right, yeah. Are you asking to define hallucination the way Lama Yesha uses it? Or the way Lama Zopa uses it? He uses it specifically for the kind of ignorance of how things actually exist, which we've gotten to a little bit when we talk about karma and emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:30 And so he says, you know, that... The way we see things is like a hallucination. Okay. So we see things, you know, I see Tim is always the same, never going to change, you know, for good or for bad, he's always the same. And, you know, so that's a hallucination. Except with Tim it is really true, actually, so that would be inaccurate. Clairvoyance, actually, that might be called. Report an error in the passage at 15:30 Highlight the passage at 15:30

15:58 Thank you, Chokyi. it but Report an error in the passage at 15:58 Highlight the passage at 15:58

16:01 Now, if he were a Buddha, he'd still be changing. Yeah, nothing is the same. Yeah, that's a good question. Do you have a question or are you just stretching Gustavo? Report an error in the passage at 16:01 Highlight the passage at 16:01

16:13 Or just looking very relaxed? Okay, tonight we're going to talk about dealing with obstacles, which is a good one. So we're going to talk about a couple of ways to deal with obstacles, a couple that you probably know about, especially if you have spent any time in a Tibetan Buddhist center accumulating merit and purifying. Report an error in the passage at 16:13 Highlight the passage at 16:13

16:36 But we're also going to talk about making requests, which you guys have started doing in that meditation. Shakyamuni Buddha meditation. We're also going to do Vajrasapha. So for those of you that have learned Vajrasapha, this will just be a review. And then for those of you that it's new for, then it'll be an exciting step. Report an error in the passage at 16:36 Highlight the passage at 16:36

16:57 I love Vajrasapha practice, actually. So we'll talk about that a little bit more. And we're also going to talk a little bit about prostrations. So hopefully we'll have time to, if people have questions about how to do like a full-length prostration or whatever. I didn't actually have that in my notes to do, but I thought, you know, actually that could be helpful if somebody wants to see. There's also a very funny, on Tipton Children's website, if you just Google Tipton Children, she was actually ordained, I think, originally by Lama Zopa. Report an error in the passage at 16:57 Highlight the passage at 16:57

17:27 I think her children, C-H-O-D-R-O-N, T-H-U-B-T-E-N. You'll get one of her websites. Yeah, she's got, Shravasti Abby is also hers, but I think she just has like a teaching website. She actually has a little thing that you can download, how to do a prostration. I was like, that's so cool. It's like a little active one. She's like all doing her little prostration. And I think I told you, wasn't it, I had this experience where, I had this experience where I like Googled it and I guess it was downloading all this time and I didn't realize it. Report an error in the passage at 17:27 Highlight the passage at 17:27

18:05 And so I just gave up and I went on and I started like looking at, you know, looking at the news and I get totally mundane things and I was just starting and I thought, you know, looking at entertainment, you know, like what's in BBC, it's usually BBC, entertainment, BBC and so I'm totally trashed, just wasting time. Report an error in the passage at 18:05 Highlight the passage at 18:05

18:22 All of a sudden Tipton Children takes over the screen and begins doing this frustration and it's like, okay, you're right, you're right. Report an error in the passage at 18:22 Highlight the passage at 18:22

18:31 So I should just time her to just, you know, like once an hour to just come in and do a prostration. You're right. But it is, that is a really useful thing. You can have your own resident nun showing you how to do a prostration any hour, day and night. Just make, maybe you could enhance her, make it a little bit rounder, you know, maybe a lot rounder, actually. Report an error in the passage at 18:31 Highlight the passage at 18:31

18:56 Otherwise, she's got a great smile. Yeah, so that's there too. So I thought we would talk about obstacles and dealing with obstacles and what to do when it feels like our practice isn't progressing the way that we might want it to be, especially if we're working really, really hard. And it is really important to remember last week, I think it was last week, because I think Peter was having problems and I pointed that one at him, that sometimes when you're practicing really, really hard, You're purifying and so it's not necessarily going to be without additional difficulties. It's not like once you start practicing the Dharma all your difficulties will go away because we all know the cause of our difficulties is actually karma. Report an error in the passage at 18:56 Highlight the passage at 18:56

19:47 And so we've created enough karma in many, many lifetimes to get enough difficulties whether you're practicing the Dharma or not, right? So what the Dharma does is it gives you tools for purifying more. Which of course you have to realize will manifest in some way, which could be ear infections or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 19:47 Highlight the passage at 19:47

20:10 Or it could, I mean you can also purify, you can have mental purification. So sometimes our ups and downs of moods and things like that are actually mental purifying. So... Yeah, when you're practicing really, really hard, sometimes it feels like you're facing a lot more difficulties, especially at first. Report an error in the passage at 20:10 Highlight the passage at 20:10

20:33 I think the first couple of years especially can be really, really, really intense that way, especially if you're really working hard. Report an error in the passage at 20:33 Highlight the passage at 20:33

20:41 And it's never good to compare your practice or your results with anyone else. It's like yoga that way. It's worthless. It's a waste of time. It's cool to see what other people are doing and to get inspired by that. I think that's wonderful. For one thing, we just don't know really what's going on in people's minds. Report an error in the passage at 20:41 Highlight the passage at 20:41

21:01 They could look as calm as can be and just be like tinder inside, and then also the next day you find out that they flipped out or something. We don't know that. And even if they're incredibly wonderful, We don't know what their past life karma was that got them there. They could have been practicing incredibly hard for the last 17 lifetimes and we're just seeing them now and we're like, well, she just joined. Report an error in the passage at 21:01 Highlight the passage at 21:01

21:20 Like, what's that? You know, how come she's really good at that, you know? It doesn't help us at all. We just need to be pushing the rejoice button rather than the criticize or whiny, you know, why can't I be like that button? Report an error in the passage at 21:20 Highlight the passage at 21:20

21:35 And as Rubina's always, that's what she had said when we were doing the Guru Puja and we were doing the rejoicing section. She's just like, look around you at all of the good qualities in the people instead of criticizing them for it. You know, like the people who are handsome, the people who have money, the people who, you know, have. Report an error in the passage at 21:35 Highlight the passage at 21:35

21:54 Yeah, either the people who have Angelina Jolie or the people who are Angelina Jolie. And instead of criticizing them or complaining about them or waiting for them to mess up, which is a really negative thing and the way our minds go, just being so happy because that is all the result of positive karma. Report an error in the passage at 21:54 Highlight the passage at 21:54

22:14 They've done something to receive that if you have any faith in how karma works. We can't do an act and not get a result. We can't have a result and not have done an act. It's impossible, according to what the Buddha observed. Report an error in the passage at 22:14 Highlight the passage at 22:14

22:29 But there are times that you're practicing really hard and you start facing what feel like obstacles. And so these practices are designed to sort of help you out of that and also to sort of figure out which of the practices to do. When do I do accumulation of merit? When do I do purification? And really, are certain practices devoid of one? A lot of them are actually blends. Report an error in the passage at 22:29 Highlight the passage at 22:29

23:00 It's not like you can do prostrations to the 35 Buddhas and not both accumulate merit and purify. Just like working in a Dharma center is both heavy. Purification and heavy accumulation of merit. So it's not like, oh, I'm going to go purify today and you're not going to accumulate any merit. But there are times that you kind of are aiming towards a certain one. Report an error in the passage at 23:00 Highlight the passage at 23:00

23:22 And certain of the preliminary practices, which we'll talk a little bit about too, are more purification and some are more accumulation of merit. Report an error in the passage at 23:22 Highlight the passage at 23:22

23:36 But I did want to also mention, too, one of the things I wanted to mention tonight is a little bit about the integration, the final module of the Discovering Buddhism series, which is the 14th module, which is all experiential integration. So it's all practices like 100,000. Prostrations, 100,000 Raja Safa. That's just priceless. The look on Eve. I don't even think I need to describe it for you, Peter. Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

24:08 Just imagine the look on your face when Geshe-la gave you your manis and then put hair on and that was Eve. That was the same look. Report an error in the passage at 24:08 Highlight the passage at 24:08

24:20 So there's an entire, the final 14th class, so to speak, module, because it's not really in a class format, although I've been thinking about how we might approach it as a class so that if people have questions, we might also get Geshe-la to do classes and things like that on these practices. The help class. But it is in all senses of that. Report an error in the passage at 24:20 Highlight the passage at 24:20

24:47 The reasoning for that one, so we will talk about that one, but the reasoning for that, of course, is to get a taste. I mean, that is integrative practice. It's not like you're doing prostrations just for the physical aspect of getting stronger arms and a healthier body, you know. What you're doing with your mind at that entire time and what you're doing with your mind every day when it becomes that time and you have to do it again or not do it again is all mind training. Report an error in the passage at 24:47 Highlight the passage at 24:47

25:15 So it's all integrating the rest of the classes. And so it was really an important aspect of designing the Discovering Buddhism program for those people who were doing the whole program. It's not really, it wasn't considered an extra, it was considered part of the whole tradition. Originally the Lamrim teachings came through the Kadampa Geshes who were... Report an error in the passage at 25:15 Highlight the passage at 25:15

25:44 That whole tradition was started by the direct disciples of Lama Atisha, who wrote the very first lamrim. The Kadampas were really, really known for taking the teachings of the Buddha as personal instruction and applying it right then and there. They were really radical practitioners. You hear stories about them like the one Kadampa Geshe. Report an error in the passage at 25:44 Highlight the passage at 25:44

26:08 They were the ones who came up with the whole Mayan training. Report an error in the passage at 26:08 Highlight the passage at 26:08

26:13 This one story of one Kadama Geshe going, you know, he was in deep retreat and he would start, he would, as he was going out, you know, to get water, he would catch his robe, you know, there's a thorny bush by the opening of the cave and he would think, oh, I should cut that back and then he would think, I could die. Report an error in the passage at 26:13 Highlight the passage at 26:13

26:31 This isn't important. So he just kept ripping his robe because it was just so unimportant to take time to prune back this bush that he would just keep going in and out and ripping it. And every time he would go, it doesn't matter, I could die tonight, so I'm just going to sit down and practice instead. And there's all these stories like that where they would just be very, very serious, earnest practitioners doing whatever they had to do to get enlightened in this lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 26:31 Highlight the passage at 26:31

26:59 So that's the tradition that we come from. The Kadampa is fed into the Galupa tradition, which is what we, this center is a part of the Galupa tradition. And often the Galupa tradition, the Galukpas or the Galuk tradition, get sort of a bad rep between all the lineages for being really highly academic and not so strong on practice. Report an error in the passage at 26:59 Highlight the passage at 26:59

27:25 That's always really confusing to me because I come from the Lama Zopa Rinpoche tradition and the Lama Yeshe tradition, and Lama Yeshe is the one who really encouraged a lot of his students, and of course we come from that same lineage, to do Vajra Safa quite early and to do a three-month retreat in Vajra Safa quite early, which of course I did as well. Report an error in the passage at 27:25 Highlight the passage at 27:25

27:50 Also to enter tantra much earlier than traditionally was ever done in Tibet. And his reasoning is, let's give him a taste and that'll give him the fuel for the rest of the practice. And actually, personally speaking, even though I wouldn't highly recommend jumping into tantra too early, I think that has definitely been the effect that it's had on my life. Report an error in the passage at 27:50 Highlight the passage at 27:50

28:10 It's just like jump in the deep end of the pool and you either sink or swim. But you do get a taste of the practice and you kind of start figuring out like, oh, I can kind of see why people would devote their lives to this. You know, it's like the more of a retreat taste that you can get at the very beginning. That's practice. And that kind of practice is what's involved in that 14th module. Report an error in the passage at 28:10 Highlight the passage at 28:10

28:36 Giving a taste of that is what's involved. So we'll just spend a little bit of time on that at the end. So the first of the activities that help us bring success in our practice is what's called making heartfelt requests. Report an error in the passage at 28:36 Highlight the passage at 28:36

28:55 And that, they actually say you are doing, you're actually making heartfelt requests when you have, like if you are in, say you're studying emptiness or you're studying, you know, maybe doing some of Geshe-less classes like last night. Report an error in the passage at 28:55 Highlight the passage at 28:55

29:12 Constantly looking at him like, you know, an old dog. I'm sure he's just like, ugh. Report an error in the passage at 29:12 Highlight the passage at 29:12

29:20 But we actually had a dog. This is where that expression comes from. The summer that I spent doing Vajra Safra retreat at Dharamsala, there was a dog there named Tenzin Spot. Who had the stupidest expression on his face. He just had a very, very stupid, he's a very sweet dog. He has since, you know, moved on. Report an error in the passage at 29:20 Highlight the passage at 29:20

