Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 101-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab explores the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation by Geshe Langri Tangpa, framing Buddhist practice as psychology rather than religion. He opens with the foundational metaphor of mind as a diamond buried in mud—luminous by nature but obscured by the three poisons, jealousy, and other mental afflictions. Through verses four and five, he teaches how to encounter difficult people and hostile situations as rare opportunities for practice: holding suffering beings as precious treasures and responding to abuse or envy by accepting defeat and offering victory to others. He anchors these teachings in vivid personal stories, including a painful encounter with a homeless woman in New York and his detention at Miami airport after 9/11, showing how applying Śāntideva’s verse—if there is remedy for trouble what reason for despair; if no remedy what use in being sad—transformed crisis into spiritual practice. Throughout, Geshe Kyab emphasizes that mind training is the solution to all suffering, achievable through daily committed practice, mindfulness, and a shift from external reaction to internal transformation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation 2016 11 03.mp3
UUID: 47185205-55b5-4875-a961-eefa4b3e2ea7
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Eight Verses Thought (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-11-03
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 101.1 minutes
Words: ~12,180
Good evening, everyone. Good evening, sir. Please look at the page thirty four on the gold book. Gold color book. Yes.
I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha Dharma Supreme Assembly. By the practice of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings. English. May all sentient beings have happiness in the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering in the causes of suffering.
May all sentient beings be inseparable from the happiness that is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for friends hatred for enemies. Seven Limb prayer. English. Briefly I prostrate with my body, speech and mind.
Every type of offering actually emerges. I declare all my negative actions accumulated since the beginningless time. Rejoice in the merit, all holy and ordinary beings. Please remain until the end of cyclic existence. Implore to turn the wheel of dharma, all living beings.
I dedicate my own merits to those who pursue enlightenment. Short mandala offering. This ground is perfumed with scented water and strewn with flowers, adorned with Mount Meru, the four continents, the sun and moon, imagine this is for the pure land and offer it. May all sentient beings enjoy this pure land. There is a mantra in this page.
Thank you. So this class is the eight verses for Training the Mind by Geshe Langri Tangpa. So book that I’m using is the Geshe Sonam Rinchen.
This commentary. Anyway, Langri Thangpa Dorje Sengge, And you have this textbook translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. So you have a text. So the I will going to read it from my text. I think this one.
So only eight verses. But point is this particular teaching is mind training. In Buddhism, mind training, disciplining one’s mind, giving some discipline to discipline one’s mind, to organizing something, which is very important. Because in Buddhism, do believe the mind is the more, you know, more more more mind is the really the powerful, and mind is the source of all happiness. There’s nothing else.
Happiness is not out there. Happiness is within the one’s mind. So if you want to achieve happiness, so you need to train your mind. So that’s all about these teachings. When I say training the mind or mind training, although in Buddhist perspective, nature of our mind is luminosity.
Luminosity, it is bright, it’s beautiful, eventually we can able to achieve Buddhahood. This mind do have a potential to achieve enlightenment, which we call Buddha-nature. But then the nature of the mind is beautiful. Really, you don’t need to do anything. It’s the Buddha-nature.
But then this nature of the mind is almost like if I give you one analogy. Let’s say, just picture it, the diamond that the diamond itself is very clean. The nature of the diamond is very clean, and it’s a very shiny and a bright. But if that diamond, you know, if you drop into the ocean, then then, you know, staying there for a long, long, long time, and somebody finds that diamond. When you get that diamond, diamond wasn’t the same as before.
There are so many stains, so many dirtiness surrounding that diamond, because of the stains from the water or stains from anything under the water. But the diamond look like a small rock. But then now, what you need to do, you need to clean that diamond, yes, Day by day. When you clean, clean, clean, you need to polish. Then one day, you can see the nature of diamond, exactly the what it was, the past time.
You can see that shiny, beautiful diamond. I’m just giving an example. I don’t know if diamond gets stains or not, just an example, you know. But I never saw a diamond. You know.
Maybe sometimes ladies are wearing here. I don’t that’s maybe diamond. I don’t know. Anyway, just an analogy example. Same as like all nature of our mind is very much like a diamond.
It’s very shiny, brightful, very rich, beautiful. But then all defilements or delusions, three poisons, four poisons, like a desire attachment, aversion, or ignorance, and conceit, or a jealousy, this and that. You just name it. There are so many mental afflictions. So all these mental afflictions consider as a stain on the diamond.
Okay? Like this, all these afflictions stick with our mind like this, cover it. But then now you need to polish the diamond. Similar like all these teachings, all these antidotes that, you know, the Buddhist teaches, different different teachings. Once you understand the teachings, then you need to day by day, that mean the practice mean you are actually polishing one’s mind like this, you know, same as like a diamond that you polished.
Then then one day, the nature of the mind will be fully appears without any stains, without any dirtiness or any mental afflictions. So that means then that mind is fully purified, like fully bloomed lotus. So that means now you achieve nirvana or enlightenment. That’s called nature of the mind is the luminosity. But it doesn’t mean that we achieve now, not yet.
So we do have this potential to attain enlightenment because of this nature of the mind itself is luminosity. It means that. So that’s why the mind training teachings are very, very important. Okay? Mind training teachings, the solutions that the, you know, it can be able to solve all problems after understanding.
So this is the point. Did say this before. Buddhism is not only just a religion. Buddhism is also a psychology mean that. See?
Psychology. Because people go to a psychologist, then the psychologist will give you some ideas from the psychology. So when you follow the instructions from the psychologist, then then the that psychology would help you to fix the problems. That’s all. Some maybe the you you call psychiatrists or something.
They give you some medicines also. But generally speaking, psychologist, they don’t give you medicines. Mainly, talk to you. So here is the Buddhist teachings or the psychology. Consider Geshe-la as a psychologist, Buddhist psychologist.
If you listen this way, then it’s good for you. Otherwise, if you’re listening teachings or like a religion perspective, you know, sometimes some people say, oh, I’m not sure. I’m not so comfortable. So many statues, thankas, or this monk is sitting on their throne wearing monk dress. Forget it.
These are the my custom as a Buddhist. We do prostration, sitting, teacher sits on their throne and give teachings. These are the custom. It’s not important for you if you are not Buddhist. Forget it.
Just concentrate the I am going to psychologist. You know? This monk is giving and the teachings like a Buddhist psychology, which is I I want it. It’s important for me. You consider yourself as do have some psychological problems, which is we all do one way or another, different different cycle, you know, psychology problems.
Point is the if you listen Buddhist teachings that way, if you are not Buddhist, then it’s much better. Okay? You no need to do prostration. You no need the same mantras. If you don’t want it, if you are not interested, that’s fine.
For me, no problem. If you’re interested, just do it. It’s it’s, you know, your own interest. So you see, but this one is the totally the mind training. It’s a very, very powerful I’m not saying what Buddha says so.
