Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 106-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab offers a thorough exploration of the fourth point of the Seven Point Mind Training: applying the practice throughout daily life and at the moment of death. He begins by emphasizing the rarity and value of human rebirth, then pivots to the core practical instruction: the five forces—determination, familiarity, white seed (bodhicitta), repudiation (rejecting negativity), and prayer (dedication)—which practitioners should cultivate in advance so that at death these mental trainings activate naturally. Geshe Kyab illustrates the importance of mental discipline over external display, stresses building a daily practice routine so that even when distracted one can recover quickly, discusses the dissolution of the elements at death, and addresses difficult real-world scenarios including euthanasia, medication at end-of-life, and how to respond to false accusation with forgiveness and compassion. He concludes with a vision of sangha members as virtuous friends and suggests post-class group discussion as a way to integrate teachings more deeply. Suited for serious practitioners and those preparing for retreats or deepening their understanding of impermanence and death.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2016 12 08.mp3
UUID: 181caa88-8150-4425-9cd7-0bcccc02db04
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Seven Point Mind Training (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-12-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 106.1 minutes
Words: ~11,300
Please look at the Guru Puja book page thirty four. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha Dharma Sangha the Supreme Assembly. By practice of giving other perfections, may I become a Buddha of benefit to all sentient beings. Cha Dangh Nidang Talve Tan Yom Lanyam Bhar Cho Chi. English.
May all sentient beings have happiness and causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and causes of suffering. May all sentient beings be inseparable from happiness that is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for friends, hatred for enemies. English.
Reverently I prostrate with my body, speech and mind. Short mandala offering. This ground, anointed with scented water, strewn with flowers, adorned with Mount Meru the Four Continents, and the Sun and Moon. Imagine this Buddha filled and offered it. May all sentient beings enjoy this pure land.
Thank you. Precious human life that we all obtained. Precious human life. It’s very, very rare. It is very difficult to being born as a human being, but we have one.
So then how this precious human life is obtained. Who helps you to reborn or reincarnate human being. Who help you? Who did it? Nobody.
Nobody. Only you help yourself. You did it. Your lineage. Past lifetime, the he or she, our lineage, he or she did practice greatly.
They put all the practice together in one container, then they, you know, understood how to practice. First thing is they listen the teachings, contemplate, meditate, then finally they apply all the teachings. All the teachings together. They apply every teachings, especially especially when things fall apart. And most important thing is the moment of the death.
Yes. That is the most important. Most important thing is the moment of the death, they really, really put all the teachings together. So that’s why all this beautiful, wonderful, and great karma that they accumulated and then carry on. So then now, this lifetime, we’re all born as a human being.
We obtain this precious human life. So then now, we all need to say thank you, my previous life. Thank you being so helpful. Actually, you are the one who, you know. Thank you.
So then now, we have this precious human life. So then now it’s very, important to think, you know, human life is a purpose of being human being is just having some fun, only samsaric pleasures. Absolutely not. Only becoming rich and famous? No.
Buddhism not denying becoming rich and famous or or the, you know, having some samsaric pleasures. Absolutely not denying. This is part of their life. We are saying only here. No.
So that’s why the we obtain this precious human life because of the kindness of the previous being. But then now, not only just we obtain this human life, we also meet the Dharma. Not only just on Dharma, we meet Buddhism, Buddhist teachings, so many wonderful lamas, great lamas we met, having teachings, and currently I’m here. I’m not great lama as a Dalai Lama in a Lama Yeshe, but I’m good teacher, you know. I spent so many years in the monastery to learn myself to practice.
I don’t teach teachings. There’s something that I don’t experiencing or I don’t practice. Of course, it’s not easy to be practitioner or easy to practice, you know. But we met so many lamas, so many great teachers. All these lamas and great teachers teach us such wonderful teachings that the karmic seeds must meet the good conditions and then open up to awake the karma, then give the results.
Such a great opportunity. It’s not only just being born as a human being. We met this Dharma. That’s very rare also. You know?
For instance, in buddha house. Buddha house has been here for many, many, many years. Buddha House has served. You know, Buddha house surf for many, many years. Many, many people came and gone and and and and come and go, come and go.
Some people stick with it. Some people still new people are coming. But whatever is it, they gutted something, you know. You can hear many times, oh, I’ve been to this center. I’ve been on this.
I’ve been that. I’ve been on this kind of a center. You know sometimes people do get some kind of, you know, issues in their life. They cannot go continually to the centers, but one way or another they really do there are many people did in, went to many, many different centers like that. Recently I just went to the blessed somebody, partner passed away.
My understanding is this woman never been in Buddha house, but she went to Chenrezig Institute in Queensland. Yeah. With her partner. Yes. I mean, that’s how wonderful.
I mean, you know. Point is the it’s such a we must be think we are so fortunate, not only just, you know, being born as a human being. Also, we met all these great lamas, great teachers, wonderful, wonderful lamas and teachers. Then here in the Buddha house also you have this beautiful center. Only whatever is lacking is the only the your side is something is lacking that you couldn’t come here and listen the teachings, and and then they practice the teachings.
That’s only. But the Buddha house is giving you all these great opportunities. Great, great. Different, different, different teachings. All these volunteers, they put all this their effort, their time to build here different programs that the people can able to come here and listen the teachings.
See? Here, everything is here. It’s very accessible. You are the only need to come here and listen the teachings and practice the teachings. Teaching is not like a water or or a food that we can, you know, bring to your house and and put it in your mouth, not like that.
Teachings are the you are the one who need some effort to come here, then absorb teachings, then practice the teachings. Other than that, center is really really giving you so wonderful service, absolutely. Every FPMT center, if you look at it, you know, they are giving you such a great opportunity. So we have to be think very seriously. We have this precious human life.
Today’s my teaching is the most important part of the out of the seven point, you know. You shouldn’t be sorry yourself all the time. You excuse yourself, oh, I am busy that, I am busy this. If you think that way, we all are busy one way or another. How can you only I am busy this and busy that?
When time comes, you will be very sorry then. Then now sometimes it’s too late. For instance, the long lived god, and many Buddhist teachings says, we pray not to be born as a long-lived god. We are not talking about the creation god here. There is a god realm that you can able to reincarnate it like a human realm, you know.
