(ungrouped) — Q_A

Thank you. Okay. So now we can start question and answer. And please feel free to ask please feel free to ask whatever whatever doubts, whatever questions that you may have, you know, whatever questions, whatever doubts that you may have in this special practice, whatever doubts, whatever questions that you may have while applying the Buddha Dharma into day to day life, the samsaric life, but unable to deal, unable to actualize the benefit from that, then if you encounter any doubt, cautions, either to Buddha himself, either to Buddhadharma himself, either to me, so just feel free to ask. Then when question and answer time, don’t ask, then find time to make appointment, wait for two, three months, then I’m busy, I go everywhere.

So then no appointment, then upset with William, then upset with me, then you see. So I’m quite surprised today not many people. I’m very surprised today not many people. I thought it would be full house, house full because I received so many emails. I received so many emails, so many questions, you know.

And even I tried to avoid giving my phone number, somehow they get the phone number and, you know, hassle me with, you know, all sort of questions, you know. Then yeah, I also encounter people complain. I come to see Geshe-la, Geshe-la is not there, how come? I have a question, he’s not there, You Normally we don’t have to do question and answer because whatever Dharma teaching that provided, that is the answer. That is the best answer and there’s no better answer than that.

Even to consultation with me, I don’t have any extra thing to say other than Buddhadharma. And whatever I say other than Buddhadharma, maybe I keep going into crazy. It’s not really I kind of act like I’m slightly better than Śākyamūni Buddha. Try to input more samsaric advice. I don’t think it’s right.

So the best advice is Buddhadharma, and I do share with some of the Dharma brothers and sisters who come and consult. I never see you come to Dharma class, but you come to see me privately many, many times and always come with a similar kind of question and I do answer similar type of answers but then never change like that and wasting your time, my time. So it happens you see. So anyway, I’m sorry to say that, but that is the fact. So now feel free to ask.

No complaint if you cannot see me. Okay? So what I’m trying to say is be free, comfortable, whatever doubt you have, just ask. Okay? And if you don’t have any question, good news.

So if you don’t have any question, there’s only two possibilities, either totally bad news or either totally good news. So you individually have to decide for that. Okay. Then but at at the same time, I sincerely I would try my very best, you know, even though, you know, lack of knowledge, you know, experience, you know, might not able to, you know, you know, like, answer the correct answers, whatever, but I will I will wholeheartedly sincerely try my best, you know. And first you take as my personal view.

Then after that, very important for you to analyze whether this answer is really the answer for my question or not. Once you establish that answer is the correct answer, then apply into practice. If you think that is not right answer, just put aside, put into trash, then try to learn more and try to get the answer for your question like that. Okay? Thank you.

Geshe-la, since I have got the mic, I have the advantage of asking the first question. I’m a person with many expectations. I have expectations about my job, about my family. Even when I buy a ticket for a movie, I have expectations to be entertained. And together with this expectation often comes disappointment.

But I don’t think I can go through life without expectations. And so my question to Geshe la is how should one actually handle one’s expectations in order to be able to be contented and use the life well? I think maybe my straightforward answer for this question can be try to understand the the fact of the karma and learn to accept. And you can give, you know, you should have a conviction that every single experiences in our life, every single fact of our life is due to the result of past karma. But at the same time, there’s it can be changes based on the the applying different conditions.

So therefore, if you give fifty percent fifty percent you know you let the karma to handle fifty percent you accept based on your condition in a way how you apply the condition then if things works let it works. If things doesn’t work, don’t stress yourself. Learn to accept that that could be the effect of the coming result of the past. So my answer is to solve the problem, you know, it’s very difficult for us to rid of expectation while living in the samsaric world. But at the same time, we sincerely, innately, we do not wish even a single moment of suffering or single moment of suffering.

So therefore, in order to at least compromise these two things while living in the samsaric world is to learn about the fact of the karma and try to apply the karmic teaching in our day to day life, and that might help. Good evening, Geshe la. Just wonder when Geshe-la Mañjuśrī Rinpoche came that time. He gave us the Sixteen Arhats initiation. In fact, in the discussion class, I raised this question also, but they also cannot explain.

So I would like to ask is, we are the Mahāyāna practitioner, so as not to attain arahanthood, And then why we are the one who encouraged to take the Sixteen Arhats initiation? Thank you. Thank you. The arhat can be the Mahāyāna arhat from the Bodhisattva path, and can be arhat from the Hīnayāna path such as arhat from the Hearer practitioner, arhat from the solitary practitioner. So therefore, the arhat, the initiation that we during Kyabje Mañjuśrī Rinpoche’s visit is the arhat from the Mahāyāna school, which involves the practice of bodhicitta.

So therefore, they are our inspiration and that’s worthwhile for us to follow, you know, there’s so much meaning for us to follow their steps. And at the same time, the arhats are the emanations of the ten direction Buddhas who emanated in the aspect of the fully subdued ones or mahasiddhas or let’s say, the pandits, in the aspect of pandits, in the aspect of mahasiddhas, in the aspect of Dharma protectors, in the aspect of Dharma protectors to assist Buddha to bring protection and bring conducive condition to those Dharma practitioners. Such as sixteen arhats, they are manifestation of the Buddha as a protector in the form of the monk’s life who make a pledge who make a pledge in front of ten direction Buddhas to bring the assistance to the Dharma practitioners, provide conducive conditions and inspire, particularly inspire to preserve the vows of the it can be either Prātimokṣa vows or can be at least you know like refuge and Prātimokṣa vows. And the arhats which we receive initiation they are the inspiration for us to even practice Buddhist or vows. Like that. That answer your question?

Oh, the other heart. So here, as long as you you obtained it as long as you have obtained the direct realization of emptiness, at the same time who destroyed the saṃsāra, who eliminated, who already eliminated the saṃsāra, we call who achieved the state of the foe destroyers, which is the total liberation of saṃsāra, such as the Hīnayāna practitioner who obtained the highest achievement of the Hīnayāna path which is the Arahantship, is called the foe destroyer’s state, which is also called the state where you completely purify entire aspect of saṃsāra and who obtained the ability never fall back into saṃsāra, that is called arhat. That arhat once adopt the practice of bodhicitta becomes Mahāyāna arhat, even though that practitioner can be only in the path of accumulation, which is only from the first path, but since already obtained a direct realization of emptiness during the Hīnayāna path, At the same time he already destroyed the Samsāra. He earned the Arahantship. But in a Bodhisattva path, he’s still the ordinary Bodhisattva.

So when we call that person, that practitioner, we call we still call Arahant. But it’s a Bodhisattva Arahant. When they give the initiation of Bodhisattva. You can see just from this question you know, and just from this answer, how you know, you see how complexity of of you know?

So if you use only Buddhist terms, again, there’s so many thing again. So so many other thing left out. So better use overall name, Arahant, and based on individual knowledge. But when you give the initiation, the initiation master has the responsibility to introduce, you know, supposed to introduce which school, which stages of the path of the Arahant. You see?

Thank you. Yeah. I’m gonna yeah. Good evening, Isha. Good evening.

How are you? Very fine. Very good. I’m I’m gonna ask a general question. Okay.

Okay. Just to warm everybody up. Yes. Okay. I often hear this word era of degeneration.

Yes. In every teaching attempt, in the era of degeneration. So I I don’t actually know the meaning. Mhmm. Okay.

To me, degeneration is like, you know, degrading. Yes. You know? But if I look at the current era, you know, we have so much problem, you know, sickness, flu, know, business, you know, financial meltdown, flu. You know, I I don’t know whether this means era or this generation.

Okay? But on the aspect, I I I saw a video some time ago, very interesting video somebody sent about how Muslim that this this culture will will grow, you know, in Yeah. In in fifty years or hundred years because because basically they multiply more than other races you know. So if you use statistics, they will dominate the world. So Buddhism is such a wonderful religion, it should stay on, is it?

But if you look at future that’s gonna come, it’s gonna degenerate, you know? Right? It’s the opposite, you know? So the question is, what is the era of degeneration and why this thing can happen? Okay.

So there’s few few questions. So why why only from I mean, you know, like like like, you regard that diamond is so precious, isn’t it? Diamond in ordinary world, diamond is so precious. Since it’s so precious, why everybody have diamond? You know, in ordinary life, even even in ordinary life, we regard diamond, gold are very precious.

You know? And if it’s precious, why everybody everybody should have? So it’s precious, isn’t it? So dharma is, yes, dharma is, you know, so precious. Dharma is so precious.