29:44 Probably a form of Lama Yeshe helping us out that summer. But he just had this really goofy expression. And I remember once this friend of mine saying that when Lama Zopa teaches, it's an entire room full of tens and spots. And I thought, it's so true. You know, here he is like talking about emptiness and everything. He looks down and we're all like... Report an error in the passage at 29:44 Highlight the passage at 29:44

30:03 The tongue hanging out, the eyes kind of like those like tired eyes, you know. So yeah, Tenzin's spot is still my ideal of like what I probably look like in Geshe-less classes too. So when you have especially those kind of blocks to understanding something, like say you've been reading, you read the same page over and over and it's not going in. Report an error in the passage at 30:03 Highlight the passage at 30:03

30:27 And especially with trying to understand the deeper and more profound levels of emptiness, you can feel that kind of murkiness in your mind. And they say that that's a really good time to make these heartfelt requests. And when I talk about that, normally what you're doing is you're making heartfelt requests to your teachers. Report an error in the passage at 30:27 Highlight the passage at 30:27

30:49 So that requires me to talk a little bit about... Finding a teacher in this life if you don't already have one. Until you have one, you can use the Buddha or any of the Buddhas that you feel some sort of karmic connection with. You can also use a teacher that you really, really respect that you haven't necessarily taken on in that mind. This is my teacher, but His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a really good example, or Geshe-la, where you respect this being and you... Report an error in the passage at 30:49 Highlight the passage at 30:49

31:22 Feel like you can ask them in your mind because you're not going and kneeling in front of them. You're actually doing this in your practice. You're taking time in your practice like we do with the Shakyamuni Buddha meditation. Right after you've done your refuge in bodhicitta and your seven limb prayer, you are taking a moment to make heartfelt requests. Report an error in the passage at 31:22 Highlight the passage at 31:22

31:48 to clear these obstacles from your mind and your practice. you can be incredibly personal about it, like whatever. Please help me understand this text that I'm trying to understand right now. Please help me understand this level of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 31:48 Highlight the passage at 31:48

32:17 But it's also really good to make heartfelt requests to find and or recognize your teacher in this life because we absolutely have to find a teacher in this life if we want to progress on the path. And that's one of the things that will just make your practice take off like nothing else is really finding and recognizing your teacher. Sometimes people find their teacher and they don't recognize him or her right away, you know, because we have our idea of what our teacher is going to look like and sometimes it's not who ends up. Report an error in the passage at 32:17 Highlight the passage at 32:17

32:47 In front of us. So, you know, finding your teacher, they aren't necessarily Rinpoche. They aren't necessarily a monk or nun, even. They aren't necessarily, like, you know, world famous. They aren't necessarily even understandable to you all the time. Report an error in the passage at 32:47 Highlight the passage at 32:47

33:07 Sorry, Louis. They aren't necessarily, you aren't necessarily understandable to them all the time. Report an error in the passage at 33:07 Highlight the passage at 33:07

33:17 And so we sometimes will have blocks even once we've received teachings repeatedly from this being that this is actually indeed my teacher. So we can make heartfelt requests to please remove those obstacles too. So that when I meet my teacher I will recognize them and then I will connect with them. Report an error in the passage at 33:17 Highlight the passage at 33:17

33:38 In fact they say that... In fact, Lama Zopa Rinpoche actually suggests doing some form of guru yoga every day. We haven't talked about guru yoga as a practice, but the true practice of guru yoga, yoga just means union and guru just is referring to... Report an error in the passage at 33:38 Highlight the passage at 33:38

34:02 Guru or Lama actually translates as heavy with qualities. We talked about this in the spiritual teacher class, which is a really, really good class to take and will be offered again next year. Report an error in the passage at 34:02 Highlight the passage at 34:02

34:13 But basically you're trying to become one with the essence of the Lama, which is of course the essence of the Buddha, right? So we are actually trying to, when we do Guru Yoga, we're trying to become one with enlightened mind. Report an error in the passage at 34:13 Highlight the passage at 34:13

34:30 So when we do the kind of visualization like we do at the end of the Shakyamuni Buddha meditation where you visualize Shakyamuni Buddha dissolving into you and you receiving all those qualities and they becoming one, inseparable with your mind, that's exactly what you're doing with guru yoga. Report an error in the passage at 34:30 Highlight the passage at 34:30

34:51 For now you're seeing it as Shakyamuni Buddha who is embodying your guru or all of your gurus, if you have more than one. Or your future guru, if you haven't recognized him or her yet. But that's basically what you're doing. And of course, as we also talked about in that class, there are a lot of different kinds of teachers all along the way. Report an error in the passage at 34:51 Highlight the passage at 34:51

35:14 And so we are talking about a qualified guru. When I'm talking about guru here, I'm not talking about somebody like me who's just kind of like, what did we decide I was? The Dharma instructor? somebody who is Basically has been doing it just a little longer and can at least tell you something from my experience, but not a guru at all. But you still need those different kinds of teachers along the way. Report an error in the passage at 35:14 Highlight the passage at 35:14

35:42 That's really useful. But when I'm referring to a guru here, I'm actually referring to somebody who is heavy with qualities, somebody who has all of the qualities that we actually studied in a guru, which are really specific qualities. Report an error in the passage at 35:42 Highlight the passage at 35:42

35:58 And you spend a long time checking them out. And of course, at the same time, they're checking you out too, whether or not you're a suitable vessel. So even when you do recognize them, they may not, it's not that they aren't recognizing you, but they may not feel that you're a suitable vessel yet. You may have to do some more purification and accumulation of merit to even get that relationship off the ground. Report an error in the passage at 35:58 Highlight the passage at 35:58

36:26 But you'll know when it's off the ground. The fire gets turned up full blast when that happens, which is really good. So basically when you're making a heartfelt request, what that means is you're saying just the same as when you are prostrating. It's like I want this state of, basically they say, this state of this perfected mind. Report an error in the passage at 36:26 Highlight the passage at 36:26

36:54 It exists solely to benefit others. It's the union of wisdom and emptiness, or bliss and emptiness. But the function of it is to solely benefit other beings, and that's what we're trying to get to. And so that's what we're saying. It's like, I want this too. I want this mind. I want to experience this state. And we have to also remember it is not separate from our mind. Report an error in the passage at 36:54 Highlight the passage at 36:54

37:24 We just haven't perfected our mind. But ultimately, the inner guru is our own mind. There's not something outside of us. And so the more we go through this whole visualization of dissolving the enlightened being or the guru or the both into us, it's to remind us of that, that ultimately it's our own inner guru. Report an error in the passage at 37:24 Highlight the passage at 37:24

37:47 But all of this is like skillful means, you know, to get us there. Um, so, So your mind, when you're doing, when you're making a heartfelt request is, you know, you're just trying to remember that you want to take advantage of this precious human rebirth. You know you're not going to have it for long. You know that there are all these beings suffering and you want to do something about it. So these are things that are, it's not just like, you know, I want to be able to meditate for a really long time. Report an error in the passage at 37:47 Highlight the passage at 37:47

38:19 You know, I mean, like you have to remember the bodhicitta motivation, you know, it's like. You're tired of seeing all this suffering and being limited in what you can do about it, not being able to help. That's this motivation of the suffering is unbearable to you. I want to attain these skills. I want to increase my understanding of emptiness or whatever it is I'm studying. I want to get over my laziness, whatever your obstacle is. Report an error in the passage at 38:19 Highlight the passage at 38:19

38:49 Because I want to reach my goal and this is my goal. And then they say, you can imagine yourself making this request like on your knee like that, like on one knee. Like when you take vows, you get down on your right knee, whether it's one day vows or whether it's like we'll do on Sunday, the five lay vows and also during the precepts. Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

39:12 When you do bodhisattva vows and tantric vows and ordination vows, just about killed me. Report an error in the passage at 39:12 Highlight the passage at 39:12

39:19 I mean, one of my feet has still never been the same, but I was determined not to move, you know. I was going to be the one that didn't move. Report an error in the passage at 39:19 Highlight the passage at 39:19

39:32 Source of pride. That was nipped. But they say that you can imagine yourself like doing that when you're making this heartfelt request, you know, like bending down like that. Or you can do actually imagine yourself. On your belly at their feet. The way that when, the way I learned to do prostrations, the way that Geshe Lama Kunchuk said, to imagine you're at their feet and reaching for their feet or the hem of their robes like this. Report an error in the passage at 39:32 Highlight the passage at 39:32

40:06 Reba Rinpoche said when he was describing the verse, Verse 53 of the Lama Tsopa, when it's like, you are my gurus, you are my yidams, you are the Dakini's and Dalai protectors. At that part, he said, you imagine yourself at their feet, you know, reaching for them and begging them, begging them to help you. Report an error in the passage at 40:06 Highlight the passage at 40:06

40:30 It's that idea of this desperation, this really kind of emotional response to the situation. And so, I mean, it makes it quite emotional. And when we look at The Foundation of All Good Qualities, that was actually written in this state of mind. He's actually praying to Manjushri and he's saying, bless me for that. Report an error in the passage at 40:30 Highlight the passage at 40:30

40:49 And we're just like, The Foundation of All Good Qualities is me. You know, it's like we read it kind of like now it's kind of lost that. But when he wrote it, he was quite, you know, please bless me to understand this. Please bless me to, you know. Report an error in the passage at 40:49 Highlight the passage at 40:49

41:04 He was writing it from this state of begging. And actually he got his wish. They say, I mean it's taught that Manjushri came to him and personally taught him exactly like you all are here now. That he came and visited him in retreat and that he taught him entire texts were actually written by Manjushri and transcribed by Jason Kapa. Report an error in the passage at 41:04 Highlight the passage at 41:04

41:29 Don't underestimate the value of these heartfelt requests. They actually do work. And just say them from your heart. Like I said, you don't have to memorize a certain prayer. The basic one that I think is in the text. I don't think I brought it down again, but the daily practice, the Shakyamuni Buddha meditation. The main elements are you're asking to eliminate the obstacles in your mind stream, your conceptualization of things and that sort of thing. Report an error in the passage at 41:29 Highlight the passage at 41:29

42:14 Generate the positive qualities that you need and then eliminate all the obstacles in your entire path. So it's like those three things are the parts of it. But that little prayer that we did in another class, and I still can't remember what class that was, but anyway, we do it in the Guru Pooja in the morning when, you know, I know I've forgotten how that one begins, but I Report an error in the passage at 42:14 Highlight the passage at 42:14

42:42 can't remember how it starts now, but it's the one where it's like, you know, please bless me to generate all the, I remember that one. Yeah, yeah. Like eliminate all the wrong conceptions, you know, starting from Guru Devotion all the way up to the red, white and dark visions. Report an error in the passage at 42:42 Highlight the passage at 42:42

43:04 No, not solving problems. It's actually more than that. It's actually eliminating all your, the way that you're misconceiving the world. Report an error in the passage at 43:04 Highlight the passage at 43:04

43:14 We didn't have a solving problems problem. I mean, this could be considered a solving problem. Transforming problems. Transforming. Well, that's one way to look at it. That's actually true. Solving problems by transforming them into happiness. I don't think so. I think it was more recent than that. I think it might have been the beginning of this year, actually. But anyway, I'll look. I don't remember. But I can give you guys a copy of that specific prayer. Report an error in the passage at 43:14 Highlight the passage at 43:14

43:44 But my whole point was just that it's actually probably more meaningful if it's just from your heart. So if you're having specific obstacles in either your path and or your mind, or you want to generate certain qualities in your mind, that makes it more real. Report an error in the passage at 43:44 Highlight the passage at 43:44

44:00 And actually you can do all three. It's not like you have to just do one. Report an error in the passage at 44:00 Highlight the passage at 44:00

44:07 Clearly another activity to bring success in your practice is accumulating merit. Report an error in the passage at 44:07 Highlight the passage at 44:07

44:15 I've heard it said actually that a lot of times Rinpoche students become merit hogs. Once we figure out what merit is for and why we want it, he actually creates these, I think he actually just, you know, spends 24 hours a day coming up with ways for us to accumulate merit actually. And so he'll like suddenly send out an email that it's really good, especially the Saṅgha. The Saṅgha should recite, you know, 17 Saṅgha Sutras by. Report an error in the passage at 44:15 Highlight the passage at 44:15

