Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A verse from Candrakīrti’s Entering into the Middle Way opens this 101-minute Lamrim talk by Khensur Rinpoche: if we have freedom and don’t use it, who will lift us up after we fall? From that warning, Rinpoche builds a structured case for practicing now rather than later — the superiority of human rebirth, temporary versus ultimate happiness, and impermanence as the reason delay is foolish, illustrated by the image of finding gold and throwing it in the river. He outlines the first-grade practices (avoiding the ten non-virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind), introduces faith in the Three Jewels, and arrives at bodhicitta — the resolve to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. The session closes with a striking practical point: the essence of Dharma is simply a good heart, a loving and compassionate attitude that naturally prevents harmful action. A short Q&A covers guiding children in spiritual practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 29 LR 1999 09 21.mp3
UUID: bdc57b62-2b69-4417-a0f5-8b4ac8dbcf34
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Lam Rim (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1999-09-21
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 101.7 minutes
Words: ~6,487
Yeah. Well, at the beginning, before you listen to any spiritual talk, it is traditionally required or kind of instruction to be in a good mental motivation and thinking that I will in the future help other beings. For which purpose? Firstly, start trying to get rid of my own faults and trying to myself be endowed with all the good qualities and for which purpose, as the beginning step I first listen to these teachings or talk about spiritual. So that kind of good part of motivation is required at the beginning.
And from Rinpoche’s side, he will speak with the motivation of benevolent talk hoping that his talk may be of help to you because whatever he taught will be based upon his previous studies and practices all the time he has been doing. So in this way, there will have to be the combination of good thought of motivation from listeners and from the speakers’ side both. So please try to generate a good mental thought thinking. We use this opportunity of listening to the talk in the future to be happy together. And in trying to generate that good thought, we will meditate together for about three minutes.
And the great Indian master called by the name Acharya Sri Candrakīrti, when he one of the masterpieces work called Entering into the Middle Way School. A theory there, he says in a verse, Now when we have all got the freedom and we are with all the positive factors. At this time, if we don’t hold on to it and we’re gonna make maximum use of it, then afterward, if we don’t do that, then afterward, once we fall down into deep abyss, then from there, who else will support you to lift you up? So, anyways, it will be explained. Generally speaking, there are in the universe different kinds of beings, technically called the migrators.
There are different kinds of migrators, and among them humans are far superior. And among the different kinds of humans, the humans of the south continent in Buddhist cosmology called the Zambu south continent, the human beings of that south continent are far superior in the sense that their mental faculty are more, I will call, sharp in engaging into analysis of what’s present part and choice of solution for problems they have to choose. Anyway, in the previous, what I call lines from the master, the Master advises that freedom is a very important aspect in a human’s life in trying to go on a progress over finding solutions because if one has freedom, then one has what I call room to do whatever kind of thing one wants to do whereas if one doesn’t have freedom, then there isn’t any possibility at all. And regarding freedom, it is quite a different kinds of what called different kinds in its variety, meaning there are different kinds of freedom. Let’s say we have freedom to do certain sort of job and we haven’t got freedom to do certain kind of things.
But here, freedom in the Master’s Advice in that one verse means freedom for us to be able to do what are called things to which we can attain happiness and freedom in the sense to do things to which we can abandon the suffering, to which we can get rid of suffering because we all equally are same in the sense that we all equally want to be with happiness and be free of sufferings. And we all human have the best freedom in the sense we have what’s called the ability to be able to choose the cause of happiness and to get rid of suffering. And regarding the means through which we can attain happiness, it is of two temporary means through which we can attain temporary happiness and to long term or technically called ultimate happiness and which can be attained by ultimate measure. And also with getting rid of suffering it is also a tool. We can apply temporary measure to get rid of suffering temporarily and also long term measure by which we can completely get rid of all the sufferings.