So precious. But why everybody cannot have? It’s because it’s so precious. In order to have an ordinary like a diamond, in order to have a diamond, you need a lot of money. You know, isn’t it?

To to buy, what do you call, carat? I don’t know. Maybe let’s say let’s say about this much big diamond. This much big diamond. Maybe you need, I don’t know, a few billions, few billions dollars, you know, then only that you can able to actualize.

So now, Buddhadharma is so precious, much more precious than that much big diamond. It’s almost priceless. We have like a one complete price, one complete kind of budget to to to actualize that. So based on the individual, you know, merit that you can able to adopt those who have so much merit, they can able to adopt the most precious Buddha’s teaching in complete way, Sūtra, Tantra, everything. Know those are very limited they are only able to adopt one single one small part of the Buddhadharma.

So it’s not because of even though so precious why people don’t adopt, it’s because of true pressure that’s why people cannot digest. And so in order to digest, you need so much merit to able to have that teaching into your mental continuum. So that is, okay, just one one small tips. Yeah. So then degeneration.

Again, especially, you can also explain about degeneration and the material world. Also, you can you can have a different explanation of degeneration. As far as concerned, the material world, in fact, is not really degeneration. It’s actually is in what do call? The opposite of degeneration, what do call?

Inclusion. Flourish. Okay. Maybe I don’t know how many. One decade, two decades ago.

Maybe no airplane do they have. You know? The airplane is is almost like almost like getting as equal number of cars. You know? To reach from here to America, you can reach within twenty four hours.

So easy. In early time, no such facilities. Today, almost every including kids have a computer and mobile phone. You know, these external developments make the communication so easy. You know, early time, no such kind of developments.

So in the material world, I don’t think it’s degeneration. It actually is kind of increasing. Just now flourishing. Yeah? But the whatever, like such as a sickness, like swine flu and such, all the, like, disaster within the sicknesses, business problems, all should explain from the from the spiritual point of view, not from the material point of view.

Material world, you know, the answer is not from material world. We have to answer. I feel we have to answer to the spiritual point of view. The fact even though the external material world is developing yet there’s so much disaster, know, so much disaster, so much you know, so much new discovery of epidemic diseases and, you know, more and more economic crisis and more and more anxiety, fear, conflicts is all due to the degeneration in the spiritual practice. The moment one accumulate more negative karma, one start to experience more negative experiences.

And once one accumulates more negative karma, that is the sign of degeneration in the spiritual practice. Once one practices more virtuous karma, that is the development in the spiritual practices. At the same time, lesser and lesser beings practice vows, ethics, good karma. It is also a sign of degeneration in the spiritual practice. As you said, today, getting less and less a Buddhist practitioner, getting less and less people who take vows, Even in the Sangha community, getting less and less, even in Tibet, even in Nepal, Himalayas, in today’s time, less and less who in fact take the Sangha vows.

Is getting so fast, the number dropping so fast, getting less and lesser. Within our community, the people who practice Buddhadharma is a very number. Within that, who who practice who practice complete Buddhadharma is very limit. Like Sūtra and Tantra, entire spirit of Buddhadharma is very limit. Within that, those who really truly practice in one hundred percent dedication of their time, their effort, their wisdom is very, very little.

Those who you call as a practice truly through time, through inspiration, through faith, know, through through knowledge is very, very, very limited. Very very limit. People who get into very deep learning in Dharma become very little. Very little. Very, very little.

You know? Like, even, like, you know, even for for us, instead of today, we say that we have a we have a one musical show. Show will be full house. It’ll be full house, you know, with a dharma question answer, are you maybe not it, maybe maybe maybe next time maybe, but also maybe not sure, maybe next time So it’s also it’s a sign. It’s a sign.

It’s, you know, less and less. Like, let’s say if we have a one fresh new class, the first day, house full. Then start to drop the number. Drop the number. Every single class will drop the number.

There’s even danger one day, the last when the conclusion of the class, maybe who knows whether there will be people listening. So This is also a sign. This is also a sign. In earlier time, let’s say about eighty years ago, let’s say in Tibet, when they go to receive Dharma, when they go to receive the teaching, walked miles and miles, bare feet, no car, bare feet. And no proper food to eat, but single pointed just to grab the Dharma, just to get one word of Dharma, one blessing.

Then when they reach there, the condition is they have to almost like they have to sit on the ice rock. The floor, no mattress, ice rock. The rocks are as cold as ice. Then to receive the teaching, not just one hour, two hour, like continue. Almost like day and night, after day and night, after weeks and months like that.

And mostly, it’s months and months. Then the the faith the faith, the inspiration, you know, to to Buddha, to his teaching, including the representative who who reveal the teaching. You know? Even though quite limited knowledge, even though it can be just a farmer, but the devotion is that they really can reflect Buddha into that that Dharma lecturer. That that kind of, like, you know, the environment, you know, the actual life.

Today today’s time, almost nonexistent. That is the sign of degeneration, especially. Therefore, in the world, how many people truly practice twenty four hour, you know, follow a hundred percent strict on karmic law and effect. I don’t think so. Almost like the number maybe, I don’t know, one, two, three.

I don’t know. It’s very limit. Very limit. So so the accumulation of negative karma, the people who think wrong thing, people who do wrong thing, you know, people live in unethical life is majority. Because of that, it affects internal element, which is your consciousness.

That again affects external element, which is the environmental element. Therefore, famine, earthquake, all sorts of disasters, internally, mental agitation. There’s so many new discovery of mental sicknesses. You know? It’s all due to our karma, because of the degeneration of our time, degeneration of our our spiritual practice is due to that.

Since we live within this world, we are affected because environment is such kind of, you know, like so much kind of polluted. You know? So we are we are kind of like a naturally kind of affected. And that that affect what do you call that? Affected either pain or agitation or the competition, you know, money.

Competition, competition until you stress up, burst up, until the nerve cut gone. Boom. You know? Competition, competition. Until the knowers burst up, become blah blah.

Boom. You know? It’s it’s almost like one of the knowers is really, really break. You know. Okay, after laughter, I forget what I’m saying.

That also a sign of degeneration, especially the degeneration. So because of that, because of the competition in material competition, then it brings about lie in order to actualize the material achievement. You need to lie, you need to fight, you need to do all sorts of negative actions either verbally, mentally, or physically, you know, then the entire world experience entire world experience like such as economic failure, like a disease that’s called the result of the collective karma, collective karma of the whole world people, collective karma of whole world people. Then even though everybody experiencing the collective result of the whole world negative karma, but individually there’s again up and down. Some are still okay, not not badly affected.

Even though affected but not badly affected. Some are totally affected. Some even don’t feel like they’re affected. That is again the karma of individual karmic result conjoined with the collective karma. Our world is running like that.

The whole reason is special degeneration, whenever say that today’s time, every teaching called degenerated time. So that’s called the five degenerated time, in particular, degeneration of in every single aspect, in particular degeneration of delusion. Our attachment becomes so stubborn. In earlier times, to recognize attachment, it’s quite easy to find faults in attachment. But today’s time, the attachment becomes so stubborn, it’s quite difficult to catch the faults of attachment.

Rather, we admire attachment. Rather we support attachment. Rather we assist the attachment. You know similar to anger. So difficult to accept the fall of anger rather we admire anger.

Oh, I feel more powerful. You know, I should adopt. I I should adopt that kind of like a feel which is like anger. You know, you should feel that I’m I’m I’m you know. So instead of like finding fallen anger and instead of putting effort to abandon today’s time, we are more kind of kind of adapt that kind of like you know emotional experiences.

So due to that the negative emotions are much more stubborn than the previous time, know in earlier time, the fortunate time therefore called the degeneration of the delusion. Such and such. So everything is like outer factor, inner factor, everything is the negative forces are more overwhelmed and the positive forces are kind of like almost like dominated, total kind of surplus, and due to that it’s called degeneration. And because of that creates so much karma, negative karma. Because of that experience so much difficulty, sufferings.

Did I answer your question? I hope so. I went here and there. Yes. Geshe a short one long question and two short questions.

What is the view of Geshe la and perhaps also our Guru pertaining to being a full vegetarian? And if you are taking the vegetarian commitment and during Guru Puja when the tsog is passed around sometimes they do use the meat So if you take the tsog, do you break the commitment? And then the last question is for those who are practicing mandala offering for accumulation of the mandala practice, Do you have to put the first heap facing the merit field, which is according to what I understand is an offering to the merit field, or do we just put the first heap facing yourself for accumulation of merit? That’s all. Okay.