44:44 tomorrow, you know? And we're all like, and we're like, and stuff, as, I think he'll come up with a good reason for it, like the Maitreya project needs to clear an obstacle or something like that. But I think it really is just to help us create merit. Or he'll come visit a center and you like are just about ready for something to start and he'll suddenly say, let's do extensive offerings. And we're like, you know, like we all run out and get offerings and set up, you know, thousands and thousands of light offerings. Report an error in the passage at 44:44 Highlight the passage at 44:44

45:11 Or everyone suddenly like begins doing prostrations or something, you know. And I think it's just, you know, he's just helping us create merit. The times that you would... Choose this one, like if you're having a specific obstacle or a specific problem in your practice. Merit is like positive energy, which merit is actually specifically positive karma that is aimed toward your own enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 45:11 Highlight the passage at 45:11

45:41 So that's what makes merit different than just positive karma. There's ordinary positive karma like if I just help an old lady across the street or whatever. That's positive karma and I'll get an ordinary good result out of that. Someone will help me across the street when I'm old. But then it's gone. Like then it's used up. If I dedicate helping that old lady across the street for my own enlightenment and even better for hers. Report an error in the passage at 45:41 Highlight the passage at 45:41

46:08 I should say even better and for hers. Both are good. Then that becomes merit. And then it's like banking it. Then I'm banking it towards my enlightenment. So that's what merit is. And usually you would do this one when it feels kind of like your practice is running out of energy, running out of steam. Report an error in the passage at 46:08 Highlight the passage at 46:08

46:30 Maybe you just are just feeling a little bit, you know, blah about your practice. That's a good sign that you might need a little merit making. Report an error in the passage at 46:30 Highlight the passage at 46:30

46:43 And there are a lot of ways to make merit. You can just do helping people. I mean, like I said, you just do an ordinary good karma and dedicate it specifically for a Dharma intent. you know, so Report an error in the passage at 46:43 Highlight the passage at 46:43

46:59 You can just support hospice or something and then just dedicate that. Give a dollar to the guy on the street for that matter, but dedicate it to the center always having enough or my trade project or whatever always having enough or both because that's a good thing about it. You can dedicate it to every good thing. It could be a tiny act and you could stand there for half an hour dedicating it. That's what Rinpoche does. Everything he does, he dedicates and motivates so extensively that it becomes this enormous thing just because of the way that he's directing the energy. Report an error in the passage at 46:59 Highlight the passage at 46:59

47:34 So yeah, you can do regular acts of generosity or any positive act and then just dedicate it to... That's my date, gotta go. Report an error in the passage at 47:34 Highlight the passage at 47:34

47:49 And you just dedicate it towards either your own enlightenment or towards a positive thing. But you can also do what's called serving the Dharma so you can help out at the center like Ricardo just organized all the Shantideva tapes that Geshe-la taught over a three and a half year period and now Chad is going to digitalize them and upload them so that... Report an error in the passage at 47:49 Highlight the passage at 47:49

47:47 Um. Report an error in the passage at 47:47 Highlight the passage at 47:47

48:14 Everyone can listen to these four-year teaching of this amazing text. I think one of the most amazing texts ever written. Geshe-la taught it over a four-plus year period, which is so not done in the West. It's currently being taught at Lenda Medicine Buddha two nights a week for 12 weeks, right? And that's usual. Report an error in the passage at 48:14 Highlight the passage at 48:14

48:39 And that's the basic program, the same course. But Geshe-la does it line by line. Nothing's left out line by line. That teaching now will be totally free and available anywhere in the world. Well, as soon as Chad gets it done. But we're getting there. We're close. So, I mean, the fact that anyone's even taking it on is so... Report an error in the passage at 48:39 Highlight the passage at 48:39

49:04 So the amount of merit that Chad is going to get is just... Ricardo gets a part of that because he got them all in order for him. I get a part of that because I ran around trying to find it. You get a part of it because you knocked it on the floor and then hit it so the other guy didn't get it so now Chad gets that merit so that's good. Report an error in the passage at 49:04 Highlight the passage at 49:04

49:26 I just emailed the other guy who said he wanted to do it. If he hadn't, I told him, if he hadn't, this other guy in Wisconsin had contacted us because he could only get the last two chapters online and he wanted to know what happened to the first seven chapters, you know, and we were like, they're on audio tapes. Report an error in the passage at 49:26 Highlight the passage at 49:26

49:42 So he actually, he gets a lot of merit for lighting the fire under our butt. So just think of all the merit from that one little activity. That's serving the Dharma. Also just helping out at an event, Relic Show, for example. Report an error in the passage at 49:42 Highlight the passage at 49:42

49:59 Maybe messing up the cash register, but not with that intention, with the intention to help others. You know, doing anything to help to serve your teachers. You know, and it can be anything from like buying, you know, Geshe-la needs yogurt and asks you to go get it. I mean, Stephen's like the king of that one, Stephen Butler, who I just call our resident bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 49:59 Highlight the passage at 49:59

50:18 He manifests as this very ordinary being who Geshe-la just calls on him whenever he wants him to do anything or show up or do anything. I mean, he's just like day and night, you know. And so he's, you know, he'll just go and get him or he'll take him downtown to get something, you know, just on BART. Report an error in the passage at 50:18 Highlight the passage at 50:18

50:36 He doesn't have a car, you know. This wonderful guy who's manifesting this very ordinary form, he'll just take them to the mission and they'll go shoe shopping or something. It seems mundane, but he's accumulating so much merit because this is his teacher and he's serving his teacher. Report an error in the passage at 50:36 Highlight the passage at 50:36

50:54 Bringing him a box of Q-tips is serving the teacher. Hang on one second. You can also, of course, do anything, any of the traditional... Report an error in the passage at 50:54 Highlight the passage at 50:54

51:08 Preliminary practices like there's one called the Mandala offering, and that is a really strong one for accumulating merit. Water bowl offerings, which I need to remember to give you guys a revised copy of, but that's for accumulating merit as well. Report an error in the passage at 51:08 Highlight the passage at 51:08

51:29 Offering in any way, so anything you put on your altar, actually anything you put on the altar here, remember to dedicate it, That's a merit-making thing. Working in a center, working in a Dharma center in any way is a merit-making thing. And, of course, it's also hugely purifying. They say, actually, being the center director, I don't know how many years, I think one year. One year being a center director is supposed to be like a, no. Report an error in the passage at 51:29 Highlight the passage at 51:29

52:01 Well, what I've heard is what he said is a three-year Vajra Safra retreat. One year of being the center director is worth a three-year Vajra Saffir retreat in terms of purification, which is why Michelle needs our love and support. It's incredibly difficult. But I have to say, I've worked in a Dharma center the entire time I've been a nun, which is six-plus years at this point, first as bookkeeper, then as director, then as SBC, sometimes simultaneously, all of the above. Report an error in the passage at 52:01 Highlight the passage at 52:01

52:35 And even though it is like you never get to the bottom of the list, like I've never had the experience that, was it, who was it? Somebody was saying that they actually got to the bottom of their to-do list. Who was that? Report an error in the passage at 52:35 Highlight the passage at 52:35

52:51 Oh, right, Lisa. Lisa Bogle, right, because she didn't have a job for a while, so she finally got to the bottom of her to-do list and realized that there was absolutely no satisfaction to be found. I've never gotten to the bottom. And usually I forget to put things even on the list, which is, of course, always the problem. Report an error in the passage at 52:51 Highlight the passage at 52:51

53:06 There is a limitless amount of stuff to do in a Dharma center. The shaking head of this nun is a good sign of that. However, I never have the feeling that it's not incredibly good work. There's this buzz of working in a Dharma center. You might think, I can't do this anymore. But there's this amazing buzz because, number one, you're serving the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 53:06 Highlight the passage at 53:06

53:34 Which is like enormous. Number two, you're serving Rinpoche. Number three, here we're serving Geshe-la, often serving Rabina as well. We're serving such amazing Trudan Rinpoche. We're serving these amazing beings and getting the Dharma spread to the West that there's just this incredible buzz about the kind of work. Report an error in the passage at 53:34 Highlight the passage at 53:34

53:56 That when it's going right, there's this incredible bliss. Even when it's so hard that you just... Think you're just going to drop. And a good example is actually like when Rinpoche comes and the entire house is just like this. This energy from, especially when Lama Zopa Rinpoche is also here and Geshe-la is here and we have three holy beings here in a single time. And then of course, you know, Surya Rinpoche comes or Aja Rinpoche comes or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 53:56 Highlight the passage at 53:56

54:23 And it's like, it's almost like you can't even stand the energy and there's just, you just get through the whole thing and everyone's falling all over themselves and everything. And then they leave and we're all kind of like collapsed. The bliss is incredible, too. So it's like this enormous amount of work, but then there's also this huge payoff. And then after we leave, like we've accumulated all that merit and we've purified so much. Report an error in the passage at 54:23 Highlight the passage at 54:23

54:46 So that's pretty amazing, actually. That's an example of something that's a merit accumulator. You don't have to work in a Dharma center, but you can help one. And that does a lot of the same thing. Purification practices are sort of like when you hit this point in your practice where your mind just seems kind of blocked or dark and murky. Report an error in the passage at 54:46 Highlight the passage at 54:46

55:11 That's often when you need to do some sort of a purification practice. So this one could also be a time that you're trying to understand teachings on emptiness and it just doesn't mean anything. Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:27 Sorry? This is the third one. Yeah, the third. The third activity that you can do to bring success in your practice. So the first was making heartfelt requests. The second was accumulating merit. And the third one's purification. Report an error in the passage at 55:27 Highlight the passage at 55:27

55:48 Oh, and Eve, I'm sorry, you had a question. I meant to come back to you before I started this part. Report an error in the passage at 55:48 Highlight the passage at 55:48

55:58 Chokyi, quick question. With accumulating merit by giving things to your teacher, Report an error in the passage at 55:58 Highlight the passage at 55:58

56:07 she didn't... I'm not sure. I mean, should you just give things to your teacher or should you specifically wait for them to ask you for something? No, it's really good to make offerings actually to your teacher. And you might not know what they even want, so you can just pick out. How do you find out what they want? Yeah, you can just pick out. Bring a receipt? They'll give it away to somebody else anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Report an error in the passage at 56:07 Highlight the passage at 56:07

56:28 You can't be really attached to the fact of them loving this thing. You just give them something that you really like. And then you also might take a guess at what they might really like. Like if you think Geshele needs a coat, you could do that. Or you could just give them something really beautiful like crystal. Report an error in the passage at 56:28 Highlight the passage at 56:28

56:45 You know, sometimes people give crystal lotuses or a new set of water bowls or a beautiful statue. You know, incense, whatever you think that they like, you can find out, you can ask their students what they like. And then don't be at all upset if someone walks out of their room with, yeah, showing it off. Report an error in the passage at 56:45 Highlight the passage at 56:45

57:07 And like this, we have such great stories about that because you do, you get totally invested in, you're all like, oh, look, I did it and they like loved it. And Geshele just like totally worked our minds during the long life budget and we all like spent forever picking it out. And then, you know. Lama and I gave him this really expensive set of high quality sheets and he gave it to Michelle. And I saw it in the office and I'm like, what's this doing on here? Report an error in the passage at 57:07 Highlight the passage at 57:07

57:30 And she's like, he gave it to me. She ended up giving it to her mom, so it's all right. So, and I mean, she had this story where she created this like really, you know. Wonderful tzatzah. And she put like, you know, like stones from Kailash and like pearls and things in the back and gave it to Geshe. And Geshe was like, oh, yes, yes, yes. Report an error in the passage at 57:30 Highlight the passage at 57:30

57:53 And he was like, oh, I'm making so much over it. And then this student came down with it. It was like, look what he just gave me. She's just like, you know. Totally works with your mind. Yeah, yeah. So it's just for you. They don't need this stuff. But what it does is it, I mean, they're... They are acting as our holiest object for us to receive this merit. And then just think of the joy when they give you something, you know, and then you're like, oh, and usually somebody's giving them that, you know. Report an error in the passage at 57:53 Highlight the passage at 57:53

58:24 Well, that's what I'm thinking, because then that way, if we give a gift to the teacher, and the teacher will either keep it or give it away, but even if they give it away, then that helps us to practice on our anti-attachmentness, right? Okay, good. Thank you, Chokyi. Peter's got one, too. Report an error in the passage at 58:24 Highlight the passage at 58:24

58:41 What does it mean when you give your teacher something and you never hear anything back about it? Nothing. Are they working on your attachment? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Don't ever give with that. Yeah, like zero response. Yeah, don't ever give with any expectation of response. That's the lesson is just give. Yeah. It's just about you opening your heart and giving and trying to please them. Right. And then if you never hear, then that's fine. You've done your part. Report an error in the passage at 58:41 Highlight the passage at 58:41

