Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 130-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche presents a comprehensive summary and extension of a lojong (mind training) teaching, grounding his instruction in the urgent reality of death and impermanence. He begins by reviewing three contemplative questions from a prior session: investigating inherent existence across the five aggregates, examining the existent and non-existent mind, and understanding the thin line between eternalism and nihilism. He then systematically covers appropriate antidotes to each of the six root delusions—anger (patience), attachment (detachment and contentment), pride (humility), ignorance (understanding emptiness), doubt (knowledge), and wrong view—and lists twenty secondary afflictions with their remedies. The second half focuses on practical transformation: how unexpected criticism, physical pain, and adversity become pathways to strengthen bodhicitta and wisdom if met with the right understanding of karma and emptiness. Rinpoche emphasises that death is certain but its timing unknown, making mind training the only reliable protection against rebirth in lower realms. He illustrates his teachings with vivid examples—Milarepa’s fearless joy at death, a cautionary story of an old man reborn as a grasping spirit, and detailed instructions on how even severe physical suffering can be managed through mental focus and understanding of dependent arising. Pitched at dedicated practitioners and includes substantial Q&A on emptiness, collective karma, and ethical questions.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 07 Lojong.mp3
UUID: 6c2267db-3298-4392-81f1-1281b7504728
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 130.2 minutes
Words: ~12,898
Good afternoon, everybody. Can you hear me? Okay. Okay. We’re doing a summary based on yesterday’s teaching, Lojong teaching by Geshe la.
So the purpose of us learning this mind training which contains the eighty four thousand teachings is to eliminate one’s past negative karma and delusion and to actualize the two causes of enlightenment. They are the accumulation of merit and wisdom, which is practicing of realizing emptiness and the merits of method, which is practicing loving kindness and bodhicitta. And to actualize and to actualize entire stages of the path up to enlightenment and to liberate numberless sentient beings. And while we attain this obtain this precious human rebirth, we should close the door to rebirth, close the door to saṃsāra. The key points to yesterday’s teachings are, karma will never deceive us.
By creating virtue, will create. We will receive positive results and by creating unfavorable actions, we will only create negative results. That is definite. Geshe-la gave the last class three questions to contemplate as part of their homework. So the first question is, what is this perception of inherent existence?
Analyze every aggregate of ours, do each of them independently exist from its own side and if so, where does inherent existence dwell? So Geshe la’s answer is, if we think that karma exists from their own side, then we constantly commit negative karma. It is the way we perceive the object as inherently and independently existing. We cannot let go of attachment and grasping and all the delusions. Even our own feelings, we believe in their inherent existence.
We must investigate more based on the teachings on emptiness. Without pinpointing the objects of negation, one will not be able to gain wisdom. The second question, please look for the existing I, which has created all the karma and which has come from beginningless time and the nonexistent I, which is always alert, creating all sorts of confusion within us about existence. Geshe-la’s answer, it is necessary for us to investigate the existent eye and non existent eye. Okay.
The third question, in what circumstances does one fall into eternalism, which is believing in inherent existence? And in what circumstances does one fall into nihilism? Geshe la’s answer, the first two questions are more crucial for us. If one can, one should get into more research on these topics. Otherwise, one can leave this question aside.
So what are the appropriate antidotes? The meaning of appropriate antidotes actually applies to direct antidotes. Some of the afflictions and their antidotes are antidote to anger is patience, the characteristic is the attitude that understands the disadvantage of anger and the advantage of calmness and not being angry. What is appropriate time to apply these antidotes? When one’s mind is calm, when there is full mindfulness and concentration.
Antidote for attachment is detachment. In respect of sexual desire, one is to see one’s unattractiveness of the body. Another characteristic of detachment in general is contentment. Antidote to pride is humility. What are the characteristics to humility?
To be able to see and respect the quality of others. Antidote to ignorance is knowledge. Antidote to ignorance is selfless knowledge, realizing emptiness. Antidote to jealousy is rejoicing. Characteristics of rejoicing, feeling happy about others achievement and aspire to achieve them.
Okay. There are there are some hand handout given to all of you, which there are six. The the list states the six delusion and secondary affliction. We’ll just go through them very quickly. Six root delusion, desire, hatred, pride, ignorance, doubt, and wrong view.
Second twenty secondary afflictions, angry, malice, concealment, outrage, jealousy, miserliness, deceit, dishonesty, haughtiness, harmfulness, non embarrassment, non consideration, lack of faith, laziness, nonconsciousness, forgetfulness, non introspection, dullness, agitation, and wandering. So, what are the above appropriate direct antidotes? That’s for everybody to answer later. So lastly, Geshe la emphasized that we have to practice mind training teachings, Lojong, until we attain the state of peace. Thank you.
So we do the prayers before the teachings. Green Book teaching section, page five. Praise to Śākyamūni Buddha. To the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the full destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct. Sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings.
To you, I completely fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subdueer from the Shakya clan. I prostrate, make offerings, and go for refuge. To the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the full destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings, to you, the completely and fully awakened one, the undoubled transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subdueer from the Shakya clan. I prostrate, make offerings, and go for refuge. To the founder, the undoubled transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the full destroyer, the Completely Perfected, Fully Awakened Being, Perfect in Knowledge and in Good Conduct, Sugata, Knower of the World.
human beings to be tamed, Teacher of Gods and human Beings, to You, the Completely and Fully Awakened One, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shakya clan, I prostrate, make offerings, and go for refuge. When, oh supreme amongst humans, you were born on this earth. You paced out seven strides, then said, I am supreme in this world. To you who are wise, then I prostrate. With pure bodies formed supremely pure, wisdom ocean like a golden mountain, fame that blazes in the three worlds.
Winner of the best, Lord, to you, I prostrate. With a supreme science face like spotless moon. Color like gold, to you I prostrate. Dust free like you, the three worlds are not. Incomparably wise one, to you I prostrate.
The savior having great compassion, the founder all understanding, the field of merit with qualities like a vast ocean, to you the one gone to vastness, I prostrate. The purity that frees one from attachment, the virtue that frees one from the lower realms, the one path, the sublime pure reality, to the Dharma that pacifies, I prostrate. Those who are liberated and those who show the path to liberation, the holy field qualified with realizations, who are devoted to the moral precepts, to you the sublime community intending virtue, I prostrate. Homage to the supreme Buddha, homage to the Dharma refuge, homage to the great Sangha, to all three ever devout, homage to all worthy of respect, bowing with bodies as many as all realms atoms in all aspects. With supreme faith, I pay homage.
Do not commit any non virtuous actions. Perform only perfect virtuous actions. Subdue your mind thoroughly. This is the teaching of the A star, a visual aberration, a flame of a lamp, an illusion, a drop of dew or a bubble, a dream, a flash of lightning, a cloud, see condition things as such. Merits may sentient beings attain the rank of all seeing, subdue the false, and be delivered from saṃsāra’s ocean, perturbed by the waves of aging sickness and death.
Heart Sūtra, I prostrate to the aria triple gem. Thus did I hear at one time the Bhagavan was dwelling on massive vultures mountain. Rajagriha, together with a great community of monks and a great community of bodhisattvas. At that time, the Bhagavan was absorbed in the concentration categories of phenomena called profound perception. Also, at that time, the bodhisattva mahasattvan ārya Avalokiteśvara looked upon the very practice of the profound perfection of wisdom and beheld those five skandhas also as empty of inherent nature.
