Affiliated with the FPMT

III. The Knowledge of Sangha

Absolute Sangha is those who have the achievement of the absolute Dharma.

Relative Sangha is the bhikshus, monks—if there are four, that is called Sangha; if there is one, that cannot be called Sangha.

“Heretics”—evil; cannot follow the evil doers, the evil friends who have wrong conceptions, wrong realizations. “Follow” means this—it doesn’t mean you can’t have compassion with that person—because with his wrong realization he creates negative actions, so you cannot do the same; if you do follow the action you are destroyed, your knowledge is destroyed. What is the way of receiving help, guidance, by taking refuge in enlightened being? By correctly following his orders, the path that was shown by him; that is the way of his saving us from samsaric suffering, that is the way of his guiding us. Through following the path that was shown by him we are released from samsara, this is the way the enlightened being saves and guides us, and this is the way we receive the help. For instance, not doing what he says, not following the path as it was shown by him for us, doing something else; even if the whole time we pray, “Please guide me,” 1000 times—if the action is done in an opposite nature, not following the path as he says, his order, no matter how much we pray, there is no way to fully receive his guidance, his help. And to guide and save us from samsaric suffering and ignorance is extremely difficult and it takes much time as long as we don’t follow orders and path as shown by him. His responsibility is finished; now it is our responsibility to follow the path—if we don’t, there’s no way for him to guide us, to release us from suffering. Therefore, it is necessary to put our whole life toward correctly doing as he orders, as the path was shown, not doing opposite things, not following evil doers who have wrong realizations.

Then, same thing—the way the Dharma guides. That is the way the enlightened being—called “Buddha” or not, who has that knowledge, in whom we take refuge—that is how he guides us. So Dharma, as we completely rely on Dharma—refuge means this—due to full confidence in its knowledge and fear of samsaric suffering. So the way the Dharma guides us from suffering? This is by following the disciplines, by following karma; basically the essence is following karma. This means avoiding negative karma as much as possible and creating good karma as much as possible. This is what “following karma” means. Avoiding negative karma—the way the Dharma guides. If I talk essentially, by avoiding negative karma as much as possible, that much quicker we receive the help and guidance of the Dharma. Like this. So doing the opposite of the Dharma—harming other beings, not avoiding negative karma—there is no way Dharma can guide us. No matter how much you say prayer, all the time, if your action is opposite to this, there is no way the Dharma can quickly guide us from suffering.

Same thing, the Sangha—if one follows heretics who believe there is no such thing as past and future lives, the Triple Gem, absolute nature, many things; who believe the self is permanent, the person’s self is permanent, there are many things. So if the person follows this, there is no way for the Sangha to quickly, practically guide the being from suffering.

So actually, like this. Our future buddha guides us from all the mental shortcomings, all the defects of the delusions. And our Dharma, following the path, following karma, our Dharma guides us away from the suffering. Our Sangha guides us from suffering, like this. The most practical way to guide yourself is like this.

Rinpoche Question: What is Dharma, the meaning of Dharma?

Answer: The way to unbind yourself.

Rinpoche: Is your keeping precepts the way to unbind?

Answer: Yes.

Rinpoche: How?

Answer: Because it develops ...

Rinpoche: Negative mind? (I’m joking). It develops what?

Answer: The pure positive mind to penetrate, perhaps deeper understanding. It gives power.

Rinpoche: How? How does it help receive deeper understanding?

Answer: By concentrating the mental energy.

Rinpoche: Is that agreeable?

Answer: Yes—it is creating good karma and avoiding negative karma. It allows us to avoid the results of negative karma, and to experience good results that allows Dharma practice, and so understanding gets deeper.

Rinpoche: How does keeping precepts help achieve deeper understanding?

Answer: It keeps all the actions positive.

Rinpoche: How does positive action help to have deeper understanding of Dharma?

Answer: Less distractions, less desire for temporal happiness.

Rinpoche: How does decreasing the desire help achieve deeper understanding?

Answer: It’s purification.

Rinpoche: Purifying what?

Answer: The mind.

Rinpoche: Ceasing the mind? Destroying the mind?

Answer: Destroying delusions clouding the mind.

Other Answer: By taking the precepts you voluntarily put yourself into the opposite action of your usual actions of unconscious actions, and by taking yourself out of this one can see these usual actions.

Rinpoche: That is correct, before—it purifies ignorance, so it makes a place for the knowledge. Why is there no enlightened knowledge yet? Because there is no place, because of the opposite, the defilements. It is the quickest way to purify and develop deeper understanding.

Question: Do the precepts prevent the addition of more obscuration or more bad karma?

Rinpoche: Bad karma creates obscuration.

Question: And the precepts prevent occurrence of negative actions?

Rinpoche: Yes. Keeping precepts with pure thought, that is Dharma. Now you answer.

Question: Is it possible for keeping precepts to create delusion?

Rinpoche: There’s no way to create bad karma—keeping precepts means abstaining from the evil
actions.

Question: But isn’t the motive for keeping precepts important—say keeping for a day and feeling arrogant after?

Rinpoche: That’s not purely keeping. What makes the possibility of receiving enlightenment?

Answer: Pure motive and development of acute awareness of your actions to differentiate between pure and impure motive.

Rinpoche: How does it lead to enlightenment?