No. My own experience. Remember, I am same as like you. I am a normal human being. I do have pain and suffering.
I went through many pain and suffering, but pain and suffering is until we achieve enlightenment. We all need to go through that. Some people may have more pain and suffering than others, but one way or another, we all are in pain and suffering. Okay? Buddhist monk too.
So don’t think, oh, there are monk, Geshe-la is, monk. Oh, Giselais, a bodhisattva. Giselais, no pain and suffering. Oh, come on, please. You know, I do.
Recently, I suffered a lot. I tried to apply my a OCI application in the Indian embassy. One week. Unbelievable kind of you know? See?
I went through pain and suffering. I was so unease. I was really, but not upsetness or angry. That’s a good one. But I was so unease every time when I try to apply, oh, this problem, that problem, this problem, that problem.
Finally, then, you know, one day, it’s I can able to fix it, which is good. But it took almost more than a week. See? Just recently, I went through some pain and suffering. So the point is the we all do.
This is not a big deal, You know? We live in this world such a, you know, one if you look at the one side, world is so beautiful. But if you look at the other side, world is really crazy place. It’s very dangerous. But everything is the how you project it from your side.
You know? It it depend how you project it, that. So it comes from your own mind. So that’s why if you do train the one’s one’s own mind, then you will see the world is really beautiful. So you wouldn’t see any bad things because your heart is in the right place.
Your heart is kind and beautiful and wonderful. So then now world going to be same as like that. But many times we see world is crazy place, so many problems, fearful. Look at the nowadays in United States. People are so fearful.
They think Donald Trump wins, then disaster. Not only in United States, even though foreign countries. See? Yeah. Because of the American is very powerful.
So people are fearful now. Of course, condition is the comes from the external. You know? It’s from the outside. But main thing is the your way of thinking.
That’s the main thing is inside of you here, your own mind. So so that’s why the it’s very important to understand the fact or reality, you know, what is really the world. What what really the world mean? Why we are here? Why we all came in this world?
Why? I mean, you know, what is the purpose of being human being? So all these things are very, very important to understand. So so these things are the you can able to learn from the Buddhist philosophy. It’s unbelievable.
Much as I actually, I did learn all of these teachings in the monastery many, many years ago. Even when I was I was very young, all of this, I memorized it. You know? But then now, sometimes you you forget things, you know, when you get older. But then when I go back and read it, I feel like, wow.
I’m learning something new. Although I did learn this before, each time when I read something, I can learn more new things from the Buddhist books, which is the unbelievable, because Buddhist teachings are very much connected with other Buddhist teachings, and that connected with the other Buddhist teachings. Much as you read it, much as you meditate, that much as you can learn more and more and more and more this way. You know? But then the if you just learn this text, then finish.
Oh, now I I know it versus mind training. No. Absolutely not. If you learn next time, maybe I may give you more different kind of explanations. Because just the few weeks, I cannot give you all the explanations.
If I do, then sometimes people may feel bored. So that’s why the it’s very important to repeat. Then also the, you know, each week, you may hear same text before, but this time, same you you may hear again same text, but you may hear different, you know, explanations. So this way, teacher is supposed to be able to teach. This way also the student need to learn.
Okay? The point is the so mind training is very important. So now we need to move on. And in sometimes in November, we need to do another teaching, the Seven Point Mind Training, I think. So the last week, the vigilance, all these different delusions, we did talk about it.
But today, the chapter number four, whenever I see being who are weak in nature and over overwhelmed by violent negative actions and suffering, I shall hold such a rare one’s dear as if I had found a precious treasure. This is similar as a first verse. Then the second one is the number fifth going to be the when out of envy, others mistreat me with abuse, insult, or the like I shall accept defeat and offer the victory to others. So this is the very, very powerful verses number five, giving victory to others. When out of envy, other others mistreat me with abuse, insult, or the like, I shall accept defeat and offer the victory to others, which is very, very difficult for normal people, but that’s a very, very powerful practice.
Unbelievable. Giving victory to others instead just arguing with that, you know, nasty people. You know? Sometimes things like this happens. But when this two is the now this verses number four that I just read it, is called treasure trove.
Treasure trove versus number four is something like that. And fifth going to be the offering the victory. You can do this offering. Usually, we do different different offerings, bowl offering, flower, food, volunteer things. But this one is now you are offering the victory to others.
So now this first one is the whenever I see beings who are weak in nature and overwhelmed by violent negative actions and suffering, I shall hold such rare ones dear as if I had found a precious treasure. That’s example, you know, like a a first versus we did that. Main thing is the we should not be giving up when you meet some very much unfortunate people or the animals, especially at this point is the people, human beings. Let’s say, they sometimes from your kind heart, out of your kind heart, you try to go somewhere to help people, let’s say sick people. Just an example.
And you cook for them something, you know, to eat. You cook and you bring this food to these sick people, but that sick people is already sick and his or her mind is not there. And when they try to eat it, and sometimes they dislike it, and sometimes they may say food is not good. They may show you some kind of a disrespect, you know, on the attitude. You know?
So normal, when people does some such a thing like that, you may get upset. Oh, I have been so kind for him, but this person is totally nuts. I mean, you know, normally, we react something like this. But now this one is saying, no. No.
Yeah. Because this one is saying, now time to practice. You know? Because of the you are wasting something. You already raised motivation, kind motivation.
You cook something for these sick people, and we you went there, you give this food to the sick person. At some point, this sick person is so much suffering, already suffering. Now sick, then now it’s too much, you know, overwhelmed kind of suffering. Then now even though your food supposed to be the normal perspective, supposed to be thanking you, but instead thanking you, also they’re blaming you why such a, you know, not tasty kind of a food and just, you know, throwing the bowls outside, breaking the bowls. Sometimes people do that.
But when things like that happen, saying, think about this person is really, really suffering now. Even though he wasn’t seeing the your goodness. Otherwise, why you need to cook and bring to this person? Why? You have no any connection, totally stranger, but you cook this food because of the you have this good heart.
You know? Out of your good heartness, you cook and you brought this to the sick people, but that person didn’t realize that, instead yelling you. But now this is the point this is the one example. Another example is that sometimes when you try to help people out of your kindness I did say this before. Remember New York?
First time in two thousand, I was in very new in United States, and I was out coming just out from the the the this big government hospital. I I was there with my friend to help him to translate his he has some problems. He had some problems. We finished, and we are coming out from the big big hospital in Manhattan in New York, blue blue bird or something. Then we were walking towards the bus, yeah, bus station, and there’s one old lady in front of me.
After after, I think somebody told me, she just looked like a little homeless, I think. Very old, carrying huge two small luggages. I don’t know what is inside. It looked like not so good things, you know. And I feel so sorry.