Then, through the power of Buddha, the Venerable Śāriputra said this to the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva ārya Avalokiteśvara, how should any son of the lineage train who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom?’ He said that, and the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva ārya Avalokiteśvara said this to the venerable Śāriputra, any son of the lineage or daughter of the lineage who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom should look upon it like this, correctly and repeatedly beholding those five aggregates also empty inherent nature. Form is empty. Emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form. Form also not other than emptiness.
In the same way, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors, and consciousness are empty. Śāriputra likewise, all phenomena are emptiness, without characteristic, unproduced, unceased, stainless, not without stain, not deficient, not fulfilled. Śāriputra therefore, emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no discrimination, no compositional factors, no consciousness. No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no visual form, no sound, no odor, no taste, no object of touch, and no phenomenon. There is no eye element and so on up to and including no mind element and no consciousness element.
There is no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance and so on up to and including no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death. Similarly, there is no suffering, origination, cessation, and path. There is no exalted wisdom, no attainment, and also no non attainment. Śāriputra, therefore, because there is no attainment, Bodhisattvas rely on and dwell in the perfection of wisdom, the mind without obscuration and without fear. Having completely passed beyond error, they reached the end point of nirvana.
All the Buddhas who dwell in the three times also manifested, completely awakened to unsurpassable perfect enlightenment and reliance on the perfection of wisdom. The mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequaled, the mantra that thoroughly pacifies all suffering should be known as truth since it is not false. The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is declared. Tadyatha om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. Śāriputra, the bodhisattva, mahasattva should train in the profound perfection of wisdom like that.
Then the Bhagavan arose from that concentration and commended the Bodhisattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara, saying, Well said, well said, son of the lineage. It is like that. It is like that. One should practice the profound perfection of wisdom, just as you have indicated. Even the Tathagatas rejoice.
The Bhagavan having spoken the Venerable Śāriputra, the Bodhisattva, Mahāsattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara, those surrounding in the entirety along with the world of Gods, humans, asuras, and Gandharvas were overjoyed and highly praised as spoken by the Bhagavan. Page fifteen prays to Mañjuśrī. Obeisance to my Guru and protector Mañjuśrī, who holds to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are, whose understanding shines forth as the sun and unclouded by defilements or traces of ignorance, who teaches in sixty ways with the patient love of a father for his only son, all creatures caught in the prison of Samsāra, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering. You whose vajra thunder proclamation of the dharma rouses us from the stupor of our delusions, and frees us from the iron chains of our karma, whose powerful sword of wisdom hews down suffering wherever its sprouts appear, clearing away the darkness of all ignorance. I entreat you, O Mañjuśrī, whose princely body is adorned with one hundred and twelve marks of a Buddha, who has completed the ten stages achieving the highest perfection of a Bodhisattva, who has been pure from the beginning, O Mañjuśrī, all loving one, with the brilliance of your wisdom, illuminate the darkness enclosing my mind, enlighten my intelligence and wisdom so that I may gain insight into Buddha’s words and the text that explain them.
Long mandala offering. So as Lama Tsongkhapa said in his Lamrim teaching that our life and body is like a water bubble, you know, can cease in any moment. So by understanding that one should cultivate, I mean one should meditate, one should understand, one should meditate on impermanent and death. Again, Lama Tsongkhapa stated in the Lamrim that the fact of the death is certain, time of the death is uncertain. So no one can be able to predict or confirm when will be the exact time that we’re going to depart from this life.
So it can be any next moment. It can be any next moment. It can be one second after, one hour after, or one year after, or maybe about one hundred years later. So therefore, as Śāntideva stated, the only ultimate medicine which can able to cure or which can able to save us from the fear and the suffering of the lower realm and fear and suffering of the death is to actualize dharma into our mental continuum, to actualize dharma into our mental continuum. So here the dharma refers to the mind transformation, you know, transformation.
Dharma is referring to the mind transformation, the transforming transforming of our, you know, the wrong apprehension, the transformation of fear and anxiety, and transforming our permanent grasping into impermanent, transforming, you know, the unable to accept the nature of the death, unable to accept the reality of the death, you know, to understand, to be able to accept and to be able to task from our mind to be able to gain the stability in our practice of as bodhicitta, emptiness, such as faith in Buddha’s, faith in your, you know, refuge, faith in karma, you know, faith in understanding, faith in the the the definite nature existing, of your life, the process of death, process of rebirth, the process of enlightenment, so that when we face the unfavorable circumstances such as death, then our mind will be proper directed towards the accumulation of the throwing karma which is the cultivation of virtuous thought, virtuous practice such as meditation on, such as being mindful in compassion, conviction and faith in the refuge, protection of refuge, practice in emptiness and practicing in the clear light meditation so that one can able to prevent lower realm, taking rebirth in the lower realm such as hell, hungry ghost, animal realm.
And not only that, there is even possibility one can be able to prevent taking rebirth in saṃsāra and when we obtain the destination of next life in the state of pure land or in the state of the fully enlightenment, you know, total freedom from saṃsāra, you know. So therefore, whatever remaining time we have, we have to put a full effort to practice transformation, to practice Dharma, which is practicing mind transformation. Milarepa, one of the great yogi of Tibet, more than seven hundred years ago. The yogi in Tibet. I don’t know exact time, one thousand or seven hundred around there.
So one of the greatest, very famous yogi, Milarepa, you know, who was a Tibetan yogic. So he sang, you know, hundred thousand songs, which is the teaching, the experiential teaching. Then one of the the few line of the the teaching or the song or the advice that he said that I run to the remote caves by fearing the death now. You know? And once he reached to the the remote conducive place after meditating for after practicing seriously for some time, then he he he sang a song or he he voiced that now, you know, that I I what do call the joy in looking forward to the death.
Because once you’ve taken this contaminated body, we have to go through the ceasing of this contaminated form. So that only happens when the death comes. So once that ceases, know, that the next destination is enlightenment. So he was like, you know, he voiced this song with so much joy. He looked forward, looking forward for the for the happiness of the death, you know, the joy of the the death like that.
So then many of the Kadampa living Kadampa practitioners always emphasizing the teaching that the true practitioner of Dharma will always live in the fear of death, Always live in fear of death in the present. When the actual death comes, you know, true practitioner will be totally fearless and fearless. Not overwhelm, the other word. The similar word to the overwhelming, the other word just now you said. Infuse.
Infuse with joy, you know, infuse for the, you know, for the process of the death. You know? Because they are they are they are confident. Are sure their next destination which is much more better than this place, you know, much more better, you know. So so therefore, that’s the whole reason Lama Tsongkhapa emphasized in the Lamrim that we must recognize our life, our body, what we have.
It’s like a water bubble. Let me give you an example. It’s like a water bubble. You know? And by knowing that, we must meditate, must study, we must learn, and we must convince ourselves the impermanent stage of our life, our body, our life.