59:09 You know what I mean? Yeah. If they spit in your face and hand it back to you, then that's a different lesson and you're going to have to figure that one out. Most likely you probably won't actually with most of it. It is exciting when you kind of see something that you've given on their altar or something. Report an error in the passage at 59:09 Highlight the passage at 59:09

59:27 The pictures of Geshe-la's gurus I gave him during the Long Life Buddha and that was all exciting because I didn't see them for months up there. I thought, he's probably sent them to India or something. I was just kind of like, and then I went in there and he had put them all up and so that was really exciting. Report an error in the passage at 59:27 Highlight the passage at 59:27

59:42 I guess for me I get caught up in like maybe I did something that wasn't pleasing or inappropriate and I start questioning it over and over again. Actually, you know what, I was just having this conversation. This is actually a really good point and I don't know where else would be a better place for it. Tenzin Chokyi was up here, a really good friend of mine who as of next year will be friends for 25 years before either of us met the Dharma or became nuns, which is how we both ended up, which is pretty interesting. Report an error in the passage at 59:42 Highlight the passage at 59:42

1:00:09 Karma. But we were talking about this really, really bad habit that many of us have, and I do it too, of triple analyzing your good works. I quite triple analyzing. Yeah, yeah. And it's a negative state of mind, and it undermines all the virtue that you do. And I mean, I'm the queen of it too. She's the queen of it too. I mean, she had to do a lot of that in retreat. She's done I don't even know how many years of retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:09 Highlight the passage at 1:00:09

1:00:46 And that's just in like two sittings, right? So, I mean, she actually has done, she did some retreat before. But where this came up for me is like rethinking sort of like, did I do everything I could have done for my mom's death? This is how this conversation came up. And she said she did the same thing with her dad's death. You just... Report an error in the passage at 1:00:46 Highlight the passage at 1:00:46

1:01:07 Think it through and think it through. And she said actually Katie was doing the same thing with the prisoner's death. You know, you're thinking on your feet. You're trying to do the best you can. And actually at the time you're thinking, okay, that was really good. And then of course you just wreck it by thinking, I should have done it. And every time anyone talks about any death, you're like, I didn't do that. And then you're just like, just let it go. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:07 Highlight the passage at 1:01:07

1:01:29 And I remember actually Sally from Land of Medicine Buddha saying that to me the day after when I woke her up. Because I forgot about the time difference. She was incredibly kind and she said, don't, like just don't let your mind do that. And I managed to not do it for a couple of weeks and then I started again. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:29 Highlight the passage at 1:01:29

1:01:46 But you can do about everything. I mean, you do a really hard retreat. You push the hardest you've ever pushed. You do everything the best you can. And you're like, yeah, I did that the best I can. And then a week later you're like, I should have done. And that's usually the mind. I should have done. Maybe I didn't do. Maybe he didn't like that gift. He's never mentioned it. It's not on his altar. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:46 Highlight the passage at 1:01:46

1:02:10 You just undermine all your good work. It's just a form of that sort of critical mind that we put out on everybody else, but now we're putting it on ourselves. And I think actually in a way it might be a form of self-cherishing. Because just like we're the son of the universe, right? you know, so. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:10 Highlight the passage at 1:02:10

1:02:30 But, I mean, if you just, if you are just trying to pick out something, they say it is really important to be something that you really like, too. So you're not just giving him something that you had hanging around, you know. But you spent some time either thinking, you know, what is it that he could really use? Like some really, really nice sheets. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:30 Highlight the passage at 1:02:30

1:02:53 Or, you know, it's something that you treasure so much. Ha, ha, ha. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:53 Highlight the passage at 1:02:53

1:02:59 I remember actually when I first wrote a letter to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, begging basically, begging, because I had asked really sweetly and done the whole right thing with like the, you know, the seven limb prayer and the whole like traditional way you're supposed to write it and got no response at all. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:59 Highlight the passage at 1:02:59

1:03:18 And this is at Copan and it was running out of time and everything and I just sat down one night and I just... I poured my heart out and I gave him something that really meant a lot to me, personally speaking, this necklace, and I gave it to him. I just, you know, I offered that up. It was all I had, actually. I didn't really have anything else. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:18 Highlight the passage at 1:03:18

1:03:38 Like within a 24-hour period, I got a knock on the door. It was like 2 o 'clock in the morning, I got to go see him. And what was hanging with all his relics on his altar was my offering. So he knows the state of mind that you're giving it to. Are you giving it because it looks really cool and it'll impress other people? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:38 Highlight the passage at 1:03:38

1:03:58 He's probably never going to, you know, so he'll know the state of mind, the intention that was behind the giving too. If he is what... He appears to be. So that's something to think about too when you're making that kind of offering. But definitely making offerings to your teachers and the Buddhas and Dharma centers. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:58 Highlight the passage at 1:03:58

1:04:19 I mean that's making offerings to the Triple Gem, right? So it's the same power behind it, the power of the object. And you accumulate a lot of merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:19 Highlight the passage at 1:04:19

1:04:33 Chokyi, does that also count like when you're having your lunch and you're offering it? And like when you're having your dinner and you do like verses after lunch. That's a precept. Actually, that's a refuge commitment, actually. And I'm sure that you do accumulate merit for it. Yeah, because you're making offerings to the Triple Gem, for sure. It is a precept commitment to offer the first bite of your food to the Triple Gem. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:33 Highlight the passage at 1:04:33

1:04:57 Aren't we supposed to do every day, though, the food offerings? You should be doing it every meal. Okay, good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or actually every drink. And snacks, right? This is where I fall flat. It's supposed to be every drink, including water. And snacks? Everything. Everything that enters your mouth. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:57 Highlight the passage at 1:04:57

1:05:14 You're offering the first part of it to the triple gem. Yeah. I know. I forget about the vitamins. Yeah, vitamins is too. Supplements. Tinctures. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:14 Highlight the passage at 1:05:14

1:05:26 Yeah. Just think it just expands our ability to make merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:26 Highlight the passage at 1:05:26

1:05:33 That's giving merit? Because I was, wait, I had chocolate covered cherries that I offered and like toffee that I was offering. Sure, I mean everything, everything. Thank you Chokyi. I mean, yeah, candy bars, you know, everything. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:33 Highlight the passage at 1:05:33

1:05:57 Yeah, but why are you taking it, you're taking it to make your body strong so that you can benefit others, yeah. So remembering that's also good, like why am I taking this, you know. And actually the food is the same. In some traditions they actually call food medicine. You know, because you're eating it basically to keep your, you're not eating it out of attachment, right? We're eating it to keep our bodies strong so we can benefit others. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:57 Highlight the passage at 1:05:57

1:06:22 All the time. Right, right, in that 1958 wine, you know that, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:22 Highlight the passage at 1:06:22

1:06:31 No, he was just, he was just talking about giving up alcohol and that he had all this really, really expensive old wine. So he's going to try to drink it all before Sunday. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:31 Highlight the passage at 1:06:31

1:06:47 Anyway. Okay, so we're dropping the wine. Yes, but of course you can offer alcohol. It's just, you know, that it's... Yeah, yeah, it should be transformed into nectar. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:47 Highlight the passage at 1:06:47

1:07:06 If you are trying to do analytical meditation and you feel like your mind just isn't getting it or it's not going deeply enough, that's another sign for purification. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:06 Highlight the passage at 1:07:06

1:07:18 Also, if you are attending a teaching or you're reading something and it's Dharma and you're not thinking that there's any application to your life, like there's no way, this isn't practical, I'm not going to ever apply it, usually that's a sign for purification too. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:18 Highlight the passage at 1:07:18

1:07:36 Because it all is. All of it is applicable. It's just that your karma is blocking you getting that connection. So You employ what are known as the four opponent powers, and this will be in your meditation homework tonight. We're going to do the Vajrasattva practice, and it'll mention the four opponent powers. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:36 Highlight the passage at 1:07:36

1:07:59 We're actually using Venmo Rubina's version, which is a kind of short and sweet version of it, but it explains each of the four opponent powers in it, within it. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:59 Highlight the passage at 1:07:59

1:08:12 And so you start out, you know, having regret, and then you... Actually, you do reliance, the power of reliance. Your regret, I should say, is not guilt because a lot of times Westerners get that confused. It's not feeling guilty about having stolen the blah, blah or having stolen your best friend's wife or whatever it is that you're feeling regret for. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:12 Highlight the passage at 1:08:12

1:08:41 Regret is understanding how karma works. And with that understanding, it's like intelligent. You understand that, oh, I've done this negative thing. I'm just going to get it again. It's a recipe for me repeatedly having this karmic effect or karmic result within my life. And I don't want to do that. It's more like, oh, I can't believe I just did it. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:41 Highlight the passage at 1:08:41

1:09:10 Which I actually was just doing, I forgot even now what it was, but I was like sitting in class last night and I realized I had done something. And I'm like sitting there in Gisla's class doing 28 short Vajrasatvas, you know, because it's like you just don't want to let any time go by. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:10 Highlight the passage at 1:09:10

1:09:24 So there are four powers. Regretting the act without understanding of karma. Reliance upon... Two aspects. You're doing refuge and bodhicitta. So you're relying upon all sentient beings, which are usually the ones that you've harmed. And you're putting your trust in the triple gem. So relying on all sentient beings is bodhicitta. You're doing it for them. That's why we want to get enlightened, right? And refuge is putting your trust in the triple gem. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:24 Highlight the passage at 1:09:24

1:10:00 This will be in your homework, so you can, yeah. You don't – Report an error in the passage at 1:10:00 Highlight the passage at 1:10:00

1:10:04 Yeah, yeah, no, that's fine, yeah. It's covered really in depth in the karma class, which is, I think of all of the classes, it's like, if you're going to catch any of the earlier Discovering Buddhism classes, the karma class is the one, because once you can understand how karma works, like your whole life can change. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:04 Highlight the passage at 1:10:04

1:10:26 The next one is remedy. The third opponent power is remedy. And that will be, in this case, the Vajra Safa practice itself. But it could be studying emptiness. It could be meditating on emptiness. It could be helping out in a Dharma center. It could be helping a little old lady across the street. It can be whatever your remedy is. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:26 Highlight the passage at 1:10:26

1:10:44 It should be somewhat related to your act or just one of the prescribed ones by the Buddha, which the Vajra Safa practice is one. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:44 Highlight the passage at 1:10:44

1:10:55 And Meditating on Emptiness is one. Making Buddha Images is one, like Tsatsas. But you can also do ones that are specifically related to the act that you did. And then the final one after you've done all that is to pledge a restraint for not repeating the act again for as long as you can. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:55 Highlight the passage at 1:10:55

1:11:21 For some of us, you know, you can say out and out, I will never kill again or I will never do whatever this, you know, whatever the thing is. If you can honestly say, that's great. But you don't want to compound it by lying to buzz yourself, but too, so you want to choose an amount of time that is realistic. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:21 Highlight the passage at 1:11:21

1:11:41 You know, if you know that this guy that you work with is just going to drive you up the wall, don't say I'll never get angry at Bill again. You know, like that's just going to... The next day you're going to get angry at him and then you have to be doing more Vajra Safa and lying to Vajra Safa. So it's better to say for the first hour of my shift, no matter what he does, I will not get angry. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:41 Highlight the passage at 1:11:41

1:12:02 And then you remind yourself of that before you go in and then you just do whatever you can to not get angry. And then the minute it's over you get to start screaming now. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:02 Highlight the passage at 1:12:02

1:12:12 But you have... Tried for that amount of time to restrain yourself from repeating the act. And then at the same time that you make this tiny pledge, you also pray, and may I reach the point where I never get angry again. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:12 Highlight the passage at 1:12:12

1:12:28 So that you're trying to plant the seed to never do whatever this act is again. But you don't want it to be a lie when you're pledging to Vajrasapa. So those are the four opponent powers. And we'll employ those. When we do the Vajra Salfa practice. But you can employ those at any time. You can do them with any activity that you decide to do as a remedy. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:28 Highlight the passage at 1:12:28

1:12:56 So when you first decide what it is that needs to be purified, a lot of times when we learn these purification practices, like in the Karma class, we also did the Dorji Kadro, the Fire Puja practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:56 Highlight the passage at 1:12:56