So sometimes when you hear Buddhist texts and the teachings that we pray and not born in a long lived God, so then suddenly the westerner mind may say, oh that’s very crazy. I want to be born in a God realm. God realm is very pleasurable. Not only just beautiful and pleasurable, also long lived god. Thus you may think that way, isn’t it?
Even as a long-lived god, if you’re born there, they are distracted all the time. So that’s why we are praying not to be born as a long-lived god. They are all the time very much distracted, this busy, that busy, they are playing here, there, so and so. But they live thousands of thousand years. Because with that, their pride is very, very big.
But then, unfortunately, they cannot live in the god realm forever even though they one day they must be depart from the god realm. When time comes, suddenly they are shocked now. Now they try to do some practice and listen to some teachings. It is too late. It’s too late.
So that’s why we pray not to born long lived God. Because of the distraction. Same thing here in the human realm. Although human, our lifespan time is not so great, not so bad, it’s perfect. Mostly it says hundred years.
Some people live more than that, some people less than that, you know. Generally speaking, lifespan time is the hundred years. It may decreases. It may go down to the ten years, they say someday. Sometimes after only ten years.
But now this is the actually the degeneration time, maybe less than one hundred years. Mostly people live less than one hundred years. Only some fortunate people may live more than one hundred years. Recently I saw in Italy one woman, she lived hundred and twenty seven years, think. Twenty seven, I think, yeah.
Yeah, twenty seven or seventeen. Hundred and seventeenth birthday. Yeah, celebrating. She is one of the, know, the longest human being. Only she eats the eggs, think, something like that.
The point is generally speaking, less than one hundred years now. Mostly people die under the one hundred years, but which is very good actually, you know, and and not so long our lifespan time is not so long, not so short. But then sometimes things happen suddenly like that. You have no idea, you know, you cannot predict it yourself. So then now if you’re only distracted, not listening the teachings, not practicing the teachings, if you only distracted, I’m sorry to say that, then your future life wouldn’t be as good as now.
No. What can we do? This has nothing to do with a Buddha or Jesus or God or the Geshe la or any other lama. This is just your own way of thinking was little bit lacking, you know, during their lifetime. Like a long lived god, only distracted.
So that’s why think seriously. Seriously think. Even though teachings that teacher teaches, there’s no one can teach something that Buddha never taught us. Absolutely not. Teachings are mostly repeating, repetition.
But when you listen that, even though same teachings you may hear from other lamas, maybe you may hear differently from Geshe la or somebody else. See? This happens. Even though I taught many, many teachings in Florida fifteen years, mostly the, you know, this same teachings I’ve been repeating, sometimes maybe there’s some people perspective little bit harder one. Although otherwise, mostly the teachings are repeating, but people tell me, Geshe-la, each time you teach the same subject, same topic, but I can hear you different different ways.
That that that is the truth. Why? Because of the Buddhist teachings are very, very deep Within the one this, you know, class, one topic or subject, you cannot hear everything. Just two hours. No.
So that’s why the teachers are very skillful. Maybe this time, teachers are, you know, on this topic, teacher may give you different explanations. But then after some months after, maybe he or she will going to repeat same sort of a subject and topic again. Maybe you may hear a little bit on top of what you hear before, maybe a little bit different like that. But you need effort, you need patience.
See? My point here is that what I’m saying is the human being, you must understand human value. I’m not talking about the human value here, rich or famous or absolutely not. If you are rich, you got it. That’s your own merits.
If you’re famous, you got it. Wonderful. That’s your own merit, you know. But these are not only the human value. Real human value is the we are capable to learn all these beautiful teachings.
These are the real deal. These are the fact. I’m not saying because of the I am Buddhist. I read it many, many, many books in my lifetime. Bible, Quran, Gita, etcetera and etcetera.
Most of books I read it. But when I come back, Buddhist Lamrim thinks I feel like I am absolutely the one hundred and ten percent right place. That’s what I felt. Without thinking I’m as a Geshe or a Buddhism. Just as a knowledge perspective, I’m you know, when I look at it that, you know, point, I feel that way.
I’m not saying those books are bad. Absolutely not. Wonderful. Wonderful book. But somewhere you cannot get the answers.
Those those, you know, books stop somewhere. You cannot get the answers. That’s my point. It’s a wonderful Gita, Bhagwan Gita, Hindus, like there are Lamrim, beautiful. Quran, some cases good, some cases not good.
Actually, the general speaking overall, wonderful. And look at the bible. See? But when you look at the Lamrim, there’s no violence. Most of the other books, when you read it, at a certain point, you can see so many violence also.
See? But the Lamrim is totally zero violence. Beautiful, beautiful. I think, you know, we are so fortunate. I’m so fortunate that I can share all these teachings, not only just the solitary realizer or just only the self practicing.
Also there is something that I can able to teach people around the world. So when I’m thinking that, okay, not prideful way, I’m thinking nice way, least I’m serving something. You know? I’m giving something that what I received. You know?
So now the value main point here is the human understanding. human value is very very important. We have no idea, yes, our past life is history and future life is mystery. We have no idea what kind of a life we will going to be getting. We have no idea.
If you do practice, if you do listen to the teachings, contemplate the teachings, meditate the teachings, if you practice, if you’re really into it, then if you bring all these teachings in the in in the in in the death, then I will going to be I did say this before. I will going to be sign you on and and stem you. You will be reborn again, human being, much much much wiser than now. I can say that. Then, really, you know?
Otherwise, I’m sorry. Maybe we may go down there. So that’s why the Buddhism or Dharma is the mirror means that when you listen to Dharma, you can see the false of yours. Then you can you need to fix it every time when you when you hear the teachings, oh, maybe I shouldn’t be doing that. Remember, normal human being make mistakes.
Of course, why not? But fix it after looking at the mirror, which is the Dharma. Here is the Dharma, it’s like a mirror. Fix all your faults. This way you need to improve yourself.
So that’s why today’s topic is although it is a seven point mind training, so today is the fourth point. The week, transforming adversity into the path of enlightenment. Although seven point mind training, seven points are: first point is the preliminary, second is the main practice which is the generating bodhicitta. Then third point is the last week transforming adversity into the path of enlightenment. Then today is applying the practice throughout the whole of life.
So that’s today. Of course, then the next one is the fifth point going to be the measure of mind training. Then sixth point going to be the commitments of mind training. Then the seventh point going to be the the precepts of mind training. Actually advices.