My guru, you know, he himself practiced vegetarian, you know, I think since since since young. Maybe his whole life. I have no idea. But since so he practiced vegetarian, and he encouraged others to be vegetarian. And it is the right thing to practice vegetarian, and it is the right thing to, you know, common to other practice vegetarian.

So and it is so important and it is so much benefit by practicing vegetarian. But as far as concerning me, I’m not vegetarian. I’m not vegetarian. I just eat whatever people feed me. You know, if you put non vegetarian, I put non vegetarian.

And also quite selective. Quite selective. So it’s due to my fault, due to my poor practice, due to my ego practice. So it is wrong. You know, I should put some effort to be fully vegetarian, you know.

I try my best to, you know, eat more vegetarian but but but, you know, sometimes, whatever you get, in front of the table, just sit. It’s totally the answer is I’m wrong. I’m wrong and I should put more effort to practice better. Yeah? So that’s relate to vegetarian to to me.

And my my guru or my late guru, Lama Wangchuk, used to hence used to, you know, used to give certain comment on non veg and veg. He used to advise that principle is to principle about food is whatever food you eat should consume with detachment. It should consume with detachment and it should consume with compassion and understanding of the kindness of numberless people and beings who are involved to actualize your food, whether it’s vegetarian or non vegetarian. And if you can, you should be practicing very hard until you have the ability to even transform any sort of foods into a nectar, which can bring great benefit to any sort of living being who have directly or indirectly connected to this particular food. Then he also commented, Whether you are vegetarian or non vegetarian, as long as you are consuming gross food, you always accommodate negative karma.

Long as you are consuming gross food, whether it’s veg or non veg, you are still regarded as a non veg. That’s what Lama Wangchuk said. You still regard as a non veg. Why? It’s just because you don’t see red meat.

Just to have that vegetable to go in your mouth, first need to boil how many bacteria has boiled together in your soup. To just to actualize that that one vegetable leaf, how many beings have have sacrificed their life? You know? And in particularly, that’s his time, let’s say about ten, fifteen years ago. You see?

In particular, today’s time, he said, in particular today’s time, you know, we’re so so concerned that that attachment. That’s why he say, practice detachment. So he said, because so much attached to your body, your self concern, you make sure that no germs, no this and that spray, you know, the the the medicines. Make sure that not even one single living being there to go into your mouth. Make sure everything is dead put in your mouth.

There’s not even a one single vegetarian leaf where there’s no bacteria, where there’s no living being. So, it says the best is to consume Samādhi food. Then you’re free and you’re pure vegetarian. As long as you can consume Samādhi food, you’re pure vegetarian. People might ask, that is almost impossible.

Then his answer is, that is possible if you put full time effort. You can able to actualize within six months through your practice. Can able to actualize within six months to consume Samādhi food. And himself is one of the greatest example today’s time, who is today’s time practitioner who lived in the life of consuming Samādhi food. For many, many years, he lived in tummo practice without any gross food, gross substance.

Inhalation and exhalation of the air sustain the body, which is through the concentration. You know there’s a very limited practitioner but even today there is such practitioner exists you know. So this is his comment. Then he also said if you’re a vegetarian don’t be too ego. Don’t say, oh I am vegetarian.

Immediately, you know, very good of the practitioner who practice vegetarian but when coming in a community, the ego is actually vegetarian might be even bigger than a non vegetarian practitioner. Danger. Okay? And in that in that extent, you are just trying to consume vegetables but not practicing vegetarian. Again, he enforced detachment and sense of compassion even if you eat vegetarian.

So then at the same time he do advise whatever you eat to make extensive offering to the Buddha’s if you are you know, like a deity yoga practitioner, offer yourself as a deity. Know? If you are ordinary practitioner, at least you you you through your visualization, you at least inspire your attitude to make offering to the Buddha’s. Then make extensive charity. Since the moment we conceive in mother’s womb, our body is already the composition of eighty four thousand bacteria.

It is definite whether it is a small feature or whether it is a big body. It all contains at least eighty four thousand beings in our body. And those beings sustain their life based on your healthy body. So whenever you eat food, you should think that you are making generosity or sharing this food as a generosity to sustain the life of eighty thousand beings. And the whole purpose to do that is to make one’s life beneficial, to bring benefit to oneself and to living beings, to all the living beings.

So with that attitude, then we if you consume whether you are non vegetarian or vegetarian, you know, it’s much more lesser a negative karma. So that’s that’s what he used to comment. So then, on top of that, just one or two of my views, which is described in the teaching, that through the power of Samādhi and through the power of the mantra, through the power of the Samādhi and through the power of the mantra, one can able to transform the substance of meat to create the condition to liberate the being the meat which belong to. So because of that reason, there is a is a there is a certain practitioner that purposely, you know, do eat meat for that that certain extent. They do eat meat in order to bring in by seeing the karma of that particular, let’s say, chicken.

By seeing the karma of that particular chicken. Seeing that the chicken will continue to bond as a chicken. Or the chicken will this life is a chicken and the slaughter is the slaughter. Yeah? Next life, the slaughter will be chicken, then the chicken will be the slaughter.

So in like the in another circle, you know, see the continuum almost like endless circle. This is just an example. By seeing the karma, the very transparent karma of this being, in order to stop the karma of that particular chicken and that particular slaughter, then whatever slaughtered the chicken, from there one small meat consumed by the practitioner using the tool of concentration and mantra to purify their karma. With total detachment and overwhelmed with compassion. Then, yes, can it.

Yes, in that extent, then it’s possible. Can see many lamas do eat meat. We don’t know what kind of practice label, but for me to not to have a wrong view, I try to reflect this teaching into them. That’s what you can see from the teachings. So therefore there’s a mantra Om Ah Bira Kanza Hum.

You know, there’s a mantra Om abira kanza hum. Through the concentration, you recite seven times and blow to the meat. Then you’re overwhelmed with compassion, dedicate, or you even liberate the life, the consciousness of that particular chicken to even live it up to the pure land or at least up to human rebirth. human rebirth can be able to practice the karma and its effect. And from there, it will be totally eradicated, the circle of born as a chicken slaughter, chicken slaughter, total karmic circle and eventually liberate.

That’s one of the thing. But then at the Guru Puja, why put the meat? It is for the tantric practitioners and in particular respect to the real Tantric practitioners who has the proper initiation, who has the proper retreat, who has the proper practice, who has the proper samaya, and who has the ability to really transform the self generation of deity, who has the ability of the practice of transformation of subject and object. Subject your mind and has the ability to transform your mind as a Buddha’s mind or deity’s mind and be in a causal stage of deity’s mind. Or in another word, able to transform one’s present consciousness to abide in the causal enlightenment state, Able to transform the substance of meat into a nectar, then to offer nectar to the deity to accumulate extensive merit to actualize the resultant enlightenment as the deity.

So in that extent, then you provide the meat. You even provide the alcohol as a nectar, meat as the substance of meat, alcohol and meat. These two substances. So as long as we are not up to them, yeah, it is very questionable for not to other but it’s very questionable so you yourself, your individual yourself and you yourself have to you yourself is the what you call, you yourself the witness. You yourself is the witness whether you possess the ability to do that then you can then you take.

Otherwise there’s a danger of breaking the samaya if you have taken the samaya vows to be a vegetarian, then you eat a meat. You’re just eating ordinary meat and you break the vow. Or you even like like my cause harm to the such kind of living being. So it’s very difficult to answer this. It depends on individual even though there’s such a practice.

So whether one can do or not is totally dependent on individual’s ability. So due to that reason through the proper ritual practice and we try to bless, let’s say, the black tea and put some torma pills or some blessing pills and create that as an offering. Then put a cheese. Put a put cheese or maybe maybe maybe maybe soon later, maybe they might put maybe chocolate. You know?

Now they’re already using cheese. Maybe about two or three years later maybe people might start to use a chocolate. You know? So bless them and distribute as a blessed substance or torma blessing then consume. Because instead of to go deeper into understanding of dharma and interpret, rather people misunderstand and criticize why in such kind of Dharma society, you know, have a substance of meat and eat.

And most of the practitioner I mean, of the the the groups are mixture. Some know about the practice, some do not know about the practice. So then it creates misunderstandings. So in our case, we better use cheese and black tea. But in each individual in your home, in your retreat hut, it depends on you or whatever that you can consume.