Answer: Once you can differentiate between pure and impure motive, all your actions can become positive and release you from samsara and put you on the path to enlightenment.

Answer: To reach enlightenment, we must be released from samsara.

Rinpoche: So when you have acute awareness of delusions you are out of samsara—so you must be enlightened first to be out of samsara? Delusion has no beginning so how does it end?

Answer: I think it has beginning—it begins with impure mind.

Rinpoche: Why does it exist, does it have a creator or not?

Answer: Yes.

Rinpoche: Who?

Answer: The impure mind.

Rinpoche: So the impure mind has no beginning? Delusion has beginning but impure mind has not?

Day 22
Friday, December 7th
5 a.m.

To take ordination in the Mahayana it is necessary to be possessed by the Mahayana thought, the pure thought of bodhicitta, besides the action is done with pure motive, that which is opposite to the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas. Try to cultivate this pure motive briefly like this.

“The attachment that is attached to the happiness of the temporal life and the higher samsaric pleasure is only the cause of suffering. However much you can make this present life happy, pleasant, even if we will receive a more pleasant life than this, like being born in the realm of the gods, all of these pleasant lives are in the nature of suffering. As there is not one tiny suffering left that we have never experienced and we have experienced all of them countless times; same thing, there is not one tiny samsaric pleasure left that we have never experienced, and we have experienced all of them countless times; same thing, there is not one great samsaric suffering left that we have never experienced and we have experienced all of them countless times; same thing, there is not one great pleasure left that we never experienced and we have experienced all of them countless times. So totally, there’s no samsaric karma that we never created. Therefore, since all of these are not new, since they are old, there’s no reason to have interest, be attached, to try for that. The opposite—we have been trying for that since beginningless lifetimes, now it is time to stop continually being attached to these things—it’s important because by stopping this, one can be released from samsaric suffering.

“But releasing oneself from samsaric suffering is not enough, not sufficient. There are infinite sentient beings in samsaric suffering now. These sentient beings are the objects from whom I received my past, present, and future happiness and enlightenment. At this moment, most of them have not met Dharma, do not have the wisdom eye to know positive actions and wrong actions, and do not have a leader leading them in the path to enlightenment. There are many things missing. As I have this chance, I must repay them in the best way, to rid them of the cause of suffering. At the moment I have no capability, therefore, I must become enlightened. To become enlightened depends on subduing the body, speech, and mind—the best way to subdue these three is by putting them in the disciplines, following the precepts. Therefore, I am going to take the Mahayana ordination.
(Ordination Ceremony)

9.a.m.

(Lama Thubten Yeshe)

3 p.m.

From the holy speech of the great guru, bodhisattva Tenzin Gyatso, “One should cultivate bodhicitta to benefit others—if one desires to benefit others, one should cultivate bodhicitta; if one desires to benefit oneself, if one desires a happy path, also one should cultivate bodhicitta.”

It is for sure that we and every living being desire happiness—no doubt, we desire a happy life, desire a happy path, a peaceful path, and desire the method of peace. The only problem is not recognizing the actual method of peace. It is definite that the work that we do in is either done for oneself or for others, so the best way to benefit others, the best way to benefit oneself, however the work is done, it is necessary to cultivate the bodhicitta. Why? The work is done to benefit either others or oneself. Basically it is for the achievement of the peace, which is devoid of suffering—so therefore, the pure thought of bodhicitta is of utmost need within our mind. Therefore, it is necessary to practice, to train the mind to become bodhicitta.

To practice bodhicitta, to receive this, to practice this in other realms of samsara is extremely difficult, because of the deep ignorance, the karmic deep ignorance, and the life, the way they live, and the limited chances—such as having an enlightened being descend, such as communicating the Dharma thought and speech—it is extremely difficult. In the three lower realms, besides those hindrances, the lack of freedom, the karmic ignorance, and limited chances, there is much suffering. Also, in the upper realms, the realms of the gods, for some of those gods, because of their karma, it is difficult to achieve everlasting peace, and also difficult to practice bodhicitta. In many ways, it is extremely difficult to have the chance to practice bodhicitta, not like such a precious chance that we have now. Therefore, we are in such a precious period, such a precious period, being at such place where there is the existence of the Mahayana teachings, and besides that, from our side we also have the chance to practice, to study, and to discuss about the practice of bodhicitta, the chance to listen, many things. So while there a chance, it’s worthwhile to practice, so in this way we never lose the precious chance—it makes being in such a condition, receiving such teachings and listening to them, meaningful. It is necessary to start training the mind now, even from this minute, since our life is always short. Therefore, before listening to the teachings, the motive of listening to the teachings should be the pure thought of bodhicitta. There’s no actual bodhicitta received but we are training, meditating on bodhicitta, trying to plant the seed of bodhicitta.

So think, “It is not enough for oneself to be released from suffering—I must achieve enlightenment in order to release sentient beings from suffering and lead them in the path to enlightenment. Therefore, it is necessary for me to completely achieve all the graduated path. Therefore, it is necessary to make correct, perfect practice. Therefore, it is necessary to perfectly understand all the meanings of the graduated path.”