And then cultivate the death, I would say meditate on the death which is, nobody likes to meditate on death but for good practitioners it’s necessary. That is one of the most forceful condition for us to practice seriously. So that’s why Lama Tsongkhapa recommends for us necessary to meditate on impermanent and death. The whole reason is if you learn about death, you will learn about the definite of death and indefinite of the time of the death. Know, By knowing that, at the same time, as the teaching has stated, the only one refuge which can protect us from the fear, from the, the rebirth in the lower realms is only Dharma.
Only Dharma which is the mind transformation only can help us. Know how rich you are, how powerful you are nothing can ever do. How many relatives you have? Even Buddha happened to come in front of you and holding your head, holding your hand also, nothing can do. Only that mind transformation within yourself is the one can able to guide you to the proper path, proper destination.
You know? So So so for us to convince, to seriously engage in the mind transforming practice is very very difficult. You know it’s very difficult, very difficult to know very difficult to spare time within a one day, very difficult to spare time to do a kind of let’s say like yesterday’s conversation. We just look into our own self, like myself. I was planning to, you know, maybe at least sit on the sofa and exhale I said squeeze my ear and and and you know do do short meditation.
But it didn’t happen. It’s just just so many so many I don’t know whether it’s meaningful or not meaningful whatever somehow somehow at three o’clock somehow somehow day passes, you know. And if in case, you know, any circumstances came about anger, attachment, hatred, all this, I will be totally dominated by those emotions. Right now I’m not well habituated. Very dangerous.
So to find a really proper time for Dharma practice we have unbelievable excuses, you know the circumstances just to pass the time. Therefore one of the most effective tool for us to practice immediately right now and very right now is the understanding of the nature of death understanding of the meditating on the death. Death is certain and time of death is uncertain. And these two, once you are convinced with this this this two message, then first thing you will rush is to practice Dharma. First thing you will rush is to practice Dharma.
But this is not only the solution. Lama Tsongkhapa also give a slightly lighter solution for us to encourage or for us to enhance our interest into learning Dharma is to you know meditate or learn about the precious human rebirth which is very pleasant. Know think about all the goodness of what we have now, the opportunities, the freedoms to learn Dharma and all the opportunities all the freedoms to learn dharma you see so if we miss those freedoms and opportunities now and they might not have such opportunity and freedom later you know So by understanding on that then again engage in the Dharma. But if that doesn’t work then better think of the unpleasant side which is meditating on death impermanent. So that is almost like kind of final kind of message for us to practice Dharma.
That’s the whole reason why Buddha Shakyamuni himself also need to show the final deed, the deeds of Parinirvana, deed of death, deed of impermanent, know, they’re actually in the process of his own life under the Sala tree, you know, at the Kushinagar, you know, he showed to his disciple, the sangha disciples, know, giving your teacher that you know, like the Buddha Śākyamūni himself, obtained high Arahat realizations, still have to go through. As long as you obtained this contaminated form, you have to go through so called as a death. And that time of death is Buddha never predict to these disciples. He didn’t say I’m going to die tomorrow. It just suddenly Buddha manifest kind of bit of illness and the death and suddenly you know Buddha manifested death.
You know? And it it bring lot of grief and tears to the disciples. You know? Tears and grief to the disciples. So this is is a his final teaching.
Almost final teaching to awaken us. So that’s why later the Kadampa masters such as Lama Tsongkhapa adopt this teaching, this message from Buddha’s life then know create into the stages of the practice called the meditation on death and impermanent. So it comes about the Lamrim, you know in the Lamrim, so something like that. So therefore, what I want to say here is, since it’s like that, so therefore, whatever remaining time that we may have, we might have, including the the dedications, is sole purpose of purification of past karma, accumulation of two causes as I mentioned yesterday, and to actualize total freedom and liberation from this samsaric contaminated aggregates. Samsaric contaminated aggregates, which is our this body, this life, this existence, this house, this place, this environment.
We must we must we must, how to say, we must live from from from this contamination as soon as possible. So for that purpose, we’re going to we’re going to do a listening of this mind training teaching, discussion on this mind training teaching, and question and answer on this mind training teaching like that. So that’s the motivation. So I would like to continue from yesterday. So there’s one very common, which is page hundred and seventeen from the yesterday’s talk.
One of the very common, you know, condition to arise negative emotion within us which is unexpected criticism. Unexpected criticisms. So I again would like to ask what is appropriate or direct antidote for the unexpected criticisms? Any suggestions? Know people always misunderstand us.
You know how nice you are, how pure you are, how good you are. Somehow people just misunderstand you and and you know bring criticism. It happens within family, company, in dharma center, everywhere, you know. So so once the unexpected criticism comes naturally it disturbs your emotion and that is delusion. The negative, the unpleasant, the feeling in your heart is a delusion.
Negative, it creates karma, it’s unwholesome karma and that karma brings about suffering into our life immediate as well as it brings tremendous suffering later. karma increases that kind of you know karma the imprint increases and if we don’t purify just because of people’s criticism and your unpleasant kind of emotion that even might lead us to the hell or maybe you know I mean I mean any of the unpleasant rebirth you know, after that you see. Or that criticism might continues to bother you, make you suffer from now until the death. So of course entire Dharma as I mentioned yesterday all entire eighty four thousand teaching is antidote for that. But what is the appropriate, the direct antidote for the criticism, for the unexpected criticisms or criticisms.
What do you think? Normally we say don’t bother, let people to criticize it’s their problem, easy to say but it still know it disturb you. So how to handle it? Oh practice mind training, what what the mind training? It’s okay practice mind training One thing is it’s due to karma.
It’s easy to say but it triggers you it’s difficult and it bothers a lot. How good you treat your child? Child responds very negative way, even criticize the mother. What is the appropriate antidote? Compassion.
How it works? Yes. Yeah. It’s yes. Yes.
Can we find proper, complete word for this? Compassion involves, you know, in order to handle this situation, the antidote has to involve compassion, have to involve understanding of karma, you know. Basically, you know, have to understand the I have to apply the understanding of karma. Criticism as a teaching. As in some of the teaching it says your enemy is one of the greatest teachers to train your patience.
So what what what what else? Criticize back. Criticize back. Not a hard way. Yes.
Yes. One of the strongest centers. So all, you know, is antidotes. So we have to go to that the direct antidote. So I think you know if you criticize back and that you know that the why you receive criticism from other as I mentioned earlier and the most appropriate antidote can be the understanding of karma.
So in that sense, the fact is why we receive criticism from others because we create a cause to receive criticism. If that’s so, if you don’t if you if somewhere if you don’t stop the karma, it will just continue. So if you criticize back, you create another karma and you will receive the criticism back again someday maybe to this life or next life. So so it’s like you know it continues. So you have to you have to you have to you have to eliminate the karma.
You know? So the my suggestion is understand the criticism is due to my past karma. Due to my past karma. There’s no cause, no effect, no result. It’s definite, you know.
It’s relevant in the scientific way and it’s also relevant in the faith of the Buddha’s teaching. Without any creation or cause there’s no such a result. So you created a cause that’s where you receive the result of criticism. That means what could be the cause? The cause could be you criticized maybe in the earlier lifetime or in the past lifetime to that person or to that being.
So now the karma reserve ripen and criticize to you. So only way to stop is generate compassion to the person who criticizing to you By thinking, person have no choice because of the delusion is the one who is controlling the person and the person manifest in the act of delusion and criticizing you and criticizing you. So therefore I shouldn’t hate. I shouldn’t criticize back to the person. If I really want to criticize, if I really want to fight with, you have to fight with the delusion in that person.