So that’s it. Then as for the mandala, know both are correct. Either putting in front as an offering, also correct, or once a while put in put towards yourself, which is to which is to symbolize and which is to create the auspiciousness of channel of blessing from the Buddha to you or the Guru to you. Then once a while you put the mandala, the heaps, the heaps facing towards you to receive blessing. That creates the cause and condition to channel the Guru’s blessing to receive in you.

Once a while, put the heaps outward, which is total sense of accumulation of merit and just sense of offering to the Buddha. It’s nothing about wish to receive anything. In that sense, you put the heaps in front towards the merit field and offer. So Buddha, correct? So some people feel that, oh, I need so much blessing right now.

So then people try to put the heaps, this facing towards you. They start from there. Some people feel, I need to accomplish so much merit for me to actualize enlightenment of bodhicitta, whatever, then make more offerings so face is outward. Thank you. Yeah.

Any any any you border. Correct? Yeah. Any guideline? Any guideline?

Again, is very, very comp complexity individual. You know? So that’s why first have to to have to to learn, have to learn, have to, you know, understand the advantage and disadvantage of consuming. At the same time, from there, one will know what are the stages of realization, know, being able to consume, able to truly benefit other or benefit that particular being. Realization one self will feel, not by guru or not by somebody else.

One self will able to feel yeah. One is the one that have to be the witness. I mean, try best to try best to avoid try best to avoid. You know? We call the karma of ignorance is one of the heavy karma, karma of ignorance.

karma you create through ignorance because you don’t understand, you you just just, you know, carelessly, you just you just engage into negative action. In fact, it creates so much negative karma, heavy, even heavy. So that’s the reason that after study, after practice, after learn, that is. So best is to try to put some effort to avoid it, you know, all those negative actions. So as I mentioned, it’s like myself, even though I know it’s wrong, you know, so I usually take one excuse.

In long time, I used to be vegetarian. Long long long time. Very long long life. Long. It’s almost like few eons before.

That. A long long long time. Used to be vegetarian. So so then encounter a few times of, like like like, kind of, you call faint. You know, you you just you know?

So then after that, then my friends, you know, bring to doctor. And doctor says, I think you need to eat meat. I said, Okay. Deep in myself, when I look into myself, I check carefully, it’s my desire, that’s it. My desire, that’s it.

You know, so it’s my fault. But sometimes you don’t want to lose face, yeah? Because you sit here and face and you say, oh, be vegetarian, you know? It shouldn’t harm other. Compassion loving kindness so sometimes wear some mask and say oh yeah don’t ask me to eat to others I faint.

Yes. Just having that sense of thought, expressing it, of course, has effect because everything is merely labeled. Every single existence is merely labeled. But again, I think, I’m not one hundred percent sure, but again, I think it’s a requirement of at least some understanding with the ground foundation understanding of emptiness. Otherwise, doesn’t work the many label things.

You know? If we don’t have the the formation of the dependent arising, the understanding of emptiness, know, it doesn’t work, so maybe label. So as long as one has the foundation of understanding of emptiness, yes, you can label anything. You can label yourself. I am Buddha.

I am Chenrezig, know or whatever you wish to label. So I think it’s be safer I think requirement of some understanding of emptiness. Otherwise it’s still some benefit just at least that kind of because the word remind at least some alertness of why you are taking this substance. So there’s some benefit. Yeah.

I think it’s the the I think best is is still not to not to have, but but if if if in case have to consume, then these three are the at least, like, fundamental kind of is not not from the you know, you can find the word. It’s not from today’s not not from the same same day and not kill the intended to to to to you and or or even it’s not intended to you, but you let’s say, even kill yesterday, you happen to see the the the the the the animal was slaughtered. So if this treating is if this treating one of this treating is that then it become much more heavier karma of consuming than meat. And if all this treating is free, then it’s a lesser lesser karma of consuming meat. But but it’s still I think better to, you know, to, let’s say, support and and accept to be vegetarian.

You know? It’s good to be vegetarian. I think it’s eating is I think it’s still not not a choice. Yeah. If it is a bacteria, I think it would be a sentient being.

It will not be here. No. Bacteria bacteria is I think is a being, isn’t it? Yeah. It’s a being.

No. Bacteria. As well as my my my own understanding or analysis, I think bacteria is confirmed to be a being, sentient being. But then cell, cell is a true type. Sudden cell is a sentient being, but sudden cell is not a sentient being.

It has life but not a sentient being. Don’t have a consciousness. But bacteria is definitely sentient being. This is what I understand here. the self is too tight.

Yes. So so so it’s the best to debate now. Yes. You’re right. So from my answer to mister Kwa’s his tough question, I answer, bacteria one hundred percent I accept as a being, sentient being, but what Lama is referring to you is he’s referring about cell not bacteria.

So as a debate, yeah, I will answer this way. So okay. Please. Oh, the the sentient being one got some gray hair, and the the the the just normal cell only got tail. So I think we have to go to doctor, either we use microscope, I’m not sure.

I think there could be, you know, there could be all sort of shapes and all sort of types, you know. Even fish, unbelievable. Just go to one small aquarium, then you realize, my goodness, you know, the the karma, you know, you know, the infinite karma. Just go to one simple akarma. Just go to one simple akarma and look at look through the fishes.

Oh, yo yo. Then you start to feel, oh, karma, amazing, and the being. Then only you will start to feel what mean by numberless being. I think only the fish already is numberless and different types of numberless. You know?

You know? You see? So the self is I think far more and very quick. I think only Buddha knows maybe even the scientists also don’t know yet. I don’t think so what type of one variety.

Definitely. Yeah. I think so. Unless you have a hundred percent, don’t have to be hundred percent, unless you have a ninety nine percent kind of fact answer for me that bacteria is not a being. Otherwise, I can just definitely say when you consume yogurt, billions, zillions of sentient beings are putting together in your mouth, and biting somehow and put some chocolate together to feel better, some nuts together in the so so so and I also I know I only I I think I analyze.

Yeah. I could be wrong. Even for me to be so stubborn after now even in monastery so much depend about this bacterial cell for me I never let go for twenty years my study in whenever I answer bacteria is sentient being I never let go And after today I didn’t get a total hundred percent kind of defender for that. So I still think I’m right. But sell too too.

Immediately I say two type. I mean as long as a cell, there’s a two type of cell, you know. Or some human being, all the self are not human, not a being maybe, who knows. Maybe some human being, all the self could be a being, also don’t know. So that really have to check with doctor or whatever.

Okay? Oh, I think virus also some good bacteria. Right? No. Virus virus or viruses, I think, new new new thing for me.

But but I but where is it? Think new thing. I think I can also say virus two type. Also Sanjinping and non non non being but all those have a life. So I think cell you know, I I please, you know, help me if there’s any, like, you know, like, for me, I would say cell also have a two type.

It’s quite similar to oh, no. What’s that? A big what do call? Virus also, think, has two two types. Yeah.

Virus also two types. But I still accept virus or the self must have life. As long as no life, cannot attack, cannot harm, cannot, you know, cannot cannot, how to say, cannot function the stimulation of either positive or negative in in in the in the physical physical health or whatever. So so, you know, life, yes, and also some sentient being. I I I accept two two type.

So the conclusion is that conclusion is that we cannot like killing. We kill all the time. Right? Yes. And we we but at least we at least we put some effort to avoid it, you know, better than better than, you know, totally initiate to kill and kill and kill.

You know? Some, like, you know, not about just killing sentient beings, even kill human beings. Initiate to you know, engaging in a war is, like, initiate to kill even human beings, you know. But we at least don’t go to war. You know?

At least we don’t eat dog, you know, at least we don’t eat horse, you know, and some human being eat horse, some human being eat everything. As long as a creature, they eat everything. You know, I don’t eat elephant. I don’t eat cobra dung. Horse, also I don’t eat.

Dog, also I don’t eat. You know. So it’s like, it’s still there, know. Some eat everything. But at least we we we resistant to actually, you know, not to not to kill.

Yes. I noticed that you were talking about Okay. I I noticed that you were talking about the animals the size of the animal. I noticed, that you’re you’re talking about the size of the animals, and, like, you said you don’t eat elephant and dogs and whatever not. So can I assume make this conclusion that the degree of sentience is actually important, is related to the degree of the karma?