I mean, this such a old lady. India, when you even though there are many older people, there are many people help. But this woman was everybody goes their own way. Nobody is helping her. I feel very sad, but I was new.
Then I tried to help her. My friend told me, oh, no. No. No. Don’t go.
This is not India. This is United States. I said, what do you mean? Here, people don’t like that. Are you crazy?
What do you mean don’t like? I just need help. Look at this. By the way, when we are near the bus station, bus camp, now she tried to go inside the bus. She couldn’t, you know, carry on her two bags.
When she put these two in the back, she couldn’t but there are some problems. I just watched. And finally, I jumped. I just said, ma’am, you can go inside the bus. I will give you these two things.
She just, you know, came down from the bus. She said, get out from here. You’re stealing my things. She was screaming. Just on my face like this, I was totally numb.
Wow. I mean, no. I’m monk. I’m Buddhist monk. I know need your things.
I want to help you. You know, I know need I know need your help. She she need help. I know. I know need your help.
Like that. Very angry. But this granddaughter told, this is Buddhist monk. They don’t steal. They try to help you.
Because in New York, many people knows Buddhist monk because Dalai Lama visiting all the time. You know? This monk know need your things, but still she wasn’t. You know? Anyway, finally, she need my help.
But she just look at me like a very wow. I I and for me, I’m I was totally numb. There’s no feelings, pleasure or unpleasure. Just like a neutral feelings. It’s totally I I was thinking, wow.
Then my mind say my mind saying, oh, she must be gone through some issues in the past. People may rob her. People may harm her. So but she was suffering. For instance, I’m just giving you this kind of example.
Of course, you cannot avoid. I mean I mean, even though she was so screaming, but think about why she did it. Why she did it? Because her living environment may be not so good. You know?
Maybe she went through so much pain and suffering. Maybe past people, some people may take advantage because she is too old. It’s understandable if you look at it if you think about that way. But since then, I was very much vigilant when I see something not to help. And another thing is the big problem in United States.
When you drive, even though they teach you, when you see some animals from under the you, just go. Kill it. Strange, isn’t it? So this is the dead tissue. It I’m I’m not kidding you.
Because when you stop, another car may hit like this, you know, one car after a car like this. But I never did. When I see some animals, I just look at the mirror backside, no car. I just go try to help. I did it.
I mean, you know, don’t care. Many of the my student also did it. Some student got some accidents also. But then if you get accident, you are guilty even though you are helping animals. It’s very strange system there sometimes.
And, anyway, point is the are many unfortunate human beings out there. But, normally, we avoid them when they even though when you try to help them. But this particular book saying, this is the time to practice now. This is the now time to think about that you are finding precious kind of a, you know, this treasure. When you find the precious treasure, how would be your reaction?
So this similar like a, you know, something like that, you need to feel it. Okay. This is the time to practice now. See, you know, because these people are really suffering. So the and and, you know, the and I must practice.
I’m as a Buddhist practitioner, I should not be give up. I shouldn’t be give up. I must hold them as a dear one. I must hold them as a dear, you know. Because of the order to achieve enlightenment, only I can achieve enlightenment helping other sentient beings.
This is the only way I can achieve enlightenment. So this is the one great opportunity now. I got this great opportunity to help these poor women or poor animal or anyone. See? Yes.
It is very easy to say it, but very difficult to do it. I know that. However, we can do it. I can do it. Why not you?
We can do it. You know, we need to start something like this. It’s very important. Yeah. It’s not easy.
Sometimes some people slam you, you know, on your face. It’s difficult. I know. It’s it’s not easy because we all do have this egotistic mind and prideful mind. And so because of that, it’s not easy to, you know, just to say some negative or or maybe, you know, some point, some people may punch them.
You know? It’s not easy. I know that. Some people do. Some may, you know, some may do like that.
But another thing is the revenge, which is the one of the worst thing. Revenge. You know? So that’s very, very careful if you had some issues with some, you know, people in in the past. But now when you get some opportunity, so it shouldn’t be taking advantage.
Advantage. You know? Buddhism Buddhism is absolutely not for the, you know what you say that the eyes for the what is that? Eye for the n for eye for the eye. Yeah.
I is for the n for the I is for the n eyes. Yeah. I is for the I is for the eye. Yeah. Not like that.
Then then the world going to be blinded, isn’t it? There wouldn’t be any really eyes, then everybody going to be now finished. That’s not good way to do that. You know? It’s very wonderful thing to say it, but that’s absolutely not the solutions.
You know? So if somebody is very, very hot, very, very like this, you should become kind of a water, icy water. Put it down. I think that’s the best way to do. So the all of these practice teachings, very, very difficult to do.
However, in advance, you need to read it in this book. You need to contemplate the teachings, in particular this in a verse in in advance. You must be ready when you would going to face something like that. You are ready to hit the spiritual weapon like this. You must be ready, you know.
Then then be I think you would be okay. Yes. Sometimes you may lose your mind. It’s okay. Sometimes, yes, we all do.
You know? But fix it. Immediately try to fix it. But next time, when you are facing something like this, then really try to be tolerant. So forgiveness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, which is very important.
So this particular the training the mind, we need to practice patience. Think about the those people who were so nasty on you. Think about as your best teacher. Who teacher. Think about that way.
Okay? Best teacher. And think about you’ve got such a great opportunity to practice. Think about I am Buddhist practitioner. These people are not practicing Buddhist.
I must be different than those people. If I’m not, you know, what is the worth it coming to Buddha house and listening the teachings? I must be different. So think about this way. So this is the call training the mind.
You are training, you know, like this. Then second one is the giving victory orders. That’s very important, giving victories. Before that, the I think there is a Śāntideva, great Indian master, mentioned something here. The or maybe next one is that.
Yeah. I think next one is yeah. Next one is the offering victory. Offering the victory, when someone out of in there does me wrong by insulting me and the like, might accept defeat and offer the victory to them. So this happens.
This could happen within the family sometimes, you know, within the family. Of course, you know, these things are happens from the, you know, other people, those who are not your family, but this also happens within the family. So the yes. Inve. From the out of the inve.
So people mistreat you. It’s very common. You know? Some people verbally, they abuse you. Sometimes physically, they abuse you.
So the, you know, the it it’s saying the I shall accept defeat and offer the victory to others. All okay. Now this can be sometimes people are misunderstanding, especially the physically. Someone try to harm you. I’m not talking about the let them harm, give over victory to them.
Absolutely not. This one is the it’s very important to understand. This is mainly the the verbal verbal abuse. So there are many other things. But somebody physically, you know, try to harm you, but that’s dangerous now.
You know? Really, of course, he or she already the, you know you know, the not good position, but then eventually, you could get killed or you could, you know, injure it. You know? It happens. So that point is the you must be very careful.