1:13:14 I think it's actually best to start with things that you can really remember that you did. Like the more recent and the more specific, the better. I think it just makes it more real. But ultimately, we have done many things in this life that we can't even remember. If you sit there, actually if you're sitting there and watch yourself for a retreat, let me tell you, you are thinking of every horrible thing you've ever done. It all just begins to flood into your mind, like making fun of this kid when I was in third grade. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:14 Highlight the passage at 1:13:14

1:13:51 It's just like it all just comes in, and especially if you're like me. I'm not even Catholic, but I've got enough guilt for everybody. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:51 Highlight the passage at 1:13:51

1:14:02 Right, right. Or just any. Anything. It just comes like being mean to bugs. I remember that one came up. We had like locust, a locust attack when I was like in sixth grade. And I just remember like, you know, you know, playing with them in ways that was not compassionate. I mean, you know, but it's just like the stuff that comes back to you, you know. So. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:02 Highlight the passage at 1:14:02

1:14:22 You can do that kind of stuff in retreat because you have the space and time for it. But when you're doing it on a daily basis, it actually I think is quite practical just to start with stuff that you can really remember in this 24-48 hour period. Because that's stuff that's fresh in your mind and you don't really want it to take root in your mind stream. You don't want it to grow the way karma grows, you know. So you just want to get rid of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:47 But another way, and we talked about this in the karma class as well, is like looking at what's wrong in your life, looking at a particular problem that you have and thinking about what the karmic cause of that might be. And some of it is quite obvious according to the Buddhist teachings. Some of it isn't. Some of it's less obvious. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:47 Highlight the passage at 1:14:47

1:15:08 But clearly if you have a problem with like if you're losing your stuff a lot. Or if you're getting stolen from a lot, that's a karmic ripening of stealing. So you can work on that. You can really focus on that particular karmic result and the actions that must have caused it. If nobody is paying any attention to your speech, you know, you're trying to like suggest things. This one happens a lot to me. You have this great idea and you're like, or you're just talking about something and everyone's just like, and they all go walking out of the room. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:08 Highlight the passage at 1:15:08

1:15:39 That's the karmic result of idols, chatter. They say meaningless speech. If people don't believe you, even when you're telling the truth, that's from lying. So you can kind of look at the way they say illness or a lot of physical weakness is from killing. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:39 Highlight the passage at 1:15:39

1:15:58 So you can look at the problems that you have in your life. And actually I think this is really, really, I mean in retreat it's actually you can spend a long time. When I went away, when did I go away? No, it's been a while. For a few months doing some class planning. I guess it was six weeks. Anyway, maybe it actually ended up being three weeks. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:58 Highlight the passage at 1:15:58

1:16:21 I think it was three weeks. I think it was supposed to be six weeks, and it became five, then four, then three. And I sat down and I actually thought about all the things that I would like to work on in my life, like the different problems that I had in my life, and I tried to figure out what the karmic correlations are. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:21 Highlight the passage at 1:16:21

1:16:36 I actually reviewed that list when I was preparing this class, and it's just interesting. And some of them I can see. Vast changes actually have already started happening, like not having enough money, you know, to do water bowls for the center and for my practice on my altars, and specifically dedicate it to always having enough, you know, donating money, giving money to the center, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:36 Highlight the passage at 1:16:36

1:17:05 It's that when you constrict and you're tight on your money. That's exactly the time that you need to give. And that's the hard thing because if you don't have enough money, it means you haven't been generous. So you need to be generous. Here's another one. If you don't have enough time, you need to generously give your time. It's the same. We think it's the opposite. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:05 Highlight the passage at 1:17:05

1:17:29 And we behave like it's the opposite. And we're just kind of like, I don't have any time. And you start that kind of contraction thing. And it's just like the opposite is actually... That's how you actually get time and the more relaxed you can be. And you can see it like in people like Rubina. She is not a second. And every time that I've ever come to her, she's always just like, come on in. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:29 Highlight the passage at 1:17:29

1:17:50 You know, she's just and there's this easygoing atmosphere, you know, easygoing energy around it. And I mean, her thought is like if she's tired, she'll go to sleep. If she's not, she'll be working. So it's just like the whole day. She doesn't have the whole thing of like, oh, my God, I have to get this all finished by 11. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:50 Highlight the passage at 1:17:50

1:18:06 You know, she's just kind of like, well, whatever. And if I have to work all night, then I'll work. If I fall asleep, I'll just go to sleep. She's just got this really, it's just attitude, she said. I remember one time coming back, I remember she was teaching that time that she was driving at 150 miles an hour on Route 17. And she was just like, it's just a state of mind whether or not you can have enough sleep or not. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:06 Highlight the passage at 1:18:06

1:18:29 She was very relaxed about it, you know. So the more you give time, the more time you'll actually have. I actually find that one quite useful, but often we don't have that kind of time in everyday life, so doing that in retreat is quite useful. But if you sit down and you honestly can't think of anything you've done wrong in the last whatever, then you might start looking at problems that you have in your life and what might be the karmic causes for it. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:29 Highlight the passage at 1:18:29

1:18:55 I think it's a very interesting exercise. But B, don't look at every problem because you just get overwhelmed. Just focus on a couple of key ones and work on those for a while. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:55 Highlight the passage at 1:18:55

1:19:06 And then, you know, see, then check back again, like a year later and see if you see any changes, especially if you've kept up some practice. See if something's changed. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:06 Highlight the passage at 1:19:06

1:19:20 I think, so then, I wanted to get into Vajrasapha practice. So Vajrasapha practice is actually, they say, the fastest and the strongest of all the purification practices. Um... Report an error in the passage at 1:19:20 Highlight the passage at 1:19:20

1:19:37 That you can do, and it has to do with the power of the mantra. And I know when I was doing the three-month Friendship Selfie retreat, I was kind of freaked out because it was my first, actually it was my first retreat. Like I said, I jumped in at the deep end. I think I had done like a two-day one or something before. Sorry? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:37 Highlight the passage at 1:19:37

1:20:00 Do you want to MS. Sorry? Do you Oh, that's true. Yeah, I guess you could count Copan. Yeah, this one I'm thinking more of like the total silence. Well, actually it wasn't total silence, though, this particular group retreat I did, and it was a group retreat. But yeah, that's true, Copan. I had done Copan. I had done two Copans. No, I had done one Copan. The second one came right after. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:00 Highlight the passage at 1:20:00

1:20:25 I had done one Copan and a two-day Tara retreat. But I remember being a little freaked out about just trying to visualize. For that long, I mean, really, when you think about it, you're in four sessions at least. And, you know, those of us who panicked about the mantra, we're doing these extra sessions, of course, increasing our lung by the hour. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:25 Highlight the passage at 1:20:25

1:20:44 We'll talk about lung tonight, too. But they say that there is so much power in the mantra that it's just kind of like I remember this one monk coming and just saying, just relax. He would say, you set it all up. And then you just know that Raja Sapa is there. And then you see what arises in your mind, like the negative actions that you've done will just arise in your mind and that's what you purify. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:44 Highlight the passage at 1:20:44

1:21:12 It's just this totally relaxed view. I was, of course, trying to manufacture everything I had ever done wrong, you know, in my typical fashion. And his attitude, of course, the Lama Yeshe student, he was very relaxed and he was just like, there's so much power to this mantra. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:12 Highlight the passage at 1:21:12

1:21:28 There's so many blessings to this practice. Just let it do its stuff. It'll purify your mind, which is a completely different attitude about it. Lama Yeshe actually encouraged his students to do this practice early, and Lama Zopa really recommends it. In fact, he gives... Did he give Asha Safa the year that you were in? Yeah. He often gives that at the Kopan course, which is the Kopan one-month course is the Lamrim course, and he'll often give Asha Safa Jainong, which is permission to practice there. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:28 Highlight the passage at 1:21:28

1:22:04 Wow, yeah, yeah. Did I do it within a year? I don't think I did. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:04 Highlight the passage at 1:22:04

1:22:12 Yeah, yeah. I think I was close, though, because I went to 96 Kopan. That's where I took it, and then I did it in the summer of 98, so it was like a year and a half. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:12 Highlight the passage at 1:22:12

1:22:22 And I think I, like, emailed, you know, I was like, it's going to be slightly late, you know. I was always like that, you know. Finally, Kendall's just like, it's really okay. You're like one of the few who's actually doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:22 Highlight the passage at 1:22:22

1:22:35 But, yeah, Lama Tsongkhapa practice is really, really, really good and really strong. But doing it daily, Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche actually suggests that we do it as a daily practice to some amount before we go to bed at night. This is the nighttime practice, whereas the other, Report an error in the passage at 1:22:35 Highlight the passage at 1:22:35

1:22:52 Visualization of Shakyamuni Buddha that you guys have been working on. Lamrim meditation is actually, and prostrations, he actually says to do prostrations morning and night. But a lot of people will do them as a morning practice. But Vajrasapha for sure is a nighttime practice and the reason is just you've done so much negative stuff during the day, even just with your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:52 Highlight the passage at 1:22:52

1:23:19 I mean, criticizing people, whining in your mind, complaining in your mind, much less what you've done with your mouth, right? And of course what we've done with our body. So we've just done stuff all day long and this gives us a chance to like purify it and go to bed with like this sort of purification shower so that you go to bed with a clean mind and then, I mean, if you were to die in your sleep, no problem, you know? Report an error in the passage at 1:23:19 Highlight the passage at 1:23:19

1:23:47 It just gets you ready so that you don't carry it through the night and start out kind of dirty. So that kind of leads me to say a little bit about karma and a little bit about ignorance and how to think about it. Because I think during the karma class a lot of people were confessing all the negative things they've ever done to me. Because you start finding out sort of all the... Report an error in the passage at 1:23:47 Highlight the passage at 1:23:47

1:24:17 The ramifications of karma and all the Catholic background comes up in people and they're all confessing it and stuff, which is great. Actually, confession is not a bad thing. You don't have to bring it to me, though. You can actually just say it to the Buddha. But the way that it works is that, I mean, all day long our minds are, you know, they have these sort of top three. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:17 Highlight the passage at 1:24:17

1:24:42 They call the three poisonous minds the mind of attachment, the mind of aversion and the mind of ignorance. And I actually prefer, there's a translation that translates attachment, ignorantly liking things, aversion, which sounds like something I never would have, right? Aversion sounds really big. That one can also be translated as ignorantly disliking things. And then ignorance is just plain ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:42 Highlight the passage at 1:24:42

1:25:09 and when you think about what What kind of ignorance we're talking about here, we're talking about not understanding how things really exist. So understanding at least how karma works and trying to break the mental habit of constantly looking outside of ourselves for the source of all of our problems and the source of all of our happiness, that's a huge step in the right direction because we blame all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:09 Highlight the passage at 1:25:09

1:25:38 We blame others. We blame situation. It's that victim mind. And that victim mind is really, really big in this culture, but it's also just a mental habit that we've carried forth. That's why we're in a culture like this. We've created this culture, if we really believe how emptiness works. So if we don't understand that, if we keep blaming and we keep looking at things ignorantly, we're just creating the cause to have more of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:38 Highlight the passage at 1:25:38

1:26:08 in our future lives. That's what we want to clean out of our mind stream is that kind of ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:08 Highlight the passage at 1:26:08

1:26:19 We don't want to keep creating the causes of having all these problems that we're currently suffering with and we don't want to keep ourselves in this whole situation of suffering which they call cyclic existence. That's why we do Vajra Safra practice. That's like our motivator. that's... Report an error in the passage at 1:26:19 Highlight the passage at 1:26:19

1:26:42 Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas, which is also a really strong prostration practice. They say actually that even just on the physical level, just throwing your body on the floor like that is a really, really strong way of purifying. And actually they say you can actually, all the channels of your body, or all the chakras, sorry, of your body get. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:42 Highlight the passage at 1:26:42

1:27:07 stimulated when you do prostration. When I first learned about prostrations, the teacher that I learned about them from said that basically a prostration which looks so foreign to those of us who are not raised Buddhist, often people, that's what they'll have the biggest problem with, maybe that and all the incense or something, some of the images. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:07 Highlight the passage at 1:27:07

1:27:31 But the prostration can be very weird for people. This particular teacher said if we were actually to see a Buddha as a Buddha standing in front of us, we would just throw our body on the ground. And that's where prostration comes from. It's that awe of the enlightened body, speech and mind seeing that. We don't. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:31 Highlight the passage at 1:27:31

1:27:54 We see representatives, but we're trying to cultivate the mind, right, that's seeing them as actual manifestations of the Buddha's body, speech and mind. We talked about that on Tuesday night. So Report an error in the passage at 1:27:54 Highlight the passage at 1:27:54