For example, if you kill if you eat a cow, it will be a heavier cover than eating bacteria from the yogurt, something like that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Because of the size. Yes. You’re right. You’re right. Because, you know, the the bigger the body, the the the the heavier the pain.

And one reason is that way. Then like human being is a smaller size than elephant or even smaller size than a cow. So but you kill a human being, you know, is a heavier negative karma than killing cow. Why? Because the opportunity, the ability in that life such as human being has more opportunity to practice compassion, more opportunity to benefit more beings.

Because of that kind of potential, it’s more precious. If you kill, not just destroying one life but destroying many benefits. So because of that is a heavier karma. Then just ordinary human being and let’s say Arahant and Buddhas is heavier and heavier because of the opportunities of benefiting others. You know, the more the person possesses is a heavier negative outcome of destroying the person.

Something like that. So can I also add that the they call it the degree of harming, I mean harming and also offering actually is almost the same in the sense that if you offer to an arahant, you get what they call it, more merit? Yes. And if you what they call that, if you harm an arahant, you’ll get more pet karma. So it’s the same as animals also in it’s not exactly the size but it’s the degree of how big developed their mind is.

Yes. The potential of the being. Okay. Exactly the same. Thank you.

I agree. Thank you. Do we sometimes hear the Buddha’s being referred to in different ways? For example, Ārya Avalokiteśvara, we also call Buddha of compassion. Yes.

Why the difference in two objects? The Ārya Avalokiteśvara is the Bodhisattva Lokeshvara within the eight sons of the Buddhas, which is one the what do call it, one upon a time, you know, there’s eight practitioners selected as one of the most successful practitioners of bodhicitta, the Bodhisattva. There’s eight. Like bodhisattva, bodhisattva, bodhisattva, bodhisattva, bodhisattva, you know, and Bodhisattva Maitreya. Then I think Bodhisattva is okay.

So altogether, there’s eight. There are the eight Bodhisattvas. So the Ayah Bodhisattva the practice of the Ayah Bodhisattva Arvudhisattva is the practice which established during that upon a time. And by that Bodhisattva, which could be today’s Ārya or today’s Buddha characteristics one of the life, maybe in many years back, many years before. Even that Ārya Avalokiteśvara, by today, maybe already enlightened, I mean, Chenrezig, the Buddha of Chenrezig.

It is one of the life of the compassionate practitioner whose name labeled as Lokeshvara or Bodhisattva level Lokeshvara. And the generosity is the the the life that which already obtained the entire generation. Buddha’s the what you call the blessing of the the perfection in the compassion, then that is the Buddha Chenrezig or the or called Chenrezig, you know, Buddha Chenrezig. So those are the, you know, different times, different lives like that. If there is not in saṃsāra.

No. No. Yeah. Pure land is above pure land is above above saṃsāra, and there’s a different almost every Buddha has their own different pure lands. Even though, like even like Amitābha, Chenrezig, Tārā, Vajrapāni, all those Buddhas, almost like the Pure Land, is called like a country like Malaysia.

Like that. Then within Malaysia, we’re KL, Penang, you know, Malacca, and and all sort of these different states. So then then then similar, like, Pure Land, Potala. You know? Then Amitābha, the Western Pure Land, like KL, and one is in Penang, one is in Malacca.

So some so so so like that. Like Tuśita, like Lama Tsongkhapa’s Pure Land, one of the examples that can refer is like, say, Thumkang Gompa. Thum is like a valley where the samsaric beings remain. Gompa is like a monastery, the heritage, like a monastery, where the practitioner of the vows take refuge. So the samsaric, the top of the saṃsāra, the peak of the saṃsāra, called the peak, within the god realm, there’s within the god there’s a formless god form form realm formless god realm.

Form god realm, there’s four stages. Formless god realm, there’s four stages. A formless god realm divided four stages based on the four concentration, you know, a different level of concentration. So that the last one is called SITI, the peak of the saṃsāra. So so the peak of the saṃsāra is like around peak of the saṃsāra is like around here, Around around the let’s say if any of you have been to Copan, then this is best example I can offer.

If you’ve been to Nepal, Kopan, Boudha and Kopan. Boulder area is about half an hour drive. Not total down, but it’s kind of slow coming down. I don’t know how many degrees down, but it’s about half an hour distance, but it’s below the monastery. So the Kopan monastery is like a Tuśita where Lama Tsongkhapa’s Pure Land is, and the tip of the Samsāra is somewhere at Boudha there.

So it remained distant, and many of the purely remain that kind of distance, which is beyond Samsāra, yet not too far yet not too far. So Okay. So that’s normally, there’s one, you know, you can also anyway, not too confused. I’m confusing all of myself and everybody. So out of saṃsāra.

Pure land should be out of saṃsāra, beyond saṃsāra, but not that far from the saṃsāra kind of stages, how to say samsaric world which calculates from the formless god realm. It’s about, like, five about half an hour journey. What if you fly, maybe you can reach about five minutes maybe. But if you, you know, drive, then we just say about half an hour journey. So the kind of distance.

That that that I answer your question? Yes. Now, not liberated. But by praying, by creating the cause, when we pass from this life, next life, it’s possible to actualize Pure Land. Even without achieving liberation?

Yes. Yes. It’s a liberation, in fact, is a is a liberation liberation which describe from the three capable beings part from the Lamrim. It’s in fact, there’s a far more far far more greater effort to reach liberation, which have to go through different stages of the paths, practicing the paths and grounds. But just to obtain the Pure Land, such as Amitābha Pure Land, even the cause, it’s just three causes which is described in the teaching.

The first one is to practice vow. Just by practicing refuge vow is already will will will establish the first condition. Refuge vow, any five precept vows, Buddhist vow, any of the vows. Then second condition is make wish, make prayer, make inspiration to born in the Pure Land. And third one is to admire the inspire of the Pure Land.

So to visualize the Pure Land and inspire the Pure Land, to reflect on the Pure Land. By having these three courses, one can already be born into Amitābha Pure Land. If these three causes are fresh at the time of death, it’s definitely one was born in the Pure Land. And if that Pure Land or if that visualization or if that admiration on the Pure Land is about Amitābha, one of the points Amitābha Pure Land. If it is about Medicine Buddha, born in Medicine Buddha Pure Land.

And each and individual Buddhas has their different Pure Lands and depending on which one you are reflecting, which one you are familiar in particular, especially at the time of death. So liberation is far much more far, much more greater effort. You need to go through five paths in order to actualize the liberation which explained through Lamrim. You need to at least go through the five paths. And even Hīnayāna liberation also have to go through five paths.

You need more? Yeah. I better use Mala to to to subdue mister Kwa. Okay. No.

I need the text right now. If not if if not by tomorrow morning. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

I’ll try to show it to you. Okay. So we we we we keep pending till then to conclusion. Okay. Gurus.

Okay. Not particular one. Okay. I want the name. I want the name.

I want the name. But still doesn’t make sense to me. Even even by the power of to act you know, to actualize the first ground Yeah. You say the reason is by the power of Amitābha, I also disagree. I cannot accept it myself as well.

Thank you. So we are the same site. Okay. Yes. No.

Because what Miss Gan, you are saying is is within these three criteria. Yeah. Within these three criteria. First first, you have to accept this one. So means you try to how to say you prove to that my answer is wrong but at the same time you answer how do they no no anyway you get the tsa, how do it?

I don’t know how to answer how to put it okay then yes no no yes no no this is kind of new It’s a guaranteed as long as this you have this three criteria, definite you will appoint an Amitābha PioLen. That’s my end that’s my my my my conclusion. That’s my principle. It’s within that. Within this criteria.

Oh, that’s you get the because you say, three this three kai triya cannot. You only can attain by what? The or must. You mistake to say only, then you again. Or must, must, must.

Then that is is is your your up your your your on my side. Just now you say, this three cannot but only by, then what? Then with concentration, then only it can actualize. So that no. I just try to let you know where you get.

No. No. The package. No. It’s just some excitement.

Yeah? To go through. Package deal. Oh, yeah. The package deal, you can do is is is is up to you what kind of package you you you want to take.

That’s why you want to you want to choose the package to Amitābha, then you go to Amitābha. It’s up to individual. That’s why so many Buddhas already here. So many package are ready. You know, it’s up to individual.