Try to solve this problem peacefully. Whatever you need to do, you need to do without you know, you need to solve this problem without upsetting or getting angry, or you need to get out from that position, or you need to do something to protect yourself, like a self defense. This is the real self defense, not just like a killing other people or he came to kill me, then I should gone gone to him my self defense, which is the regular people do that. But here is the self defense is something that you need to protect yourself. You don’t need to shoot or kill that person.
Just, you know, protect yourself, whatever you need to do, get out from there or maybe, you know, learn some some karate or kung fu. Yeah. Why not? I will do that, but it’s too old to learn now. You know?
Definitely to protect yourself. Why not? So that’s a kung fu is meant to be the story story about the kung fu is the actually not in happened in China. It’s in in India, I think. Many Indian, those master, you know, who meditates in high mountains, you know, when they meditate there, sometimes thief, you know, comes and try to rob them.
So that’s why they they learn some of the kung fu things to protect themselves, not to hurt odor, but they need to defense themselves. And then then then the, you know, thief leaves from the air. That’s why, you know, the the kung fu and karate actually. I think, actually, kung fu is something like that. But nowadays, all these things are the it is it’s hurting each other very much.
So, yeah, why not learn something like that? Or maybe, you know, whatever is it, but you shouldn’t be killing the people, killing that person. No. That’s not the solutions. But you need you need to protect yourself.
You need a defense, you know, self defense, which is very important. But other than that, there are many ways you can able to give victory others. Sometimes we argue very greatly talking here, dear. You know? So give them victory.
Why you’re arguing? You know? Some people, some cases, it it it’s not it’s not working. Doesn’t work. Absolutely not.
If that person is stable and maybe sometimes when you talk and argue, he or she may understand. But sometimes some people, no. Some people, they didn’t want to hear any fact or reality. They like to hear only the something is just, you know, fake thing faking thing. Something is just what you show them, sometimes like that.
They does not want to hear the reality or the fact. Unfortunately, this is the you know, nowadays like that. So only they want to hear what they want to hear. That’s only they want to hear from you, what they want to hear. Even the teachings.
I was told in United States, oh, Geshe la, you should be giving teaching this kind of or that kind of or because you want to hear something like that. Oh, you shouldn’t be teaching impermanent. You shouldn’t be teaching death or sickness or suffering. Then you know what I said? Okay.
If you want to hear teaching something that you want to hear, I said this is not the place for you. When you come here, you need to hear something I will going to tell you, what Buddha is going to tell you, that is what you need to hear. Something that you do not want to hear, you need to hear from here, then this is the right place. If you come here something that what you want to hear, you will not gonna get it from here. Maybe this is not place for you.
I mean it. It’s true. Because here is the mostly the Buddhist teachings. I don’t want to hear death and dying. Childish.
I don’t want to hear suffering things. Oh, no. Buddhism is like a prismissing. In the Buddhism, Buddhism is like that. No.
I don’t want to hear suffering. I don’t want to hear that. What do you want to hear? I want to hear nice things. And then I’m saying, sir, you already grow outsidely, but you need to grow insidely also.
You know? I try to teach sometimes. So he they want to hear only nice things. I’m saying, order to hear nice things, first, you need to hear bad things. Then you can hear the nice things.
You need to hear both things. And he was saying, oh, I like cessation of suffering. That’s beautiful. I like that. Yes.
In order to hear and practice cessation of suffering, first you need to hear what does mean suffering, how suffering arises. If you don’t listen this kind of a teachings, how can you cease the suffering? See? So that’s why the Buddha taught this noble truth of suffering first. Then second one is the Buddha taught origination of suffering, how suffering arises.
The part one is the Buddha thought, suffering can be ceased, cessation of suffering. How suffering can be ceased? Suffering be seized applying the noble truth of path. So this is the order, sir. You have to hear you cannot just discriminate teaching.
I want to hear two noble truths. I don’t want to hear first two noble truths. You cannot do that. This is not something that the school in teaching. This is the life changing one.
Inside teachings, you need to hear everything, sir. After sometimes, he got it. But many people like that, they want to hear only good things. You know? But, unfortunately, the that’s not gonna happen because of the we all are seeking to achieve ultimate happiness.
I did say this last my class, the the the Tuesday class. We are seeking ultimate happiness. If it is true, then we need to practice also ultimate one. See? But you are seeking so almost like a multimillion dollars mansion or house, let’s say, and now you are saying, I will pay you one hundred dollars.
You cannot do that. You need same amount of the money to buy that one, isn’t it? You are just bringing couple hundred dollar to looking multi million dollar mansion in a house. You cannot do that. You need both equally same one.
We are seeking ultimate happiness. We need to practice ultimate one. Then it matches. You cannot just practice hundred dollars kind of practice. You cannot do that.
You cannot buy that, you know, multi million sort of a, you know, mention. You need both equally same one. Okay? Same quality you need. So that’s why the if you are seeking ultimate happiness, then you need to practice ultimate one.
So so that’s why you need to hear everything. All the tools and techniques are so important, especially this particular kind of you know, mind training practice is called bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment, which is the most important. So this practice not only, you know, achieve your ultimate happiness, also temporarily you will be very happier. Yes. Temporarily, you will be very happier.
Other than that, we we will be happier temporarily many times, but that happiness not so last long, eventually disappears. We all went through this kind of a, you know, temporary happiness comes and goes, comes and goes, comes and goes. Temporary happiness is like a guest. They come to you. Few days, they stay stay with you, then they leave.
Again, you know, another guest may come, stay there few days, then again, leave his life. Temporary happiness is something like this. Ultimate happiness is the permanent. Then also the suffering and pain is the almost within us until you achieve ultimate happiness. Suffering and pain is the like a shadow, same as like your shadow.
Like that, unfortunately. But there would be solutions. You can separate it. If you do practice the mind training, one day you can able to cease the suffering, so then you can really achieve the ultimate happiness. Now here is the Śāntideva was saying the let’s say there are so many problems, here.
Many things fall apart in our life in one way or another. Very difficult sometimes. So many issues. Sickness. Sometimes we get sickness.
Some sickness can cure. Some sickness is very difficult to cure. When things like that happened, first thing is what people do, people panic. See, before you find the solutions, before you search the solutions that can able to solve the problems, mostly, we panic. This particular verse is saying, first of all, when things fall apart, whatever is it, any kind of things, you know, it’s small or big or whatever is it, when things fall apart, first thing is the saying, don’t panic.
Just step back. Think about it. Focus. Drink some cold water. Breathe in in and out as much as you can.
Then think, how can I solve the problem? What would be solutions? Try to search the solutions. Get help from other people. Do your own research.
When you do that, many times, almost ninety nine percent, we can solve the problems. It may take some times, but we can solve the problem. But many people, they don’t do that. Oh my gosh. Why it’s me?