In order to fight the delusion in that person the problem maker is your own delusion. It’s the delusion within you. You know you can’t tolerate it. You can’t bear with it. If you are like a stone even how hundred thousand times criticized also nothing bothers.
You criticize million times to the stone. The stone was no no no reaction. No pain, no happy, nothing. So through your understanding you can become like a stone you just don’t don’t don’t bring the effect of emotion by the criticism. The emotion arises that create again creating a new karma to suffer the emotion arising in you is your own delusion.
If you don’t have a delusion even whole world criticize you it won’t bother you it won’t affect you you know whole world criticize Buddha but Buddha will never experience unpleasant, emotion. You know, never so so why you feel unhappy? Why you hurt? Because because you have the delusion. The reception of delusion is that that’s why that’s why his criticism become very negative.
That’s why, you are hurt, you know, and the the root problem is your own delusion. So your own delusion it has the causes. What are the causes? The ignorance and the karma which accumulated in the past. So the point here is you have to purify the karma and delusion right there.
So you need to get into the engagement of the purifications applying different sorts of you know antidotes why not the common antidote the most forceful forceful antidote four opponent powers. Apply the four opponent powers and purify it and meditate and cultivate compassion to that person who is criticizing to you. Fourth thing he’s criticizing to me he creating more negative karma. If he create more negative karma, he will suffer more. Exactly like me.
So but yet he don’t understand karma. He don’t have a blessing of understanding karma. So therefore now I understand I rather should pray for him. May Buddha, may my sincerity bless his mind to able to subside the deluded mind to criticize me. So through the force of understanding of karma generating compassion to the person it stops the karma at the same time, what you call it, transform the unexpected or the criticism into a practice of path.
So so so like that. So you you get something? So I think this is one of the yeah. One of the Okay. In the sixth root root delusion, there’s a confusion.
What is the antidote? What is the direct antidote for the confusion? Call, call confusion, isn’t it? Confusion. You know?
We have so much confusion and the confusion is the one is a very close kind of mislead by the ignorant you know like it’s of course all the delusions are lead by the mis ignorant but the confusion is like it’s almost like like like like like like how to say it’s so into the ignorance itself you know so much into ignorance itself. See the attachment and ignorance it has a very much different characteristic but here the confusion and the ignorance is like very close by. So what is the direct antidote you know to eliminate the creation of karma through confusion and the suffering that experiences through confusion? What is the direct antidote to eliminate confusion? It’s also quite similar to what you call the misapprehension, misconceptions, you know, it’s all similar.
So what is the direct antidote? Any any suggestion? Any any suggestion? As long as we cannot find a direct antidote it will be tough for us to deal with it. It will be very tough for us to handle all those delusions.
Know, and how many thousands of candlelight you offer, it just suddenly brightens the room but it doesn’t bring much effect. Have to, again it is a very important teaching the Buddha and Nāgārjuna’s statement, Lama Tsongkhapa’s statement without you know capturing the negation no way that you can able to eliminate the negation. So this is this is not what we are doing is we are capturing the negation through understanding the the actual the the the antidotes so that you can able to fight with it directly so that you can able to eliminate confusion, and Yes. Yeah. I think it’s emptiness is very, very relevant.
You know the reason is the greatest confusion is in every existent. The greatest misapprehension, the greatest confusion is inherent apprehension. You call it inherent apprehension. Can I use the word cannot? Inherent inherent grasping.
Can you say that? Inherenting inherent existing perception. Yeah. Something like that. So so misconception in the in the most subtle level is the com confusion towards the misunderstanding towards the true nature of the existence of I and of the aggregates and the phenomena.
So so the antidote can be understanding of the the the the true nature of the existing or the the emptiness. Yeah. It can be more relevant. So in order to rid of confusion we really have to understand lack of inherent existence. Okay now very easy one.
In case we’ve got a small cut on our hand, just just one small cut, while scratching, boom, you know one small cut, very painful, very very painful suffering. So what? That also adversity, that also unpleasant, you know, is also a result of negative karma. When that circumstance happens, how to apply appropriate antidote? Rejoice!
Cut! Happy! Rejoice! Thank you! It’s just a small one, it’s okay, I just scratch more!
You see, you know, just pluck one small flesh out. Painful. And painful. And then after that is constant pain of the wound. You know?
Constant pain of the wound. What is the direct antidote? Entire Dharma practice is antidote for that. Again but what is the direct antidote? If we capture this this simple point then there is a possibility in this causal stage we can eliminate entire suffering.
This causal stage we can eliminate entire suffering. Right here, right this person ordinary person can able to be free from entire suffering and that that possible. Why possible? While having this body you can become Buddha. In this very cushion, in this very body you can become Buddha means the freedom of entire suffering.
You know? So if we don’t know the solution to to to to able to to free from this little suffering, samsaric suffering is is far more distant you see then suffering of aging very painful you know suffering of diseases suddenly cancer comes how to handle whatever my training teaching I don’t think how to handle When the cancer torture you how to handle but Buddha’s teaching can able to handle it. You can live such a wonderful peaceful happy life even whole body captured by cancer also you can live happily. You still feel the pain. You feel so much pain then you know you you kind of like distract and you cannot be positive only you know but you really can kind of like convert transform you know.
He is talking about total transformation you know. There’s a big lump is there but the thing is your your six consciousness don’t experience the pain. How to go about that? Purification of negative karma it helps it helps helps it helps to you know if you can able to purify everything at least you don’t have to you don’t have to maybe the duration become very less or maybe maybe whatever duration that you have to experience after that you no more experience. But right that moment you’re still painful.
You’re still experiencing it. You’re still a very very painful, you know, cancer patient, very much suffering. So mind training, mind transformation is supposed to handle that so so so in order to handle that you need to find appropriate antidote for that. Now what is the appropriate antidote? Yes.
But I was checking. It has. Yes. I think the understanding or dependent arising is antidote. Normally I use the word meditating means focusing on the nature of focusing on the nature.
You know what I saw one of the teaching I don’t know exactly I I saw in one of teaching but in the teaching the word they use meditate on the nature of the of the suffering but here talking about nature is not talking about the nature of the pain It’s talking about nature of the nature which is emptiness, which is the lack of inherent existence. Nature of that pain is not existing from independent, it’s own sight. The nature of that pain is non existent in dependence upon its own sight. It has so many different factors to feel you very painful. There’s so many different factors.
Know, to to to know that why there’s so many different factors make you more painful to know that if you don’t put a morphine you have greater pain you know but if you put a morphine it’s a lesser pain without using morphine without using any of the those those those equipment just using the mind transformation if your entire concentration you can able to control your mind, your focus, control your concentration, control your senses in object of any meditation Because those painful feelings are gross feeling. The gross senses are the one who is experiencing the pain. Such as physical feeling senses Brain stimulates, you know, like the knowers, the sensor stimulates and the brain has a kind of a capability to misinterpret you know like over exaggeration say very painful you know like kind of like you know telling to your consciousness you know even though it’s painful but very painful, it make very painful. Then that support by every different factors, different systems support until it becomes very very very painful and it is very very very painful. So many factors come together it becomes so forceful pain.