So the listening subject of the graduated path, if it is divided into three we are on the path of the lower being. So far, the meditations from the lower path that we have finished briefly are, “Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Great Usefulness of the Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Difficulty of Receiving the Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Perfect Human Rebirth is Very Fragile and Easy to Decay,” “No Other Methods Can Stop Death,” therefore, “Death is Definite.” After death, since even in this life, one year, one day, even in previous lives, more negative karma is created than positive karma, therefore it is more definite that we will be reborn in “The Suffering Lower Realms.” Because there was a mind before the rebirth, there is a mind after the death. So the time of that rebirth is indefinite—”The Time of Death is Indefinite,” so the time of that rebirth in the three lower realms is indefinite, not sure when it will happen—it is something that will happen unexpectedly, without knowing. Even if the person thinks it’s not time, it is not my time of death, whenever there is the karmic arrangement of death, when that is ready, it will happen.

So therefore, since it is more definite that we will be born in those lower realms and suffer, it is necessary to do something, to make arrangement ahead of time, before that danger happens. At present, from our side, we have no power, no great supreme knowledge, no great compassion. We don’t even have the power to guide ourselves from temporal problems—we have to rely on other living beings to even solve temporal problems. So, of course, it is necessary to solve the great problem of rebirth in the three lower realms. To save ourselves from that we have to rely on something, rely on someone. It is greatly worthwhile to rely on someone in order to escape from this. But it is most important not to rely on an imperfect guide, an imperfect leader, not to rely on an imperfect object. That is the most important thing, more than anything else in life. By making mistakes in this way, we lose this life and many future lives. So by finding the correct guide, the perfect guide, and by relying on such a perfect guide, besides being great numbers of profit, the cause of everlasting peace can be created in this life. Besides this, also in many future lives great profit can be made—peace, profit, always less suffering, attachment, always progressing, getting closer to the cessation of samsaric suffering. So what knowledge is necessary to have the object in whom we take refuge, on whom we rely? That I briefly explained, so there is no need to repeat. Anyway, the perfect object should have, as we talked about before, such great, infinite power, compassion, and knowledge, totally impartial compassion for every number of sentient beings. No matter, anyone who has these enlightened knowledges—even if he looks like a hippie, no matter what he is called—that is a perfect object from whom we can take refuge on. Even in many other future lives there is not even the slightest danger of being betrayed or misled. Such as these perfect beings, they achieved knowledge, the infinite supreme knowledge, through the path. There are countless enlightened beings, such as Guru Shakyamuni, for instance, who achieved his knowledge, power, and compassion through the path. How did he become a perfect object that we can take refuge in, rely on? That happened by following the perfect path, the teaching. Therefore, we can also take refuge in the teaching, in the Dharma jewel. And also in the attainer, the Sangha, of the Dharma jewel. The most practical way to guide oneself from these sufferings and to release other sentient beings from suffering is for yourself to become Buddha, for you to achieve the Dharma, for you to become Sangha—that is the most practical way. But to be able to guide yourself by the achievement of the Dharma and by becoming absolute Sangha, this cannot happen intuitively, it needs the guidance of the outer Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Without that it cannot happen intuitively. So therefore, what we are trying is this. Even the very first chapter, subject, we are trying to understand “The mind beginningless”—that is also method for us to be able to achieve our own Buddha, the individual Buddha, our future Buddha, and trying to achieve the Dharma and Sangha to be able to guide our individual selves from suffering and also guide other sentient beings from suffering. Each time we meditate it is for that reason. Even if we are making one prostration, it is also for that achievement.

It is important—this is the last emphasis—it is important, before you put your whole life in that direction, to think about whether this path caused the release of any sentient being from samsaric sufferings, from the circle of death and rebirth? By achieving this path, does any living being enlighten other sentient beings, release other sentient beings from suffering and death into enlightenment? By following the path, does it rescue them from rebirth in the suffering realm? This is important. Why do we follow a path, why do we seek truth? Because there is a problem. Why does the person need to take medicine? Because he is sick, there is a problem. Same as this example—why is he following a path that is not a materialistic method, why is there need of that? This is because of problems. There are problems that we recognize and problems that we don’t recognize; there are problems that we recognize with the ordinary mind—the very gross ones, the heavy ones—there are subtle problems in our minds that we don’t recognize. But without completely destroying these problems that we don’t recognize, there’s no way to stop the problems that we do recognize. So the subtle problems that we don’t recognize can be recognized by the following inner method, following the teachings, following the correct path—so without following the path, without destroying the subtle problems that bring the gross problems that we recognize, these gross problems cannot be destroyed. Anyway, so in regards to the need of seeking truth, seeking path—that is to solve the problem. There are all kinds of problems in our minds, some that we see, some that our limited mind doesn’t see. So it is not enough stopping only the temporal problems that we recognize, and not stopping the problems that we don’t recognize, but which bring these temporal problems. Therefore, the path we are trying to seek, the teachings should be useful to destroy the seed, the whole suffering—even the seed of the whole problem. So it is important to check up first, besides the temporal problems, the problems of this life, besides this, check this path, this teaching. Did any being, by following this teaching, stop rebirth into the suffering realms? Could anyone control samsaric suffering, ignorance, the circle of death and rebirth? By following this path, did anyone enlighten other sentient beings from ignorance, from suffering, from samsara?

Check this by using your wisdom, with logic. If this is clearly proved, that by following that path many living beings, the followers, achieved control over those sufferings, then it is worthwhile to make the trip on that path, and also to take refuge in the founder of that path.