What I’m going to be now? And fearful, worriedness, scared. See, this happens. Now this particular verse, things like that happened. If there is a remedy when trouble strikes, what reason is there for despondency and if there is no help for it, what use is there in being said, which is true.
If you are able to cure something, so then what you would be really that much you know, what reason there are therefore despondency, why you should be that much panicking and and and, you know, upset. Something is remedied. But then now, if you could not find any solutions, then then then what reason to be upset upsetting and getting angry because you try it, but you could you couldn’t find any solutions. But now this one is saying, you need to move on. Step up and move on.
Let go. Move on. So that part is the let go. See? Any guilt, whatever is it.
That one is very difficult for many, many people. They kept that insidely. See? It’s very foolish, but this happens. This happens, unfortunately.
So this one is saying, if there is no if there is no help for it, if there’s no cure for it, whatever is it, what use is there in there in being said? What is used now? It’s true, isn’t it? So I think if you really want to do something, memorize this verse. Memorize it.
Memorize it. I did. I did this, you know, full book, the Way of the Bodhisattva. I memorized it. I do this practice all the time.
Most the especially the I I applied this practice in two thousand and three, which is I mentioned before when I was detained in Miami International Airport when I, you know, just returned from the India to USA, there are some misunderstanding between the the my immigration problem. It was absolutely not my fault. It’s absolutely the US immigration their fault. Of course, they they won’t accept that. You know?
That’s the way. Whatever visa they give me, this is their fault, not my fault. Point is the next day, they send me back to India. They detained me on that day, and and and and I was with many other people. We were they put in one big house.
Beginning, I was very, very unease, very uncomfortable. I never been kind of a situation in my life. A Buddhist monk and a gesher and a teacher is now look like a in the jail. You know? Actually, this is not really the jail, actually.
They didn’t do anything, handcuff me, nothing because of the there are, as I said, misunderstanding, but also the this happened to be after nine eleven. Big problem, you know, very tight. Anyway, that night, the beginning, I was I was very tired. It is almost twenty hours in jet lag, You know? Such my mind was very disorientated, tired, and also a little hungry also.
I was thinking once I get in Miami airport and meet my students, direct go to a restaurant and eat it. You know? But I couldn’t go I I didn’t go to direct to the restaurant. I went to the this house. But I was okay.
I went to you know, I just knocked the door, and somebody went, can I have something to eat? Oh, we don’t have one. No. I I want to eat. I want to go outside and eat.
I’m hungry. You can you cannot just keep me here. I am very sharp. I’m the only one. All of these people are scared.
I say, why you are scaring? They are human being. We are human being. We have to talk. I asked, I want water.
I want a food. You know how wonderful. Then after this, some people came, they bring food and water. Otherwise, nothing there. I said, you cannot just keep like this, us, like we are a criminal.
We didn’t do any wrong, and and you you need to give us some water and food. All these people are hungry and thirsty, and it’s very nasty in how they treat people because most of these people are outside from South America. Some of these people from Europe, and some of these people from Asia. Everybody is the not in the from the United States. I am the only one in came to United States, went back and coming back.
Most of these are new. Some do have a fake visa. Understandable. You know? Anyway, it’s a very, very pan painful process.
Then I was thinking, oh, you must be strong now. This is the opportunity to practice. Exactly this one is the practice. I applied. And not only me, and I helped some people.
I said, come here. Do some meditation. Together. Some people say, what do you mean meditation in this house? Yeah.
You can do meditation in Himalaya mountain. You can do meditation here. You can do meditation in big house. Meditation is a meditation. Are some people can.
We did together. I taught them how to meditate, breathing in and out together, you know, just like this. So everybody feel some of the these people feeling good about it. Then we went to sleep. Next day, one by one, they send us back.
I was then happy. I was thinking, okay. I want to take this opportunity. Don’t think negative. Think about positive.
You’ve got to, again, you know, go back to India to see your friends and family. You know, I was I I just put it my mind, change it. You know? Only I was little sad and because of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche she was visiting our center. But now resident teacher is not there.
Unfortunately, that that part is I was really sad. Other than that, I was happy. I changed my mind. I said, okay. I’m going back to India again to see my friends and family.
So it’s the monastery again. You know? Anyway, see, it was not easy beginning. It’s very difficult because you’ve never been that kind of a situation, you know, suddenly bomb like this. But this four lines, beautiful.
If there is a remedy when trouble strikes, what reason is therefore despondency, and if there is no help for it, what use is therein being said. Memorize it this one. Many of my students in the Florida memorize it, try to understand the meaning of this verse, then say it again and again. This will help you. Not in that textbook I have here.
And if you want, you can take it after. So so that’s you need to do. Okay? Search the solution before you’re really feeling and and panicking. Just find the solutions.
Times, we can do. Absolutely do. And sometimes it’s it’s very important try to change. They take this advantage, this negative. Try to take advantage.
Think about it as a positive. Think about, okay, this is opportunity now to practice. Absolutely. This this is the good opportunity that I can practice patience, tolerance, forgiveness, great practice. Practice.
So if you think about this way, then you are taking negative situation as a positive, which is very good. So that’s also the mind training, you know, changing mind from negative to positive. So that’s if you do this one, I will tell you, you will be much happier. Mind that was unhappy, totally going to be changed. And this happiness is not ultimate happiness, but this happiness is going to be last longer than temporary happiness.
That’s a sure. That’s a sure because of the I’m telling you my own experience. My own experience. Otherwise, all other temporary happiness disappears like a guest comes, goes, comes, goes, comes, goes like this. Pain and suffering is all the time within us, like our shadow.
Wherever you go, our shadow is with us. Pain and suffering is like that. In one of the Indian poet poem says, It’s beautiful. Happiness comes and goes, and suffering is all the time sits there, which is very true. So that’s we need to under that’s the the foundation.
You know? It sits with us. All that live with us all the time. But happiness comes, goes, comes and goes. Dukkha is or happiness or or suffering.
Pain is the like our best friend, isn’t it. Like a friend all the time with us, which is very true, actually. But but these are also the temporary pain and suffering with us Within us mean temporarily within us, not like a permanent. That’s another thing you need to understand. You can able to cease, which is I mentioned cessation of But starting all these teachings, we need to start we need to start helping others.
So that’s, you know, the all about these teachings, helping others. Cherishing others is the source of happiness. So that’s a Buddhist book saying. Cherishing others is the source of happiness. Even though small cherishing of others, you will get small happiness.
Everything is the your own the abilities, your own capacity. Let’s say there are three rocks, big rock, moderate rock, then now small rock. In winter, in Himalayan mountains, they get so many snow. That big rock get lot of snow. Moderator rock get, you know, size of its it is whatever size of that rock, they get snow there.
So if this small rock also gets some snow. It’s depending your own capacity, your own ability, how much you understand, how much you help others. It’s everything’s depend there. But doesn’t matter big or moderate rock or small, but you get something there. You got something snow out there, each of these rocks.