Now first try to first first understand the nature of that pain let’s say that let’s say that the pain the nature of that pain is different circumstances, different factors, you know, it came into the body because of having senses, you know. So first you convince your mind that that is not a permanent there. It’s not always there. It is not originated there. It’s not always there, not originated there.
It just exists there because of different factors. And also you have to have a kind of sense of conviction that it can eliminate, it can destroy, it can split all those different factors into different parts so that there’s no concrete kind of pain residing that particular place. You pull up the the feeling senses somewhere there. Let’s say the lump is on on on my palm. Very painful here.
So first use your six consciousness which is the mental consciousness which is mindfulness and focus or the concentration. Pull your physical senses through your concentration, bring up to here maybe. It’s possible, you know, bring up to here. So let the physical senses bring here. Entire this aspect become numbness.
You feel like numbness. We are talking about not using morphine, know, not using all this through the mind training teaching. It’s it’s kind of like kind of like a it’s totally different entity. It’s nothing part of your body like that, you know, Only a different entity. After that the transmission of the message of this pain through the feeling, the brain also you try to you try to separate.
Don’t let them go together separate them you know means one portion of your gross consciousness already divided towards the brain side here. One is at the shorter. Now you already break up the transmission. So your sixth consciousness hardly receive you know full information. When your sixth consciousness unable to receive the full information of the pain, the lump pain on the palm, the pain is already subsided.
The feel of pain is already subsided within you or within I. The pain of the the pain is already subsided within I. You know, that that kind of feel like very painful, like, you know. No. No.
No. I’m not I’m not bringing the lung here. You know? Lung is still there. I’m just bringing the the the the the feeling consciousness.
Just a feeling consciousness, which trouble which you know because we didn’t use a focus we don’t see it’s a troubling but actually it’s troubling from here to brain brain to the consciousness it just passed the message. It passed the message. You just while having so much the the the the lump pain here, just cut the the the the hand and put aside. You think you have pain from there? No.
No. Isn’t it? You put you cut that finger, put side side. Then after that, do do you still have a pain of this lump? No.
Why? Because because the the feeling feeling sensor, the feeling consciousness which already, untied, detached from the association to the brain conscious, you know, I mean, is the sense of consciousness to the six consciousness. Isn’t it? So it’s it’s in it. So I now now I don’t know where to go.
So so so so then so here then. So then only comes meditation on Tonglen meditation on Tonglen meditation on compassion meditation on lack of inherent existing you know means now using a full focus, full concentration of your mind to the object of meditation while experiencing some kind of degree of pain, the lump on your palm. So when you are perfected in the single pointed concentration on the object of your meditation which could be compassion, emptiness whatever, the pain ceases. Total pain ceases. Even though the lump is still there, maybe the death is nearer.
You still have to go through the process of death. That can avoid. But to avoid the pain. So same thing if you have any cut, knocked somewhere else, punched by somebody, or any physical level pain. So that’s how to transform.
That’s how to transform. Okay, so better don’t go too much. So I think it’s enough. Okay, so we refer to the text. So in this way, if adversities, all those problems, you know, become factor conducive to the awakening mind.
And if you do not fall prey, the victim to the adversity condition, your mind is trained. So in this way all the problems all the sufferings become the factor conducive condition to enhance your awakening mind. Awakening mind is the conventional bodhicitta and ultimate bodhicitta means it will enhance, it will make strength, it will strengthen, it will develop you know a stronger bodhicitta, stronger understanding of emptiness because that way then you accumulate so much merit that way you accumulate you purify so much negative karma that way your practice become more intense and that’s how to develop the two awakening mind when you develop two awakening mind you’re naturally getting nearer to the Buddhahood know naturally getting nearer to the Buddhahood. So that’s yeah so whatever by applying appropriate antidotes to the you know whenever the adversity whenever the problems or difficulties come in our life if we can able to transform it then that becomes a conducive condition to enhance the two awakening minds. And if you do not fall victim to the adverse condition then your mind is trained.
So whenever adversity or whenever difficulties come into your life, if you are not carried out by that, if you are not under the control by those emotions and if you still can be focused, if you still can able to transform it, then that is the sign that you you you reach the point that your mind is blessed, trained. Your mind is kind of blessed and trained by the dharma. And you can say that you you you achieve realization on the training of the mind. You know? So so like that.
So furthermore cultivate the cultivate the thought, the time of death is uncertain. So as I mentioned earlier, yeah, cultivate the thought, the time of death is uncertain and where it will come suddenly. It can be the time of death is uncertain and the where where it will come is uncertainly. So death is certain, time of death is uncertain. So he’s talking about that.
It’s good to meditate on that. It helps our spiritual practice. I have no means of facing it other than this practice. And at that time when death is uncertain and where it will come suddenly, I have no means of facing it other than this other than this practice. When the death comes, you know, the only practice that can able to save us from the fear, can able to die peacefully, can able to go to a proper destination like Pure Land and higher rebirths and Buddhahood is by training the mind.
By training the mind, by applying appropriate antidote. Never falling into the guidance of delusions. When people die, many people die with so much anger. That means you are you fail in the training of the mind. When you die with anger, most likely you will born as a spirit.
Most likely you will born in lower realms, especially hot hell. If you die with attachment, most likely born as a preta. If you’re born in a hell realm, it’s most likely born in the cold hell. So so so such and such, you know. So if we don’t have the mind training teaching by applying appropriate antidote to overcome the delusion, miss the greatest, we face the greatest failure in our life like that, you see.
So the mind training teaching is the one that we have to apply when even the death, you know, comes to us. So by adopting the mind training teaching, you are adopting the true Dharma. By adopting the mind training, transforming the delusions, transforming the problems is you are practicing true Dharma. You are practicing true Dharma. Dharma here in Tibetan called Choe Choe Choe Choe So the the the the the meaning of is is coming to a word called is fixed.
The the the word meaning of c h just now it’s c h o c o and now maybe c h o e maybe. Yeah? Anyway, there’s many many different spellings. I also don’t know which one is the right one. So one is one is So when we speak we use the word The actual meaning if come in the word The meaning of means meaning of dharma means fixed.
Fixed referring to fix the deluded attitude. Fix the deluded attitude. Fix the mind. Fix the delusion. Means transform the delusion.
Fix the delusion. Fix our negativities, defilements. So that’s about Dharma. So that’s why mind training teaching here is adopting this mind training teaching is adopting a true Dharma. True Dharma is a right practice.
This is true Dharma. Wonderful indeed is my path. In this in this manner make sure you fortify what fortify the mind so that no matter when you die you will do so joyfully and so joyfully and with what? Palpable. How to read that?
Palpable warmth within. So by adopting the mind training teaching as your path, as your Dharma practice, then that that strengthen your mind. So that no matter including the death comes, you know, you will you will you will face it with joyful and with so much joy, indeed with so much joy. You know? Not only with joy, but with such a clear mind so that you can focus on the practice during the dissolution time at the death, through the intermediate state and you can happily choose the right guidance towards the enlightenment or towards the higher rebirth whatever you know because here For me it’s worse than the mantra.
