Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 106-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explores the tenth precept of Tibetan mind training, focusing on how to choose special objects for practice. He emphasizes that enemies, difficult people, and adversity are not obstacles to spiritual development but precious teachers for cultivating patience. When anger arises, rather than react, the practitioner should recognize the angry person as a guru sent to strengthen their patience—possibly even an emanation of Buddha or Bodhisattva. He extends this principle to all problems: when desire arises, apply teachings on impermanence; when problems come, recognize them as ripening karma and find the appropriate antidote. Unlike other retreats, mind training practice requires no special conditions; daily life itself becomes the practice ground. Lama Zopa illustrates how the Tonglen practice of taking others’ suffering and giving happiness transforms physical pain into spiritual progress and builds bodhicitta. He concludes with practical advice on introducing Dharma skillfully to others through compassion and personal example rather than force, and addresses how to share Dharma’s universal principles of kindness, respect, and loving-kindness with both believers and skeptics.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 18 Lojong.mp3
UUID: 9cdc4bd0-7c4f-416b-a17c-0762150ccac0
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 106.3 minutes
Words: ~12,801
So in order to actualize this very session as a cause for liberation, cause for enlightenment, we introduce this session with the right motivation, altruistic motivation by expressing the inspiration to actualize fully enlightenment within this very lifetime, which is just to bring enlightenment within every single living beings for that purpose. That I need to engage into the practice of meditation to actualize the realization in the path. In order to do that, I must contemplate the meanings of Buddha’s teachings, the stages in the path. In order to actualize that, first one needs to study, one needs to listen the instruction of the great enlightened beings such as the great Kadampa Geshes, such as Chekawa, who revealed amazing teaching. So please refer to the text which is page one hundred and twenty six within the twenty two precepts.
So we are up to the precept number ten. So here it says that train constantly toward the chosen object. Or in another word, one can say, always meditate. Always meditate on the special cases. Always always habituate on the, always practice the Dharma on the special cases, special case.
The explanation here says that it is stated that being angry and vengeful toward enemies and adversity who are right there in your presence comes about on the basis of frequent interaction. Thus from one angle, there is a real risk of losing your mind training in relation to those who simply appear repulsive. Those who harbor ill will against you even though that you have you have even though you have caused them no harm. And those you find undesirable even though they harbor not evil towards you. Therefore, single these people out of the special focus and train your mind by perceiving them as a part of your own heart.
Furthermore, because you’re spiritual teacher, parents, and Bodhisattvas are the object of special significance. Personal effects are inconceivably great if you accommodate negative karma in relation to them. Single them out for a special focus and engage in the training. So now you can see the chosen object, the special object, isn’t it? Special occasions? Do you get what we’re really trying to tell you?
So can can you give me any suggestions? What anyway, I may I may ask a question. Through this explanation, what you think is the the chosen object which we supposed to meditate, which we always try to meditate on those special occasions and those chosen objects. What are they? So such as the enemies are the chosen object.
You know, the chosen objects such as special occasions, you know, special you know, meditate on the special cases such as adversity, the difficult times, the unfavorable times. Unfavorable times occur into your life, those are the special cases that we must tame our mind, we must train our mind, we must apply the teachings of the Dharma, which is the mind training teaching. So such as object with anger, you know, when the object with anger appear in front of you, an object with anger always, you know, appear around your environment, and that is very much danger to activate your anger, how to say. That will make you angry. Here, such case, when was it, when such a circumstances, then the object of anger, is an enemy, the object of anger, which is an enemy, or object of anger, which is unwanted phenomena, which is coming close to you, It’s the chosen object where you should apply the mind training teaching to transform it.
Rather let it influence by the object with anger to arise anger within you. So how to to do about that? If the object a who’s who’s triggering anger in you, then one should apply the mind training teaching by thinking, by by training the mind, telling oneself the the object with anger, you know, is not an object of revenge or not an object of for you to generate anger towards them. Rather, it is an object of your patience. Rather, the object of anger, which is the enemy of the person, is so precious, you know, without which the perfection in the practice of patience is impossible.
If nobody makes you angry, how to tame yourself to be patient. In order to become Buddha, one need to be perfected within the practice of six perfection. One of the six perfection is perfection of patience. And right this very moment, we are not enlightened. So therefore, we are in the practice of this is perfection.
We are in the practice of patience. We are not perfected. The practice of patient, we are in the practice of patient. Since we are in the practice of patient, without the object of anger, how to tame your mind to be total freedom from the anger? Or total perfection in patience, in practice of patience.
So therefore, I must regard the object of anger as a most precious guru, the most precious teacher, no different than Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, who taming me, who taming my mind to pacify, to purify the one of the most negative force, which is the anger. And bring me into the state of perfection of patience, and that makes me possible of enlightenment. Therefore, as precious as Guru Śākyamūni Buddha. The object of anger, object of enemy, the person is as precious as as precious as a, you know, as a heart. You are you are more precious than your own heart.
You know? As precious as your guru, you know? So so if you think like that, when any time the object of anger comes to you, when you think like that, that’s called the transformation. That’s called the transforming the mind. That’s called the applying the Buddha Dharma when this kind of delusion comes into one’s mind.
So when anger comes, we to spot the anger. We have to spot the anger means we have to realize the anger is wrong, anger is not right, anger is disturbing delusion, which is cause of suffering. Then Then on top of that, choose the object which triggers you, the anger. Choose the object. Choose or regard as a special object.
Choose an object which is object which bring anger into you, which make you angry. And that chosen object is a principle case, is a principle object for you to meditate, for you to apply the Buddha Dharma, apply the teaching, apply the mind training practice. Even it takes days and days, even it takes days and weeks and months. You know, if the anger is the one of the most most difficult delusion to tame, then I’m sure there must be a external factor which always disturbing you, which which always make you, you know, anger. So those objects you try to recognize first.
Once you recognize that, if it is a person, then you should you should even it takes months, you should tame your mind to see that person as your guru rather than object of an enemy, object of or your revenge, or anger back, or try to destroy the person because it make you angry. So if it is an ordinary phenomenon other than a person, again, since the enlightenment or the saṃsāra is all dependent on your mind, You know, all depend on in your mind. You know, therefore, still is appropriate. Even that non human phenomena which make you angry also treat as an object of your teacher. Not different than your discipline, not different than your Buddha.
Not different than a Buddha. Not different than your guru. For the benefit of training your mind, even non human phenomena such as this mark, treat this mark as an object. Your teacher who teaching you to practice patient to bring into the perfection of practice of patient. It’s not relevant when you talk about treat this cup as a teacher.
But by knowing that it’s all about your mind, enlightenment is dependent on your mind, hell also depend on your mind. For the purpose of training your mind, even the non human, non living phenomena such as a mark which make you angry also can treat as a teacher to tame your mind, tame your anger. Okay? So it sound be awkward, but you have to adjust this. You know, my reason is because it’s all about mind training.
It’s nothing about the external object. So therefore, you know, normally we regard teacher means must be person, But here, not necessary for this training. Even non being phenomena, such as a cup also can treat as a teacher to tame your anger and to train your patience. So same thing. When the object of desire attachment arises or comes close to your eye senses or any of the eye senses, then triggers your desire or attachment, make you feel very uneasy, make you feel very disturbed.