It’s good. You cannot just do this competition, or I want to be like a big rock. Or if you couldn’t do it, then you get upset. No. You cannot do that.
Everything is your own karma. Even the practice, also the very much, you know, karma is very much connected. You know? You need to practice as much as you can. Your effort is very important.
How much effort you have, how much patience you have when you do practice. And most important thing is the are you really understanding the fact of practice, fact of teachings? What is the reality of teachings, Buddhist teachings? These are the very, very important to understand. And instructions, another thing.
Very important instructions. For instance, some people are saying, oh, I couldn’t meditate. I don’t know how to meditate. I’ve been coming to your class for years, but still I don’t know how to meditate. Do you know why this happening?
Because of the first thing is not listening well. Second thing is the maybe listening well, maybe the instructions is not there. Teacher give you the instructions how to meditate. Maybe he or she couldn’t follow the instructions. Why?
They hurried instructions, but lack of mindfulness. See, this is another problem. Lack of mindfulness, then instructions are gone. Here and this side, gone from here. Lack of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is very important. Tibetan, we call. So the I’m thinking mindfulness is here in the brain. Actual mind is here. That’s what I’m saying.
My way of, you know, mindfulness is here, and actual mind is here. When your heart is not moving, you are dead. But when your brain is damaged, you are alive because your mind is here. You are alive. But not mindfulness.
See? Because brain is damaged. Brain is not functioning anymore. There is no mindfulness. But you are alive.
Why? Because of the your heart is moving, beating heart. So that’s why the mind is here. No mind, no life. No mindfulness, it’s possible to be live.
So that’s a mindfulness. A mindfulness practice is the I know. Now people ask how to do mindfulness practice. Contemplation. Contemplation.
That’s a mindfulness practice. Read the books again and again. Listen to the teachings again and again. Then contemplate. Think about it.
That that’s improve your mindfulness. Last time somebody asked me questions in interesting class. Wonderful questions. I’ve been coming to Buddha Buddha house for many, many years, but I couldn’t practice well. Why?
Lack of mindfulness, laziness, another thing is the that’s big problem. Look at the television show that your favorite television show comes. We don’t feel laziness. We sit down there, nice chair. We watch even the hours.
Sometimes, you know, your sofa become hot. Still, you watch. No laziness. But the time to meditate, maybe I will do this tomorrow or maybe day after tomorrow or this and that. That’s called laziness.
So that’s not good. You’ve got to kept the time. You need to you need to make this routine daily base. Here to here, doesn’t matter whatever is it, I will I will going to do my meditation. Even even this is going to be half an hour, it’s okay.
Start from the small way. You know, no need to be hours and hours like a monks and nuns do know. One hour or half an hour or even the fifteen minutes. Let’s say shortest one. Fifteen minutes at morning, I wouldn’t do anything.
This is the time I will go into meditation. Just make this commitment, meditation time. During that time, if there’s no emergency, that’s it. Do it. If you do one time, push a little bit.
One time, twice. Then then next time, you feel to do that. Oh, I’m missing something. I must do this one. Do water bowl offering if you are a Buddhist or if you’re interested.
Do some offerings. Have have small altar. This make you when you have some issues, go inside the altar room, sit down there, look at all these lamas and Buddhas and bodhisattva, and meditate all these holy objects in front of you to help you. But then, you know, the time to practice of I will first, I will go to shop, you know, I will going to cook, and I will going to eat, I will going to watch this news and this television show. Then when you think about this way, then this going to be bad habit, then your practice is all the time second.
Sometimes even though nothing disappears. Then when things fall apart, oh, I want to do some mantra. I want to do this. That’s not a difficult way to do practice. No.
Daily base. You need to put this in your practice. Daily base. You need to make some time, make this the nicest habit. Not many, many hours.
Fifteen minutes, half an hour, one hour. It’s depending how much time you have. I’m not saying just, you know, it’s true. Like a monastery, we know we need to get up every morning, four, five, you know, sometimes five thirty like that. We we know tomorrow morning we need to go to the the assembly hall to do the prayers and they bail you.
Sometimes we wake up before even the bell in a monastery, you know, they bail us. We just get up, just ready, just just like a routine, then come back, clean the house, then do memorizing things. You know, senior monks, their duty is to teach their students. Plus, general monks, they need to do this memorizing things, and sometimes, you know, it depends the season, you need to go to class, Tibetan, you need to do Tibet, you need to go there, then you need to go to also get the teachings from the teachers. And sometimes you have a little time in afternoon.
Sometimes we take nap or sometimes we go to the wash. And, you know, nowadays, they they have the bathroom bathrooms. Usually, go to rivers, you know, it’s a lot of fun. But in evening, we get yeah. Eleven was eleven AM was our lunch.
Evening, five PM, they give you dinner, very early dinner. Six PM, we need to go to, again, to to the class until nine, ten. Sometimes some people, they stay there for eleven, twelve. But nowadays, one thing is missing in the monastery. That’s a sure.
There are no many recitations. When I was young, after coming back from the night, you know, the debate, you know, in their class, and we go together and drink some tea. Then our classmates go separately their own rooms. We do recitations outside, hours. Sometimes Buddha special days, we do, say, recitations full night.
I spend many, nights. Some of my friends come from there. I I come from my area. We loudly, we say the all the texts and prayers that we memorize it in in our lifetime. We do say this loudly, beautiful.
I think I did say this before. One time when I was young, I I had good voice. One of my teacher, Geshe Rabten, from Switzerland, he came to to the monastery. Geshe Rabten is very much for Śāntideva’s way of the bodhisattva. He’s very, very, you know, the practitioner.
He likes the Śāntideva’s, the way of the bodhisattva text, and and and he really meditates a lot. Here, one day, we went to the teachings, and he asked, how many of you memorized the Śāntideva, the way of the bodhisattva? Lag my hand like this. I was so little frightful also, you know, when you were, like that, you know. Oh, good.
Good. Good. Can you come tonight around ten, thirty, eleven outside with my room and say this loudly? And I was thinking why he was asking around his room. You know?
But that’s near the the old the hall. Now at Sera Je, now at least we have a new this hall. But a little bit there’s a fence, you know, you know, it is but nowadays, they make me little bit difficult road is at that time. Anyway, but he’s my teacher. He was my teacher.
Then everybody say, wow. You are you got lucky. You know? I said, I did not understand, first of all. Then, okay.
And Geshe Rabten’s place. You know, he turn he’s in I am outside of the other side is a road. This side is his house. Like this way, and go down. Come back this way.
I did. And it was it went very well. A little scare. You know? Next day, we all went to his teaching.
You know what I got it? Swiss chocolate. A bunch of Swiss chocolate. Big, big you know, Swiss chocolate is very popular. It’s from Swiss, you know, Swiss chocolate.