Temporary sufferings are like being sick and being thirsty, being hungry, being cold, being hot. Against those temporary sufferings, we can remove and apply measures which are temporary, we can be with medicine, we can take medicine, we can prepare to have clothes, we can look for food, we can look for drinks. So there are temporary measures against those temporary suffering. And also temporary happiness can be possible by applying insignificant temporary measures like making enough money through which to be able to have a certain reasonable amount of temporary happiness. So we do see that temporary happiness can be attained through applying temporary measures.
And with the temporary, what’s called suffering and applying temporary measure, it is very temporary in the sense if we are not able to apply the measures continuously then the sufferings do occur again. Let’s say if we are not able to apply the temporary measure today then the suffering will arise today and if we are not able to apply it tomorrow, the sufferings will arise tomorrow and same day after tomorrow and month, year and so forth. So temporary sufferings do arise until we are not until we don’t continue to apply the measures. And if we happen to be quite rich, then it is possible to have temporary happiness by having enough to eat, enough to drink, and so forth. But it’s not possible in that state of being rich to have happiness, you know, what we call in continuous long term, technically called in ultimate run, in ultimate sense of the happiness.
Whereas on the other hand, if we are able to acquire happiness completely free of all suffering, that it remains all the time happy, that there’s no suffering at all, then that sort of happiness can be called very stable and we call very good happiness. Happiness in its best sense. And that possibility of acquiring happiness where there is not any work or suffering at all, that that possibility is what call of having that happiness where there is no suffering, there is a way to have that. And what that means is, as in our belief, we believe that it is the Dharma literally called the holding which holds the person from falling to the what we call bad sufferings and in English we call religion, the whole doctrine of Buddha. So if we practice the Dharma, the Buddhist doctrine in its entire, what we call, instruction, then we can acquire that happiness where there’s no suffering at all.
And at the moment, we are in a situation where we do have the freedom in the sense meaning we do have the perfect facility and opportunity to be able to work for that goal to be with our happiness where there’s no suffering at all. Therefore, when we have this freedom, it would be quite advisable that we should try to make maximum use of it by practicing the Dharma as best as we can. And if one does the practice of the Dharma, the whole doctrine very well, then it is possible even within this one lifetime, a person can attain a state where there is complete happiness and no suffering at all. Well, at the moment when we have this freedom to really acquire for ourselves the ultimate happiness where there is no suffering, so at the moment when we have this freedom, if we don’t make use of it and if we don’t try to acquire that happiness, then there is one great fall. And what is that great fault?
That great fault is that we as a human or as a living sentient being and as a human, we do not last very long and there will be a time kind of what we call, we wouldn’t live very long and there will come a time we have to die. And once we are dead, it’s quite quite difficult to again have a rebirth as a human. And not only that, if we continue to not practice this spiritual part, the Dharma, while we have the freedom, then the other faults which we will have is every day we would have so many, we would engage into so many negative actions through all the three doors, body, speech and mind, like through our mind we would have bad thoughts such as harmful intent trying to plan to bring harm to others and also thought of anger, hatred, resentment. And also through our speech we could be engaging into such negative actions as telling lies, to play tricks upon others in order to accomplish one’s own interests. And also we could be engaging in negative actions of speech such as spreading rumors or saying something meant to bring the split between two groups of people or two groups of I call units between people.
So therefore we can see if we analyze that if we while having this freedom, if we don’t continue to do a spiritual practice, there will all the time in our daily life, a lot of negative actions which we would engage into. So if we do not do the Dharma practice, the spiritual practice while we have the freedom, what will happen is we continue to do negative actions. And as a consequence of negative actions after we die in this life we will be born in a much lower state of rebirth such as animals which we normally see around birds, pigs, dogs and so forth which when we see are very much in a very bad situation in the sense that they can’t understand Dharma. They can’t understand any spiritual practice and thought and they are not able to hear even if there are, let’s say, people who are going to give teachings to those to those animals. So once we are born in those states, there will all the time be a lack of any spiritual illumination.