So you see, in that case, again, instead of denying that kind of dissatisfying, desirous attachment arises in your heart, instead of denying that, rather you should recognize, yes, that is disturbing, desirous attachment, which is desirous attachment, and recognize that as a negative. And apply the mind training teaching, and use that as a special case to tame your heart by thinking, you know, the impermanent, you know, the teachings of the impermanent, the teachings of the, know, teachings of death and impermanence, in particular in relation to any object of your desires attachment. You know, to transform that desires mind into peace and calm and satisfying mental positive attitude is to tame the mind using the Buddha Dharma reminding yourself the teachings of death and impermanence. So such and such, any kind of negative emotion arises and use that object as a chosen object. Use that as a special case and try to learn to tame, try to learn to tame oneself using the right antidotes.
Apply the right antidotes. Not just simply say, oh, pray to Buddha, know, it will solve the problem. It is not possible. Let’s say anger comes and just simply say that, I pray to Buddha to solve the problem or make it go away. It is quite impossible.
It is not possible. So you to use that as a special case. You can say special case study. Then you apply the right antidote, you know, right from the to transform it, which is teach from the mind training teaching. And those are again the teaching that you have learned from the Lamrim, antidote, different antidotes or the different delusions.
Also we have discussed in the earlier classes, different emotional delusions has the general antidote and specific antidote for each and every different delusions. So use the general antidote to pacify temporary. Use the specific antidote, the special antidote to pacify completely. So such as anger, first let’s say remember the general understanding of the disadvantage of anger. By anger, getting angry, even though one moment will destroy the eons of accumulation of merit.
So this is general dharma. Say, getting one single moment will destroy the eons of accumulation of merit. So that will have to pacify temporarily. It is an antidote, but it’s not the direct antidote. It’s not the appropriate antidote.
It is an antidote, but it’s not appropriate, not a direct antidote. So this general Dharma teaching, the antidote will pacify temporarily, but it will be unable to pacify completely. The anger will come back again. So how to pacify completely? Apply the appropriate antidote, which is the practice of patient.
The patient is appropriate antidote to the anger. And until we gain perfection in the patient, we cannot neglect or we cannot take for granted when the small, small matters arise as anger. We cannot take for granted. Or this is just little anger. It’s okay if it didn’t happen.
I will handle when the big anger come. Or when a big thing triggers anger, then I say I will handle. But the small, small thing is okay. It will come and it will. We cannot do that.
Even if it’s a small, silent anger, you also need to use that as a chosen object to tame the mind by using the appropriate antidote, which is a patient. So then, at the same time, it’s a similar case, whenever adversity, whenever difficult, whenever problems comes into our life, any type of problem comes into our life, each and every problem has different antidotes. Different appropriate antidotes. So you see, so now it become very vast if you really think carefully. Dharma in general, in overall Dharma is an antidote, but each and every single problem has its own appropriate antidote.
And why we still can overcome so many problems even though we’ve been practicing Dharma for so long. Because we in fact hardly apply appropriate antidote. We do apply antidote, such as praying, Dharma, also Dharma practices. We do apply. And that suppress.
You know, we can see, we can feel it. You know, whenever we think of whenever problem come, think of Dharma. Any any form of Dharma. Think of guru, think of Buddha, think of center even, think of, you know, anything. Sūtra line.
Immediately you feel you feel slightly calm. You feel better. But then the problem will repeat. The problem will come again and again. It will disturb you again and again.
You see? Why? Because we never apply appropriate antidote for that particular problem. But if we apply that appropriate problem for that particular problem, we can in fact, can be completely free from those problems. Even most difficult problems, including the problem of saṃsāra suffering, including the major problem of saṃsāra, the rebirth and death.
Even death can be pacified. You see? So now we have to go. We have to we have to really go and search. Okay?
If you get a headache from dharma, there is an antidote for that. If there’s an appropriate antidote antidote for that. If we have a business problem, we have an antidote, and we have an appropriate antidote for that. We have a suffering of not getting the right food, we have an appropriate and antidote for them. So you see, now you ask yourself suddenly, if I have a problem of not getting the food that which I like, what is the appropriate antidote?
Blend. So I will suffer. Suddenly think dharma. Oh, shouldn’t attach. It’s okay.
Never mind. Don’t don’t be too attached on on on this special food. You know? Why not? You know?
It’s okay. Don’t don’t you know? Anyway, it’s just just we will bring only suffering or change only little happiness. Then after that change your suffering, it’s okay. It’s okay.
So that also dharma understanding. It helps. But then tomorrow again, we’ll remember the the same food, miss the same food, and you urge for it. When you don’t get it, you even get angry, upset. So you see, all the samsaric problems has an antidote and an appropriate antidote, which we can learn from the dharma.
So you see now now now we can see, I start to feel that I’m really kindergarten in dharma. I really don’t know. Because I have so much problem, so much sufferings. I have so much physical sufferings, mental sufferings, and unseen and hidden sufferings in me. These are samsaric contaminated sufferings.
And until today, I’ve been learning dharma for so long, but I don’t know what is the exact appropriate antidote for each of those problems. For me, black. So you see. So so that makes that tell us that we didn’t really sit down and contemplate on dharma. Because dharma, after learning study, you know, how much you can learn from the class and nothing.
The real learning part is after finish class, in the class give you some clue. That’s it. Only, you know, the class, the teacher’s responsibility is to give some clue. That’s it. Then go back and call the plantain.
After that we have to do that. Then individual different appropriate for each individual problems. You know? So then slowly, whenever problem, any problem comes, we can able to overcome easily. You know?
So so it’s a how to say? I mean, you know, it’s such a busy life. You know? It’s a difficult, you know, for, you know, how much time that you can sit down and think, you see? After work, everything go back, you know, so tired.
You have to sleep. So it’s it’s a it’s a tough it’s a tough thing. But then, again, we we still should spare some time and try to, you know, contemplate, try to find. Yeah. Then ask question.
Whenever there’s a question and sensation, you know, you should ask more question. So, actually, question and answer can actually deliver, you know, a lot of individual answers, you know, answers like like that. Why each individual have to meditate and contemplate? Because each individual has different problems. It could be similar, but it is fundamentally all different types of problems.
It could be stomach problem, but two different person having a stomach problem, different levels of pain, different levels of, you know. Even that, we have to apply the three challenges as we discussed before. First is we have to recognize, you know, you know, the the actual picture of the pain. Then after that, then you you apply, you know, the antidote which can pacify temporarily. You know?
Then after that, then you can apply appropriate antidote which can completely pacify. And it is possible. It is not just say it is possible. Because all the the lojong practitioner, the great lojong practitioners, they they transform entire adversities, entire problems into a path. When anger comes, anger, they transform into a path.
When attachment arises, attachment arise transform into a path. So that is all about the practice of these great Kadampa masters. They become Buddha within one lifetime compared to many other practitioners because they choose the technique of the mind training teaching, the technique of mind training teaching. Instead of avoiding adversity, they welcome adversity. Welcome problems.