I mean, again here, it’s very much dependent on the individual karmic affinity with the different Buddhas. So that’s why we try to, you know, we try to learn to practice Tārā, learn to practice Medicine Buddha, you know, Mañjuśrī, all different Buddhas. I mean, in beginning, you’re inspired by all, but somehow that you always trigger your inspiration by one particular Buddha somehow. So so that also shows that you are affinity with that particular Buddha. Or in another way, from first time, you know, first time when you see Tārā, maybe that time you are not even Buddhist.

Somehow, just brings changes in the entire life and all about you know, like, attitude, compassion, inspiration, and that could be your affinity Buddha. It’s similar to, you know, when you when you relate to your gurus, you know, when you choose, like, real gurus, you know, even though there are many gurus, but some gurus that really, like, inspire, you know, you know. So so it’s a similar similar like that. Yeah. You answer?

Okay. Okay. Yeah. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Think it’s, of course, you know, the the object of your compassion is, you know, in the life in front of you and you you you you generate compassion. Of course, that is, you know, that is there is a greater greater effect for both subject and object. But while watching TV, when you see the like the animal channel animal channels, then one animal eat another animal, then all sort of, you know, animal sufferings. Then that time you you you generate compassion and you try to, you know, dedicate your merits and try to sense of, you know, beautifulness and wish to liberate them. So that is the benefit to the that that to the subject is as equal as physical, you know, physical as I mentioned earlier.

But for the object, the benefit is the duration is longer, but still receive the benefit because by generating compassion whether whether what you call whether it’s physical level or whether through a TV or whatever, but it it develops your your your your your practice. It develops your heart, and that brings about the realization in the stages of the parts. And that makes you closer to the Buddha. And the the the the more closer to the Buddha, the faster benefit benefit to those beings. You know?

So so in another word, there’s you can also say not much difference practicing compassion in person and without the person. Anyway that helps to develop your realizations and that help to bring you closer, faster to the Buddhahood. The the faster you get to Buddhahood, the faster benefit the sentient beings. The intention is the most important. Yeah.

Right. Yeah. Oh, different. Okay. Yeah.

Let’s say let’s say the like, medicine Buddha enlightenment The the the state of Medicine Buddha enlightenment is Medicine Buddha’s mandala. Or or or the most common, you can say, Lama Tsongkhapa. Yeah. Lama Tsongkhapa’s Lama Tsongkhapa’s enlightenment. The stage of enlightenment is Lama Tsongkhapa’s mandala.

But there is Lamatong Gapa’s Pure Land. Kind of like where you can engage into the you know, preliminary preparation to to to actualize the actual mandala of Lama Tsongkhapa. So it has good benefit for you to first go to the preliminary kind of place. You know? So the ones you are well trained there, then you are kind of, like, sent to the actual mandala, actual place.

You know? Like, let’s say, you first connect to ABC as preliminary. Then after that you send to maybe one month of November course in Copan. So it’s like something like that. There has a but Lama Tsongkhapa, his dharmakaya mind always recite.

I mean, it’s pervasive in his mandala as well as in his pure land as well as in saṃsāra everywhere as well as in every single people or being that will practice or every single beings that who what is it? Lama Tsongkhapa’s dharmakaya, enlightenment mind is pervasive to every single living being, even to us. His compassion, his enlightened mind is also pervades or connects to all of us. But actual, the dharmakaya state of the form resides within his mandala. Then the Sambhogakāya stage of his form only reside within the Akanishtha realm or Akanishtha pure land.

Then his Nirmānakāya his Nirmānakāya form, we can also call as Lama Tsongkhapa who lived in Tuśita and who who bring who who liberates so many people, you know, by practicing the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga bring to the Pure Land. Then gradually, from there, receive direct teaching from the Nirmānakāya form of Lama Tsongkhapa, actualize accumulation of merit. Then that practitioner enlightens in Lama Tsongkhapa pure land into Lama Tsongkhapa’s mandala, the enlightened mandala. So it’s quite a complexity, but it’s something it’s like that. So the mandala, the pure land, is a there’s a different places.

So, Krishna, which is better to pray for? Rebirth in the pure land or rebirth as an optimal human? You don’t need rebirth as a human in it? I think best the safest is that way to become Buddha within this lifetime. You know?

So then then then if you are unable to achieve that, then then whatever is possible possible possibility, you know, then, you know, it’s up individuals, you know, based on practice. Yeah. But our focus is always I must become Buddha right now. So maybe not night, maybe tomorrow morning. If not, then at the end of day life, you know, then born where?

Buddhahood? If that’s not possible, at least maybe in Pure Land. If not, at least born as a human being and meet Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching. If not, at least become one good person, then slowly maybe you accumulate some good karma, good karma, then maybe another rebirth might be born as a precious rebirth who meets Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, then gradually enlighten. Yeah.

I think we we must hold the biggest goal, Must become Buddha and not just Buddha now, right now. You even should say without delay even a moment, I must become Buddha within this very cushion right now. You know, whatever practice we do. So many practitioners do enlighten within that very cushion. Enlighten and all like that.

Okay. So we want to stop here or we continue. We want to stop here. Yeah. Okay.

One more. Can I conclude by saying that in Christianity, talk a lot about heaven and hell? Okay. Right? And in an article I read somewhere that it says that Buddhism don’t talk about heaven and hell up in the afterlife.

Mhmm. But we talk so much about pure man. Hell. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Blah blah blah. So in other words, Buddhism, do we believe in in heaven and hell too? Yeah. Of course. Buddhism, hell definitely hell.

Heaven or definitely hell? Yes. Yes. If there’s no hell, if there’s no heaven, then I think what is the point of practicing Dharma? Isn’t it?

If there’s no heaven. But Buddhism, the heaven refers to enlightenment, heaven refers to, you know, Buddhism, heaven referred to liberation, and hell referred to the most suffering realm. You know? So yeah. Like that.

I think it’s okay now. It’s a it’s a it’s a how to say? It can be both. Again, it’s very very com from complexity. It can be both.

So the answer is it can be both. You know? Can be just in in in the in the mental level. Like like like like say, like you obtain you obtain obtain Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment While asking this question, you can still remain as your own physical level, the same person wearing same glass, sitting at the same position, but you already obtained Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment and where you are staying Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment realm. Then who you are is Buddha, but what I see is just a human being.

What I see you are sitting on the ordinary floor. So this is like more on the mental level. By physical level then you dissolve into a rainbow, you know, then you live in the life of like a rainbow body, You know? You live in the life of, like, just just mainly physical in a aura, like a rainbow, but there’s no flesh, blood, bone, bone marrow. No no such.

But still you can perceive eye, ear, nose, but all are in a in a aura like such kind of rainbow or kind of aura. If you want to feel, you can feel some something there Or some even cannot feel by the our ordinary physical level, but it is physical. But it is physical, but not necessarily we can able to feel as a physical also. So it’s a all sort of things. Okay.

Kesheila. Yep. I’m I have a bit of a confusion about deities. Okay. Supplication to deities.

While I mean, we do the Tārā Puja and a lot of other Pujas for different deities. I’ve also read that actually supplication to deities is actually just a metaphor for the qualities that you want to emulate. So my question is that are the deities really Buddhas or Bodhisattvas which have come into being? Or are they just metaphorically, what they call that, of like created by our markers of the past in order to inspire us to have those qualities. Thank you.

Again, very interesting. Again, my answer is can be bought. Can be both. Yes, Buddhas themselves emanate to bring benefit to us beings. Tārā, yes Tārā herself came to this world and maybe Tārā in fact came to LDC and remained here for I don’t know how many days, how many years, day and night always without closing eye watching us, you know, can be, you know, you know, like that.

But in another way, maybe some of the lamas just to inspire you, just to inspire us then, you know, to inspire us and to actualize kind of different practices. It’s possible. Like sadhanas, normally, sadhana, there’s like say Yamāntaka sadhana, that’s what we do today. During Nāgārjuna’s time that same text is non existing. Yamāntaka teaching existed two thousand six hundred years ago in Buddha’s time.

But the same sadhana that what we are doing right today, that sequence, you know, like the follow of the prayers, it’s not don’t have. Don’t have. But that doesn’t mean there’s no Yamāntaka sadhana. Yabendakasana means Yabendakasana’s practice. Yabendakasana’s whatever inspiration related to Yabendakasana is Yabendakasana.