So now applying the practice throughout the whole of life. Whatever you learn in your life, especially this one is talking about the moment of death. That’s very important because of the subtle mind with a subtle wind together transfers, transforms to next life. It’s, you know, it’s called the phowa. Can I have a Lamacho book, please?
Thank you very much. Here is the I hope I can find it, this one. Okay, that’s a Tonglen practice. Okay. Lama Chöpa, Guru Puja.
Practicing transference of consciousness at the time of death. So this is the truth. That’s many times people do. Now translation is the English. Should I not have completed the points of the path at the time?
What? I didn’t do anything. Some spirit is interrupting me. See? See?
Get out. Get out. Don’t interrupt me. Or maybe Peter Peter is there. I don’t know why.
I’m not touching. Yeah. Yeah. Should I not have completed the points of the path at the time of death, I seek your blessings that I may be led to a pure land either through the instructions of applying the five forces or by the forceful means to enlightenment, the guru’s transference of mind. So this one is the moment of the death.
The, you know, phowa, it’s called poa. This can be substituted. Actually the phowa is transferring the subtle mind, subtle consciousness. Consciousness. There are some lamas, they do these rituals when people before they actually die.
This can be done many different ways, but this is very, very dangerous practice one can do. That he or she, whoever is performing this particular ritual, must have sudden really power or understanding. So if you do this practice, someone is really needed. If you don’t do this properly, you may kill them actually. You may kill the person.
So this can be done, actually good to do before somebody has really passed away. That’s the best way to do. But it doesn’t mean that they will come back. But this can be done after passed away, mean after his or her heart is not beating, but, you know, subtle consciousness is in it, which is the many times lamas and some practitioners, they do these meditations, secret meditations. At the moment also you can do.
But if you don’t do this properly or if you’re wrongdoing, you know, these things, this is very very dangerous, especially someone is the fully ordained monks or nuns or the novice monks or nuns, if you perform this one without knowledge, if you kill them, you are not anymore monks and nuns. You are not anymore monks and nuns because of the you kill the people, which is the one of one of the great sin for the monks and nuns killing human being. Okay? But point is the saying sometimes, you know, the this one can be if lama has more power, so even though that person is really not that much practicing, but then now he or she needs help, a lama’s power can perform this practice, then he can transfer your subtle consciousness to the next life, guide you very nicely, transform you very smoothly so that you wouldn’t suffer that much. But best thing is the you yourself do this practice.
So that’s today’s class. You yourself do this practice. In order to do this practice now, you need to learn how to do it. So now look at the text, the book on chapter number five. One is always accompanied by only joyful thoughts.
A reversed attitude indicates a transformation one is trained if one is capable even when distracted. And this translation is, oh this one is, but today, applying the practice throughout the whole of life. The essence of the instruction briefly stated is to apply yourself to the five forces. That’s a five forces. Different translation, five powers or five forces, five strings is a different translation meaning is the five powers.
Is to apply yourself to the five strings, the Mahāyāna advice for transference involves the same five forces conduct is important. So that’s one Tibetan translation, and and the one is the little bit slightly different, but meaning is all same. Meaning is all same. Even the Tibetan sometimes, you know, they give you a little different. Oh, this is same.
Where is that? Yeah. Same thing. Good. Good.
That’s good. It’s perfect. Both same. Even even the Tibetan. But English trans translations are totally different, you know.
That happens. So wish I read it from here, and this one is different. But meanings are all same. So now the see, the point here is the also that this book also, Khensur Jampa Tegchok’s book also give you here beautifully the fifth point, Integrate all teachings into one point. So that’s what I try to say, integrate all teachings into one point.
Let’s say in this lifetime, now you hear many, many teachings. The all these teachings now try to understand the meaning of the teachings and especially the teachings that you received, you know, about the death and dying, which is the very very important, that’s a main thing. Why we are listening all these teachings, for instance? Why we are listening? Why we need to practice?
What is the benefit of the listening teachings and the practicing the teachings? What for? First of all, because ultimate goal is to achieve enlightenment. In order to achieve enlightenment, we must start now small way, isn’t it? You cannot just achieve enlightenment within the few days or weeks.
No. You need to start because of the or monkey mind is already spoilt. Or monkey mind is already spoilt. So many this, you know, stents, dirtiness, our mind is contaminated. So many negative tendencies and habit habits, you know, negative tendencies and habits like that.
It’s very very difficult to achieve enlightenment within the few days or months or even the years, even the lifetimes. It takes long. Only the very very dedicated, very much, you know, somebody really dedicated very strongly, seriously like Milarepa, then different case. But all cases, we excuse all the time. Even though practice comes, or I will practice tomorrow, I will practice afternoon, I will practice day after tomorrow, even though practice comes we make excuses.
That’s shameful. How can you measure for the practice? Practice is the practice. Every moment, every second must be practiced. There’s no special time for the practice.
As long as we take this breath in and out, we are getting older and older and older like this. Every moment is practice time. Practice does not mean that physically. Practice is the main thing, is the mental state way of your thinking. See?
So that means your mind is with you wherever you go. If you do practice, you can practice because your mind is with you. That’s the main thing from the mind. Of course, then the, you know, verbal, your speak, then physical, your body, because main thing is mind. If your mind is clean and pure and practicing, your speech will be positive.
Your, you know, bodily actions will be positive. If your mind is already spoiled, then the everything is going to be spoiled. You know? So that’s why these are the called three doors, body, speech, and the mind. Gosum, three doors.
See? Main thing is the mind. So that means this mind is with you wherever you go. Even though you are in the moon, that’s the, well, you know, more far you can go. Still you can practice.
If you go to Antarctica, you can practice if you know how to practice. So that means the mind. It is the mind way of how you think. So that’s called practice. Practice not necessarily be really having big big statues, many many scriptures, offering many many water bowls.
Of course, these are part of the practice. Why we do have many many big big statues and offering so many water bowls? Why we do that? Main thing is the heart. Main thing is to calm one’s mind, to become kind human being, compassionate human being.
So that’s why we do, you know, many, many water bowls. We buy big statues, many, many scriptures because if all these the scripture will help you. But main thing is the heart. So that’s why we have all these different images. And offering water bowls are many, many meanings to cut out stinginess, you know, because We are very greedy and stingy.