Since we are already in the problem, if we welcome somehow, instead of problem getting bigger, there is an opportunity to transform it by applying dharma. If we don’t apply Dharma, if you work on problem, more problem. If we don’t apply Dharma, then you already got problem, then ask more problem, you’ll get into bigger trouble. But you apply the mind training teaching, the more you invite problems. When problem comes, when problem arises, then it is so wonderful that happened to you because that makes you improve.
That makes you to better than your purification. Know? Then again, another is a chosen object or a chew meditate on the special cases is apply the teaching, you know, Buddha’s teaching on karma. Whenever problem comes, at least tell ourselves, this is due to my own karma. You know, we never reflect outside there.
We’ll say that this is due to my own karma. As Buddha said, no cause, no result. So therefore, whatever experiences in me is a result of something, is a result of cause. And that cause is karma. And if it is painful, it’s a cause of the the negative cause.
It’s negative cause. We who create other people cannot create other’s karma. Even Buddha cannot create our karma. So that means, logically, you yourself is the one who created the karma. You know?
Then now, since you know you yourself is the creator creator of your own karma, and the karma is negative karma, and the experience is the suffering, and and then being, like, you know, being how to say how to say you know, of instead of, you know, you know, learn to purify the karma, rather you you you you feel so bad, you feel so down, you feel so negative about yourself, and that is again is wrong, you know. At least by seeing this all due to my own past and that will obstruct us not to harm other. And on top of that, Buddha have advised and Buddha have taught any karma can be purified. There’s not even a single karma, including heinous deeds, cannot be purified. So therefore, you must engage into the purification practice then, you know, you get your positive karma back.
So that’s how you should transform the situation. You know? So anyway, I’m sure this is like very, very the old message to all of us. All the time you hear from Nama, so no need to discuss further. So here it says furthermore, because you are a special teacher, parent, and Bodhisattva, object of special significance.
So you get what what what really mean from here. After saying that, and train your mind by receiving them as a part of your own heart. Furthermore, because you are a spiritual teacher, parents, bodhisattvas, an object with special significance, personal effects are inconceivably greater if you accumulate negative karma in relation to them. So this, again, is not talking about the Bodhisattva outside there. Not talking about the parent outside there.
Talking about the teacher outside there. It’s talking about the same object, the object with your anger. Know, object with your anger, that the person you know, if somebody make you angry, the person, we cannot return anger back. We cannot upset about that situation. We cannot take revenge.
You know? You cannot take revenge. You cannot harm them. You cannot harm them. If you harm them, you accumulate negative karma.
Okay. Then, if you accumulate negative karma in relation to Buddha, Buddhist advice, parents, teachers, very heavy negative karma. So now here the message is that of your anger even could be your teacher, even could be a Buddhist sattva, even could be, you know, your parent. And yes, they are your parent. Not this life, but in the past lifetime.
You know, and they are your teacher, not this lifetime. You know, they’re in the past lifetime. And they might be teacher in future lifetime. And we’re really not sure there could be emanation of Bodhisattva. They’re just appearing in in ordinary form, but they could be Bodhisattva.
So again, one of very powerful teachings of the Buddha is to to always keep in our heart. Never judge people in wrong. Never say wrong thing about others. Never judge people in wrong because we really don’t know the person is ordinary or divine or enlightened. It could be bodhisattva.
It could be buddha. You know? So if in case happen to be buddha, why you create so much negative karma. You even case in Buddhism, it’s almost huge negative karma escalated to Buddha, you know. So therefore, it’s a not you know, effort to offence anybody because anybody could be Buddha.
Anybody could be Bodhisattva. And this teaching can be very, very powerful if we keep it on mind. You know, whenever we start to think wrong thing about the when it’s if people start to get make you angry, make you feel no good, even if you you remind yourself, you know, who knows this is like emanation of Buddha, especially sent here to tame my patient because Buddha knows that my anger is so strong. So it’s maybe come to tame me. You know, by thinking that immediately you start to respect, you start to pacify.
If it’s a real evil being, the moment you start to be patient and try to, you know, smile at them, they will run away. You try to fight them, they will come and fight more. Evil beings are like that. They try to take fight them, they try to fight you. Some people, they say they worry, you know, people might smash their car.
You know, in in Delhi in Penang, I I met a few people, you know, in the car, they keep the kicker, the stick to hit, you know, the kicker ball, very hard one. You’re very painful. So they keep in the car. Say, what what what this for? I say, if people come and snatch or to hit.
I say, if the person who come and snatch you, you know, smash your car, if see this one, this will be the first object to hit you. And this will be the first thing, not just not just steal things from you, you kill, you will be dead. It is on your head, you know. Is it so I say is this not I say when anybody wants smash, you you better be humble. You know, because you know, you no way you can able to handle it.
It’s quite impossible. Know, the moment somebody come and smash, oh, they will come with all the tools. You are not ready. Anything. Even you’re ready, I don’t think we can able to handle that, you know.
So best thing is, okay, whatever I take it, you know. If you want to take anything, just save your life the best. You try to fight, because they will find every single means to escape. Just get what they’re supposed to get and escape. In order to escape, try to grab, they will punch you.
So it happens. So so you see, it’s not so practical. We think it’s practical. We think it’s that is the best solution. But people are stronger than us.
Those people who come and rob are much more stronger than any of us. They are, you know, well trained also. Anyway, this I’m just giving example. I don’t know if it’s relevant or not. Know, I better don’t say much.
Yeah. Maybe it could be relevant for some people. Yeah. Maybe some people you just showed they run away pretty scared. But I don’t think most cases they will get that one.
They will they will they will get us back. So anyway, same thing. The object of anger, whatever. You know? So we will try to get angry back.
They will get angry more to you. You know? You know, if somebody crowds with, you know, your enemy or your somebody who cannot click, you say one loud word, you will receive two loud word. Once you receive two loud word, you will show this send four level. So you see too?
So is it? If you punch one time, you punch two times. It’s the nature of this samsaric being. It’s like that, you see. So if you apply dharma, smile.
If you don’t really want to smile also, just just burst out. You know, you just like feel so pity for that person and just smile. So I say, oh, interesting, you know. In most case, I think people will run away, find you’re crazy, you know. At least they would think you’re crazy, but I don’t disturb.
So anyway, so time away is, you know, one single thought. They could be our they could be Bodhisattvas like us. They could be Buddhas. So therefore, they are not objects of. Anger, not objectable.
Harming, you know, harming them, criticizing them, abandoning them. We should think that. And it’s very, very helpful. Very, very helpful. Very helpful.
Yeah. So in order to do that, you need to think that the teaching, they say that, oh, maybe Buddha send them change me. It’s also attachment, oh, this object is nurturing me, don’t attach. Buddha is telling me that your meditation, your understanding in getting impermanent is not strong enough. You attach, later you will get disappoint, you will suffer.
So Buddha is telling me, oh, this object to tame my my heart, rather attach to that. That object will attach. You see? So it teach us to let go or detach. Same thing at the time of dying.
Any objects to attach, we have to learn to let go by applying Dharma, dead and impermanent. Nothing can bring alone. That will only tie us back to saṃsāra, including children or parents or possessions. Everything at the time of dying. We just have to just have to let go.