The Benefits of Taking Refuge (Page 73)

Introduction: Paragraph 1

If it were possible for the benefits of taking refuge to appear in form, with color and shape, then it could fill up so many universes. “The three worlds” means a great number of universes—not as written—thousands of galaxies—(“senses, form, and formlessness” as printed is a mistake).

The eight benefits are just the total number, the brief benefits of taking refuge.

1. Just like saying, “bodhicitta.” Many people think “Buddhist” is a name to use for partisanship. Just as there are many names in the world that do not depend on realization or development of wisdom, just taking the name, “I am this and that,” and because of this conception, fighting, putting even the life in danger, not depending on realization, not helping to attain ultimate peace. This is not like this. It is like saying realization, the bodhicitta achieved, and even if people think you are crazy, you are a bodhisattva. If you have control achieved through tantric practice, mahamudra, even though it is looked at as crazy by other people—it doesn’t matter. Even if he is looked at as crazy, it is their problem, the other peoples’ problem—it is alright, he has done his job, he is free in his mind.

So just like that, “Buddhist” is a matter of having realizations, knowledge. This also depends on having that knowledge, just as becoming a bodhisattva depends on having knowledge of bodhicitta. So the equipment, the knowledge that makes the person become an “inner being?” That is strong fear, and full confidence in the enlightened being’s knowledge, power, and compassion and completely relying on it, putting the whole life in his hands. This is not easy, even this is not easy. Besides having fear of samsaric suffering, an unbearable feeling of great compassion, energy, strong compassion for other beings’ suffering is not easy. The other one is more difficult—the fear in the suffering of samsara is more difficult to receive than the fear of the suffering of the three lower realms. Why is the energy to have compassion for other beings’ suffering is difficult? First of all one should feel strong aversion towards one’s own samsaric suffering. To have such strong fear, an unbearable feeling towards one’s own suffering, one should realize what samsara is, the samsaric suffering nature. One should also recognize the suffering of the three lower realms. To have the fear of suffering of the three lower realms depends on understanding negative action and positive action, depends on understanding karma, that different lives are brought by karma. This depends on understanding beginningless mind. So there are many ways to come, it is a long way to come, not easy. But to become inner being is easy. For many people it is easy to become Buddhist, like shaving the hair (like I did today—I thought I would become Buddhist) and thinking this is the way to renounce.

But to become an inner being does not depend on outer change, outer looks. It is only defined by having this understanding, this mental knowledge that I briefly mentioned—this full confidence in the enlightened being’s knowledge, power, and compassion, and fear of those levels of suffering, and completely relying on this perfect being and trying to avoid negative karma and create good karma as much as possible. Since it is only a matter of this mental knowledge, this equipment, this inner knowledge, the inner being can be among laypeople, even if the person never knows any prayers, not having a rosary to put on the hand—anyway, it does not depend on outer looks. Even if the outer look is perfect—head shaved, putting on robes, looking perfect outside—becoming Buddhist depends on mental knowledge. We cannot be sure where the inner being is; not sure who is an inner being, who is not an inner being—it is difficult to judge from outside. It is important to understand this, so we know—to say this is not easy. When one checks up in one’s mind it is funny, mostly empty, like an empty pot. Like this, not sure—even if the person is sitting on the throne.

Question: If one cannot judge from outer appearance, why should one respect any monk or nun as the real Sangha?

Answer: That is the other person’s responsibility; you are talking about respect—we can respect all sentient beings, even the animals—there is much to talk about. It is our responsibility. Anyway, no need to talk much in this subject, by meditating on this subject we can understand, the whole answer is there. But generally it is our responsibility to be humble, taking care of others, respecting others, keeping oneself in a humble place. This is one’s responsibility, and it always gives peace within one’s mind and it always creates the cause of happiness. It is always good knowledge, no matter who the other person is—it is always the opposite of pride, jealousy, and negative mind.

Generally, all sentient beings can be prostrated to, as we prostrate to Buddha, to enlightened being—as we receive enlightenment by depending on him, same thing we receive enlightenment by depending on sentient beings. As we make offering to Buddha, it does not mean all sentient beings are Buddha, all sentient beings are perfect object of refuge—it does not mean this. Because of the reason, why we make prostration to the enlightened being! For this reason, so we can prostrate to sentient beings, as we receive enlightenment by depending on them. But it does not mean that sentient beings are perfect objects of refuge. All sentient beings can be prostrated to by looking at them. But it does not mean that sentient beings are perfect objects of refuge. All sentient beings can be prostrated to by looking at them as a guru or as an enlightened being, as Guru Shakyamuni.

It is true, there are people like this—he becomes a monk so that he doesn’t have to do things like this. It has also two things: one is being scared of creating negative karma, not wanting to kill people, but one is a person who is lazy in worldly ways, doesn’t want to suffer the problem generally, the difficulties. Just as the example thinking, “If I become a monk, put robes on, I will find food easily,” without much idea of future lives and enlightenment, thinking, “If I become a monk, I will find my life easy, I can go to beg”—lazy mind. This is a lazy mind also from the Dharma point of view; as this is a lazy mind from the worldly point of view, it is also lazy from the Dharma point of view. Because he puts robes on, because he is attached to the happiness of this life, he doesn’t want to work, wants to make the life comfortable. So, for the other one there can be two motives—one is being scared of those heavy negative karma. Of course, it is better not to have any bad karma created, not to have any luggage of that bad karma to carry with the person to his next life—it’s better not to have it.