Only I I and me me me other comes and we are very much like this. See? See? All of this, whatever we do, holding drums, bells, everything meant to be to discipline one’s mind here. That’s the main thing.
Because then we needed many, many different things. Only teaching is sometimes difficult. We needed some images to do some rituals and the pujas, then listen the teachings. All these different different different things we needed to to put things together. See?
Integrate all the teachings into one port. So that’s, you know It’s very, very important. During now we are alive. Isn’t it? We are alive.
So I’m not saying we should be meditating twenty four hours. As I said, practice is here. Yes? What kind of thoughts I’m having now? So you can just vigilant yourself.
You just just, you know, spy the ones on mind. What kind of thoughts I’m having now? What really I’m thinking? It is positive or it is negative. If it is negative, stop it.
See now, you no need big stature to stop that one, isn’t it? You no need to do water bowl offering to stop this one. You need certain understanding the negative and the positive. What should be cultivated? What should be discarded?
These two things you need to understand. Order to understand, you need to listen first. Many times people misunderstand when practice Geshe-la. I like to practice when I should be practicing. What should be practicing?
Of course, there are some serious, you know, initiations, and then you need to do sadhana recitations. There are many, many tantric meditations you need to do. There are many, many different mudras, things you need to do, which is a different case. But you’re not there yet. These are all needed to be we need to go step by step.
First of all, all these teachings, even though what I’m thinking is that really we need many many many initiations. Absolutely not. Where is the time to practice? Dalai Lama mentions, having too many initiations, having too many commitments. Having so many initiations, then there would be many many, you know, you say people are breaking samaya.
Breaking samaya. You broke samaya vow. So then what is the worth it having many, many initiations? Be careful. I’m not saying initiation is bad.
Sometimes people misunderstand. Initiation is very important. That’s a final, you know. But you need to learn first. You cannot just get initiations and empowerments like that out of the blue.
I’m very sad that sometimes some lamas, I’m totally against that. Just give them this happened in Miami. They come, they advertise, and they give initiations, empowerments, whoever comes there. They don’t put down the who should be coming initiations before they come, what should they need to do. They don’t do that.
Only they needed more audience to get more money. That’s shameful. I mean, I can do that. I never did that. It’s not good.
You have to go this, you know, they have orders, you Especially the highest yoga tantric initiations. Very very important but you have to go this way. Because once you get all these high yoga tantric initiations like a vajraya yogini, Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamāja, and Yamāntaka, so there would be many many text recitations you need to recite on a daily basis. It takes a long time. Forget about the meditation.
Those recitations take so long time to read it. Then there would be many meditations you need to do, many mantra recitations, many mudra things. It’s not easy. Yeah. You need a lot of time.
How can be? One class, people very difficult to come. You distracted now. How can be all the sadhana recitation on a daily basis? Come on.
Difficult. But I’m not saying impossible. It is possible. I’m saying to you is the learn first. I’m giving you the fact.
I know nobody likes to hear that, but I don’t care. I will give you I will tell you what you’re supposed to be hear from me, not like something that what you want to hear from me. Absolutely, I will not gonna do that. This is nothing this is not a Buddhist teachings. I will going to teach you something that you don’t want to hear.
That’s what you need to hear. You know? That’s why you came here. Don’t waste your gas. You need to put gas in your car, not water, isn’t it?
See? thinking is very important. Okay? So the especially this one is the yesterday I meditated, this morning I meditated, before I came here I meditated. Very very powerful, these five forces that how to put all these practices together, it’s unbelievable.
I wrote down somewhere here. This this may have some translation. Yeah. Yes. The power of determination.
Pembe top. That’s pembe top. Pembe top, determination. Pembe top. And actually, you know, need Tibetan, but I’m just just, you know, just try to say that here.
Here is the this translation says the power of determination, power of familiarity, and the power of white seed, the power of repudiation, not a reputation, repudiation, the power of prayer. So these are the five forces, you know. Pembetop, power of determination, we must be determining the prevent our mind from falling under the control of self-grasping and self-cherishing. That’s just, you know, you need to decide it. These are the bad.
I mean, you know, determination is very, very important. So that’s you need it. So these are the now you need to practice, then you can able to practice moment of the death. The power of familiarity. So this is another thing.
Familiarity is very important. When we say gom, like gom means meditation. Yes? What does mean meditation? Meditation is the you are familiarizing.
You are familiarizing the object that you observe. That’s called gompa, you know. You are to familiarize that object because otherwise, you may lose that object. Basic meditation is. Similar like all these teachings, try to become like a, you know, friendly.
It’s very important. Try to become try to be like a friendly. It’s a familiarity. Very important. Then then the moment of the death, very easy to understand.
But now you need to start. You’re only expecting from the lamas some kind of a, you know, miracles, power, blessing. Forget it. Forget it. That’s only you can get it in in the United States.
There is a television show. You can go there and they will touch you. They will heal you. You need to go there. Get the ticket and go to Florida somewhere.
There are many shows like that, but I don’t believe into it. You know? People couldn’t walk, there’s some some kind of a power from the god. They touch them, and they heal. If you are seeking something like this here in the Buddha house, this is not the right place for you then.
You need to go to those place. No. I don’t think such a thing exist or not. You know? I’m afraid so.
But here is the miracles power is the you have here, Especially the today’s point is the these five forces is the miracles power. You don’t need to defend anyone. Just listen and and, you know, the practice yourself, then moment of death, you will be remember all these things. Top of that, also good to know the death and dying, which is I will going to do the new year. Sometimes in the new year, one of them, Tuesday, two Tuesday class going to be the death and dying life after death like this.
I try to now, talking to the SBC, make little bit of program, put some names and titles because westerner mind is, you know, you observe only what you see, then you buy it, you know. Otherwise, if you put one subject, which is very important one, that comes everything, but then people think, oh, same name, same name like that. So then now you got it something in January, you will see that, in February also. So that’s a death and dying. Also read the book, Sogyal Rinpoche’s book, death and dying book is very, very nice, which has become very, very famous also.
So, you know, little bit and try to understand that. This woman told me when I went to bless her partner who passed away, she said he died very peacefully. He had many men in lamas picture inside of his room. He looked at them, he read the death and dying book also. He went to the Chenrezig Institute also in Queensland, I think.