1:28:06 Prostrations are a way of sort of helping us do that. When you're doing this particular practice, you can do prostrations in a couple different ways. Actually, when I first started doing it about a billion years ago, I'm still doing my prostrations. I was actually doing them to the 21 Taras. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:06 Highlight the passage at 1:28:06

1:28:27 Kirti Sancho Rinpoche said that I could do them. I asked him if I could do it to the 21 Taras. So that's what I did it to. And then I switched after a couple of years to the 35 Buddhas because I had heard that Lama Zopa Rinpoche really liked that particular practice. And so I wanted to learn that one. But the same is true for the 21 Taras. Each of the 35 Buddhas is representative of a different quality. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:27 Highlight the passage at 1:28:27

1:28:53 So when you're prostrating, you're actually again thinking, you represent what I want and I want that quality. And then as you go down, you can actually visualize that Buddha coming to the crown of your head, absorbing into your heart and you're actually receiving that quality. So when you stand back up again, you've got that quality. So it's that aspect is also happening. You're actually receiving that quality. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:53 Highlight the passage at 1:28:53

1:29:19 It's also, they say, a really strong counteraction to pride because you're doing all this bowing. You're doing all this bowing down of like, I don't have these qualities. I need your help. I want to attain these qualities. I don't know everything, which is pride, of course. It's like, why do I have to do this? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:19 Highlight the passage at 1:29:19

1:29:39 So they say it's actually a really good one for pride. But it also comes with this. This idea of being able to receive all the positive qualities that you need for your practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:39 Highlight the passage at 1:29:39

1:29:54 But there's this element that you are also doing them to, you're not just again, you're not just like with the heartfelt request, you're not wanting to attain these qualities so that you can be really cool. You're trying to attain these qualities so that you can get enlightened and stop suffering in other beings, right? So there's this compassionate element of like, I want to become a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:54 Highlight the passage at 1:29:54

1:30:16 I have all this garbage. I want to get rid of this garbage. I mean, this is really our attitude with Vajrasapha, too. I can't think clearly or see clearly or learn well with all this garbage, so I want to get rid of this garbage. And the reason I want to get rid of this garbage is so that I can become a Buddha and benefit others quickly. So there's this mind of compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:16 Highlight the passage at 1:30:16

1:30:38 About why you're doing this. Again, that bodhicitta motivation is really, really strong. We get into a lot in the West, I'm a horrible person because I've done this and this and this and I'm really bad. And the attitude is better now that we actually have clean windows because Senka risked her life, apparently. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:38 Highlight the passage at 1:30:38

1:31:02 The idea is to sort of think if you come in here and you see our filthy windows, you don't think, oh, that window's bad. You just think, oh, it would really help if we cleaned this window and then we can see clearly. It's that same idea. I've just got all this garbage in my mind. I need to get rid of it, but it doesn't make me bad. The mental negative states are not me any more than, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:02 Highlight the passage at 1:31:02

1:31:30 What I do is me. They're simply states of mind that are rising and falling away, and they're mental habits, and we're just getting rid of them because they aren't useful to us. In fact, they've never been useful, but we're finally realizing it. So they say, actually, that it's good to, I mean, it's really great in your lifetime to be able to make the time to do a Vajra Supper retreat, and then you get this sort of like, Report an error in the passage at 1:31:30 Highlight the passage at 1:31:30

1:31:57 What was it that Venerable Amy said? Nunez are actually also really good purification practices. I forgot to put them in there. But she said that doing a Nunez is like taking a Brillo pad to all your chakras. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:57 Highlight the passage at 1:31:57

1:32:10 Kendall said doing a Bodhisattva retreat is like taking Drano and getting rid of all the garbage and it all just goes whoosh. And then after that, it's just maintenance. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:10 Highlight the passage at 1:32:10

1:32:21 Then you've gotten rid of so much garbage that then it's just maintenance. Unless, of course, like he did for me, Rinpoche gives you more Vajrasafra to do, which he kindly did. He gave me another $40,000 after I finished the first $100,000, and I did those. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:21 Highlight the passage at 1:32:21

1:32:37 So, yeah, it does make a real shift in your mind to do one of these retreats where you can actually just do this practice, but you can also do it as a daily practice. I know one nun, actually, Sangmo, who did it as a daily practice and finished her $100,000 just doing it as a daily practice. It takes a huge amount of discipline, but it also evens out the purification, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:33:01 Three months can be a lot. You can get a lot of purification in those three months. And also I was talking about this with Eve at the beginning. Anyway, when you're doing prostrations, you don't necessarily have to do one prostration for each of the Buddhas. So if you're doing it to the 21 Taras or if you're doing it to the 35 Buddhas, you don't necessarily have to do a prostration with each Buddha's name. When Rinpoche does it, He just, he actually, you can just, you can chant as quickly as you need to, and then you can prostrate as slowly as you need to. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:01 Highlight the passage at 1:33:01

1:33:46 And so, and I actually have done that, and I kind of thought I was cheating, but it was like the only way I could do it, because I was in a hurry, which of course often we are in the West. But when you watch Rinpoche do it, actually he'll sometimes do it. His Tibetan is so incredibly fast. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:46 Highlight the passage at 1:33:46

1:34:03 The speed that he speaks at, even for people who speak Tibetan, they can't keep up with them. They can't keep up with the chants. But his prostrations are quite beautiful and elegant. So it's kind of like rubbing your stomach and patting your head, right? So it's just like you can just chant it at whatever speed you want to chant it at, and then you just prostrate at whatever speed. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:03 Highlight the passage at 1:34:03

1:34:22 You don't necessarily have to do. But then it's also hard to keep track of. If you prostrate... To each Buddha, it's easier, if you're counting them, to figure out where you are. And you can actually prostrate all through the confession once you memorize it, or if you have it taped, you can prostrate all through the confession, especially if you're trying to add them up, add up your prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:22 Highlight the passage at 1:34:22

1:34:48 Did you have a question, Lewis? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:48 Highlight the passage at 1:34:48

1:34:54 With the 35 Buddhas, the instructions say three times. You chant it three times, but you don't necessarily have to. Yeah. I think with you doing it as a preliminary practice, it is probably better to do it exactly the way that you were taught. Yeah. Were you taught, was that from the FEMT, the booklet, or was that from Geshe-la? He didn't teach me anything. He just said do it. Yeah. He just said do whatever, and if you forget everything, say Shantideva Buddha over and over again. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:54 Highlight the passage at 1:34:54

1:35:26 This is kind of like as a daily practice. This is like more as a daily practice that if you're in a hurry and you don't want to not do it. Then at least you're doing it. You know what I mean? So you're like throwing yourself down. It's better than not doing it at all and thinking, oh, I can't do it because I don't have X amount of time to do it. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:26 Highlight the passage at 1:35:26

1:35:43 But I do have five minutes so I can just, you know, so this is like a way to include it. So you can rip through the chant three times. So you can rip through it, yeah. But you can maybe do only, because I have a bad shoulder right now. So you gave me an alternative, but I haven't been able to prostrate in weeks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:43 Highlight the passage at 1:35:43

1:36:01 Because this is not good. Yeah, yeah. Well, I had to do that. Remember when I hurt my knee and blah, blah, blah. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:01 Highlight the passage at 1:36:01

1:36:09 We so rejoice, Lewis. That's so cool. I'm just so full of rejoicing. So you can just prostrate any number of times but say the chant three times. Yeah, I would say you are doing it as a preliminary practice, right? You probably want to be a little bit more strict. When I'm saying this, I'm saying it more as a daily, as just a daily practice. Because he really gave it to you to do 100,000, right? No. Oh, he didn't. Okay, so he just gave it to you as a daily practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:09 Highlight the passage at 1:36:09

1:36:37 Okay. Then, yeah, you can do it. You can do it that way. I remember Shae does it that way. Yeah. Yeah. If you're keeping count, it's actually easier to do one per because then you know how many you've done, you know. What I have done at times, too, is just figure out, like, one time I'll count it all. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:37 Highlight the passage at 1:36:37

1:36:57 And then I'll just average it out that I do the same amount each time and round down so I don't count any extra. So I'll figure out from start to finish, doing all the praises at whatever speed I want to say them and the confession at whatever speed and prostrating the whole time, how many will I do? Report an error in the passage at 1:36:57 Highlight the passage at 1:36:57

1:37:15 And then I'll round down and then I'll just do that every day, figure out that. So that's another way too. Sometimes people have a little counter and I've never been able to. I think Peter had a question actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:15 Highlight the passage at 1:37:15

1:37:31 So if you're doing 100,000 Vajrasattva as a practice, is it always the long Vajrasattva or can you do it with a shorter Vajrasattva? You can do it as a day. If you're doing it, the best is long, 21 versions of the long, which even if we don't have time to do it tonight, we're running out of time, but I at least want to chant it so that people who haven't ever heard it before. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:31 Highlight the passage at 1:37:31

1:37:57 Actually, who hasn't ever heard the Vajrasattva mantra before? Eve and Ricardo and Gustavo. Okay, yeah, let's try to do a little bit then. And then you guys can play with it, but that way you'll kind of know the little tune. Those little tunes are helpful. But you can do, if you don't have time to do the long one, 28 of the short one, they say is really good. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:57 Highlight the passage at 1:37:57

1:38:21 So that's why in class when I realized that I had done something stupid. Just do it. Like the minute you realize you've done something, that's one that you can just do any time and any place. Like there's no, it's almost like no excuse not to purify because that one's so short, you can do that one. So sometimes actually, like I think I told you in maybe the karma class, if you're trying to get rid of some annoying habit that you do all the time, like one time I realized early when I first became, actually no, when I first became a Buddhist, a Buddhist actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:21 Highlight the passage at 1:38:21

1:38:54 I realized that I swore too much. I didn't like the fact that I swore. And so I decided to apply the short Vajra Safa mantra every time I swore. I told you the story, right? And I was vacuuming and I just kept like doing like I hit my foot or something and I kept swearing. And so then I had to stop and do the Vajra Safa. And finally it was just like it was I mean, I just started laughing because I'm like sitting in the middle of the room. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:54 Highlight the passage at 1:38:54

1:39:14 All right, let me just do like five sets of the short Vajra Safa. But it is a really good way to kind of clean up a habit like that. The short Vajja Safa, but you can do the short Vajja Safa if that's all you have time for. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:14 Highlight the passage at 1:39:14

1:39:30 Preliminary, you have to do the long one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. As a preliminary practice, you have more constraints, yeah, because you want to do it perfectly, as perfectly as you can. Yeah, to do the 100,000, you absolutely have to do the long mantra, yeah, but not as a sing-songy thing. I had one woman in our retreat who thought she had to be doing... Report an error in the passage at 1:39:30 Highlight the passage at 1:39:30

1:39:51 doing Vajra Sapa Samayamane Pala. She couldn't figure out how anybody could possibly finish 100,000 in three months, you know. We're like, Fiona, like he just, you know. She managed to finish, too. And she didn't figure that out until way past halfway. I don't know how she did it, actually. She really booked once she started doing it right. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:51 Highlight the passage at 1:39:51

1:40:16 She was probably so relaxed, actually. Like, the rest of us were like totally, like, she's just like. And she was actually the best natured in the whole thing. She was giggling all the time. Maybe there's something to be said for that. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:16 Highlight the passage at 1:40:16

1:40:33 No, you do. More than that, you do. They say it's like with any retreat, you kind of do like a sesame seed. So you do less at the beginning and the end, and then you do more in the middle. So you have a really intense period in the middle where you're doing a lot. And so I don't know. I'd have to look at my... Report an error in the passage at 1:40:33 Highlight the passage at 1:40:33

1:40:51 Yeah, I'd have to look. And of course it depends on the person. I always have had a problem with mantras. I just trip over them. And the more I do, the more my mouth refuses to cooperate. And then at the end, do you do that with Vajrasapha? Do you have a wisdom showering mantra? I don't think you do with Vajrasapha. With a lot of deity retreats, you do 100,000 or 400,000 or whatever it is that you're doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:51 Highlight the passage at 1:40:51

1:41:14 And then at the end, they totally trip you up by changing the mantra slightly for another. 10,000. So your mouth is so trained and you've got the rhythm down, then you're... So it takes like the next, you know, the final few days of your retreat to learn the new mantra. But I don't think you do that for Rajasapha, actually. I don't think you have a wisdom showering, actually. You might, actually, though. Actually, you might. I can't remember. But yeah, so you do... Report an error in the passage at 1:41:14 Highlight the passage at 1:41:14