And because of that, the situation will become worse and worse. At the moment, we have come to the intersection of two roads. One leads to — this is what, figuratively speaking. At the moment, we have come to the intersection of two roads, of which one lead to we call unhappiness, one is leading to happiness. And now is the time because on this intersection, we should be unmistaken in our choice which road we have to choose.
If we happen to choose the wrong road leading to unhappiness then we will fall down into unhappiness meaning in the actual context we will have a bad rebirth and thereby continue to suffer. And whereas at the moment if we choose on this intersection the right road which is leading to happiness then we will experience happiness. We will have So at the moment, there are two roads. One in another term is called the good road, and another term is the other road is called in another term the bad road. So we are on the intersection.
We have got the freedom to do whatever good or bad actions we are able to do through which we can be on the right good road leading to happiness. Otherwise, if we happen to choose the wrong road, meaning if we happen to do bad actions, then we will suffer. Therefore, as a means to choose the right road, what we have to do is, meaning as a means to choose the right road, thereby to be with happiness, what we have to do is to do the practice of the Dharma, the spiritual path. And that way we can be on the right road and through that way in another figurative way of speaking we can go upward instead of falling down into the bad road and into suffering. And as a means not to fall down into the bad road of suffering, what we have to principally do is avoid having our mind and body into what are called actions which are meant to bring harm to others which can be grouped into actions called afflictive actions or actions originating in deluded mind. Generally, there is a kind of a normal talk saying it is up to our own choice or freedom whether we do spiritual practice or not.
But that is one general talk. Whereas on the other hand, we have a big question of whether is it a kind of necessary that we have to do spiritual practice in Buddhist terms meaning whether we have to do Dharma practice or not. And as an answer, yes, we do have to do spiritual practice because we all want to be with happiness and do not want to be suffering. And because of that being fact, on the other hand, it is true that only through Dharma practice that we can attain happiness and be free of suffering. And in this context of happiness and suffering, it is being explained in the terms of ultimate happiness and to be free of suffering completely.
As it is only through Dharma practice, spiritual practice, that one can attain ultimate happiness and one can get rid of suffering completely. Therefore, as conclusion, we definitely we definitely are called, we definitely understand that to do Dharma practice is a must. But now another question will come up, that is whether we are able to do Dharma practice, whether we are able to do spiritual practice or not. And that is, yes, we can do, as an answer we can do because we are at the moment completely with all the positive factors and conditions and we are completely free of all the adverse factors and conditions. Let’s say in normal society if we start a project or any kind of work and if we completely avoid all the adverse factors and get clear of all the adverse conditions and we try to completely have all the facilities factors, all the positive conditions, then it is a matter of natural law of fact that our work becomes successful.
And even if we come to realize that we can do Dharma practice, spiritual practice, but among you and among normal groups of people, it is a common way of thinking that at the moment I’m young and I got still some time. I can do my practice afterwards when I have not enough time after. And that way of thinking is not very wise because death could come anytime and we are not certain when it’s going to come. And once we die, it’s not very easy to attain a human rebirth again and again. And it is like a case of a person finding a piece of gold and saying, oh, I don’t need the gold at the moment.
And I instead, maybe after some time I want the gold and have a use of it and thereby if the person throws the gold out into the river then it is a very foolish thing because it’s not perhaps more than ninety percent is not sure that the person may again encounter finding the goal in the future. At the moment, we have we have a wonderful special what I call special treasury passed on from past masters, and we have good companions who are source of encouragement and inspiration while we do practice. And also we have got wonderful lamas or teachers from whom we can receive continuous guidance and instructions. So it is quite an appropriate time that we should be doing our practice right this very moment onward. And as normal people still tend to have that way of thinking that I’m at the moment very young and I still got to look after my parents, my friends, relatives and I still have to defeat my enemies and when I grow old then perhaps after that I might do at that time I might do the practice.