So when you hear the word “Buddhist,” if your mind can remember the knowledge it is useful, very effective for your mind, not thinking it is just a name or partisanship, but thinking of the knowledge that it means.

2. This we understand if we figure out the purpose of taking ordination. The purpose of taking ordination is because of these fears, the three fears—fear of the suffering of the lower realms, fear of samsaric suffering, and the unbearable fear for other sentient being’s suffering—these fears and full confidence in the enlightened being’s knowledge. This causes us to keep the ordination and to take the ordination, and the purpose of taking ordination is to release us from these fears. So, in this way it is easy to understand taking refuge—refuge is the basis of all ordinations.

3. It’s negative karma that person has created, and it can also be purified by refuge—taking refuge has that much power. For instance, in previous time, the king of some place killed his father who had the achievement of the noble path, who was noble. That action was one of those extreme actions, the heaviest negative karma, one of the five extreme negative actions. So by taking refuge, even that heavy karma was purified in his lifetime. There are many other examples. Also, the man who killed 999 beings—how he could purify all that heavy negative karmas? That was also through the power of the refuge. Actually, there are many other stories.

4. For instance, another way of saying three is, a person who has refuge, because he has fear of suffering and is scared of the negative karma he created in his past lifetimes, he always tries to purify through methods shown by the enlightened one—he always tries to diminish it many ways, with many different methods he tries to purify. So with this refuge, because of this fear of the sufferings, the person is obliged always to create good karma. And also, it gives him longing, the wish to create good karma as extensively as possible. There are also many other stories.

5. In previous time, in a country where a king was punishing people, he left the people he punished at the cemetery for the spirits at night, and nothing was left by the next morning. There was one man that the king punished and left at the cemetery. But this man found a piece of old red cloth from a monks’ robe, so while he was at the cemetery he put it on top of his head and strongly took refuge—this means he was relying completely on the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—thinking of these things and completely relying on and putting his life in the Triple Gem’s hands. All night he took refuge, this is a mental action—mainly it’s a mental action, not mainly an action of speech. So no one hindered him, no one disturbed him during the night, so he could come back. I think it was in Tibet, and he met an animal called teh—it looks like, not exactly a horse, but maybe that wounded him. So later on he met a lama who asked him what happened and he explained. So the lama gave refuge, and later on he met the animal again but the animal didn’t bite him again as before, just smelt him and left.

Even saying a prayer, even the prayer has so much power. Even if there’s not much understanding in the mind, even just saying the prayer has power and benefit. But generally, just saying this prayer, imitating this prayer, does not make an inner being, because an inner being depends on mental knowledge. For instance, a story of how just even the prayer has power. In ancient times, in Tibet, there was a meditator in hermitage—he has a shirt offered by a benefactor, of quite good quality, from India. So a thief came to his hermitage and saw through the hole, and saw the shirt hanging on the wall. So he asked the monk about the shirt—the meditator didn’t let him come in, but the meditator asked him to stretch the hand in and he would give it to him. Instead the meditator tied a rope to his hand and tied it to a pillar. Then he beat the thief with the rope saying, “Go to refuge. Buddha; go to refuge, Dharma; go to refuge, Sangha,” beating him stronger and stronger. So the thief went away and it was becoming dusk, and on the trail was a bridge recognized as a mischievous place, where people are scared to go at nighttime because of the spirits going round. The man was scared and hid under the bridge. Then he thought how good it was there was only three, “Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,” otherwise he would have been much more exhausted or killed. He didn’t know the meaning, yet as he was very scared and couldn’t find any other thing, he kept repeating that refuge prayer all night—so that night nothing happened to him. There are many other stories about how even just by saying the prayer, people are relieved from dangers. In some families there are mischievous spirits—they go to bed inside the room, but at night the bed comes outside. But when Tibetan laypeople who have taken refuge go inside, this doesn’t happen.

Taking refuge stops rebirth in the three lower realms. For instance, like this—this is easy to understand. In the lifetime, since the person took refuge, the person who has refuge in the mind always creates good karma in order to make arrangements not to be reborn in the three lower realms by always remembering the enlightened beings. Also at death time, if one can remember the enlightened being, this knowledge can help a great deal not to be reborn in the lower realm.

Anyway, starting from the perfect human rebirth up to enlightenment, the whole realization, the whole path, is achieved on the basis of refuge—it’s all received from refuge.

As the person has stronger, more pure refuge—even within the refuge there are levels—those who have achieved renunciation have the purest refuge. Anyway, the more pure refuge one has within one’s mind, the quicker one receives enlightenment.

Also, this prayer that we often say before the meditation, by saying this prayer (page 19) and reciting this mantra (page 20), it purifies 40,000 eons of negative karma. This mantra has the power to purify. This prayer, that which comes before the mantra, includes many things—refuge, prostrations, offerings, and asking for blessing—it is short, but it has many things—this is also a refuge prayer. (Please repeat). By reciting this mantra, it has the benefit of purifying 40,000 eons of negative karma. But the one thing is, there’s no such time that we never created negative karma before this, there’s no such time that we started to create negative karma. There are many other mantras that we started to create negative karma. There are many other mantras that have much power. As our ignorance is beginningless, as our ignorance has no beginning, as our ignorance has always been creating negative karma, just making the pure recitation of this mantra does not purify the whole thing. This mantra and prayer is received from this guru who has the great achievement of bodhicitta, Tenzin Gyatso. It is received from him.