So again, in the in the teaching, it is stated that in the teaching, the power of white seed. You know, in the teaching, there’s five powers, especially very effective to apply at the time of dying, a power wise seed. During our lifetime, like now, we always make three portions of our possessions. One portion always dedicated to accumulate merit, which help to purify negative karmas. One portion, of course, dedicate to your family, your concerned people to whom you are responsible.
And one portion of wealth, then dedicate to do meritorious deeds. You know, if something happens to you. You know, let’s say if you are sick, to use for medications or to do pujas. Sometimes it is so effective when you get sick, making charity, helping poor people also helps. It’s all about to repay the karmic debt.
Why we suffer is because of karmic debt to other beings. This practice at the time of death also have to apply. At the time of death, let’s say it’s about dying, you know that you are degeneration of the aggregates appearing to you, that means very close to death. So instead of attaching towards them, rather you should let go and divide all the possessions into three portions. One is again to accommodate merit, one is for your children or parents or your loved ones, and one portion is to take care of the after the death and to do all the meritorious deeds.
So I don’t know why that came here. Yeah. So it’s a so you see. So, anyway, this power of white seed is, you know, this is how that we should, you know, we should apply at the time of dying. Otherwise, once we want to be once we attach, then that that will bring us into saṃsāra.
You know, the more attach, the stronger desire attached will bring to hell. Slight lesser than that, hungry ghost. Slight lesser than that, animal. Slight lesser than that, then god, demigod.
Then Slight lesser than that human being. See? Then at the same time, by thinking at the time of death, only dharma can able to assist, dharma can able to save us, nothing else. Know, individual possessions, family members, friends, you see. So so those are the like like okay.
Now we can we can so at the time of dying, we have to focus on this crucial, you know, crucial occasion, the crucial point or the crucial point and use the chosen situation which is death and apply the appropriate antidote such as the teachings of practicing white seed means, as mentioned earlier, to detach the possessions, detach including the family members because that only harms if you attach, that only harms the living one, harms yourself. Learn to detach, learn to let go, and remember any virtuous thought like loving kindness, compassion, bodhicitta, emptiness, or your guru, Buddha. So then that helps to connect what’s one’s subconscious mind to the higher rebirth. That’s Buddha, if not pure then, then human rebirth such as like that. Normally, you know, in the in the teaching, it says that in general, it says that if you create any negative karma in relation to Buddhas, it’s the greatest negative karma.
You know? Then after that is the bodhisattva. Then Bodhisattvas. Then Arhats.
You know? Buddha, Bodhisattva, arhats. Then, you know, the beings who possess pratimoksha vows. Then the beings who possess Bodhisattva vows. Then beings will possess so so so sorry.
After the the arhats, the beings who possess the fully ordained Sangha vows. Then after that, who possess the novice Sangha vows. Then after that is the ordained Sangha vows, the pre-ordination Sangha vows. Then after that, those who possess the tantric vows, then Bodhisattva vows. Then five lay vows, refuge vows, then one day vows such as the Mahāyāna precepts.
Know, So then to a being that who bring lot of benefit to the society, even though they don’t have any of these vows, any of these realization, but who bring lot of benefit to the societies, lot of benefit to many, many people and those ordinary good beings. Then after that after that then, you know so so like that. You see? So so within all this, the greatest negative karma that is accumulated in relation to guru, because guru represents the entire ten direction Buddhas, who represents in life form, who represents the entire ten direction Buddhas, and entire holy beings. So to accumulate any negative karma in relation to guru is the heaviest negative karma.
Now same thing, if you accumulate merit in relation to guru, it’s the most extensive. Then to Buddha, then to Bodhisattvas, then to Arhats, as as I mentioned earlier. You know? So whatever negative karma and whatever positive karma in relation to those object, it has a greater effect. You know?
Yeah. Like that. So now the precept number eleven, do not depend on other’s condition. Do not rely upon other’s condition. To to engage to engage in other’s other’s spiritual practice, it is essential to gather various favorable conditions such as food, clothing, and so on.
You also need to have a good health, access to water that is suited to your body, and no excessive disturbance from the human and non humans alike. The practice of mind training yeah, okay. The practice of mind training in contrast does not depend on such a condition. Since the very absence of the favorable condition, it itself has a resource resources for this spiritual practice. Today, take all of this as the ripening of the meritorious karma and as a factor conducive to mind training.
So now, if we are not a mind training practitioner, then even if you are Tantric, very high level Tantric practitioner, or Bodhisattva practitioner, or hero practitioner, solitary practitioner, any level of practitioner other than mind training practitioner, it is necessary to do a practice in a conducive place. Necessary to, must be a conducive place. Such as go for retreat in a conducive place, like deity yoga retreats. Normally we go for retreats. So if you want to go for retreat, you need a conducive place.
It is necessary. So those necessary conditions are, as mentioned here, food, clothing, like water, know, like general. And more important than that, need a if any form of retreat, other than mind training retreat and practice, you need one teacher who is residing around you, who can able to keep within your boundary, the retreat boundary. You need one spiritual guide. In case that you realize it through the retreat, your realization upgrading, your realization is getting improving very much and certain stage you’re confused, you don’t know where you reach and you wish to upgrade more than that, you need a guidance.
And that guidance should be applied or that guidance should be granted while you are remaining within the retreat boundary in order for you to succeed in the realizations. Due to that, you need a guidance, have to be qualified with all the qualifications such as knowledgeable in theory and a serious practitioner on that particular practices and who have attended such kind of practice or retreats before, and who is confident to granting the guidance, and who has a very close affinity with the person. So then on top of that, always keep within your retreat boundary one doctor, because if you get into health problem, In order to complete the path or the practice cannot be interrupted, crossing the boundary. So you need a doctor who can able to handle general problems or any health problems. Then was attendant.
You know, you need to put you need to have one attendant within your boundary, you know, who can serve you for whenever you need food, whenever you need water, whenever you need any sort of and, you know, especially to be a messenger. You know? So so then, of course, food. The food something which you like. During retreat that you urge for all the different foods and you never get the food, then your retreat focus becomes food, not the retreat.
So you need the very comfortable, nice food that which you like, so should be ready for the retreat. Water, if you are not okay with the ordinary water, then make sure buy a lot of mineral waters. So it’s needed, which suits to your body. But then drink also water, you say your retreat, you’re very renounced and drink all the tap water, especially in the problem, diarrhea, whole retreat will be on the bed. So then then need to be a very place.
In general, quiet place is required for the for the any sort of retreat. Unless that you are using certain sound as to train your concentration, such as sound of waterfall, sound of water stream. If you want to train your concentration using sound of the continuum waterfall, the waterfall sound is always sharp, never stop. Water stream sound also never stop. So so so in in that special occasion, you can choose that kind of place.
Other than that, you have to be far from there also. You have to choose a place where there’s no kind of external disturbance including a very heavy water sounds, waterfall sounds. Then there’s no disturbance from human being, such as human being, those human beings are referring to observe your attachment. During the retreat, observe or attachment will not come, your desire arise. It will destroy the retreat.