And that way of thinking is wrong because the thing called impermanence, which is a Buddhist way of calling the dead in a figurative way, The thing called impermanence can happen anytime and there is not any definite law that an old person should die earlier and young one should die after. Anybody could die no matter the difference in age. So we come now understand that I have to do Dharma practice and I have to do right this very moment because it is the only means by which I can attain ultimate happiness and completely get rid of all the sufferings. Therefore, at least a kind of understanding the person will come to that I have to do the practice. Now regarding the actual manner how to do the Dharma practice, it may be still a very unclear thing for most people.
So regarding that aspect, the actual manner of how to do the Dharma practice, that is in the beginning one has to have a really work a strong belief in whatever one is following after having found it correct as the only means. They are thinking, Oh, I have found a wonderful path, Dharma. And it is the real source for me to gain happiness and to be free of suffering. So in the beginning, one has to have a good faith, good belief based on a good, what we call, conclusive understanding. And merely having a faithful attitude of saying, oh, I go for refuge, meaning it’s an expression meaning, oh, it is a very precious thing.
So just merely thinking that soul attitude is not enough, one has to really understand what everyone is going to do practice and having understood it well by work or necessary studies then one has to do it or practice it well. And in the beginning before one actually starts the practice one has to have a strong sense of faithfulness to the original teacher Buddha, understanding that he was the one who in the beginning did the practice and through his own experience attained the state of enlightenment and through whatever path he trained, he taught to all the sentient beings that through these if you practice, you get happiness. If you don’t do these things, you can get rid of suffering. As if kind parents advising to their beloved children. So understanding that Buddha was in that manner very, what we call, very perfect teacher.
Through that way, in the beginning, we have to have a faith in the Buddha. And whatever Buddha has taught, there are people who have followed it and have practiced it and through which there are people who have practiced and have reached different levels of spiritual realizations and attainment like there are people who have done the practices in the first place, meaning before anybody else, and therefore they have reached the first level. And then there are the second and third grades of different practitioners according to earlier and later duration of time they have started the practice. And those practitioners who have followed Buddhist teaching and who have reached spiritual realization, they are called Sangha in Sanskrit, literally meaning those intent on virtuous action, meaning any spiritual practitioner. Those spiritual practitioners are the source of our inspiration and whose example we can follow and make the same progress.
Therefore, understanding that those spiritual practitioners are source of guidance, examples for us. Therefore, after having faith and belief in the teacher Buddha, if you are really going to do this practice, then the second step is to have a belief and a feeling of what we call a feeling of preciousness toward the spiritual practitioners, the sanghas. We have to have faith and feeling of preciousness towards the Three Jewels Buddha, his teaching and the practitioners who have followed those teachings. And once we have generated that strong sense of preciousness through those three, then we come to doing the actual practice. And regarding the actual practice, Buddha has taught different levels of teachings or practices for different levels of a person who on this spiritual path.
There are practices which are to be done first time and there are practices which are to be done after the first or second practice and there are the third one. And regarding the first time practices, there are such advices as Buddha has advised that firstly the person should try to not engage into negative actions of body which are not to kill others and not to steal properties or things belonging to others and not to engage in sexual misconduct such as having affairs with somebody else’s partner without any consent and so forth in terms of stealing. And within that group are the what are called practices which practitioner has to do in which the practitioner tries not to do any negative actions of speech. So negative actions normally are those actions which bring harm to others and which are causes for one to receive suffering in the future. And regarding the negative actions of speech, there are such as uttering harsh words which pierce into others’ heart, brings pain to others, and also such negative actions of speech like telling lies which are meant to play a trick on others and thereby to bring pain or discomfort to others And also negative actions of speech like divisive speech, which like you spread rumors intending to bring disharmony and split between members of family, like between parents, between brothers and sisters, or between two groups of people and any other.