Top of the chocolate, there is one envelope also. But I wasn’t thinking what is the envelope. Know, I thought maybe a but I was thinking, wow. Chocolate. You know?
I was young. I came back to my room. I and I didn’t open the envelope. I just threw envelope there. First chocolate, eat chocolate.
You know? And one of them, my friend, there’s some cash in the envelope. What? Beer. And there’s some how many?
Two hundred or something Swiss franc. It’s it’s it’s huge at that time. You know? I was saying then I said, okay. Chocolate, I will eat later for that one.
Then I just went to my teacher with some some other some chocolate I opened up. I I got this from the Geshe Rabten. What do you want? I give it to money to him. What and he said he will come to put it in my bank account.
And I said, can you do this? I had so many friends also. We they’re we all are poor. I asked him, don’t put everything. Maybe half of this, can you put down the for our food, and half of the account, can you put it in my account?
Half, you know, just distribute in my other also the friends. We eat together for our food, you know, on an account in food account. My teacher was saying he just looked at me. I said, you have kind heart, you know, even though you are young. I just feel it because of the we all are poor, but this is first time I’m getting some two hundred Swiss franc, you know.
Although I didn’t know how much Indian rupee sounds like quite good. You know? And I said, what you want to do this chocolate? Yes. Yes.
You can take it chocolate, and I distribute with my other we are five or six together. Anyway, it was great because of the my memorizing. I put so much effort. It took almost years to memorize that text. It’s worth it, isn’t it?
So things like this sometimes sometimes surprise you. Point was the because with that memorizing, my mindfulness, you know, go out. So even though nowadays, I can say, not English one, Tibetan, without looking at the book, I can say it. Of course, there are many of the verses already gone. I’m talking about nineteen seventies.
You know? But still, I do remember many of these verses because of the past, this recitation. Many times I say it loudly. That’s a blessing. Still, I do, you know, on this remember the sum of the verses.
It so this particular one is called the So this particular one is the so that’s the meaning of the this is English one. I I was saying Tibetan one. You know? This which is I read it before the okay. Now yeah, giving victory.
If there is a remedy when trouble strikes, what reason is therefore despondency? And if there is no help for it, what use is therein being said. So that’s a Tibetan. Okay. Anyway, ten minutes break.
Okay. I will take some questions. Go. About that we have to stop seeing Samsāra as a happy park. And when you said about, you know, the world is like, from our perception, and we could see the world as beautiful, or we could see all the horrible things.
Mhmm. And I’m just wondering, like, for me, I don’t see it as a happy park. I see it as, like, you know, disaster. Person. Mhmm.
Polluting the land or hurting each other. And so then, so my question is then, what is the difference between renouncing saṃsāra and having aversion to saṃsāra? Is there a difference? Or is can you renounce saṃsāra without aversion to saṃsāra? Okay.
See, saṃsāra, I think you are confused meaning of the saṃsāra. That is the problem now. Samsāra is not the outer saṃsāra. Rather, saṃsāra is the inside inside one. So as I mentioned before, if you fix inside, you can see everything else beautiful.
Now we see everything else not so good because of the we are following the what happening outside than just following the inside. So real saṃsāra is the inside, which is we call contaminated five aggregates. I did this before. Aggregates of form, feeling, discrimination, compositional factor, and consciousness. So that’s a real saṃsāra.
Because of these five aggregates, contaminated five aggregates, we would continually, you know, the the take birth in the saṃsāra, which is the outer saṃsāra like this. When you attain nirvana, doesn’t mean that the you are escaped from the outer saṃsāra rather than inside saṃsāra. There are many Buddhas still in this world, but they are not in the saṃsāra. Why? Because of the their, these aggregates are already the, out of the contaminated five aggregates.
Not anymore contaminated five aggregates. So that mean they already changed that. So but they are in this world. There’s nothing you can go somewhere in. When you say Buddha field, doesn’t mean that somewhere on the sky, they design there on the high mountains like Himalaya.
Okay, we need to go up there to edge. That is called Buddha field. Buddha field is inside, then outside. So that’s see, the what I what I mentioned, Rinpoche was also saying, is depending how you project it. I know when you look at the the the world which is the usually the outer one, it sometimes it is really difficult, you know.
So so many bad things is happening. It is true. We shouldn’t be, I’m not denying it’s true. It’s a reality what is going on there. But what I was saying is the if you really look at the the positive prospect perspective of the world, then then you will see so many beautiful things than bad things.
So it’s depending how you the project it, you know, see. So that’s why mind training, all this mind training is the solution that one can able to solve the problems that you can able to project the world is such a beautiful like that. But it doesn’t mean that we have no problems, of course. Long as we are we we are with with the contaminated five aggregates, we will be continually pain and and, you know, suffering. So that’s why the it comes the renunciation is very important.
We must be give up, you know, samsaric pleasures. Feel something that the samsaric, all these worldly pleasures are really it’s same. We do and and and and feel this pleasure again and again again and the same thing, but eventually all this worldly pleasure, how much money and fame you have, eventually, it will be disappears. There’s no prominent world pleasures or the happiness exist. Everything changes.
Why that much important to be continually to feel these worldly pleasures? Why it’s that much important? You know? But we and but Buddhism is not denying the worldly pleasures are the bad. It’s a depend, you know.
Beginning, yes, we need some worldly pleasures, which is important. But ultimately, we need to give up because worldly pleasures are the like a poison. It’s poison. Only you can able to eat it if you are peacock. Peacock can eat the oldest worldly poisons, like a poison poisonous plant.
Peacock can deserved it to eat. Whereas a crow, if you eat it, poisonous plant, we will die. So that means Buddhist sattva can able to eat this worldly pleasure. They can do because they they know how to train their mind. They can take all this worldly worldly pleasure as a positively.
It will not gonna be affect them because bodhisattvas like a peacock. Peacock can eat poisonous a poisonous plant. But we are as a crow, you we think these are the so beautiful, wonderful, but eventually, the worldly pleasure would harm us. So like a crow cannot eat poisonous plant, same as like that. So now you are a bodhisattva or not bodhisattva, you are a peacock or a crow, it depend your practice.
So so the, you know, so that’s the the you have to look at the world, you know, the two different ways. Samsāra is also like that, not in outer one, rather inside. You know? So inside is the most important. So if you’re saying giving up stop looking at saṃsāra as a happy part, do you mean stop looking at the five aggregates as a happy part or the external saṃsāra, do you think?
Or maybe both of What do you mean happy happy? Lungs open many times, it says we should we have to give up seeing saṃsāra as a happy park. Mhmm. A happy park. A park.
Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. So I wonder then if you’re meeting the internal saṃsāra, the five aggregates as It’s hard to say, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which context he was talking. There are two saṃsāra, outer saṃsāra and internal saṃsāra, which is the real saṃsāra is the inside.