Sanskrit mantra, very difficult to recite. Okay. Joyfully and refer to clear so these two meaning we have to we have to we have to we have to pull out these two points we have to be joyful we have to be clear also Just being joyful, just being joyful, that’s quite dangerous. Just being joyful, if you are not clear, also dangerous. You are clear but you are not joyful, also it’s incomplete it’s dangerous.
So you need joyful with a clear mind so that you can able to grab the actual means of the practice of the clear light mind which everybody have to go through and that’s the one of the best spot you can able to purify entire your karma and you can able to liberate that’s why you know many of the great practitioners we always hear oh the lama went into clear light meditation you know you often hear lama went to clear light meditation for one week for ten days without decaying body so those are the stage even though clinically death but especially not death clinically the breath is stopped but consciousness still in the mind and their mind their their consciousness still remaining in the body remaining in the indestructible drop there with joyful and clear mind. Joyful is the bodhicitta experience bodhicitta experience which is method. Clear refers to the emptiness understanding which referring to the clear light mind. When these two conjoin together you know it’s one of the most forceful to eliminate the defilements by using the most subtlest mind which is again called clear light mind which only experience which only experience in the time of death.
We do have clear light mind but the actual obvious manifesting obviously experience of the clear light mind the most subtle wisdom mind is the time of at the time of death. After going through the different dissolutions you know then there’s one point called clear light When that when reaches that then, you reaches to the you you oneself reaches to the most subtlest consciousness and whatever heavy imprint that you plan in the past you know, you you you remember using the subconscious mind, not using the gross mind. Gross mind all ceased. Gross mind normal functioning. Only the subconscious mind functioning.
So the subtlety subconscious mind acts like a cloud. It’s surrounding the departments. The worst one the ignorant which is also using the subtlest mind. Using one of the subtlest mind to cover, to to hassle, to make obstacle to the awakening mind which is clear light mind, which is the Buddha nature mind. Always obstacle.
So through the experience of the past practices like in emptiness can able to eliminate the ignorant mind and again what I call impulse, overwhelm not the other one. Infuse. Infuse. Infuse entire subtlest clear light mind in the wisdom mind which is called emptiness mind and which even label as a clear light mind. And conjoined with the joyful experience, you know, conjoined with the joyful experience, it brings about the union of great bliss and emptiness.
It brings about the union of bodhicitta and emptiness, and that is one of the most forceful elimination of defilement and that’s the most forceful tool to enhance the three countless eons merit. And that’s how great practitioners gain enlightenment at the time of death. Because of this reason, enlightenment is possible at the time of death. Here, clear refers to the emptiness, joyful refers to the bodhicitta. So if you possess this sign of being trained, illness and harm caused by possessors will enhance your realization.
Okay. So once you are once your attitude is completely trained by the the mind transformation, then the harm givers such as when when you receive spirit harms, whether there’s a spirit or not, but when you say spirit harms, harms, elemental harms, cosmic harms, human harms, nonhuman harms, your own mental torture, your own punch yourself torture, everything, you know can can can become can able to transform into a, enhancing of the realization of what to awakening mind, bodhicitta and Emptiness. So this doesn’t mean that you need not train your mind further. So here after realizing emptiness, after realizing bodhicitta, if you have not gained enlightenment, and if you have not gained enlightenment but you have trained enough in bodhicitta and emptiness, that doesn’t mean that is the ultimate that is the final. You continue, you have to continue.
Let’s say after perfecting the true awakening mind and you actualize Arahatship which is the you reach the path of seeing. No, the actual perfection of direct realization in the true awakening mind is the stage from the five paths you reach the path of seeing. So that is called the Arahatship. When even you reach the Arahatship that is still not the final destination. That means still there is furthermore that you have to go.
So here my advice is even you have reached Arahat Ship you just cannot just sit there and stop and live in peace. You have to continue to enhance the realization on that bodhicitta and emptiness to actualize the full enlightenment. So that’s the advice that he’s giving. So he said it does not mean that you not need train your mind further. So further he’s referring to further is to develop up to the ten ground, up to the path of no more learning.
You know like part five paths path of accumulation part of preparation path of seeing part of meditation part of no more learning so four parts are within training imperfection The last part of no more learning is the state of Buddhahood which is the state of path or the state or the destination where you don’t have to there’s no no no no further perfection. That’s the ultimate perfection. So this merely present the measure of when the application of the remedy attain the measure of the, what, completeness. So so I think we will stop here. And, any question?
So so so from next week, we go to the presentation of the commitment of the mind training. Any question? Oh, emptiness. Oh, Emptiness of emptiness is the what is it? Oh, yeah.
It’s it’s a very, very, very very good, important, profound, amazing question. And very very difficult, very complexity to answer also. So how do you say? No. No.
Emptiness of emptiness. Emptiness of emptiness is also the lack of inherent existence of the emptiness. The nature the phenomena’s nature the nature of the nature of the phenomena. Nature of the nature of the phenomena. The emptiness of emptiness is the nature of emptiness.
You know, the emptiness of emptiness is the nature of emptiness, which is lack of inner existence. Yeah? And that is existing. That is existing because that is what you call the that is existing because that is existing in both in a both truth label, the conventional label and ultimate label both existing. That’s why it’s not a nihilism.
Nihilism is referring to nothingness. Here emptiness of emptiness is referring to existent. Know, emptiness of emptiness is referring to existent. It’s a phenomenon. It’s a thing.
But it’s a non physical thing. Know, what do you call it? It’s a non physical thing. So it’s a non physical thing. Yeah.
So so is there any more? I think we have to say more. You say more, I say more, though then maybe we can go to somewhere. It’s a non physical thing. Nihilism is nihilism nihilism is as empty like a space, nothingness.
It’s a it’s a void. It’s a it’s a it’s a void of existent. It’s a void of existent. But emptiness or emptiness is not void of existence. It’s void of inherent existence.
Yeah, so the word is there but to really to capture the whole picture is still have to struggle you know. The word is I think can say like this but actually to really capture the picture in our heart to differentiate these two is quite yeah You know even and even the almost the final last school. Is the last one even Svatāntrika Madhyamaka also also have a have a hard time with this Svatāntrika Madhyamaka I say, Svatāntrika Madhyamaka also struggling to differentiate also struggling also Svatāntrika also do struggle if there’s if there’s if there’s nothing from the from the if if there’s a nothing if nothing what do you call the nothing existing entity from either subject or object, there’s no there’s no, designation for the label. So therefore you must have one entity from either from subject or either from object so that it’s in the nature of emptiness so that you can able to establish the freedom from the nihilism. But as far as concerned with the Prāsaṇgika Mādhyamika is if you establish a single entity either from subject or object that falls into the that fell into the folds of eternalism, of independent self existent.
And that is no different than in our existence. There’s no different than in our existence. So the last one, assert merely imputation, merely label, mainly label on conducive condition such as label as a person, you need to have a conducive condition as a person’s five aggregates. Once you have a conducive five aggregates, you can label as a person. You cannot label as a dog.
You know and that five conducive conditions is not an entity which independent exists on neither subject or the object. It’s non existent from the subject or the object object or subject or object side. So it’s mainly imputed, merely labeled like that. Yeah. Let’s say the emptiness of emptiness of this mug is lack of inherent existence of this mug is emptiness of this mug.