And they are advised by Buddha not to do. And actions through mind, which are advised not to do by Buddha are such negative actions of mind like holding harmful intent, plotting or what we call preparing plot to bring harm to others in one’s thought, and also such negative actions of mind like having intense envy on delightful objects, good things, having great, what call, great mind of attachment, longing to have and also the negative actions of mind and was not to do or holding distorted view such as thinking that the law of karma which was advised by Buddha or explained by Buddha as a fact or law that if you do good actions it will bring good results of happiness. If you do bad actions it will bring bad results of suffering. So that law of action, if you hold in your view that this is wrong, then that is a distorted view. And also your thinking, if you hold a view such as there isn’t a past life and there isn’t any rebirth in your next life.
Such what is called distorted view are also called negative actions of mind. And all these are at work. All these have been advised by Buddha not to do. So these are the first grade of the practices advised by Buddha to do that one should not do the bad actions of body, speech and mind and one should adopt or practice good actions of body, speech and mind. And if we do such good practice, we belong to the first group of first grade of practice, then as a consequence, we will not be born in that rebirth in next life in such a state as rebirth as birds or animals and so forth.
Instead, as a consequence of these good actions, we will be born in higher rebirth such as human and such as deva, supposed to be higher beings up in different realms of universe where they have all the time complete material comfort. And in essence, the advice given was to do practices by which one do not oppress other sentient beings, by which one do not harm other sentient beings, do not injure other sentient beings, and do not bring suffering to other sentient beings. Instead, it has been advised that one should engage in practices by which one becomes compassionate to others, becomes benevolent to others and become helpful to others. And as all sentient beings, so sentient beings are being termed as anyone who is subject to sufferings and who has consciousness. As all sentient beings are equal, we all want happiness and do not want suffering.
And that being the fact and on top of that because of the reasoning that all sentient beings have been very kind to oneself in the sense that there is not any sentient being who hasn’t been once our parents in the past. And not only that, even in this life for us to have food, clothing, place to live, they all, if we analyze quite carefully, we come to understand that these all provisions of our existence, survival, depend so much on the efforts and kindness of other sentient beings. Therefore, it has been advised that we have to think about other sentient beings’ welfare. At the moment if we think very well then everything that constitute to our happiness, comfort and having enough to eat, having enough to drink, we can track down to the dependent effort of other cherishing. Meaning whatever happiness, comfort, food, clothing we seem to get, if we examine carefully, they all seem to be a product of other people and other sentient beings’ efforts and kindness.
We can think by looking at the things just before us this evening being able to engage in the activity of giving spiritual talk and from your side being able to have the opportunity to listen to the spiritual talk. It seems that this opportunity and this has been possible because of the kindness of the host. And Rinpoche being able to find time to what we call give talk and getting this opportunity to talk was because of the kindness and effort of requests being made by what’s called Mary and Chaitanya and so forth. And so forth. Which are?
Which are? Sorry. Which are? Oh, yeah. So, you know, we can see And also the clothes we wear, we can say it came from the efforts of other beings and in some cases the substance material also from other beings.
And the color which seems quite attractive has to be the labor of other beings. Everything came from sentient beings. Even our body has come from other sentient beings. How that is so is our body has come has a combination of the fluids of father and mother. And whereas at the moment, we think it is really ours thing.
Oh, it’s my body, my hand, my head and so forth. Whereas if we examine carefully, it has come from our parents. So we’re just talking about the body, not the mind. And also at the moment, most of us seem to have certain kind of education. And that education perhaps we might think is because of our own, what’s called, effort, but it’s not.
We are dependent on our guidance by our teachers and others. And likewise, everything we eat or drink, so forth, if we think they all have come from other sentient beings, therefore, or by label of other sentient beings. Therefore, at the end, we understand all sentient beings are really very kind to us. And therefore, sentient beings, all of the sentient beings are immensely kind to us and also of the fact that all sentient beings equally want happiness and do not want suffering. Therefore, it is appropriate that we should generate a strong, dedicated sense of courage that I am going to lead all these sentient beings from their suffering into a state of happiness.