If the anime comes or anime movie and they are already too hot, you get all of them and get angry. Also, cannot. Then people that who you to whom you always get jealous, then they move around here there. Also, so you have to be totally away from all this external disturbing people, especially of your attachment and of your anger. So then nonhuman, then the place should be you call not haunted.
In other ways, they will disturb you. So whether they really such a thing or not, but normally we say there’s a haunted place, no haunted place. So if there is such a haunted place, if you think there’s haunted place, it’s better not to use for the treatment. So you should go a place where there’s no haunted place. So those are the very important few factors, conditional factors that need for all the retreat, deity yoga retreat, Lamrim retreats, know, like a retreat in like a reading sutras, retreat for concentration, training concentration to gain the śamatha and to do a retreat, like reading retreat.
Read, contemplate, read, contemplate. There’s a certain retreat that only read. It is good to do, especially when you’re learning dharma. Instead of going for deity yoga retreat, it is sometimes very beneficial to go for a reading retreat. Means you go to a place, you set a four sessions a day, early morning wake up to write motivation, then all different texts.
Let’s say if you want to do a research on emptiness, so before going to retreat you have to gather all the valuable teachings on emptiness, books, audios or books, whatever. So you put in that room. So to finish complete concentrated reading, maybe it might take one month or ten days or two days. They set four sessions a day. Other than reading, they only short short break four times in the day.
So probably then put many different text, many different assertion from different masters. So you try to compare. You try to get all the essence into one. So to get knowledge. So that’s how actually when we do a serious philosophy study, we also do once a while retreat, the reading retreat.
So it is very, very, very beneficial for us to be very I’m sure you are doing in the university when you study, I’m sure you are doing. So that’s how one of the way to escape from busy time and within a short period of time you can gain full knowledge, at least full research on different subjects. Used to last time during Sera time, I used to do each subject at least at one time. And I reached the Prajñāpāramitā subject, I at least did one month reading retreat and go back to Copan, then find the most secluded place, know, totally at the back, maybe get it there or not at the back of Kopan. You know, like, almost like no everybody neglect that place.
No one will come back. Very, very small room, you know. Like, then no destruction. Go out over, know, notice. Okay.
So we said, oh, the tax. Very good. So then when you reach your emptiness, my living class, all the different schools, all the different master research. So then at the end of the retreat, you you cannot keep every single information here. You keep the essence.
You you make you just, what do you say? Summarize. You’re so good in summarizing. Summarize. Keep.
Then then after that, then wherever you go, no need to think think. Go to play. So and that helps whatever teaching that you listen and whatever books that you read, actually, it helps to, like, reflect all those pages, all those teachings. At least that you are you are sure, you know, you’re sure. Especially if you want to be a trainer, like, teacher, trainer to other, especially in Dharma.
It is very important. It is very necessary. Okay. Now for the mind training practitioner, if you wanna do a mind training retreat, then all these conditions is contrast, not necessary, no need at all. We just live where we are and we do the practice where we are, the best place.
Especially our place, you know, where we are is most troublesome place. You know, the saṃsāra in the general saṃsāra is too much trouble, too much problem. Then in the family also some how, always misunderstanding, always difficulties, always troubles, know, somehow. Then every day to day, something makes you difficult. It’s something.
Even though there’s nothing out of factor, but your mind keep telling you to be unhappy. Your mind keep letting you to letting you feel down. Your mind always is not enough, not satisfied. And your mind cannot control. If something do right with somebody, you will just get jealous.
You know, if somebody say a little bit, you get angry. You know, it’s like so difficult place, and that is a perfect place for a mind training retreat. It’s the most appropriate place to do a mind training practice. Because all those are the conditions to get able to transform our mind. Of course, after knowing mind training teaching, know, before knowing then I mean, before some kind of at least preparation for mind training practice, you go into this kind of difficult place, it’s very difficult.
What what here mean is after after learning, then after through some time of contemplation for the mind training teaching, then live a life habituating the situation within your mind training practice. You see, we are here not we are not saying that we can able to handle the situation right away now. We have to convince the teaching first also. We really have to feel the flavor of the teaching. We are kind of in the process of contemplation, means like striving the essence of the teaching, and you can feel it in your heart, then the meditation time means living a life with the mindfulness teaching is the time that when you live a life with such a difficult places, in a difficult time.
Did I say correctly? My English make total confuse you You you maybe you can correct me. No. No. Yeah.
It’s a contrast. Yes. It’s it’s still very beneficial. We need to we need to tame our concentration. We need to tame our analytical meditations and accommodation of merit by doing preliminary practices, preliminary retreats.
We need to be more familiarized with the deity yoga practices. It is very important. But what I’m saying is after learning mind training teaching, after contemplating, and once you are convinced with mind training teaching, we in fact apply entire aspect of Dharma where we are. But you know, not necessarily have to spare a special time and special place. We can actually practice right now, right there in there.
So both are needed. And both are goes so well together. I mean, know, I mean, not same time, but you know, in our life. Once a while, we go for a very strict retreat. Maybe very conducive, as I mentioned earlier, those other retreat.
And as long since we have to leave major majority of our time in in in samsaric life, we must take as one of the principal practice so that we can able to, you know, extract the meaning of life by practicing Dharma. You know, and we can at least be happy and not we will at least not suffer that much through the contamination of samsaric difficulties if we can able to take mahjong practice into our life. So that’s about it. But I don’t know, but in my mind my thinking, only possible after you complete proper study and contemplation. But then, you know, before we are convinced through the study of version of teaching and you try to get into you know, try to transfer me some time.
You know, if you cannot continue the practice, you know, then the you you try to transform the problem, take the problem onto you. You know? You transform a little bit, and after that, you give up, and the problem become extra, more problem. So there’s a danger also. So we should convince first, then only go into a serious living life practice of the program teaching.
And it helps, even in our day to day life we are not spending full time with theological practice, but still just having some understanding. Helps a lot to subside the problems in saṃsāra. At least some external problems. By applying Lojong practice, Lojong thinking, Lojong way of cultivation, it helps for you to relieve many of the saṃsāra difficulties. You know, it helps.
It’s helping. So the practice of mind training in contrast to the earlier, those and practice in need of these conducive conditions. Does not depend on such a condition, lojong practice does not depend on such a condition. Seeing the very absent of favorable condition, it is self resources of this spiritual practice. So here, same.
It’s a resource, you know. When when anger comes, it’s the it’s the one of the best conducive condition for you to practice patient. Yeah. We’ll go to total remote place. Nobody make you angry.
No. No. No. No. Nobody disturb You know?
And you might think you’re enlightened, but the moment you come out from the retreat heart, you are worse than anybody. You can be worse than anybody. You know? When you’re in retreat heart, know, I also am am I go, oh, I know, like, you feel like you are you reach very high level of practice, you know. Oh, I know.
No attachment, you know, no anger, you know. Very peaceful. You know. So the first day come out, you’re so happy, You know, show everybody like prove try to prove to people that you would attain enlightenment realization. One day, two day, three day later, after get home, disaster start.
One become worse than the person who never went for retreat. And it happens many many time. In many many cases, it happened. You see? So how wonderful that we can apply those two thing in our life together.