Maybe Rinpoche was talking about the maybe the outer one, outer saṃsāra. He said, but we need to talk about but what I was saying is the real saṃsāra is the insight. Outer saṃsāra is the or leaving home that, you know, the the the this this world world or that that’s considered as outer saṃsāra. Maybe that’s in which you may talking about the think about as a happy, you you know, part for for instance, the the peacocks lives in the jungles, there are so many poisons, poisons plant, but people see as beautiful. See?
So that’s what Rinpoche was also talking us as act as a buddhist way of life. You know, act as a, you know, look at this saṃsāra is beautiful, you know, but doesn’t mean that we should be think about as a positive than just the just real park or things like that. You know? So so everything is depend how you look at the saṃsāra, actually. The you know, it could be outer one, which is the main thing is now we are talking about the outer saṃsāra.
So the if you the purify internal saṃsāra, then you can see the outer saṃsāra also the happy park. You wouldn’t see any problems, which is the as I said this before, no anger inside mean no enemies outside. That’s a point here. See? But there is many, many, you know, enemies outside because of the we hold anger.
That’s why the so many enemies outside. But when you give up anger, if you’re able to overcome anger, then there wouldn’t be any enemies. Why? Why there would be enemies now? There’s no anger.
So that’s see, main thing is everything is then you can see the saṃsāra is the happy park. So that’s you need to look at that way. But now we have not overcome anger yet. So that’s why we can see the outer saṃsāra as a unhappy park. See?
Rinpoche was saying, see as a happy park. That mean main thing is the give up anger that he was saying, I think. Overcome anger, you know, overcome attachment. Then you can see the everything is beautiful. Like a peacock can see the those jungles where there are so many, you know, poisonous plant, but peacock can see beautiful.
Even peacock eat it, their feather will grow like same as like a Buddhist bodhisattva. Okay? Yeah. Anyone? Last question.
Go. Geshe-la, on the strength of Carol’s question and your response, I’m motivated to ask this question. Chogyam Trungpa Mhmm. Behaved if I was doing it, I would be seen as a derelict alcoholic and a derelict sex addict. Mhmm.
Now thinking of the Okay. Need to do that. Do you know what I’m saying? Yeah. That’s you know, you cannot ask this kind of questions because I don’t know.
You know? That’s his life. And and it’s very difficult to give the answers because of the this is individual. Even I never met Chogyam Trungpa, seems to be his great lama, you know, but it’s I cannot give you exactly the answer for this particular question, he did it. If you ask me questions, why Geshe la Geshe Kunjug became Geshe, there’s no answer.
I I can give you answer for that, but I don’t think anybody can give me that answer for me why this kun chok became gasey, you know, for instance. But the if you ask their students, they may that perspective, I can talk about it. If you ask these questions to the Trungpa’s students, they may give you answer as this is lama’s deed. Lama do many different different deeds. For instance, the the the we have some for for the Marpa Lotsawa.
Marpa Lotsawa is the many centuries before. Jetsün Milarepa, beginning he was he sinned too much. And after he went to learn, because of the black magic, he killed so many people and animals. Then after he regretted it, and then he went to see the Marpa Lotsawa, great Indian master. No.
Tibetan master. Then he met Marpa Lotsawa. But Marpa Lotsawa was when he first time he met one man was plowing on the field, he asked, I want to see Marble Lotzawa, which house is that? And this man told go that house. He went there.
He didn’t see the he didn’t meet Marble Lotzawa, first of all, because he was plowing the field where it looked very dirty there, you know. But then when he went to inside the house, at some point, I think Marpa Lotsawa’s this wife came to him, said, now we can go to see the Marpal Lochawa. Then he went to inside, and he saw on the throne same man was sitting on the throne. That man he met outside plowing, but lama was plowing there. But don’t ask me why he was plowing.
But they they show you many deeds. But then now and they say, I am Marpa. He goes, why? You were you were out there and plowing the field. But then now, see, some lamas, they show you many deeds. And Marpa Lotsawa had wife also.
You know? Why? Because of these parties, I can tell you because there is a history. Marpa Lotsawa achieved highest yoga tantric, those, you know, that that level, he need the the dakini. He need the woman to achieve enlightenment.
And this his wife is not ordinary wife, not ordinary woman, is high level woman. They need to get together like a vehicle consort. Then eventually, they achieve enlightenment. So that means that tantric practice is the secret practice mean that. Now the Marpa Lotsawa was his own teacher, I think, Tilopa, was, I think, in one time, the someone went to see Tilopa.
Tilopa was the the no. No. Not the Marpalatha teacher, but I’m forgetting now all this story. Anyway, there’s a great Indian master, Tilopa, was someone who went to see him. He was on the beach somewhere.
He was fishing, actually, and he was eating fish, raw fish. But he’s a great master. Tilopa is very, very great master. But why he was doing that? You can see like a very ordinary being.
Not only just ordinary being, also fishing. Lama was fishing and eating raw fish. Can you imagine now? Very strange. But these are the some of the these things are lamas deed.
They show you many different deeds. You know? Chogyam Trungpa did many strange things. But if you ask these questions to his student, they may tell you this is religious deeds. You know, they show you.
It’s sometimes not so good. You know, it it’s a bad for bad example, but, you know, you cannot criticize the these high lamas. They do many, many different deeds but a different purpose. Many some people may be good thing. They can see him as doing things or strange things.
Maybe people who does those strange things, they may interested him. They may come to him and listen the teachings. Then maybe he can able to help them if I if I give you positive answer. You know? See?
I’m sorry. You’re laughing. What happened? I’m laughing laughing because I was so attracted to his writings. Okay, okay.
I ate them and that would speak of my own self. Yeah, sometimes some lamas show your deity as maybe if that lama just say, some lama, oh, just sitting on the throne, not talking too much with the people, maybe he cannot help many people. Maybe he may need to act as one of them, you know. And and and and maybe then then because of that, maybe he can able to bring those people into their light. Possible, you know, I’m not saying it is indefinite, but these things are sometimes so that’s why the lama do show you many different forms, different deeds if I give you positive answer.
Wonderful. Okay. Good. Then good. Thank you.
Very welcome. Okay. We are going to say the prayer from this book, page page one twenty, please. Lord Buddha, make me an instrument of your peace. When there is hatred, let me sow love.
There is an injury or pardon. There is a discord, unity. When there is doubt, faith. There’s an error, truth. There’s a despair, hope.
When there is sadness, joy. When there’s darkness, light. Or divine master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is giving that we receive, it is pardoning that we are pardoned, It is in dying that we are born. We are born to eternal life. From happiness to happiness up to full enlightenment. May all beings effortlessly attain the transcendent, blissful state of omniscient buddhahood.
Thank you very much.