Emptiness of the emptiness of the emptiness of emptiness of the what’s that? Emptiness of this mass emptiness. Emptiness of the emptiness of the mug’s emptiness is also lack of inherent existing of the mind itself. It’s it’s mind itself. You know?
But nihilism is the nonexistent of cup. It’s the nihilism. A nonexistent. So nihilism is nonexistent of cup. So cup exists.
So you cannot fall into nihilism. But cup remains in the nature of emptiness of emptiness, which is the conventionally you can drink, you can hold and somebody imputed as a cup and this cup and it’s on my table and that nature is emptiness and that nature is emptiness of the cup also you know so So any any more? So this can this can use as a, you know that from the three question, the last question to to investigate to analyze the nihilism and the nihilism is to so so it’s very complicity. So it’s it’s very, very interesting subject, but it’s very complicity. So it’s but you can analyze in this kind of manner.
Nihilism is a denial of conventional. Yes. I can I can say that? Yeah. It’s a denial of conventional truth.
Yeah. I think very nice. Of the conventional truth. Both truth. Truth.
Conventional ultimate truth. So that’s I think this this the one the the second word is the one that I want to say before. The acceptance of the convey the two truth is is the is the yeah. So this this is very nice. This this this statement is very good.
Okay. Then any any more input on emptiness? We supposed to go up to five or four thirty or what? Five o’clock. Okay.
Anymore? Yeah. You let’s say that train in do more meditation on you know, do mean, straightforward is like do more meditation on emptiness. Habituate more on understanding of emptiness. When you do more meditation or more habituation of emptiness, than when the death comes, when any illusion comes.
At the time of death there’s so many unexpected illusions come. That’s how they bring so much fear and so much confusion. So when you are well habituated and trained your concentration on emptiness, then, you can able to, you can able to avoid those disturbance of confusions so that you can you can thoroughly concentrate on the level of inner existing understanding until you reach the actual conventional process of clear light mind. So once the emptiness understanding can drag up to a clear light mind, then the clear light mind naturally assists you to enhance your understanding of emptiness even stronger and then you can able to handle it. So it’s it’s a a living in in now, do more meditation on emptiness.
Not only that, you can make also prayers, you know, to to able to tame your mind. You need a lot of merit. So whatever deeds that you engage, always dedicate and they are able to actualize the understanding and they are able to actualize the realization emptiness. So that also helps at the time of dying. It reminds you, it helps to bring about the focus, alert you.
And and that itself will able to stop, you know, those confusions. Anymore? Okay. karma yeah. karma is a responsible individual, but there’s also called collective collective karma, share among among the and among families or groups or whatever.
There’s also called collective karma. So those collective karmas, by one person purifying, it it brings so much effect to the rest of the family. Any unfavorable experience in the family, if that is the collective karma, then one person purifying that, it brings great effect of influence of recovering from the negative karma experiences to the family members. So it happens. So that’s one part.
Dedication and prayer helps not by transferring our good karma to them but through dedication it becomes one of the condition to kind of enhance or activate the positive imprint in them which could be accumulated from the past lifetime which totally covers or dominates by negative emotions. Action by dedicating to them that become a cause or condition to awaken or ripen the positive impact in them. So once the positive imprint ripens in them and they themselves engaging into the purification and that’s how they purify their karma. So your dedication your prayer definitely helps through sending frequency. Its dedication and prayers are is almost like like it’s a it’s a sending frequency, the positive energy, positive frequency to them and they start to somehow start to change, someone start to feel it.
You know if you think badly about somebody and if your frequency is very strong, really you know, you say you must fell down like that. If the frequency is so strong, the negative frequency is so strong, the person really fell down. You fast fell down, you fell down. It’s how intense your frequency is, either negative or positive. Both can be dedicated.
You know, so you wish badly about somebody else, you know. It’s like curse. You curse badly. So intense curse. There is so much harm that they receive.
It’s not because of you plan a negative karma into them or you transfer your negative karma into them. It’s because of you you enhance their negative emotions by the force of your negative frequency. So same to the positive dedications and prayers. But we need very forceful, know, very intense, then it works. So the stronger the dedication, the better the concentration, the dedication is more effective, know, it’s faster.
But of course karmically, like parents dedicate to the children, it becomes more effective, children dedicate the parent, it becomes more effective than others dedicate. Disciple dedicates for the guru. Guru likewise dedicates for the disciple. So there’s some karmic relation. The dedication becomes again naturally effective, more effective than in relation to the other dedications.
Anymore? So can you comment on that? No. It’s it’s also you can say it’s a collective karma of which which which you know in relation to their own creation of karma in the past which which bring about together all the the experience of those you know pains that that that have to suffer together, that have to suffer collectively. You know?
So that so that reason can be yeah. Is that okay? Any more? Okay. Okay.
No. It won’t it won’t absorb why call? It won’t absorb. Absorb. Absorb.
Absorb. It won’t absorb. So Tonglen practice until, you know, Until we reach the Arahatship, the Tonglen Tonglen practice is more to to enhance your own development of the bodhicitta and and and development of the the the emptiness practice. So more on that. By developing bodhicitta emptiness in you, greater, you become closer yourself to the Buddha.
And that brings about the closer kind of benefit to the suffering person. The Tonglen practice, again, is through doing Tonglen practice, through the, you know, the the the the the frequency, again we can say frequency, it able to influence the subsiding the pain. But it doesn’t mean you’re cleansing their karma. It will also influence to enhance their positive thoughts or you can influence their positive karma to meet a proper doctor or or proper treatment so that, you know, somehow that they, you know, they may they can be cured. So for that impact, the Tonglen practice can able to help can able to help.
Otherwise, until you receive Arahatship that you you cannot grant your your happiness to them. No way you can transfer them, and and their suffering cannot transfer to you within you. It’s in no way. But once you receive once you achieve the Arahatship, again, you need to have a very, very strong, you know, many lifetimes karmic affinity with that Arhats, that Buddhas or Arhats. So then, it can bring great effect of subsiding the pain, not by purifying their karma by you, but granting so much, you know, the blessing of the mental kind of peace and calmness and understanding the nature and acceptance.
You know? So so like that, otherwise, there’s no such this is more for the training of your mind and which definitely benefit them through the frequency sending frequency positive frequency and the faster you develop your two awakening mind the faster you reach Buddha you become Buddha. The faster you become Buddha then you have the full kind of ability to according to benefit that particular person of being in particularly has a very special karmic connection with you. You know why you intend to make a special prayer to that suffering person that already showed us so much karmic affinity and elimination of the entire suffering in that person maybe it depends on your enlightenment. If that’s so, developing, practicing Tonglen brings so much benefits to enhance your true awakening mind that bring you closer to Buddhahood, that bring closer benefit to that particular being.
Like that. Otherwise there’s no, how to say, take other suffering into you and your happiness into other, transferring, there’s no no no such thing. If that’s so, by by then, you know, all the Buddha have all the Buddhas have done is to ask, you know. But in a certain text, literally, it says that, you know, once you achieve Arahatship, you can actually take other suffering into you. But you don’t have to experience their karma.
And you transfer your merit into other. But through the analytical kind of understanding, you have to interpret that. We have to accept literally then by now Buddha has done this to us. Buddha already said that I cannot wash out your negative karma. You know?
I cannot transfer my merit to you. You know? So Buddha already said that, you see. So something like that. Okay?