Then then not only just him, and she also as well as herself, and his mother came to me when I spoke a little bit about the things, and she came to me. She do have sudden understanding of death and dying. I was saying, wow. She need to come to Buddha house to learn more. Totally stranger.
She never I don’t think she had been Buddhist and she was reading the books. I was a little surprised. She did know a little bit of the basics, this death and dying things. Because of her son, I think, recommended to read that death and dying book. See?
And when I was speaking, although I didn’t have that much time, maybe half an hour, little bit, she was saying, yes. I understand what you’re saying. I think most of these people maybe nothing. You know? They very, you know, look like a rich, very their clothes are very, very clean, wonderful, but having a lot of fun drinking alcohol.
I got headache. Yeah. Lot of alcohol. Then I told them, it’s okay to have fun, but today is the not only just fun. You need to pray because that’s why they came there to this men’s, you know, the ceremony.
And they’re just only thinking fun. You know? I said, fun is good, but first, we should pray. You know? That’s important.
Pray. Then have some fun, whatever they do. But people only even though somebody’s died, but this they do these fun things. This happened in Sikkim also. I’m the I don’t want to blame the in in in in western country.
Even though Sikkim, I used to tell there also, this is not good. When people die, someone, you know, has a many family, friends and family, So many cars like this, and people walk and they talk. They just you know? I was saying better to say some mantra. Somebody died.
But people don’t do that even though in the seeking. I was very surprised. The after my aunt passed away, I told aunts, you know, the my cousins, please tell people, please say, Not just going, walking, you know, on a funeral ceremony, just laughing and singing and you know? No. No.
No. This is the time you need to say some prayer. Please say, I don’t know they did it or not. I wasn’t there. I was in my home.
I was doing some prayers and rituals. You know? These people do. Very strange, isn’t it? But least Hindus in Varanasi, they carry on funeral, and they do say the their god’s name, Rama Rama Sathya Ram, Rama Rama Sathya, something.
They do say this mantra, which is good, isn’t it? But in even the Sikkim, they are Buddhist, but it’s very strange sometimes, things like that. But point I’m making here is the these are not really the teaching, actually. The now here, these five forces, determination. You determine thing is the determination, which is the power of determination.
The power of familiarity, try to familiar all the teachings. Then the the the power of the white seed, which is the mostly the generating bodhicitta. Exchange self and others equalizing, you know, self and others. And and seven causes and if all this you know, you are generating bodhicitta, developing love and compassion, try to plan the white seed. So that’s a meaning of the white seed, not any seeds.
White seeds here is the generating bodhicitta. Because when you plant the seed, eventually that seed will be grow. You can get the sprout, then eventually that get bigger and bigger, then become trees, then you can get many fruits. For instance, like apple, strawberry, bananas, isn’t it? But if you plant any bad seeds, eventually that seed also grow, become sprout, then then the trees then give you the, you know, all these the poisonous fruits.
But here is the white seed is the the insight the we need to generate bodhicitta, equalizing self and others, like self and others, equalizing self and others, then self and others. Then then main thing is to develop the love and compassion. That’s the best thing we can do as a being born as a human being. We are talking about all these things are from your heart, not just the acting as a developing love and compassion. Not the really feeling pity or sympathy that I’m talking rather empathy or compassion.
Very different. Sympathy and pity feeling and empathy or the compassion is very different. Many people do feel sympathy, like a pity feeling. You know? What we are talking here is the real, you know, sort of a compassion, which is empathy.
Real. You know? And power of repudiation, which is the the mainly the sunjong pembe top. Now you need to denying the all those negativities. Reject all those negativities.
Adopt the old positiveness. Okay? So the sinking deeply about the faults of self-cherishing, which is the main thing here. So it’s the self grasping and rejecting here. Rejecting and the distancing ourselves from those minds, from self-cherishing and self grasping and egos, all other this the non virtuous actions.
You know, try to be distanced from those the negativity is, which is very important. So that’s why having good friend is very important. Virtuous friend, that’s what we call like a sangha members. Here, people are considered as sangha members, virtuous friend. If you do have a negative friend, then that negative friend will be influence you.
Only negative things, drinking things, alcohol I mean, the smoking thing, going to a club, and all these, you know, crazy things. I mean, isn’t it? But if you do have a good friend, like a Sangha members, so they will help you to do good things. Having good friends is very, very important, virtuous friend. One of the this lama I’m not sure which lama is that.
That lama says, Non virtuous friend does not mean that the having horns or look like a scary, like, you know, those deities. Not necessarily like that. Non virtuous can be anyone. Non virtuous friend friend be closer one. Somebody who look very handsome and beautiful can be a non virtuous friend.
Somebody may if somebody manipulate to you, somebody really, you know, try to take you to the down, those are considered as a non virtuous friend even though they look like a very handsome and beautiful. Non virtuous friend does not mean that having horns look like a scary. No. That’s what Lama says. Here in the Buddha house, all these people consider as a virtuous friend.
We call Sangha members. Because here I teach, you all come, listen the teachings. I wish after the teachings, if there’s a half an hour something that the people can get together and discuss the teachings that I teach, but sometimes it’s too late, you know. During the day may be good. After teacher teaches, then student can sit down and all get together and discuss the teachings that you hear from the teacher, which is also very good to do.
We should think about that in maybe new year, in the new buddha house, really. There are many older students who heard many good teachings from the Khensur Rinpoche and other geshes also may have some understanding. You know? So then, you know, half an hour or something, forty five minutes, you know, have some tea and get together like a meeting and just discuss, oh, yeah. Today, Geshe-laawa is teaching, let’s say, five forces.
Okay. Now discuss that five forces together. How beautiful. That’s good thing to do. You know?
Then if you can if you got some questions, somebody write down note. Then next time when you see me, ask the questions. Or we got some questions. like that. During the every month, during the every month, we do special teaching. I built it.
Nobody did it. I did it. I built it one every month special teachings. There are some students only come special teachings. Years and year, almost fifteen years.
And some some other regular students also comes in special teachings. During the special teachings, I select one topic, one particular topic we advertise early as possible. Then people come. And I start their teaching in eleven a. M.
To until twelve thirty. Then we will have some break for lunch, then start back quarter to two to until to three until three. Then I stopped. Oh, no. No.