And for which purpose, firstly, I must attain the perfect state of enlightenment or perfection where there is complete resourcefulness. And that way of generating that special dedicated thought is technically called in this belief as the bodhicitta, the enlightenment mind. And that very mind and that very decision attitude is very precious. If we are able to generate that precious mind of enlightenment as part of complete dedication to others for which purpose one aspired to attain highest state of enlightenment. So if we are able to generate that mind of enlightenment, then through that generation of that mind, we will be able to get rid of all our negativities, meaning previous deposit of our bad actions supposed to be bringing happiness or suffering for us in the future.
Through that generation of mind we can also accumulate vast amount of merit which are required for a person’s progress on to being perfect. Through that generation of the mind enlightenment we can accomplish all our temporary and ultimate interests and welfare, and we can also accomplish the welfare of countless other sentient beings. Therefore, that very mind of enlightenment is a very, very good heart mind and it’s very precious and we should all try to somehow generate that mind of enlightenment. So we stopped here and the evening’s talk briefly went in explaining the purpose or the need for doing normal practice, spiritual practice, and the reason why we have to do and the manner how we have to do. Also, a conclusion note, the Dharma practice or spiritual practice in Buddhist, what we call explanation, principally is something to be dependent on our mental attitude.
We have to generate a good mind, meaning in English a good heart. With that good heart we should try to help each other as best as we can and we should try to communicate to each other in the best, genuine, sympathetic way as we can and thereby try to do or spend our life in meaningful way. I’m quite happy to be explain a little bit. Basically, Dharma, or spiritual practice in Buddhist sense, means to have a good mental attitude. It all comes down to attitude of mind, how you hold it.
Therefore, in your daily life be compassionate, be loving to each other, be friendly, harmonious. And that’s in essence what spiritual advice has to be. And through our good mental attitude, good mind, if we are able to be loving to each other, compassionate to each other, friendly to each other, then there is not any possibility at all for us to do bad actions of body and speech because our mind, which is the source, is pure. Therefore, as a whole, our life in essence becomes a spiritual life. If there is a genuine, loving and compassionate and friendly attitude, then even in the family we would find the parents and kids are going well in all fields and the relatives among themselves will be good.
In any group of two type of people, everything will be good and thereby, the whole life will be spent in a very happy way. If our mental attitude is quite happy and friendly to each other, then let’s say even if between a couple, happen to be a very poor couple, even if they have one bread to eat in between them, they can share the bread. And even if they have a cup of tea, they can still share half between them. And even if they have a few clothes, they can swap each other’s clothes and will occasionally change. Whereas if we, in other situations, find a person or in a family very rich, if the mental attitude between the two persons are not good, then we perhaps will find a situation that when the other enters, when one enters, the other leaves the house.
When one faces east, the other faces west, and when there is arrangement in the house, perhaps they will try to avoid and be as far as between from each other. Therefore, even though physically we might say there is a, what I call, comfort, but mentally, it’s very unhappy situation. So tonight, I want to request you to be friendly to each other. Try to all the time bear a good heart of love and compassion. And that’s about it.
And if you have any questions, there are about five minutes for that. Rupeshak. Mhmm. I have a question. I’m interested in the children how they can be guided in their lives so that their lives will also be happy, that they can avoid suffering and any trouble.
What we can do as parents to make or to help them to have a happy life. In Tibet it is normally done this way. When a child is very small, even from that time onward, our parents put it into brain an expression meaning advices repeatedly and says that if you follow this spiritual path even to a kid the parents would advise even if you follow this spiritual path you will have happy happiness afterward. Therefore, they explaining to you that way, they advise the kids to do good actions of body, speech, and mind and ask them not to do negative actions. And maybe not, that is the case, but generally, perhaps nowadays, it may be advisable to see by advising slowness slowly, meaning advising quite skillfully whether it into their whether it appeals to them or not.