1:41:42 You do shorter sessions at the beginning and the end, you know, more like longer in the morning and then shorter in the middle and the end of the day. And you do a longer because of your dedications. But then in the middle of retreat, you're doing easily two to two and a half hour sessions for every session. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:42 Highlight the passage at 1:41:42

1:42:03 And sometimes an extra one after lunch if you're like me and you feel like you're falling behind, you know. So you're just, you're doing sessions. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:03 Highlight the passage at 1:42:03

1:42:12 10 to 12 hours a day. You're on your cushion visualizing and reciting 10 to 12 hours a day. It's pretty intense. And that's not including, of course, any other practices that you do or your frustrations or whatever else you're doing. So it can be pretty intensive. But that's, of course, how you get all that great purification. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:12 Highlight the passage at 1:42:12

1:42:37 So I did want to mention there are nine preliminary practices. In all the lineages of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there are what are called preliminary practices which help us purify and accumulate merit so that we can do more advanced practices, especially once we're ready to enter Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:37 Highlight the passage at 1:42:37

1:43:04 If we try to do that too soon, then it won't work. It's just they say that our minds, we won't become, Geshe-la is often teaching about how you become a proper vessel for Tantra and how you become a proper vessel for the higher teachings. And one of the ways that we do that are these preliminary practices. But they're slightly different in each of the lineages, the way that they approach them. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:04 Highlight the passage at 1:43:04

1:43:29 In the Galuk tradition, we have nine. Traditionally you do 100,000 of each. Lama Zopa Rinpoche does them slightly different based on your mind. He actually looks at you and he gives you different amounts of these things. So he might give, like he did with that wine guy, 1.2 million prostrations and he might not give you anything else. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:29 Highlight the passage at 1:43:29

1:43:55 Or like he did with me with one of them, he gave me 8,000 of the refuge practices. But then I ended up, I don't think I got, I did get 140,000 of the, I mean like weird amounts, 140,000 of Vajra Zappa. I got 200,000 of the mandala, but I think it's because I went to both Kirti Tsongkhapa Rinpoche and Lama Tsongkhapa Rinpoche. Actually no, I think I got 200 from. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:55 Highlight the passage at 1:43:55

1:44:23 Security Center Rinpoche and 100 from Lama's Open Rinpoche, so I actually have 300. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:23 Highlight the passage at 1:44:23

1:44:30 Oh yeah, yeah, see, and that's not even one of the traditional ones, yeah. Yeah, so you might also, I got heart sūtra, I got 300,000 heart sūtra in meditation and it's not like you're just reciting it, you're meditating on it. You have to stop. Did you get some too? I see the worried look in your face. You know, the people I hear most of the time who get that one are nuns. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:30 Highlight the passage at 1:44:30

1:44:54 It's very interesting. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:54 Highlight the passage at 1:44:54

1:44:59 Oh, really? Interesting. I haven't even heard that one. That's a new one. See? That's the way it is with Heart Sūtra. Each line forms as emptiness. And you meditate until you gain some insight. Then you continue reciting. Then you start another recitation. So I added it up and just was sort of, all things considered, it ended up being like a three-year retreat. So I just figured it was skillful means to get me into a three-year retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:59 Highlight the passage at 1:44:59

1:45:25 So the nine practices in our tradition are Vajrasattva, refuge as a practice, which actually we'll talk about on Tuesday night, as a preliminary practice, which is slightly different than, you know, like, it's not like you're just doing the refuge prayer. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:25 Highlight the passage at 1:45:25

1:45:44 Mandala, offering mandala, guru yoga mantra, water bowls, satsas, doji kajra fire pujas, which I didn't actually end up getting any. I really love that one too. They're really cool actually. I have a little kit if you want to. Doji kajra fire puja is that one? Report an error in the passage at 1:45:44 Highlight the passage at 1:45:44

1:46:16 Sorry? I've got a book too if you'd like to look at it. It's just a thin one. If you'd like to look at it, it's the one, I think it is Rinpoche's commentary on it. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:16 Highlight the passage at 1:46:16

1:46:31 And it's called Damsik Dorje, Samayavaja, which is especially purifying your Samaya with your guru. That's the one we do every morning, Samayavaja practice in the Guru Puja. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:31 Highlight the passage at 1:46:31

1:46:46 I didn't get any of that one either. But of course, sometimes with Lama Zopa you get like a batch and you work on it for a while and you think you've done it and then it gives you more. So you can't really think you're going to get away with it until you're actually in your deathbed. And even then it might be next life. All of them purify and accumulate merit, but some of them do more of each like we talked about. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:46 Highlight the passage at 1:46:46

1:47:14 The important thing about doing them first, working on them, and also, of course, spending time trying to understand and study the lamrim, is that it does purify our minds and accumulate merit so that we can do these higher practices. And actually, they say that one of the worst things is if we aren't proper vessels at the time that we enter tantra, especially entering tantra, they say this, that we can actually, the worst thing that could happen is that nothing would happen. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:14 Highlight the passage at 1:47:14

1:47:43 And then we'd lose our faith and then we think it doesn't work. And that's actually worse than, you know, all the sort of scare stories that they say about, you know, going to Vajra Hel and everything. Because if we don't have any faith in Vajra Hel, then that doesn't do much for us. But if we work really, really hard and get no results, then we'll just, we could toss the whole thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:43 Highlight the passage at 1:47:43

1:48:05 And that could just create this enormous aversion in our mind. So they say, you know. To go very slowly, you know, to do your preliminary practices, to do these practices to purify and accumulate merit and to study the lamrim and have a really good foundation before you make that stuff. Peter, did you have a question? Report an error in the passage at 1:48:05 Highlight the passage at 1:48:05

1:48:28 I put that as a preliminary practice, actually. Yeah, I mean, some of the stuff like Drokhar and I were saying is, you know, it's not like traditional practice, like my 300,000. Or whatever I got, heart sutras. But I'm counting it as a preliminary practice. There are practices that he gave me to do to purify my mind and accumulate merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:28 Highlight the passage at 1:48:28

1:48:54 So I'm doing them in that same spirit. They just are Rinpoche's version and that's Geshe-la's version of what's going to work for your mind. What your mind needs to purify and become a proper vessel. When you say preliminary, preliminary to what? Basically it's entering tantra, but I think it's any higher practices. I think it's any higher study of emptiness as well. Wait, wait, talking stick. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:54 Highlight the passage at 1:48:54

1:49:27 After the fire puja, what are the other two preliminary practices? Shall I repeat them to you? No, I think I got them. I can read them through. Bhajrasattva, refuge, mandala, guru yoga, mantra, water bowls, satsas. Fire Puja, Dorje Khadja Fire Puja, Samaya Vaja or Damsig Dorje. I hadn't heard Damsik Dorje. Damsik Dorje is the Tibetan of Samayavaja. So that's the last one. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:27 Highlight the passage at 1:49:27

1:50:02 That is the last one. Oh, really? Oh, I'm missing one then. I probably just didn't. Okay, I'll see what's missing. What is missing? Does anybody? Prostrations. No, that's first. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:02 Highlight the passage at 1:50:02

1:50:18 Oh, okay. No, it's prostrations. Prostrations to whoever. And actually if you're doing the preliminary practice of prostrations, I remember when I was doing them and I was actually doing them to the 21 Taurus but I did a nunye, I could count them because they said you're doing them to a form of the Buddha so it didn't really matter. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:18 Highlight the passage at 1:50:18

1:50:41 Like that could count as my prostrations of that day. So it should be prostrations, Vajrasapha, refuge, mandala, guru yoga, water bowls. tzatzas, fire puja, and samayavaja. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:41 Highlight the passage at 1:50:41

1:51:04 So I think I mentioned the practice requirements for DB and the reason why. Actually they say, for Discovering Buddhism, they actually say that they created the Discovering Buddhism program and they actually, if you do Discovering Buddhism The full program and you're actually doing all the required readings and assignments and all that sort of stuff and including that 14th module. It's like the room down the hall, number 14. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:04 Highlight the passage at 1:51:04

1:51:41 They actually, they can't really guarantee you, but the goal is to have you complete this program at a certain level of spiritual attainment, which is much different than taking it thinking it's this intellectual exercise. That's not the point. The point is to give you the tools. And the understanding to be able to then go out and basically have, you're actually already at this strong level of practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:41 Highlight the passage at 1:51:41

1:52:08 Your daily level of practice is strong. You have an understanding that allows you to attend other teachings and understand what's going on. But you've also gotten this taste. You know, this taste of integrating the teachings of the Buddha with your daily life and doing this kind of practices like prostrations, nunyes, which is actually one, two. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:08 Highlight the passage at 1:52:08

1:52:31 I forgot how many nunyes. Nunyes are actually maybe one nunye. I think it might be just one nunye is one of the integration experiences that you need to do. I think the two-week retreat is an integration experience, which I got the new dates on. They shifted it slightly because His Holiness the Dalai Lama is going to be in San Francisco on the 27th and 28th. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:31 Highlight the passage at 1:52:31

1:53:08 28th and 29th of April, so they shifted the Discovering Buddhism retreat to be the 30th of April through the 15th of May next year. And I think from then on, Rajapani is going to offer a two-week Discovering Buddhism retreat every year, and I would highly recommend it. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:08 Highlight the passage at 1:53:08

1:53:28 I think that the Kopan one-month retreat might count towards that as well. So I think the idea is to give you a lamrim retreat, but I'm not sure, I'd have to check on that. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:28 Highlight the passage at 1:53:28

1:53:45 Shantideva Rinpoche is teaching here in April. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:45 Highlight the passage at 1:53:45

1:53:52 No, no, he is teaching something at Vajrapani in April, but I think it's the highest yoga tantra thing. Yeah, the Discovering Buddhism one is led by, oh maybe, yeshi children I think, yeshi. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:52 Highlight the passage at 1:53:52

1:54:10 It's like all these same names intertwined in a different way. She's a Westerner, actually. She's a former nun, and she's supposedly an amazing teacher. I haven't met her. She's Australian. Judith has highly praised her. Anyway, the point with these things is not to make us freak out. A lot of times when we go to... Report an error in the passage at 1:54:10 Highlight the passage at 1:54:10

1:54:30 Meet with Rinpoche or Geshe-la to get preliminary practices. People come out and they're all totally freaked out the way Peter was when he first came out with his practice. The way that one guy I was telling you about who got the 1.2 million was when he got his 1.2 million prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:30 Highlight the passage at 1:54:30

1:54:50 But once you actually get started, and I remember having that talk with you, Peter, and I didn't even know you that well at that point, but it was just kind of like... Just get started because it's just sort of like, it's actually almost like the fear of getting started is much worse. It's just like teaching. The fear of, you know, getting started and doing it is much, much worse than once you get started. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:50 Highlight the passage at 1:54:50

1:55:14 And once you get started and once you actually complete it. Once you complete one of your preliminaries, much less several of them, it actually feels so good. Like you've actually done this thing. It's actually you begin to realize what a precious gift it is that the teachers give us when they give us these practices. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:14 Highlight the passage at 1:55:14

1:55:29 It's not like punishment. You know, they aren't just going, oh, Peter's really annoying me. He's in here too often. I'm going to give him something to occupy his time. Or it's not like, you know, this guy's out of shape. I'm going to give him 1.2 million, you know, frustrations. There's a reason for it karmically why you particularly got this particular practice, but probably in your case it has a lot to do with remembering the suffering of others, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:55:29 Highlight the passage at 1:55:29

1:55:57 I mean, if you're concentrating on compassion, that's wanting to remove the suffering of others, so you're remembering that all beings are suffering. So, yeah, so anyway, the point is that... Report an error in the passage at 1:55:57 Highlight the passage at 1:55:57

1:56:12 Discovering Buddhism, the final module, is trying to give us a taste of doing these preliminary practices before we reach the point where we actually want to go to a teacher and receive them. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:12 Highlight the passage at 1:56:12

1:56:26 And the last thing I just wanted to mention really quick before we end, because we've run out of time, is balance in practice. Because often, you know, I mean this tradition especially... Those of us who are disciples of Lama Zopa Rinpoche or Rubina for that matter, we see how hard they push themselves. We see how hard they're, I mean, Rinpoche literally never sleeps until he just falls asleep and Rubina's right behind him. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:26 Highlight the passage at 1:56:26

1:56:54 Just, you know, I mean, he... Even when he's manifesting going to sleep, I actually think he's doing other things on the planet. He's an amazing being. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:54 Highlight the passage at 1:56:54