No. We come back after the lunch, teachings, then I stopped, then I asked them to make a few groups. If there are many people, maybe four or five groups, like six people, seven people like this. Then I asked each of the group. I ask all the student, go you go there.
You go there. You go there like this. And they’re discussed. They’re maybe around forty five minutes, they’re discussed. And then each of the these groups do have some questions they write down.
You know? And when I start again until three PM or three sometimes three thirty sometimes, we will come back. Then only question and answer we do maybe forty five minutes like that. It works very well because they have their own time also. You know?
I’m doing nothing. Only they just go there and get discussed. Something like that is maybe the we need to think about in the future. You know? Just the idea.
I’m not saying we must do that. It’s a different, you know, the just the idea. Because my own experience. Otherwise, the you hear the teachings from me. You’re interested some of the things.
Maybe you are a little new for these things, but then when you go back to your home, and then then this monkey mind is very jumpy, then you forget. But at least you discuss these things after the teachings, you know, together. So here is the director. I’m suggesting you in the future if you think and with the SBC, you guys discuss, you know, after the class, maybe the in in in the New Year. I know evening is a little difficult because of the, you know, after nine and nine thirty is understandable.
Maybe during the day, sometimes, you know, we will see. Okay? But this is just a suggestion. Okay? I’m not saying the that I’m not giving you any order.
Okay? I’m not order. Here is the director. Director give you order. I need to listen her order.
She is my boss. Okay. That’s called the power of the white seed. Now power of repudiation. Now then the last one is the power of prayer.
See now? Dedication. Dedicate in prayer here, it’s mentioned. Dedicating and praying for all bodhicitta to never degenerate but continuously increase because of the merit we have created. So now you need to dedicate not only just pray and dedicate, not only just benefiting oneself, they benefit in all other sentient beings because of the you already generated bodhicitta.
bodhicitta is the others, not like I I and me, me, me. Isn’t it? So then pray. See? Have this book.
Khensur Rinpoche make very not although this can be expanded, but but he understood the westerner mind. He put very nicely this very, you know, here a little bit, but my duty is the little bit, you know, to expand this extend this the five forces. Now we have not that much time. The I’m going to read the Lojong verses which is also I read it from the Lama Chöpa book. I’m not going to do this again.
The now number six is going to be the the commitment of mind training. I think oh, no. I’m sorry. Number five, the measure of mind training. And the here is the text.
Oh, no. I what I did was I met I jumped. I supposed to be teaching you number four. Gather together, isn’t it? So this translation is sometimes yeah.
Yeah. Gather together, average acquaintances of the advice blend in a practice of one life with five forces. Yes. The instruction for the great vehicle transmigration of consciousness is to apply those very five forces. I’m sorry.
I give you I was reading five one. I wasn’t concentrating. Transmission of the consciousness to apply those very five forces lying on the perfect position on dharma collection into one intention retain the true witness of foremost importance. I was reading the number five. Which one is the now supposed to be, you know, we need to do now?
Yeah. Yes. This is the now whatever I explained to you, that one is the number four. Gather together the average quintessence of this advice, blend the practice of one life with the five forces. The instructions for the great vehicle transference of consciousness is to apply those very five forces laying in the perfect position.
So this one perfect position is the when Buddha was passed away in the right hand like this. You know? So that position, when you are passing when you are dying, if you if you can if you, you know, do that body body position, you know, your left palm top of the your on the on on on your body and and right hand is under your head. You know? This is also they call the lion, you know, posture or something like that.
When Buddha was passed away, Buddha passed away. Buddha went when that mean Buddha when Buddha when Parinirvana, so Buddha went like that. So there is a very the very much blessings and and it’s very important to to do that, but sometimes, you know, people die. Some lama passed away as a standard just meditating like this. But here they give you this one because if wanted to do that, so you have choice now here.
Yeah lying in the perfect position. So then now you are dying. So then now these five forces. If you are familiar before, now five forces, so is the death and dying, all these dissolutions, four elements, and you know there are twenty five gross levels must be dissolutions one after another, like four elements and six sense sources etc. Like all of this need to be dissolutions one after another.
Then when this, for instance, the four elements, the first is the earth elements start to, you know, dissolution, then there would be internal sign and outer sign which appears. Outer sign, we can see it. Internal sign, we cannot see it, but he only then that person can see it or or feel it. That that moment is now scary. So this is exactly the the the when people ask me abortion, you know?
Euthanasia. Euthanasia? Yes? How do you say? Euthanasia.
The injection. See, that’s how I try to say people. People think, oh, too much suffering animals or sometimes you may do this for the human beings also and I hear sometimes in the United States, they take out this life, what we call that, some kind of a life saving or something. But mainly you do this for the animals you know. See animals also need to go through same sort of this process you know.
So now look at all these elements are one after another dissolving. Now you are giving these injections and how careful now. Already there are so many signs appear inside you know. Now on top of that, you are giving these chemicals and injections. We may see animal die peacefully because not moving, not crying, but you have no idea inside in the mental state.
See? That’s what I think. So that’s why they better let them die naturally. Yes, they may be, you know, needing to go through some pain, but this is their own karma. It’s good to get some pain and suffering.
They can able to purify the past negative karma. I’m not saying I’m happy to be an animal, you know, feeling pain and suffering. Absolutely not. My heart is really I saw this many times. Absolutely so much painful.
But because of their own previous karma, it’s good to know that, you know, they can purify their next life, I think. Because somebody is taking care of them. Especially the westerner and here in westerner countries, people love pets, dogs, and cats. These dogs and cats are so fortunate that somebody’s carrying them almost like their own baby, you know. But India, dogs are mostly street dogs.
But nowadays, little bit, at some point the people are adopting dogs and cats like a pet nowadays because India, their equanimity is getting better now. So economic is rising, so people can buy. I saw many, many foreign dogs and cats nowadays even in the Sikkim. Yeah. But you don’t need foreign dogs and cats.
Any dogs and cats mean, you know straight help them. Point is the, see the all these dissolutions, know, earth element dissolve the water, then you know, then fired like that, there would be many signs appears. Then then then they’re very scared. See? So that’s why the if you did learn all this death and dying teaching, now you know, oh, my art element is a process of dissolution.
Like this. See, then now you know. The next comes meh, fire, same thing. But I will not gonna I’m just saying, you know, these things are just just giving you because of the practice. So then this moment, you lay down, now you can all mentally think about it.