Usually mantra has great power—why does mantra have benefit and power? Because of the power of the omniscient mind. Also, through mantra there are many things to stop dangers, to cure disease, such as leprosy, which are difficult to be cured by modern chemical medicines. There are many people, not only monks or meditators, but many laypeople, too, who can cure other peoples’ dangerous diseases by reciting mantra. Especially the diseases caused by the mischievous actions of spirits, which are extremely difficult to be cured by the elements, the medicines. There are many things. Also, there are mantras that can help at the time of death by reciting and blowing on the corpse, the animal, or the person dying. There are those that cure the disease of the poisons. Also mantras that bring success—for many different actions there’s a power of a mantra to bring success for each thing. Anyway, all of the power is the power of the omniscient mind, and is only because of the knowledge of Buddha or the enlightened being. So anyway, if one is going to talk about how the power or benefit or the mantra is great, it can never be finished at any time. It is all because of the power of the omniscient mind, the action of the omniscient mind. Even reciting mantra, helping in so many ways, even that is the action of the omniscient mind.

6 p.m.

Whatever meditation you didn’t finish this morning start from that, putting yourself in the evolution of the future death as if it is happening now. Then try to make the experience of the sufferings of the negative karmas that cause rebirth in those different narak sufferings, and the bad karma to be reborn in the animal and preta realms, thinking for sure that you have created those, and thinking as if you are dying now and being born and suffering there—as much as you can remember, try to feel it, then meditate on it in order to get out of these sufferings. After the meditation on suffering, think, “If I am born right away in those realms, there are incredible sufferings like this; if I die right away I meet those incredible sufferings—it is such a great shock. At the moment I wasn’t born in those realms so I must do something. So I must take refuge.”

Then meditate trying to remember the knowledge of Guru Shakyamuni, of the omniscient mind, try to remember the knowledge as much as you remember, his supreme great knowledge, which means omniscient mind, his power and his compassion. In regards to great knowledge, his holy body, speech, and mind have such great knowledge. Same thing, his holy body has power, as does his holy speech and holy mind. Like this, checking the knowledge.

And as this holy being who has this perfect knowledge, this holy object in whom I can take refuge, as all these knowledges are received through Dharma, then Dharma is also a worthwhile object to take refuge. Then check Dharma knowledge. Then the graduated path, following the guru up to enlightenment, the perfect human rebirth up to enlightenment, the whole graduated path—that is also Dharma knowledge of Sangha, the attainer of Dharma, those noble beings who have the achievement of the absolute Dharma.

And think how the Buddha guides, how the Dharma guides, how the Sangha guides; since we take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—checking like this. And also how those three cause you to achieve your individual Buddha—one’s own Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—and how one’s own Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha guide oneself—check like this. Then so ... like this. The way the Buddha guides is ... as the path was shown by them, the way the Buddha guides me is by helping me to achieve Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, so achieving these three depends on following the path as it was shown by the enlightened being, following the graduated path as it was shown by the enlightened being. The basic thing, the essential way of following the teaching, the path, is observing karma. Without observing karma—that means trying to avoid negative karma, and trying to create positive karma—without observing karma, there is no way to achieve the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; so then there’s no way that the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha can guide me, there’s no way to achieve Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and no way that the outer Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha can guide me, save me from suffering.

Then meditate on karma (Pages 74 to 80). First, “Karma is Definite”—that means (more details will come, tonight this is just the introduction of the outlines)—karma is definite. “Karma is Expandable,” “The Result of Karma Which Wasn’t Created by Me Cannot be Experienced,” “Whatever the Karma is Created, However Long it Takes, It is Definite Not to Lose, is Definite to Bring the Result,” whatever karma I have created so far, it is definite that I will experience the result. Relating these things to negative karma is more effective, it helps to achieve the renounced mind of samsara. Think like this about negative karma.

Karma is definite means that from negative karma comes a suffering result. Then you check up—whatever negative karma is created, it is definite to bring suffering result. Just as this—you plant hot pepper, then growing, raising something else—as this is impossible, so is creating negative karma and experiencing peace, a happy result.

And whatever negative karma is created, it is expandable. Just like planting one rice seed it can bring many grains of rice, so by creating one negative karma, the suffering result has to be experienced for a long time and brings many suffering results—from one tiny karma.

And whatever negative karma is created, even if it is billions and billions and billions of eons and the result has not been experienced yet, it is sure to be experienced soon, the result never gets lost. Think before going through this, think, check, try to remember all the negative karma from today, how many negative karmas created, then yesterday, then the past month, the past years, then in the lifetime, going back to the childhood time, try to see this as much as possible. You should not think, “I didn’t kill people, I didn’t do anything like this, I am positive, I am okay, nothing wrong.” We can feel like this since we do not perceive the past things. Try to think that as the deluded mind has no beginning, in my previous lives I have been an animal numberless times, and so much negative karma has been created by being different animals. For an animal, such as a tiger, from the time they are born until death even to show even one positive karma is extremely difficult. Just like this, with many other animals, mostly all black, negative actions. It’s like a dark room where there’s not even a tiny light—all negative actions created in the life means all negative karmas, not even one tiny positive karma can be shown. So our being an animal, not only once but numberless times, means we don’t know how much negative karma we created in previous time. Also, similar to this, as pretas and human beings and also suras and asuras we have created many negative karmas—even though we didn’t kill human beings in this life, we may have killed them in previous lives. We have done the five extreme negative actions, we may have created them in our previous lives.