When you’re living in our ordinary life, apply lojong. When we go to such a wonderful, conducive place, we apply, we upgrade our understanding, numbering, accumulation of merit, engaging in preliminary retreats. You might have a deity yoga commitments, do the deity yoga commitment. And the moment you come into your ordinary world, immediately make sure apply the long term practice and you are total subdued. And all other family will show follow your path.
Because you’re so subdued. Because when one went to the solitary retreat, so calm, so peaceful, your mind naturally subdued, isn’t it? So conducive. Yeah. So so good.
You know? So you look so calm. You’re so gentle. Yeah? And you are definitely much more better than before you went to retreat.
And your family member knows that. So when you come back, you apply lojong teaching to to to sustain that the peaceful practice into your difficult life, in your challenging life. You are always subdued, you’re always good. Your old family member will start to see the greatest changes in you. And everybody start to say that, can I go for retreat also?
Can I go for retreat? You know, why? Because I see you as you changed so much. Really like the changes that you you Right. Otherwise, we try to push our family members to go into dharma, impossible.
Because the more we learn Dharma, the more impatient we become. Because Dharma also required some kind of concentration, focus. Know, kind of like a make our mind a bit tight. And since we are not skillful in practice, by making our mind a bit tight, here start to get pain. Here start to have pain, chest pain.
Then here, the the blood circulation stop. Here, blood circulation also block. Then your brain also start to block. Then mind also block. And either like crazy or either like insane.
What if not the not the million percent, the other one? Insane. Insane. Sometimes become insane. Sometimes become like insane, you know.
You start to talk all sort of funny funny things, which is very under eleven, you know. And you start to be very serious superstitious person, unbelievable superstitious person, you know. Even shadow moves, you say ghost moving. You know, like, you know, after retreat, you know, if shadow moves, start to see ghost moving, you know. Ghost going here and there.
The moment you hear a sound, you know, in ordinary life you used to say, oh, the wind sound. But now you start to say, the ghost sound. So is it become so superstitious? Everything, you know, your mind is full of superstitious. You know?
So it’s it’s it’s much dangerous. And how how can your family member follow your path? No way. Impossible. It is impossible.
You see? So so so now, the normal practices and personal practice have to, like, always, like, connect, you know, keep together. Then then I wanna always, like, smile and, you know, and they say some nice nice things, you know, and be very relaxed, calm. And how to say somehow, the rest of the environment make very comfortable, very nice. In all tense.
You know? It make make very comfortable and nice. So that’s what we we need, and that is also a result of Dharma practice. Sure. Yeah.
Yes. Actually, this strengthen the awareness itself also my training practice. You know, in earlier classes we discussed that, you know, when there’s no object of anger, then we should sit down and we should do the mind training practice. The way of doing the mind training practice for that is to always remind yourself, cultivate yourself disadvantage of getting angry and advantage of being patient. So think and think and think and think.
So then whenever the the object of anger comes, and try your best. And eventually, the the when the when the object of anger always would be there. But before anchor arise within your mind, the the the training of your mind training of convincing the anger is wrong and convince your subconscious mind patience is the right attitude, naturally, you start to see you start to tell yourself. The mind just naturally burst out. Oh, cannot get angry.
No good. No No. You start to the subconscious mind start to inform you of your gross mind, and your gross mind start to control yourself. And that how that you can able to overcome the anger. Even in the preliminary stage of mind training teaching.
So for the mind training practitioner, if any difficulties comes, any suffering results or difficulty coming down, then one one will immediately think, it’s all due to my past karma. It’s all due to my past karma. So you won’t blame anybody. And since you are good mind training practitioner, you immediately think think of the Buddha’s teaching that must purify it. Must purify the karma so that I can totally stop the karma.
At the same time, the mind training practitioner, since you’re a good mind training practitioner, you immediately will will will the mind will come, you know, the thought will come. I practice Tonglen practice. Since I am experiencing, you know, the stomach pain, since it’s resolved my karma, anyway I need to I need to feel the pain. Anyway I I I I’m I’m experiencing it. In reality, I’m experiencing it.
So why not I take this opportunity to take take all other living beings suffering, including the the the the heavy suffering and health also I take into my stomach pain. May this pain be sufficient of experiencing entire other living beings, including hell beings’ pain, sufferings. And if I have any karma of happiness and comfort, may those karma ripen on every single living being. So this is my training practice. The moment you do that, I guarantee you, immediately, the stomach pain subsides.
That’s that’s the immediate benefit. Immediately you start to feel the pain is lesser. Check. So the the more intense on this thought, the lesser the suffering goes. You know, the the more intense, the the the pain get lesser and lesser.
You are totally overwhelmed with this thought, Tonglen thought. It’s almost like there’s not even a one single space the thought of suffering arises in your mind. It’s total, you know, like overwhelmed with the thought of Tonglen. You know? In that aspect, no more pain at all.
Completely free of pain. Completely free of pain. Maybe if your doctor would want to analyze, doctor can see from medical report, you are still in pain, but you won’t suffer. You you are you as a person, you will not feel the pain. You will not suffer.
But doctor will only check. Oh, it’s still a big lump there. No pain. You know? Must be tremendous pain.
I don’t want to keep morphine, and you are still you’re okay. You don’t feel the pain. It is possible. It is possible. And there is many many cases, even living masters who practice this and who success in this practice, who really can able to total free from their pains while they’re having cancer.
You know, it’s it’s amazing, isn’t it? And and that’s about my training teaching. You see? So possible, it’s it’s all depend on us. You’re lazy like me, they cannot.
Know? Pain, lazy pain, because pain after I eat pain killer, I feel better. But the pain to train the mind training is very To discipline yourself to do the mind training teaching is more painful than this. Rather buy some more pain killer. Whenever any pain comes, just get a pain killer.
Yeah. So when this thought comes, not good. So don’t follow me. Let’s see. You know, it’s all about mind, you see?
All about mind. It’s all about occupying, you know, the suffering mind with non suffering mind. It’s it’s you know, the mind is the one that who actually perceive, who actually let let it feel by the senses of the pain. When that sensor, when that mind is totally occupied with different type of mind, you are free from the from from the pain which feel by the senses. And the senses, there’s only six senses.
There’s no other senses. Oh, five senses. There’s only five senses. There’s no no no other than that. You see?
So who feel the pain? There’s five, six senses is the one that will feel the pain. You know? Will feel the pain, you see. So even there’s a lung, you know, very painful, but the senses are not working, you don’t feel the pain.
The person won’t feel the pain. You know how it will, when they put a morphine, very very heavy drug, you don’t feel the pain because all the senses are numb. And the feeling senses are numb. You know, it makes sense, you see. Feeling sense is numb.
Now you are doing more than that. You are doing is you are you are in fact giving a heaviest morphine to the to the spot, the the the actual the root, the mind itself, which is the the root sensor for all the rest of the senses. Once you once you occupy that root mind with a different mind than the painful mind, The rest of the senses cannot feel it. Yeah. When you are engrossed with the, you know, in a movie picture, even the stomach pain somehow disappears.