So that’s why the many lamas, they meditate because they are meditating. All these things. Because they learn and they, you know, familiarize everything. So all these five forces, death and dying, all these processes, you know, so we can do also like that. Okay?
Then the number five is one is the always oh, okay. First of all, please, ten minute break. Sorry. Go. Go.
Okay. Number four is finished. Number five is the yeah. Number five is this. One is always accompanied by only joyful thoughts, thinking only positive.
A reverse attitude indicates a transformation. One is trained or one is capable even when distracted. If you are familiar with teachings and if you train well your mind, sometimes we may be distracted, isn’t it? Because some sort of the world is a crazy place. This happens really.
Even though you’re distracted, but still you can able to, you know, pull back because of the power of your practice that you do regularly. So which is very important, regularly routine, which is I mentioned this before. Routine is very important, not like when I should be practicing. Daily base. Make some routine.
For instance, just the example I’m giving you. Beginning, when you start something, new things, when you start it, maybe a little difficult. People know because they’re not used to it, you know, but a little pushy. When you started something, once you start it, if you do this, try to do this continually as something that you used to do, then by the next day comes, you like to do that. Next day comes, then you like to do that.
For instance, if you wake up a little earlier, you no need alarm. If you do this routinely daily base, you no need alarm in the night or, you know, or tomorrow morning, I need to wake up. You know? Just time comes five, six AM, just like this. You know?
You don’t need to put alarms. If you are very late if you went if you went to bed very late, sometimes possible you need to put alarm. Otherwise, regularly in routine, you don’t need to do that. Then what you need to do next thing? Mandala offerings, water bowl offerings, prostrations, and if you do some recitations, yeah, you know, then then the breakfast, then I think most of most of the people go to work, you know, routine.
For instance, going to walk, you don’t need that much effort. You just go. Get up and go. Why you go that? Because you need to walk.
Why you’re walking, no need a routine. You just wake up morning, you know you need to go to walk, and you just take shower, and, automatically, you just sometimes you have no time to take breakfast. You just go that because of the you need to walk. When you need when you walk I mean, if don’t walk, you cannot make money. If you cannot make money, you cannot support yourself and your family.
That is the actually, the goal. This perspective I’m talking. So that’s why you need to walk under understanding the salary. You have life. This is your livelihood because you need money to survive.
So that’s why the sometimes even though you don’t want to go to work, but you you have to because of the there is a benefit. You know? See, you you have you know that benefit. It’s important. Your salary is important on money monthly base.
In Australia, I think, in in in the half of month, I think here is like that. United States, the monthly base. You know? Same thing now, routine, spiritual side is the you need something, some faith. You need faith.
What is the faith here to achieving enlightenment? Like your salary, Achieving enlightenment is to your goal. In order to achieve enlightenment, you need to start all these different teachings, practices. Same thing, you go to walk for to get salary. That is to your enlightenment, mundane enlightenment, isn’t it?
Without monthly you know, base salary, you cannot survive. Understandable. Now spiritual side is the ultimate happiness. That’s a real one. In order to achieve ultimate happiness, you need to meditate.
You need to listen to the teachings. You need to practice. See? So this point is the if you try to build some routine, this will help you, really. This will help you to even though when you are then if you do this continually, even though when you are distracted a little bit, it’s very easy to pull back.
Even though when you get angry, it’s very easy to put down because of the your power of the practice. So mean to be all these teachings, listening the teachings, and practicing the teachings, the reason is to achieve enlightenment, to becoming kind human being, compassionate human being. This one is always accompanied by only joyful thoughts, and the reverse attitude indicates a transformation. One is trained if one is capable even when distracted. That’s it.
Finished. Number five is finished. Next week, number six and seven. Now I can take some questions. Go.
Any questions? Anyone? Please. Number four, the last line. Retain the two witnesses of foremost importance.
Yeah. Here, if you do have this book, beautiful here is mentoring is the Witnesses is these are the examples giving you. Mentoring is the if you maintain your own principle, doesn’t matter how many witness, whatever is it, you wouldn’t get any problems. You must if you maintain your own principle, who you are, you know Now here is the example is the let’s say the we are falsely accused of stealing. Even though we might be able to call off a witness to testify to our innocence, innocence, you know, we ourselves are the main witness because we know that we are in fact innocent and will not have to experience the karmic results of this action that we have not actually created.
Point is that you need to maintain your own principle. Then doesn’t matter what people say, what people you know, but you are the your own the you are the your own teacher. Teacher. You are your own enemies. Enemy mean that.
If you maintain that. Don’t care rest of the world, you know, if you are doing right thing. Whatever people says to you, good or bad, you know who you are. You know that you did not steal. Even though people are saying, oh, he he didn’t steal, or, oh, yeah, he did steal.
Somebody’s the come there. But you know you did not steal. You know who you are. So you no need to worry for that. You are maintaining your own principle.
You know? So main thing is the you remember this Mahatma Gandhi’s three monkeys? So that’s you need to practice. Next question. Yes, ma’am.
Yeah. If someone has pulse disease and accused you of something that you haven’t done Mhmm. You can’t really talk with them. Can you make some sort of prayer or something? Because they’re going to suffer.
A prayer for them? For them? Yeah. You can do you know, prayer is yes. Prayer is good.
First of all, you can generate the bodhicitta, you know, generate bodhicitta, which is very important. Think about the thank you. You accused me, although I didn’t do whatever you accused me, but thank you that I forgive you. Forgiveness, practice the forgiveness, that I can able to practice patience, tolerance, forgiveness. You are the one who, you know, the created this wonderful practice that I can able to do it.
If you think about this way, so I will going to dedicate all my prayers to you to have a wonderful life, no suffering, and no pain. Of course, if you say prayer, I mean, you want to say resistance prayer, you are talking about it or what? For them. Yeah. Just just this way you can pray.
You can dedicate the all your positive tool, like a Tonglen practice, taking and giving practice. You can do that also, you know, these people are the one who really need help. They are suffering. So that’s why sometimes people, you know, they accuse you. This happens all the time.
This happens because of the they are not seeing your good quality. They are not seeing your value. This is only the bad things about you because of their own jealous mind, whatever is it. They are going through some difficulties, so now they think they are totally depend the non virtues. So that’s why the this is everything is coming out of, you know, all these negativities from their own non virtues, their own egos.