Or whatever meditation about Yamāntaka is Yamāntaka sadhana, that exists when the very first day that Yametaka teaching exists into this world from the Buddha. Later in Tibet, let’s say Jetsün Rendawa, great lama Jetsün Rendawa, he discovered that if we don’t form some particular kind of sequence, you know, maybe like some additional poetries, you know, the words, you know, the compose, composition of like different stages of the meditations. There’s a danger of like nobody practice sadhana, nobody practices. You need certain kind of guideline so then it forms up like three four pages of like call it sadhana, there’s a long sadhana, short sadhana, let’s say short three four pages then ask the Guru and say, Okay, once you receive the initiation, you must recite it. Otherwise, likely we won’t do.

We won’t even reflect into sadhana, you know, or we will never practice our practices. See, Guru has a reason to make that sadhana, which is almost like he created. But he has a reason based on the valid teaching, which is the actual practice of Yamataka, which is the teachings of Buddha himself. So that’s the reason I say there’s a both. I don’t know whether I answer whether whether my my my my word, the usage make you confused or I don’t know.

Maybe I can just ask one more question. Okay. Along the same lines. Okay. Yeshua, I so does this mean that after, you know, you’re established in the practice as you go along the three stages of the path, then there is a at the highest stage, totally discard the supplication to deities?

No. Supplication is referred to like inspiration. Expression of inspiration. You know, expression of inspiration is called supplication. It’s very much very much close meaning towards dedication.

You know, supplication and dedication. Supplication is to inspire to born in Amitābha pure like like like pure lands or Buddha realms or inspiration expression of inspiration of inspiration of Buddha’s quality also becomes supplication. Expressions of one’s wishes, let’s say one to become Buddha, expressing that without any accumulation of causes, merit, that also becomes supplication. So dedication, you need substance. You must accumulate.

You need a substance to dedicate. You know, if you want to make a wish to become Buddha, you must accumulate certain causes. Let’s say, do Dharma discussion, you create karma, good karma. And that karma, oh may this good karma be the cause for me to become Buddha, then that becomes not supplication, it becomes dedication. But before doing any Dharma work, oh I want to become Buddha, I want to become Buddha, that expression is supplication.

Necessary I mean, how wonderful if you know that you are exact kami affinity deities so that your practice is going to be kind of like more efficient. But if you don’t know then it is don’t know also stick and able to practice and the best way to practice is every single Buddha is your Yoga Yidam. Every single Buddha is is your Yidam. There’s no differentiation. You know?

But people can can’t manage to do that. You need one particular and there’s a danger of if you take one particular deity as a Yidam, there’s a danger of kind of neglecting other Buddhas also. So again, depend on individual. I don’t know. It’s up to individual.

I have no idea. Again, depend on individual. Yeah. If you can able to choose, if you know how to choose, if you get the opportunity, I mean, best is that you can able to see Buddha directly. Oh, who is my Edam?

Let me know right now. I need to practice. I want to become Buddha right now. Sometimes, again, karma. If you wait for that, then and then the death comes first, then how?

There’s no definite answer for this because it’s death is certain, time of death is uncertain. We just have to grab we grab we just have to, you know, be as try to get as much wisdom as possible as as put as much effort as possible to to get the best and then have to do something. Otherwise, before you get the right thing, know, death comes also wasted. But at the same time, if you don’t be careful, there’s a danger of, you know, you sound like practicing but entire life wasted practicing wrong practice. So again, very difficult to conclude this answer.

It really depends on individual. That’s why how important Dharma study is. And how important that you must pray for long life. And how important that you must take good care for good health. You know?

It’s so much so important because you need to practice a lot because you need to you need a lot of time to, you know, get the right thing. You know? So that’s why that’s why whatever we do, you know, always make supplication, make dedication, make, you know, engage into any virtue as possible just to create the right condition to do a right thing and conclude a life with the right most you know completing the meaning of the life. So it’s it’s difficult to like say okay you must do like that you must do like that. It’s difficult to say.

Okay. Already nine thirty. If you don’t mind, I’m happy. But if you know? And just let you know, nine thirty.

If all of you happy? Okay. But not everybody like like mister Kwa. You know? Not everybody like mister Kua.

That’s a okay. Essence is the same to me. Yeah. That’s why what I’m saying is if everybody like mister Kua say, all Buddhas are same essence. You practice Tārā, you practice to all Buddha.

You practice Tārā how much respect you give to Tārā you’re also giving respect to Namdosai and all the other Buddhas. Know but like for me you know I when I practice Tārā I only look at Tārā I don’t even look aside to Maitreya. When I walk in and out, I only look at Tārā, and I never look at her. I only go up to my room, I look at Tārā, bye bye Tārā, welcome Tārā, hello Tārā, that’s it. You know?

Then another thing. Tārā’s statue is gold, copper, you know, gold, copper. My old Śākyamūni Buddha is clay. So by today time, don’t know I don’t know where I put my clay Śākyamūni Buddha. But Tārā, now you got a beautiful altar, beautiful offerings.

You see? The danger is there. It happens. So the danger is there, you know, that called neglecting, you know, like you because we are we are so materialized and we you know so we focus about the essence you know how nice that’s why I say how nice that I’m like you who see every single Buddha is one essence. And even Buddha says Buddha says for the enlightenment, you know, how much important Buddha is, is equal to all sentient beings as equal important it is.

If you respect me this much and if you neglect, abandon sentient beings, no Buddhahood. So if you respect Buddha as a Buddha, you should respect sentient beings as a Buddha also. So that means again, in fact, whatever you see as a being or a Buddha, whatever you see as a non being or a pure land. So that’s the conclusion. So that’s why Buddhadharma, one way is so easy to practice.

You know Buddhadharma, if we know how to practice, is one of the easiest practice that we can do. One of the most simple and easy. If we don’t know or one of the most complexity, you know, one of the most complexity practice to adopt. By the way, before what you do, I just want to conclude, William, I just suddenly remember you talk about the increasement of different religious races. I just want to share one.

About ten years ago, my late late late master who never read newspaper, who never who never watch news TV, who never go and ask about what’s happening in the world, you know, and he happened to mention that within about four decades from that time, within four decades, you know, entire I don’t know whether this is this is good to, like, you know, expose this word to everybody. Have no idea. Anyway, whether it’s good to put it in the word. So about four decades time, entire world beings, entire world human beings will convert into Muslim. And entire religion will convert into Muslim.

And an entire there will be one like, a war kind of, like, a subdue a king from Turkey, and that the kingdom will be Turkey. The Turkey king is the one that who rule entire war, and entire war people only can practice Muslim and only have to practice Muslim and only practicing Muslim. Then after that, about I think after that, about five decades or something like that, then Shambhala war will come. Shambhala. You know the Kālacakra?

The Kālacakra, what you call rebels. You don’t call rebels or Kālacakra. The force from the Kālacakra pure land will come into this war and to convert or eliminate entire beings into Buddhists. And during that period, there will be so much misunderstanding, fightings will happen. But even during that kind of conflict that you happen to die, also you were born in Shambhala Pure Land.

By then you were able to there’s a certain era that you were able to practice Kālacakra Tantra and like that. It’s about four decades time. Four decades already like one decade or now maybe about three decades. So you said you watched the video, it’s exactly, it’s true. You know, today’s time in the world, first of all, human race is mostly now inspired to stay single because marriage is so problem, so difficulty, so complicity to get into relationship.

Then on top of that, many becoming gay, many becoming lesbian. Especially in many of the country, they are like the birth rates are controlled. But even in China, I think now it’s like I think only two or three they’re not controlled, the birth rates, you know? And especially within within the Buddhist countries, you know the birth rates are quite controlled you see so so even a Christian community also birth rates are controlled you know there’s not you know many like that so Muslim you can have ten kids twenty kids If you like, you can have hundred kids. You know?

You can have many, you know, many, many different wives, you know? You know? Many wives. There’s no then also there’s so much, you know, today’s world. There’s so much, like, the community opportunities for for for even the, you know, the you know, those believers, you know, like, many, many things.

So people people are, you know, like, there’s no fear to not to not to generation, you see. So it’s like that. So is not through the fight, it’s not through the kind of one it’s a kind of a natural evolution that will be like. So can relate, it is happening, it’s on the stages like that. But it’s individual business, it’s individual’s responsibility to become Buddha.

You are smart to practice, you can become Buddha now before getting such kind of difficulties. Or even when you become any other believers, as long as you have a bodhicitta heart, as long as you practice the actual Buddha nature, and to actualize the resultant Buddha nature then you can become Buddha at that time also. Or you know, or maybe within that there could be so many Buddhist upper emanations also. So you see? So so like that.