After all this, think that negative karma will definitely bring a suffering result—then it is also expandable. So each negative karma that I have created and collected up until now, all have a suffering result. There are numberless negative karmas whose results are not finished yet, that were created in great numbers of past lives, for many trillions of eons; but still they are not finished. All these negative karmas have for sure a suffering result that all have to be experienced by me gradually, which may take infinite eons. And for the negative karmas that have been created in each time, each result can be increased, expanded so much more—not just one suffering result that finishes in one time, in only one life, but moreover the result is expandable, so there is much more suffering even though the cause was one. So then, there have been incredible numbers of negative karmas created, and so if the result of each of those is expandable, the suffering result I will experience is incredible. So think like this.

(Meditation)

Rinpoche: Did you find out why delusion has beginning or is beginningless?

Answer: Delusion has beginning because it was created in our previous lifetimes by our ego.

Other Answer: Ego is delusion.

Rinpoche: So delusion has beginning? Why should it exist—what made it exist?

Answer: Our imagination—it doesn’t really exist.

Rinpoche: So actually there’s no hindrance to enlightenment—we are just thinking? Is there enlightenment?

Answer: Sure, everybody has enlightenment.

Rinpoche: Is everybody enlightened?

Answer: Yes—not actually, but there is the possibility in everybody.

Rinpoche: But why are you not enlightened?

Answer: Because my mind is still attached and not yet tamed.

Rinpoche: Attached to what?

Answer: Temporal pleasure.

Rinpoche: It’s just a creation of my mind, it doesn’t really exist.

Rinpoche: So you have no attachment? Yourself doesn’t exist. You don’t have a hand?

Answer: I think at the moment it exists, but I’m not sure about it.

Rinpoche: So everything not sure?

Answer: Yes

Rinpoche: So what really exists?

Answer: Beginningless mind.

Rinpoche: Isn’t your beginningless mind a creation of your mind?

Answer: No.

Rinpoche: So it has no creator.

Answer: The beginningless mind is part of the universe.

Rinpoche: So it has no creator?

Answer: It’s a part of God.

Rinpoche: So did God create it?

Answer: It’s beginningless, it always existed.

Rinpoche: So your today’s mind has no creator?

Answer: No.

Rinpoche: Isn’t your today mind created by yesterday’s mind, caused by yesterday’s mind?

Answer: There are influences of my mind, the beginningless mind.

Rinpoche: Is all your beginningless mind pure?

Answer: I think so.

Rinpoche: So your present life mind is also pure?

Answer: No, in previous lifetimes it became impure.

Rinpoche: Why did the pure beginningless mind become impure?

Answer: Because of delusion.

Rinpoche: Why was there delusion?

Answer: It’s explained in the book.

Rinpoche: Is beginningless mind pure?

Answer: Yes.

Rinpoche: Pure what?

Answer: It’s pure, but it has delusion sticking to it.

Rinpoche: So it’s impure and pure?

Answer: Yes.

Rinpoche: If beginningless mind is pure, why should it be purified?

Answer: It’s not pure, it has delusion sticking to it. It has delusion in it.

Rinpoche: So it’s like if there’s kaka in the bowl, you don’t know what is kaka and what is bowl.

Answer: Yes, it’s hard to tell ...

Rinpoche: Why does the mind have clear light, clear light nature of mind?

Answer: Consciousness is the ability to perceive and the clear light is the image of that ability—when
it’s void of delusion then it’s clear light.

Rinpoche: Does the flower have clear light because it has void nature?

Answer: I don’t think so, because the flower has no consciousness—it has void nature but not clear light void nature.

Rinpoche: But why is void nature of mind called clear light?

Day 23
Saturday December 8th
5 a.m.

To take the ordination in the Mahayana way it is necessary that the motive be the pure thought, the Mahayana thought, devoid of the eight worldly Dharmas. It is worthwhile to take the ordination with the pure motive, to be very careful in the motive and try to take it with pure motive. This ordination is something that has to be taken and can be taken with great happiness, not something forced—being forced to take ordination by some other person, or being obliged to take ordination because of the meditation course schedule, not being concerned with enlightenment or the Dharma—thinking like this is very limited in power, the power of mind, the power of thought is very limited. It is something that can be taken with great happiness, great pleasure—like a beggar receiving jewel.

For instance, if we are born as a narak being, as those lower suffering beings, as an animal—even if we are born as a sura or asura—for many reasons, suffering and deep ignorance, it is extremely difficult to take this ordination if you are born in those lower realms. If we are born in the sura and asura realms, it is very difficult due to distractions and hindrances. Even if we are born as human beings on earth, in each country, the people keeping these eight precepts is so rare, so rare. For instance, it is also more rare in the West—think of one’s own country—it’s very rare, so rare; perhaps you who are taking the precepts, perhaps you is the only one among the people in that country. And besides taking just the eight precepts, taking the eight precepts in the Mahayana way has more benefits, more profit can be gained, and it becomes a more powerful cause of receiving enlightenment. Also, Guru Shakyamuni, many other beings, received enlightenment by keeping these precepts.