Unfortunately, how can we we really not to pray for those people? How can we really be the not dedicating for them because this is the people this this kind of people are the really suffering? I am Buddhist practitioner. I am monk. I am nun.
I must be better than that person. See? If you think about this way, see, that’s a call. You are your own teacher. You can be your own teacher.
You can be your own enemy mean that. You know? Difficult. Sometimes very difficult, especially the someone is facing you. That’s the most difficult.
Then if you’re not seeing, you can practice. But proud of the deer sometimes, you know, as you can see that, that’s the most difficult. But as I said, you are distracted now, you know, but still you can pull back very easily if you regularly practice. That’s the only best thing we can do. Otherwise, this violence leads cycle of the violence.
It’s like this. Circles, you know, circulates. Doesn’t make a sense. Somebody must be stopped it now. We are the one who can able to stop it once because we are practitioners.
We are monks and nuns. We are Sangha members. They are not. See, if you think of this way, it’s help you. Okay?
Yeah. Anyone? Please. I work in an area where people are very sick. Yeah.
Are given very strong medication sometimes with the intention to Morphine? Morphine. Yeah? Morphine? Or not even Some cases?
I find of death in the. Yeah. Yeah. Very such things. So is is it still possible with that amount of intervention in the body to have to go through that dying process without being stirred?
I I’m not aware enough to be able to be with myself, but it does I know sometimes I find it very distressing to be with people at that time because I’m I’m responsible to a certain extent because that’s what I do. I give them this medication. Mhmm. And yet I don’t necessarily believe that that’s the right thing to do. So there’s a little bit, you know Good one.
Thank you. Good good question. Two things. First of all, you have no any intention to harm these people. Your heart is in the right place, especially that this is the westerner signs.
You know? These are the only we have so far beside the Buddhism to I remember my own assistant. Oh, I miss her. You know? Elaine, wonderful human being, like my mother figure.
She was passing before I went to India two thousand fourteen. I really try to come tears come from my such a wonderful person. I went to see her. Now she was having morphine. That’s what they give you.
But good thing is the she followed the some of the things she followed that what I mentioned. I told her not to sleep in the hospital, but she has some money. She’s good. Rich, actually. Not a rich.
Rich. Her hospital bed is they rent it in her house. That’s I wanted you to do. And her daughter, wonderful, they hire also the nurse. One nurse twenty four hours serving until her death.
Yeah. I’m going there. It’s very easy me me to go because this is her house, not hospital. You know? Hospital, very complicated, signing things, checking things.
You know, I cannot there’s nothing I can do, but I want to do something for her. So then now she is in the on her house, this special bed, you know, everything there. But her this her room is like a a small hospital, actually. Everything’s there. All this oxygen, everything’s ready there.
Because of this, she can pay. Then she just last moment, she was having so much morphine. I was there, you know, with her and saying some prayers, talking to her. And she was talking to me, please don’t worry. I’m not fearful.
But I I didn’t like this morphine. You know, I didn’t I know it’s going to affect me, but I was checking with her. She was thinking. She was thinking to let go. She was thinking also the she knew these elements will be dissolution.
She learned everything from me. Also, I was talking that this gonna happened. At the moment, you must think about this one. Are you understanding? She squeeze my hand like this.
Good. Next thing is the that finished and another one happens, then this kind of a sign will become that you need to think about that one. Do you understand loudly like this? That mean even the morphine, she was sudden sense there understanding. Do you understand what I’m saying?
I don’t know what chemical you are giving them. I’m talking here the morphine, which is painkiller, which is also very strong. She was very disoriented, but still she can hear. She can understand the my voice, whatever I was saying. You know?
So that’s one thing. But but then I don’t know all the chemicals. The it’s very difficult because I’m not scientist. Scientist. I’m assuming all this chemical could effect if someone is really practicing.
Reason why I’m saying that because many lamas and monks, they didn’t want to die in the hospital when things are not good for them. But, of course, in hospital, they try to protect you, save you. They do many things they give you, but they didn’t want it. They go back to the monastery in their own house. They die there.
One reason is why because of the they knew all these things, they were going to get it in hospital. You know? But, But this is your duty. I don’t want you to feel any guilt or bad thing. Remember, your heart is in the right place.
You try to help these people, which is the you are helping them, certain degree. But I will give you one thing. Say medicine Buddha’s mantra and blow whatever injection you are giving them. Say many times medicine Buddha’s mantra. Do you memorize it?
Say it in whatever tablets or the injection you are giving them. Say Medicine Buddha mantra, generate a little. I’m doing this one to help you. This is my job. Not there’s no any intention to harm, only to help you.
So then blow the say, keep them. I think that’s the best thing to do. As a nurse, your job is very, very important, especially that this kind of sickness. You know? Don’t feel any guilt.
No. There’s no guilt feeling. This is job. And, also, the one side is that these sick people are they are so fortunate someone from Buddha house director who also the Buddhist, who also, you know, had many, teachings from the many, many wonderful lamas. Now not only just that, also saying some mantras on their medicines and injections.
Look at that. They’re so fortunate. Who gonna do such a thing? If you look at that perspective or anyone, you know, if you’re a doctor, you can do that that way. Really, it’s a great I mean, at least, I mean, you know, you try to help them.
You you are generating something inside here. Okay? Yeah. Okay. Last question.
Anyone? Oh, this is delicious. Delicious. Coconut. Yeah.
Yeah? When you say this is coconut, yeah, Elaine love coconut. She buys me when she see ice cream in my fridge, she say, like, this is not good ice cream. She threw out. Next time, she brings coconut ice cream.
So kind and kindest, you know. Such a even I like that one. Coconut is not so tasty. This is not good for your health. Coconut ice cream is much expensive than regular one.
But she pissed, but not so good taste beginning. But after I was listening her, she’s like my mother, also my dietitian my dietitian. You know? Little pushy too sometimes, yeah? But I love her.
Really healthy. And chocolate, very healthy. Okay, then you can cook now. Coconut. Okay, no questions.
Education. From the Guru Puja book, page two I’m sorry. One twenty. Lord Buddha, make me instrument in your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
We are born in eternal life, from happiness to happiness until full enlightenment. May all beings effortlessly attain their transcendent and blissful state of omniscient Buddhahood. Thank you very much.