So just to share. I don’t know whether this is, like, English talk or not. I have no idea. No. How true?

I don’t know. But based on my faith to my guru, you know, like, maybe it might happen. You know? I mean, not maybe. Let’s better say it might happen.

You know? Yeah. Or maybe I hear wrong. I better say, maybe I might hear wrong. No no mistake.

Maybe I might hear wrong. Yeah. I think I think better leave it to to you to decide. Yeah. But but but but don’t don’t I think don’t hope for that.

I think rather become Buddha now. I think better better Buddha as soon as possible. Don’t don’t don’t don’t give too much hope for what coming next better become now. Okay I think we better stop here. Thank you.

Okay yeah so thank you very much Thank you very much. For myself, I enjoy very much question and answer. You know, one of the you know? Enjoy. Thanks.

So I hope that you will enjoy. I think very soon and many times. Thank you. So we want to tell everybody about a small surprise after this Q and A session. About a year and a half ago, I think Geshe la started on the basic foundation course.

And while Geshe la was teaching, many of you actually took notes, and you helped to transcribe. And some of you transcribed one chapter, some transcribed three quarters of a chapter, some transcribed half a chapter. So all of that was collated together, and, Kejula requested it to be edited. So now we have put that into a book. Yeah.

This is the this book is the first three chapters of the eighteen chapters that Geshe la taught. Yeah. And I wanted to just say a few things about this book while I was doing the editing. This is the first of a series, of course, because there were eighteen topics. There are three topics here.

Other topics will come in other books. And I I just wanted to to, first of all, thank everybody. This is a real LDC project. It was was transcribed by you and edited by LDC, taught by our LDC resident, Geshe-la, and paid for by LDC. Yeah.

But I also wanted just to to share a little bit about because I wasn’t there at the actual classes. I’m one of the lazy ones. But I had the the the privilege of having private tuition through the transcripts. And just to say, you know, that I went through a range of experiences while doing this editing. Firstly, I found myself nodding a lot because there’s a lot of wisdom here.

Thank you to get around for that. And then I laughed a lot because what Yashila does in his teachings is he he distills the essence of our bad habits. And then he says, this is how you really are, isn’t it? And instead of increasing Dharma realizations, you are gaining realisations in the opposite way, isn’t it? So so I was guilty of many of the things in here.

So I I really had a good laugh at at myself. So I think when you read this, you will also find the same. But I think the the experience which was most if you like, profound on me was there’s a short chapter on mandala offering. And when I finished editing that chapter, you have to picture me. I’m sitting on my sofa, legs propped up on my coffee table doing the editing.

When I finished that chapter, I closed the transcripts and put it on my armrest, and I stood up to go to my prayer room to do mandala. But my laziness saved me. So I stopped, and I said, how come I’m doing this? You know? And then I thought for a moment, and then it struck me that this is the difference between teachings of knowledge and teachings of experience.

Because Geshe la himself is a mandala offering practitioner amongst all the other teachings here similarly, because of that, the blessings come. And because of that, the teachings, to me, you know, have real power. And that’s why the words hit me like that. And that’s why I just stood up and wanted to go to the prayer room to do mandala because it came from Geshe la’s own experience, from Geshe la’s own realizations, from doing the practice and doing what he’s teaching, even though he laughs at himself all the time. So in my short editor’s note, I I describe Geshe la as a as a teacher who, when when when he talks to you, it can be sometimes quite unsettling because he sort of holds a mirror and says, this is how you are, isn’t it?

Yeah? So Geshe la is a wise old lama and trapped in a young body. Now how does that help that? So thank you very much, Geshe la, for for for giving me the chance to do this. And I told Geshe la we will grow all together finishing this one and then the lojong and then the tenets.

Yes. I look forward to it. Okay. Thank you very much. You know, the whole purpose of life, in particular, you know, reflecting on myself, whole purpose of life, can able to bring some little benefit based on my own ability, you know, from Dharma, which is teaching, which is Dharma, you know, Dharma teaching.

And also, you know, there’s so much due to the blessing of the gurus and due to the inspiration of, you know, Tamil brother, sister here, there’s so much somehow, you know, build up so much kind of courage and inspiration in the heart that must live a benefiting at least oneself and maybe one or two others with Dharma, which is again Dharma teaching, Buddha Dharma teaching. So that’s my of hope in life. This is kind of a picture of life that I m looking at. So Rui was saying, many, many, you know, Dharma brothers and sisters who help to transcribe, who help to, you know, record. You know, and I myself also, kind of courage, it’s okay to do that, and you should do that, you know, because the initial kind of like inspiration is to must benefit and since I’m in the LDC, benefit all LDC members and those who have opportunity to come to class is very limited people to their family responsibilities and job responsibilities.

I would never expect everybody will attains $2ll the classes all the time. But the teaching is even one person attend or maybe hundreds of people attend, the teaching won’t be different. It will be the same thing, the amount, how much you need to teach, it will be the same thing. But still so much wish that can able to reach the Dharma, you know, especially those who have a karmic affinity, as many people as possible. Know?

So I can say that I’m extremely thankful and and happy and it even inspired me deeply to live a life with doing some dharma, you know, through actualizing this booklet, you know, through actualizing this booklet. And this booklet was not possible, you know, impossible, you know, without the help of, you know, Hui, who has been as a director, you know, an LDC director who who who initiate, you know, who see the benefit to the members plus and to many others through, you know, coming into booklet. And at the same time, you know, that I requested. So she happily, even though you see it on, so many works happening, she handles so many things, but still able to actualize the booklet in such a short period of time. And I can say many of you, you know, received teachings from Hui from long, long time during the old LDC as well as even today’s time that I can say that this teaching Buddha’s teaching and it is sharing teaching from both me and we, not just me.

You can understand how bad my English is and you can understand, you know, I go around and here and there, you know? It now make like such a such a beautiful, you know, so easy to understand, so organized. So, you know, so those of you who have received teaching from Hui, who are going to receive in the future, who have received in the past, you you you also should, you know, this is our sharing from all of you and I have requested because even after I just looked to like I was inspired so much. I was inspired so much and I started have more idea of whatever explaining there, know, and I started to make myself better be careful sometimes there’s many things incomplete in what I do, you know. So immediately, I don’t know how much benefit it will bring to another, but at least benefited one person, it’s myself also.

Again, that’s also part of inspiration. So I requested we to please continue, please help to complete all the series of the book. And all the teachings are in the Lamrim, we will label we will make very small handy book. If you are traveling, just bring along with you know, in the bag and you can read. Don’t ever bring big big big one, you know, so into different different chapters.

And of course, there’s many lojong and many other things, but at least that I want the lam rims. You know? And I so far completed entire lam rim in in in in in in in my kind of like a crazy way of, like, you know, like arrangement into the completion of the Lamrim. So but some people do might get some some benefits. So So we kindly accepted even though very busy schedule but kindly accepted to you know so gradually to complete all those series of books.

So always please remember to those whoever is receiving some benefit then please think of the kindness of know we and please complete please actualize all those things and that is I really think is an LDC project. I used to say that earlier time Geshe-la Gesang came and after that Geshe-la Gesang, then another Geshe-la you know. So I felt that, you know, it’s necessary to archive the teachings, you know, and actualize because once the person leaves, once the Geshe leaves, then sometimes there’s a danger of the students also kind of stop practicing or losing the direction. It happens in many ways. So as long as there’s some, you know, order to teach them a book so they can at least keep and refer and they can self sustain their practice whether the teacher is always there or not, you know.

So there’s so much greater benefit and I’m sure there’s so many from other places will be also receive benefits. So anyway, what I want to say is I thank you so much Hui-la to to actualizing this. So please give a big hand. And and I I would like to thank, you know, William. I hope William can hear.

I say William-la. William and Venerable Tenzin-la, you know, during my time in here in the past. Everywhere I go, they put, you know, recorders and computer to record, you know, my whatever I teach. So if they didn’t do that, of course, today this is not possible, you know. So therefore I also sincerely thank them the students through their busy time they have to transcribe and without the transcript also very difficult.

So I again say thank you very much all of you and hopefully please enjoy the book. Thank you. Okay. So please come and receive your own copy. This is a free distribution, and you can feel free to offer to your friends if you like.

And, you know, and and and thank you very much, LDC. Hello. You all can view the the items for the silent auction is on the left hand side here. Brilliant.