Okay. Let me get I think it’s okay. Because it’s yeah. It is okay. Because after the person No.
No. It’s not a not a not a stealing. We have the person who already passed away, and I think the closest one is, you know, the parents or the family members are the authorized. So they have the right to decide. So if they they they offer to you, it’s I think it’s really a gift.
And and definitely not a thing. But but if you’re right. But if the person didn’t let go, it’s dangerous. If the if the person if the person didn’t let go, it’s dangerous. Have you ever heard one of the story?
I think I I told about my father’s case. I think some of you have heard. It’s quite I think a few years ago, I I I mentioned it. My my there’s one there’s one kind of mantra practitioner, but who who didn’t go through kind of, like, Buddha Chita practice, but is very good in mantra. Even if you have some wound, if you blow, you know, it’s very effective.
You know, it will heal. It’s a kind of healer. So it’s a lay practitioner. So then he he has one big copper kind of basin where normally in Himalayas they make alcohol on top of that. So my father is very close and practitioner actually is very old man.
Right? So they’re old man. So my father so so after Lent, my father oh, I don’t know. The old man passed away. So old man didn’t get a chance to bring back.
Before he passed away, he he he he was unable to bring back the the the thing which he lent to my father, my family. So after he passed away, because he has so much attachment and also is a very impatient person, so much anger. He born as a spirit, they call wanderer spirit. You know, the dead don’t go on, they go round, you know, and then such a spirit, really there’s a spirit. So it’s really sure that definitely there’s a spirit.
So he he has so many he landed, I think, many many things. Some are money, some are possession. So he attached he when he was dying, I think he cannot let go all those small small small items. And he will remember that who, you know, who he have lent. So he died with the calm, like a fear of losing.
After he died, he become a spirit, and he went to each of the family. He went he went to each of the family and the way for him to get get those things back is because he cannot talk. Yeah. I mean, he can’t hear. So those who are in very low spirit, like the living people, those who are very low low luck or low spirit, is is the is the is the one that will attack.
They kind of like they don’t mean to attack you. They don’t mean to yeah. They don’t Experience. Experience. They don’t mean to attack.
They don’t mean to harm you, but they just they just can’t let go the thing. And when the the family members, you know, one of the person is let go down, somehow it it kind of pull the heart. It means really not pulling the heart, the feeling, they’re really pulling heart, you know. It’s so much painful, the pulling heart and pulling hand and and and all sort of things. So and you can even see, you know, when they come into the house, the dogs, you know, when the dogs bark, you know, the dogs, like, barking and really somebody is going, you know, running up, like that, you know.
So anyway, he went to all the different places and he took everyone’s life. And he took including my father’s life. Yeah. And when when he came, it’s like, so I mean, suddenly, like, few days, we were, you know, father got sick. Father got sick, you know, like, I mean, of course, there’s no doctor also, but then can’t do much.
So we try to do some pujas, and that also can help. It’s really like deteriorating, you know. Then very very sick, then like, you can see, oh, you know, this you know, this this this old man’s name is, I think, Mehmetashi or something like that. Yeah. Mehmetashi is there, then this is there, then there, all outside the door asking you, come.
You know, calling you, you know, come. Come. I want to go. I want to go. Like, I come.
You know, calling me. You know, I want to go. Actually, there’s a three layers of the doors. For you, you can’t see. But this sick person can see all through outside calling.
That’s why normally those who see spirit is not a good sign, are spirit is very low, it’s not a divine thing you know. So spirit, seeing spirit, seeing Buddha is very very high merit but seeing spirit you say very sensitive, I see this is a good thing Means you are you are your spirit is very low, you know. So so anyway, it’s like that. So my father gone. And my father also become one of the wonder spirit, You know?
So then after that but he talks about so there’s a, like, kind of gang, you know, like ten, fifteen of them. And just such a small village, I think, within within month or within within a month I think more than ten fifteen people just just died and sometimes when they come to attack they they come to the family all the the people are quite high kind of spirit and sometimes the cows, donkeys or whatever, low spirit suddenly collapse and die. And the donkeys, cows, they are just grazing on the hill, suddenly slipped, fall down from the cliffs and dies. It it happens, you know, it happens. So so so then after some time, you know, my mother also start to, you know, like get very sick and she always had there was some kind of sentient beings, you know, like pulling the heart like that, you really like dragging the heart like that.
So so much pain. So that time my guru Geshe Lama Konchog Kyab was there in town in Kathmandu. To go up to my village it takes about ten over days. So Geshe la heard, so then we took a journey to hometown. So so when Gesela reached there, you know, we we reached in the middle of the night whole through the village whole through the village the dog you know everywhere so much noise so much dog dog barking you know there’s nothing but it’s so much dog bugging because all the families they keep dogs Dog barking.
So the next day Geshe la says all those wanderers are the one who’s attacking. So he performed fire puja. So the moment he performed the fire puja, it’s almost like like suddenly like like take a turn out, you know. Okay. I’m not okay.
From that night, whole village, they all dropped quiet. Like, all sit up like that, you know. And then and the whole reason is always come there and say asking the basin because so much attached to the whole story the point is attached to the basin so want the basin back so so the method is we bring the basin back, we we donate to, like temple. The temple is like they have so much high merits people, so we donate to the temple. Sometimes if there’s a their their own family members, we give back.
So there’s some of the antique things you know get from the antique houses, antique shops and some are steel ones, some are you know you don’t know you know. So yeah. And I experienced in Singapore, there’s one lady who who who suffered cancer and suffered suffered cancer. So there’s one reclining Buddhist image, the total black one, I think it got from Thailand or whatever. Black one.
And it’s very antique. It’s very antique and buy from antique shop. And it’s a present from husband to the wife. And once they receive that, somehow the wife got into cancer. So after three, four years later, I mean, it just happened to go there.
I just felt, I mean, through certain observation, I was at other lamas. So is a is is I think it’s a steel thing from a temple or whatever. So then the temple also has a kind of guts. You know, guts. You know, like, you know.
So so it’s it’s because of that it’s not because of the statue. It’s because of the the the like, it’s just attached or whatever. You get you know, so after that, immediately asked to paint, you know, offer gold leaf and go and donate to one temple. So after that somehow it’s okay. You know it also happens you know there’s such cases also so that’s why when the time of dying our possessions, our body, after treatment, bones are left there.
Attachment can be one of the most critical thing to harm us, to to to tie us in saṃsāra. So this so so so like that. So I’m sorry. Spirits are scared. So conclusion is I don’t know.
No. Just joking. No. No. I think no.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
No. I think it’s the family, you know, offer I think no. No. I think it’s a there’s there’s no somebody per permit. Once somebody once the family member permit, then maybe I think it’s okay.
Yeah. But for the seperate then maybe you better there’s such thing also, know, again karma is due to karma, know. It’s again due to karma, yeah. So the condition is karma. If you don’t have karma it also won’t happen.
It’s it’s I’m not not not scaring you. There’s such thing also. Anyway, in the saṃsāra, you have all sort of things. It’s not surprising thing, isn’t it? You can see all sort of ghost movies.
I’m sure that some people experience that. That’s why they have the account. Anyway, thank you. Thank you. What are you gonna do with this thing that you’re talking about?