1:57:06 I had this conversation earlier today too. You feel like you need to be doing that too and you're just like but we aren't there yet. I mean the reality is we aren't even like a tenth there. We're trying and there's a lot of merit in trying but you also have to learn how to relax because it's the long haul. We're shooting for the long haul. His Holiness is always saying we have to have long view, we have to have big view as well as this urgency in our practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:06 Highlight the passage at 1:57:06

1:57:34 If you push really, really hard all the time, there's a possibility that you would get this imbalance of your mind and body that the Tibetans call lung, which is an imbalance. They call it a wind imbalance. It has to do with energy in your mind and body. And usually it comes from pushing, that kind of mind that's pushing, especially if you're sort of thinking, I should be doing this. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:34 Highlight the passage at 1:57:34

1:58:04 Usually the I shoulds do it. Or if you're just like trying really, really hard, especially in meditation to visualize something, like you're really pushing your mind, which is, of course, that's where I got it actually when I was doing Vajra Safa. You're just trying so hard to visualize this thing. You know, it's like that picture of Lama Yeshe, you know, when everybody, all the Westerners are just trying so hard. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:04 Highlight the passage at 1:58:04

1:58:28 Also seeing when you're visualizing and you're seeing the thing is so concrete. These beings are made of light. We keep reminding you that these beings are made of light. I'm not visualizing a solid thing, object, but often we just don't have the experience and so we're pushing our mind like that. And that can often result in this imbalance. And that actually happens in Dharma centers too, that we can get lung from just pushing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:28 Highlight the passage at 1:58:28

1:58:57 And so it's really, really important to learn how to relax, when to relax. And that it's okay to relax. And I think actually Dharma students, nuns, Dharma employees are all subject to this. And so we just have to learn that when we feel that tightness and we feel that tightness in our practice, when we start thinking I really should be home doing this, this and this. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:57 Highlight the passage at 1:58:57

1:59:27 Lama, as she said, if you get sick looking at your meditation cushion. Or you just feel sick to your stomach to even think about sitting down and doing your practice. It's a sign you need to relax. They say for Lung that it's really good to do something physical. Go take a walk. Go skiing. Go running. Just get outside. Stare at the sky is also a really good one. Staring at the sky is really good for your mind because the sky, they often... Report an error in the passage at 1:59:27 Highlight the passage at 1:59:27

1:59:56 Compare our minds to the sky, especially cloudless skies. It just relaxes that mind in that way. But some of the signs of lung are sleeplessness, shortness of breath, irritability, highly emotional, you know, where you like burst into tears quite easily, just teary a lot. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:56 Highlight the passage at 1:59:56

2:00:19 Sometimes, of course, it's symptoms of another thing, but all of those are signs that you could just be pushing too hard in some aspect of your life. Master Shantideva, actually, in the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, has a whole section on how to relax, and that it's really important for long-term practitioners, serious practitioners, to learn how to relax, when to relax, when to know that you need to relax, and when to get started again after you've relaxed. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:19 Highlight the passage at 2:00:19

2:00:45 Like, you take a break knowing that... I'm just trying to rest up. And actually you can even dedicate it. I'm going to watch this movie and I'm going to dedicate it to me getting some rest so that I can then benefit others. Me going on vacation so that I can then benefit others. Because the idea is I'm still working for others. I'm just taking care of my body and mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:45 Highlight the passage at 2:00:45

2:01:09 That's really, really important because I think especially when we get all excited when we first meet the Dharma, we throw ourselves in and you can just... burn out and that doesn't help anybody it certainly doesn't help you and it won't you won't be able to to benefit others if you just burn yourself out so that one's I think a really really important thing when we're talking about doing all these practices especially these numbers 100,000 400,000 500,000 1.2 million um 10 yeah um so So, yeah, it's really, really important to know when to push and when not. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:09 Highlight the passage at 2:01:09

2:01:49 So that's that. So why don't we end with just singing the Vajrasapha Mantra so those people who have never done it before... Oh, I wanted to make an announcement too. Here you go. Actually, Ricardo, could you hand these out? And those of you that... Actually, we do have enough. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:49 Highlight the passage at 2:01:49

2:02:11 I think you guys already have a picture. Yeah, so some people probably won't need the picture. So just ask. It's just that line drawing that we did on that, I think on the day, or practice day I think is the one. Anyway, whatever. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:11 Highlight the passage at 2:02:11

2:02:29 Before class next Thursday, before class tonight we were supposed to talk about self-evaluation methods, and I forgot to remind everybody. But if people would like to learn how to do self-evaluation of your checking up on how you're doing throughout the day in a couple of different ways, I am very happy to teach you. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:29 Highlight the passage at 2:02:29

2:02:56 And I can do it next Thursday at 6 o 'clock. And I'd like to invite the people from the Tuesday night class too. Those of you that are in both classes, please help me remember to mention it. I didn't mention it this week. So it's a great practice. If people would like to come, if they would like to do it, I'm happy to show it to you. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:56 Highlight the passage at 2:02:56

2:03:17 It is one of the most powerful practices that I've ever done in my career, other than becoming ordained and doing pressure separately and working for a center. But it's really, really, I mean, you start seeing results. Because you're checking your mind all the time. So you can't not see results. There's no way to not see results. And I got you guys little presents, those of you who decide to do it, because I actually got you little Val books. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:17 Highlight the passage at 2:03:17

2:03:46 So this is my material goods, skillful means lure to try to get people to come to this class. Sorry? This will be next Thursday before class at 6 o 'clock. I'm going to teach you self-evaluation methods, ways to look throughout the day at how you're doing with, say, your precepts, your lay vows or your refuge precepts, or just taking the ten virtues and ten non-virtues. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:46 Highlight the passage at 2:03:46

2:04:16 You can do that. So even if you don't have vows, you can still begin looking at how well you're doing in terms of... On a daily basis, throughout the day, what's my mind doing? Also measuring Klesha attacks. And measuring growth, you know, like if you know you want to be more generous, how often am I generous throughout the day? Report an error in the passage at 2:04:16 Highlight the passage at 2:04:16

2:04:38 You start setting little goals, I'm going to be, then you start, it becomes really playful, it's like I'm going to, you know, I'm going to be. Really generous tomorrow three times. And then you're just like, you have to do that. So you start coming up with ways to like give this person a cup of coffee, you know, give this person five dollars. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:38 Highlight the passage at 2:04:38

2:04:54 You're just like trying to expand who you are. And this is like a really, really simple practice to do that. So you can do it in whatever way you want. You want to catch the bad stuff. You want to encourage the good stuff. And you do it throughout the day. So it's a fun practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:54 Highlight the passage at 2:04:54

2:05:12 So that's next Thursday, 6 o 'clock. Next week is our last two classes. Believe it or not, we're at the end already. I know. Six weeks is fast. Next week is done, yeah. So that's our last time, and then we have our practice day on the 4th. So why don't we just do a really simple visualization. So you just kind of let your mind come to neutral and just imagine. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:12 Highlight the passage at 2:05:12

2:05:42 Vajrasapha in front of you. There's a tanka above Peter's head, which you guys can look at on your way out, but that's solitary Vajrasapha, which is what we're doing for this one. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:42 Highlight the passage at 2:05:42

2:05:56 The main thing is that he's made of this brilliant white light. He's just completely made of white light. And the other important thing is that he's totally happy with you for doing this practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:56 Highlight the passage at 2:05:56

2:06:10 So when you're doing this practice during the week, you're going to take time to go through the four opponent powers and bring up something that you regret. Tonight we're just going to let you practice the mantra. Because it's a long mantra and it's a tongue tire. Tongue tire? Report an error in the passage at 2:06:10 Highlight the passage at 2:06:10

2:06:32 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you just say it with confidence and go. That's actually the rule for Tibetan Buddhism, period. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:32 Highlight the passage at 2:06:32

2:06:41 So imagine that as you're chanting this to the best of your ability, and to the best of your ability you're imagining this as well, because if you're just learning the mantra, then you're actually mostly concentrating on the mantra. And just imagine just like a bright white light and somehow shooting into you, because that's about as far as you'll get. But if you have any part of your mind left, then just imagine him. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:41 Highlight the passage at 2:06:41

2:07:10 Cleansing you with this almost like shower of this white, brilliant white light and nectar and that this is what's cleansing your mind stream. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:10 Highlight the passage at 2:07:10

2:07:18 Om Vajra Safa Samaya Manapalaya Vajra Safa Denupatita Jidu Mebhava Sutta Kaya Mebhava Sutta Kaya Mebhava Sutta Kaya Mebhava Anurakta Mebhava Sarva Siddhi Me Parayatsa Sarva Karma Sutta Me Sittam Shiram Kuru Hum Ha Ha Ha Ha Ho Bhagawan Sarva Tata Gata Vajram with Mooji Om Vajrasapha Samaya Manapalaya Vajrasapha Denapatita Dhiru me bhava, suttuk kayo me bhava, supuk kayo me bhava, anurakti me bhava, sarva siddhi me parayatsa sarva karma sutsa me, sitam shiram kuru hum, ha ha ha ha ho, bhagavan, sarva tatha gatha vajramame, mutsa vajra bhava, maha samaya sapa ahum. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:18 Highlight the passage at 2:07:18

2:08:33 Vajrasapha Samaya Manupalaya Vajrasapha Denupatita Kino me bhava Suto kayo me bhava Suto kayo me bhava Suto kayo me bhava Suto kayo me bhava -ha-ha-ho Bhagawan Saruwa-tata-gata-vajra-mame-mutsa-vajra-bhava-samme-satva-hum So that's basically the tune. And you just really try to feel as you're doing the meditation that at the end that you're completely purified. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:33 Highlight the passage at 2:08:33

2:09:24 I mean that's really important. It's really, really important to believe that. You have done it. And to rejoice. That part's a very important part of the practice. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:24 Highlight the passage at 2:09:24

2:09:42 Yeah, Gustavo. So is there a recording? Because I found some recordings on the internet, but they're like super fast. Is there, or how would I get another type of recording for it? Like a slower one? Let's just sell a CD. Do they have? Do we? That's what I'm thinking of. Oh, that's good. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:42 Highlight the passage at 2:09:42

2:10:09 No, just do the mantra part maybe. Yeah, because I looked for it too in other places, but I couldn't find it. And the ones that I found online are like... Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:09 Highlight the passage at 2:10:09

2:10:29 Yeah, when you do it with Rubina, she goes incredibly fast, actually. And actually Rinpoche, when he does mantras, he does incredibly fast, too. But when you do the Anikaran version, it's great for learning it, because then you do it for like a month, and by the end of it, you totally know it. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:29 Highlight the passage at 2:10:29

2:10:53 Who is it doing this? I don't know. It's one of your friends. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:53 Highlight the passage at 2:10:53

2:11:01 Is it Amy? it's a one. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:01 Highlight the passage at 2:11:01

2:11:02 Amy Miller? Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. And she does it. Oh, okay. Okay, yeah, yeah, that's great. Yeah, if you, I wonder, I don't know how to make copies, but. Maybe Chad. Chad, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:02 Highlight the passage at 2:11:02

2:11:33 Cool, will you guys handle that? That's cool. So this is your assignment, so just try it out, and if you, if you, the guys, the three of you that have never done it before, if you run into snags, just send me an email. Yeah, I did, I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:33 Highlight the passage at 2:11:33

2:11:51 I thought you had, yeah. Yeah, I can't remember what class it was in. Were you in the karma class? Yeah. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:51 Highlight the passage at 2:11:51

2:12:02 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:02 Highlight the passage at 2:12:02

2:12:06 Okay, cool. So let's just dedicate all the merit from this class. You know, talking about doing all these practices, the reason for doing all these practices, learning how to purify so that we can... End our suffering and end the suffering of everyone around us. And accumulate merit so we can reach this state of this bodhi mind, this mind of a Buddha, enlightened mind, as quickly as possible so that we really have the capacity to help all beings as quickly as possible. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:06 Highlight the passage at 2:12:06

2:12:40 We dedicate for all of this. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:40 Highlight the passage at 2:12:40

2:12:45 Thank you, and I'm sorry we went over tonight. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:45 Highlight the passage at 2:12:45

2:12:52 Do you guys, Lewis and Peter, did you get a copy of it? MS. Of the Vajrasapa? Yeah, I don't have it yet. MS. You don't need it? Okay, good. Because I was going to say I still have the original, and that was the one you guys were supposed to have. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:52 Highlight the passage at 2:12:52

2:13:14 what's the matter? It's not about prices. Oh. Report an error in the passage at 2:13:14 Highlight the passage at 2:13:14