But when the moment movie finish, you will start to feel pain. And because the concentration comes back, the sensors are more alert. But until that your your entire focus, the mind is totally occupied by the interesting movie. So this is just a very simple example, so that means it’s possible. The Dharma can able to cure entire aspect of pain, it’s irrelevant, it is truth ful.
And the Buddha said the right thing. He didn’t say the wrong thing. It is right. The only thing is we have to practice. We we practice, practice, you know, and it will improve everything.
And then again, the Dharma is to prepare a proper death and peaceful death, happy death, enjoyable death, no regret death, death which is no regret, death which is so much joy only dharma can able to handle. And one of the external factor that have to go through during the time of death is immense of suffering. The suffering that which you can’t even imagine now. Whether you believe in dharma or not, everybody have to go through it, including the cockroach, have to go through. At the time of dying, the the the the the suffering of the dissolution of the elements have to experience by every single living being.
Every single samsaric living being. Not by Buddhists. Every single samsaric living being. You have to experience it. So when you have a Dharma influence, Dharma imprint strong, that can able to overcome.
Other than that, we are completely dominated by illusion and suffer. So practice Dharma, practice mind training teaching is one of the best to overcome even the greatest suffering that we have to go through within this life track, within this life, what do call? Within this journey, within this circle of journey. You see? So it helps now, the more you intense training, it helps when we are alive, and it helps especially at the time of death.
Which is the time that no one can able to help us, only by ourselves, our own mind. And that also our subconscious mind, not even our gross mind can able to help us. How can help us and a gross mind can help us in the time of dying? It’s impossible. You know?
Yeah. Was it was it it’s like worse than that. It’s very very heavy sleeping sleeping time. It’s, you know, the it’s all the gross consciousness, all the stop. So then you put a, you know, like a big loud CD play, the chanting, thousands of monks are chanting for you.
It doesn’t you want to hear the mantra, powerful mantra, you can’t hear. Your external the the the the essence is completely gone. You know, it’s completely gone. The only thing can able to connect is the subconscious mind. But if subconscious mind is not familiar with the virtuous imprint, you also might get a fear of that.
Suddenly boom, ohm, ohm, you know, what is that? You know, it’s irrelevant. Suddenly, never hear ohm. Then at the time when somebody ohm, ohm, ohm, you might feel and your subconscious mind, the imprint is so strong. When somebody chant immediately, you know, it remind the rest of the practice, compassion, bodhicitta, whatever practice that you have practiced in the past.
And just for money, OM MANI PADME HUM can remind entire your hard work in your life at the time of death. And that can able to bring you to higher rebirth. So again that depend on now how much strong imprint we can leave in our mental continuum. Similar to mind training teaching how strong imprint we can live now. So we have practice day to day, you know, happily practice.
Happily practice. So we cannot cannot pressure ourself. If we pressure, then no use. We have to be very then mind training teaching suits the best. Because mind training, whatever comes into your way is all objective of your practice.
So whatever lifestyle, whether you’re sleeping, waking up, whatever, is the object of mind training practice. So how wonderful to adopt this mind training practice. Right now and today on, factor and. I only talk. And factor conducive to mind training.
So I think we better stop here. Almost ten o’clock. Okay. Any question? Since we had a long break for mind training class, by applying mind training teaching in your day to day life, is there anything that you cannot handle, which feels a bit contrast, which feels unrelevant, which feels difficult?
And also, any kind of situation in our daily life, you wish to apply mind training teaching, but don’t know what type of mind training teaching suits, you know, how to apply. You have any question on that? Yeah. So that’s why every day is actually mind training teaching, mind training practices. So if you have any kind of question, you’re most welcome.
We do a few questions. If not, very happy. Okay. Is everything alright? No question?
Yeah. Yeah. Is it that is service to mind training. Direct. This is what?
Okay. It’s the right this is a mind training. Is direct? Is it is a very straightforward. You say direct form of mind training.
Yes. Yes. Yes. It’s one of very effective and, you know But when we do this, the Tonglen practice, we have to aware that we cannot feel down. You know, by you know, you’re already suffering.
Then when you when you take, you feel more burden and you feel down, then it’s wrong. It is unskillful practice of Tonglen in this this aspect. When you take, you have to feel that how fortunate you are. At the same time, you have to think how fortunate you are compared to hell beings, compared to hungry ghosts. You know?
Your suffering is nothing. You know? Your suffering is is nothing. You know? So at the same time, how fortunate I am that I met Buddha Dharma.
I met the teachings of compassion, teachings of bodhicitta, you know. And it really makes sense to me because this is something that which really concern of others happiness. You know. So therefore, since I practice practice of bodhicitta, I’ve always been praying that may all other living beings be free from entire experience of suffering by myself alone. Means I want to take full responsibility by myself alone who can able to liberate every single living being born suffering.
So why not? Okay, this is the time that I take every other living being suffering on me because I really can’t wait to free them from suffering. You know? So ripen upon me, and whatever good karmas that I may have, ripen upon them, and they may enlighten immediately. You know?
And for me, able to do this practice, again, how fortunate I am, is how lucky I am. You know? If I didn’t get this stomach pain, I won’t be able to achieve this practice. Because of the stomach pain, I have this opportunity to practice. This is really blessing of the Buddha for me to have stomach pain.
You see? So you’ll be very lifted. You’ll be very courage. Your mind, spirit become very strong. And yet, the compassionate heart of taking entire other’s suffering onto you, that again build even more increasing, more courage.
At the same time, that will bring a blessing of purification of your karma. And that’s how also helps to subside the pain. Including subsiding pain also result of cost. And the cost could be the immediate practice, which is Tonglen practice. Just now we did a Tonglen practice, could be the immediate cause to subside the pain.
So you create a cause to subside your pain. And yes, that will bring kind of like a jump, you know, like a like a big, how to say, space towards the Buddhahood. You know, when in a normal practice and after doing Tonglen practice, normal practice is climbing step by step. When you do one Tonglen practice, you jump ten step higher. Or maybe I don’t know how many steps.
So the more you do this practice, the nearer you get to Buddha. The nearer you get to Buddha, the benefit to the sentient being is getting nearer. Because now you really don’t have ability. You are just practicing. You are developing your heart only.
Directly, you can’t help. You you you are you are you you can’t you can’t help at all. You know, if if if some people are suffering in tsunami, you will not reach there right now, you know. You only can dedicate. That’s it.
But when you become Buddha, you can able to reach. Then again, the question might arise, then why so many tsunamis, so many suffering happening, why all the Buddhas went away where they went? Must say, call the Buddha or sleep one. They all all didn’t hear. You know?
So the thing is, again, the infinity. You know? There’s numberless beings And each one of us has a numberless beings karmic connection with us, and their liberation is totally depend on us. There’s numberless beings, their enlightenment totally depends on me. There’s numberless beings, those who are not karmically connected with me, but karmically connected with you, and totally depend his or their enlightenment on your enlightenment.
So but you can liberate them only when you become Buddha. Otherwise, it’s just a wishing. You know, you are unable to liberate them directly. You see? So so due to that reason, again, the developing mind is so important that’s why we use such kind of very strong technique such as to speed us to the to Buddhahood so that many numberless beings can be free from the suffering.