So in this way, advising slowly, slowly and if they had any previous Dharma imprint, then that imprint will drop enough and they may accept and perhaps become, what we call, take the advice into doing it, into practice. And if the parents, along with giving advice, do or practice from themselves, also in your case, if your kids, while receiving the advice, if you happen to be doing the practice, then they will afterwards remember, oh, dad used to advise me, and he also used to do practice. And that way, there is a double effect, and it seems to stay more firm in their mind. Like in Tibetan society sometimes we perhaps might get cases where parents, because of being engaged in some busy jobs and things like that, they seem to have distant connection with their kids and in that case they failed to advise to the kids and kids not having received an advice often tend to less inclined to expression or things like that. And they instead become more or following more the modern trend in what normally in Indian schools we find.
The emphasis seems to be on not Birds also have immense unbearable sufferings. Birds suffer from attacking each other, killing each other, and very dumb in the sense of not having any wisdom of knowing about this spiritual path. And also, some of the other sick what kind of sufferings of what I call not finding enough food and drinks and, you know, not having enough to eat. Sure. But is it is it done not to have this wisdom that you’re talking about?
Being dumb and ignorant, as a result, there will be continuous chain of rebirth in the much worse state of being more dumb, more ignorant. Like, as a bird being ignorant and dumb, afterward the next rebirth would be perhaps a pig, and then after perhaps a tiger, and then after leopard. So in this way you go on just circling in each of your future lifetimes into worse and worse state of having no any spiritual practice and so forth. To be born as a bird because only you have to do is the time you’re about to die. At that moment, make a strong wish that may I be born as that particular bird.
Then that strong wish becomes a condition which stimulates the past karma of being born as a bird. Regarding past karma of being born as a bird, it is so many times meaning we have done so many negative actions in the past which would bring our rebirth as a bird in the future. And those so many negative actions in the past, they just are remaining there in a way to having a temporary stimulus or condition. So normally in the Buddhist way of explanation, every major action becomes the cause and to result it into effect, it will have to be cooperated with the conditional factor which is temporary interaction of thinking. So meaning, we can have it, only just you have to make a strong wish.
There had been cases, which he explains, there had been cases in the past of a person who when about to die made a strong wish that I’ll be born as a special elephant. And afterward, the next life, he actually was born as the elephant. Yeah. You that elephant is an example that it happened in the past. And you can recall if you want to be a, what we call, bird in next life, you can become.
And you can be even born as a bird having what we call huge body, large wings, and having a raised feather on top like a cockatoo. And you can. But regarding bird, it’s quite a lot of suffering because birds have very small heart, meaning they’re very covered and at least what I call least threat. They would be very much what call frightened. Therefore, their life is spent in being fearful all the time.
Their mental capacity is not such as to be able to review past actions and have guilt and regret. But still, their whole life is spent in constant fearful and all their concern in their whole life is not having enough to eat and drink. Therefore, in constant threat, attacking each other and so forth. Do you feel that there is a lot of suffering being a human? Yeah.
No. The question was do you have self awareness self enough guilt? Yeah. Do you have? Yeah.
There shouldn’t be any problem because even if you have a guilt in, let’s say, an example of guilt over mistaken work in the past, then in that case, you may not have such, what I call, reputation of doing mistakes in the future because all you have to do is ask the people who are more informed about the work you’re going to do and try to clear away the doubts. Having done all those consultation, asking, then you do the work, and you have no mistake. You have no guilt. No. It’s difficult.
It’s not that easy. You will have to have enough preparation of having enough studies into what work you’re doing and also use. Like in the beginning, if you are not very good at good at typing, then you take too long and very slow. And after when you are used and have got it taught properly, then you can do it quite quickly and even not looking at it. Would the Rinpoche like to take some food?
Would you like to take some food? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Would you like to come, or shall I