Let’s say hundreds of people die in tsunami. So every one of us coming together and praying, it’s very beneficial because there will be many people, my prayer may work. And maybe there’s a hundred people and maybe three people karmically connected with each one of us.
And all of us praying for them, it helps everybody. But only I pray, maybe ten people karmically connected with me receive my prayer and rest of the thing has nothing to do with me. Even I pray how hard also, you know, it’s like the the benefit is like very limited. So you see, again, this makes sense that why, you know, always like group prayers, so more powerful, more efficient, more effective, you know, and it could it’s also one of the reason is that. So we cannot say, oh, Buddha, so many Buddha enlightened, then, you know, it’s still so many people suffering.
Why? You know? Yet, you are keep saying, when you become Buddha, you can liberate every single human beings. And if you also keep saying, by myself alone, we’ll liberate numberless beings. You know, it’s all contradicting like that.
It is not contradicting. It is very fair because of the karmic infinity. So again, we can recreate the karmic affinity. That’s why we need to introduce Dharma to more people, is to recreate the karmic affinity. Means recreate the karmic connection with the different Buddhas.
Let’s say there’s so many people don’t have karmic affinity with Guru Śākyamūni Buddha. Not even with Śākyamūni Buddha’s teaching. First of all, they don’t believe in religion. Secondly, maybe they even criticize Guru Śākyamūni Buddha. Buddhism.
It’s like their karma is totally averse. They’re averse. Absolutely. And even getting far out. So to clarify the misunderstanding, to put great effort to bring introduce the Dharma to more people, you know, especially to Śākyamūni Buddha’s teaching is for them to tie a karmic connection with him.
So the moment they they at least like hear, I now say bodhicitta, which is taught by Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, immediately they leave out one single imprint. And that imprint could be a very powerful seed. And if you put more and more water, more and more, talk more and more, convince them again and again, but nicely. Don’t push, but, you know, like, nicely. If today is not possible, tomorrow, try.
Tomorrow not possible, next year, try. But don’t try every day, people get irritated. So cannot push too much. No. No.
The practice Dharma Once a while, when it’s the right time, talk. Always, yourself be the example. And give them, teach them the benefit. Not about, say, you must go, you will receive all the thing. And you should use your own life experiences which you receive the benefit from Dharma.
You share. Sharing people are happy to hear. But ordering people are not happy to hear. See, Dharma is very good. You should practice.
People want people who you think you are. Know, you you you never feed me. You never who you think you are to me, order me to go and learn Dharma for what? You know? So you cannot.
You share it. Oh, I you know, and this such and such time, I made Dharma, and I started to practice that. I encountered such and such. Well, I just apply this teaching or it helps me. You it’s very good, it’s wonderful.
Oh, people start to have one. Then they will start to ask question, oh really? I say yes, then how? Then you explain. But until they ask how, you will start explaining to anybody.
From tomorrow on, I never meet you. You see? So introducing dharma to other is so important. It’s needed because so many beings, they’re not connected. They’re not connect not not connected.
Without connection, how to be karmically connected? Impossible. So we have to create a cause to connect. We are not converting anybody. We are just doing the right thing because that is the right thing.
We’re just sharing. We’re just like awakening. But we have to be so skillful because no one want to hear lecture. No one want to hear ordering. Do this, do that.
No one want to hear. So we have to be very skillful. So it might sound like a Christian type of, know, whatever. You you can able to convince one person into dharma, many many things Christian also say talk so much. So here almost can say the same thing but a different purpose.
It can be a different purpose, it can be with a different motivation. Inspire one person to learn dharma. Yes, you will accumulate Let’s say that that period, how many merit, how much merit the person accumulate leaving an imprint of Dharma. One will accumulate at least fifty percent. Then the Dharma, then the person continue to practice Dharma, what ever merit accumulated, you will be naturally received.
You know, what do call it? Share bonus. Know, dividend. That you will naturally get the dividends. You see?
Know, it’s it like that. Know? But that have to be very professional and very skillful. You know? You have to be very, very skillful.
You know? So that’s why, why we call the, you know, the lamas, the great lamas, like, like, our our precious guru, they put you know, making so many different ways to to to connect people, you know, like including, like, the project of building five hundred feet Maitreya. It’s not because I want to be the first person who will build the highest statue. It’s not not for them. It’s because of that, so many people will be connected.
At least to know who is this Maitreya Buddha. Just that imprint. And that imprint. You know, I was talking about the thousand offering event this afternoon. I had a chat with the reporter.
So I said thousand offering event is so important because the thousand offering event, one of the way to connect people to dharma. To to to to change people’s life into better. Thousand offering, you go there, maybe just like maybe it might happen to go because somebody say it’s a lot of fun or maybe interesting or nice to see or a lot of thing to see or curiosity you go there. Somehow people start to I was told by many people, said, I start to practice Dharma first time I because I started from the thousand offering event. There’s a people who who who would tell me.
Because after I went there, somehow my life changed. So then now I become LDC member. And now I’m studying. You You know, it it you know, it’s it’s like that. So you see.
So so each individual have to be a person that who can able to connect more people to dharma. This is so rare and so precious. More people to dharma. And I always talk to people when introduce dharma. I don’t talk about tantra, mantras, tantra, respect.
No one against that. Everybody, even you talk to any religious people, you talk that, they’re happy. Non believer also happy. Talk about compassion, they’re happy. Loving kind and respect, they’re happy.
And that is the principle of Buddhadharma also. So we immediately talk about deity with two heads, three heads, three eyes. Well, then they know like, including we say Lamrim. How many books? Three books to study.
How many year you take? Three years. No one. No one. Yeah.
But that is very important. This is all about. Yeah. Don’t know. Know that.
No. We cannot. You know? Compassion, loving kindness, and respect. That will bring happiness into your family because I I experience it.
I this bring happiness in me. And this I can see that it bring happiness in others in society. Oh, sounds very interesting. Sounds something different. You go to work, nobody talks about this.
In family, hardly talks about this. Go to outing with your friends, nobody talks about loving kindness, compassion, respect. Now you are talking about loving kindness, compassion, respect. It is new subject for many people, new subject. Especially non believer.
Many many people, but this is new subject, isn’t it? And which is coming from your mouth and which is in front of you, you know, and and sharing your experience while this all thing come together. It’s like delicious food. I really want to eat it. Okay.
So when you introduce dharma to people, when you want to introduce to new members, this is the way I feel. Could be wrong, but this might matter. Thank you. Good night. Sure.
Most effective. Yeah. In fact, you know, the emptiness understanding, emptiness teaching, that will never exist in is the appropriate antidote for most of the delusions most of delusion, but not necessary for all. Let’s say anger, you know, instead of like meditating on on patient, if you meditate on emptiness, it helps, but it might not like totally dominate, you know, like directly. It will be quite difficult to dominate directly.
But emptiness is the one of the most forceful, you know, one of the the antidote which can heal majority of the problems, including ordinary life’s difficulties. The moment you think of emptiness, it just starts to cease. And bodhicitta is also very effective.
Okay? Thank you. Good night.