So, “Attachment that is attached to the temporal happiness and the higher samsaric pleasures is only the cause of sufferings. There’s no one tiny happiness left that we have never experienced, we have experienced them countless times. There is not one tiny samsaric suffering left that we have never experienced, we have experienced them countless times. There’s not one greater samsaric pleasure left that we have never experienced, we have experienced them countless times. There’s not one greater samsaric suffering left that we have never experienced, we have experienced them countless times. So for these reasons there is no reason to have attachment to those samsaric pleasures, and, secondly, all these samsaric pleasures are in the nature of suffering. Therefore, we must be released from samsaric sufferings. Only that is not sufficient, not enough. There are infinite sentient begins who are in suffering, who are the object from whom we received all our past, present, and future happiness and perfection. Therefore, we are responsible to repay them and guide them from suffering. Therefore, it is necessary to first to enlighten ourselves. To receive enlightenment it is necessary to subdue one’s body, speech, and mind. The best way to subdue them is by keeping precepts. Therefore, I am going to take the Mahayana ordination.”

(Ordination Ceremony)

9 a.m.

This is from the holy speech of the great bodhisattva, Tenzin Gyatso, “Without making differentiation between rich and poor, without making differentiation between wise and foolish, and without making differentiation between higher and lower, the bodhicitta which equally benefits all should be cultivated.”

This means, in regards to the pure thought bodhicitta benefiting sentient beings, there is nothing to differentiate like this—like bodhicitta benefiting only the poor and not the rich. Bodhicitta benefits only the foolish, not the wise, bodhicitta benefits only the lower, not the higher. There is nothing like this in regards to the object that bodhicitta benefits—the bodhicitta benefits equally. As bodhicitta is a strong will to receive enlightenment for the sake of others, for the sake of each sentient being, therefore each sentient being, those who are rich, those who are poor, those who are wise, those who are foolish, those who are higher, those who are lower—there is no such thing as these objects having stronger benefits, and other beings having lesser benefits; there’s no such thing. The pure thought of bodhicitta, which can equally benefit without depending on differentiation, if this is received there is no way, there’s not even the slightest way that the bodhicitta would harm others, harm others or oneself. It only benefits every other sentient being, its function is only benefiting each sentient being equally.

So achievement of this bodhicitta is of the utmost need for the achievement of enlightenment. Why is the Enlightened Being, Guru Shakyamuni, obliged to help or have compassion equally to all sentient beings? That is because of the bodhicitta he received while he was following the path, his previous achievement of bodhicitta. Therefore we, since we also want to release sentient beings from suffering, to reach enlightenment it is necessary to have the achievement of this bodhicitta, that allows all sentient beings, every other sentient beings to receive help from the enlightened beings, whether the sentient beings take refuge or not, whether the sentient beings believe in him or not—they still receive help and guidance. That is the kindness of Guru Shakyamuni’s bodhicitta which he received while he was training in the path, such a great, beneficial realization, the pure thought bodhicitta.

Not trying to achieve this precious, pure thought while we have received the perfect human rebirth, such a precious chance, is foolish. So it is worthwhile to train our minds in bodhicitta even from this moment, even from this hour, this minute. If the work, especially the work that we are doing now, is possessed by this thought, it is greatly beneficial to other beings. Therefore, try to think—”I am going to listen to the explanations on the graduated path in order to receive enlightenment for the sake of sentient beings, every other sentient being—those who are suffering in the animal, human, sura, and asura realms, and also for the sentient beings who are not enlightened.”

So the listening subject is the graduated path to enlightenment—if it is divided in three, into the path of the lower being, the path of middle being, and the path of higher being—this is the path of the lower being.

So far, what has been briefly finished by explanation is, “Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Great Usefulness of the Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Great Difficulty of Receiving the Perfect Human Rebirth,” “How The Perfect Human Rebirth is Fragile, Easy to Decay,” “No Other Method Can Stop Death,” therefore, “Death Is Definite.” At death time the mind does not cease, as there was mind before the rebirth. It is definite that we will be born in the upper realm or the lower realm. It is more definite, according to the level of the mind, the present situation, our individual present situation, it is more definite that we will be born in the lower realm. In regards to positive karma and negative karma, more negative karma is created—in a month, a year, even in this life—so besides creating more negative karma in previous lives and even in this life, because there are negative karmas created and not purified, there is nothing arranged to prevent the suffering result. Therefore, it is definite that it will bring a suffering result. Therefore, for this reason it is more definite that we will be reborn in the lower suffering realms, and not only is it definite—from one karma, the suffering result is not one type, just one small suffering result as the small negative karma created—the suffering result is not the same as the karma. Even for negative karma, the suffering result cannot be finished in a minute as the karma was created in a minute; the suffering result cannot be finished in a second as the karma was created in a second. The suffering result has to be experienced, according to the karma, for many eons, for many lifetimes, and even that is not just one type of suffering, it is different types of suffering. Therefore, it’s definite that we will suffer longer and more in those lower suffering realms.

So far we didn’t achieve any realizations of any path to cut off the cause of suffering. So therefore, it is definite that we will experience the suffering result of the individual karmas we have created. And it is impossible to experience the true path and the true cessation, nirvana, that are achieved by other people; it is impossible for us to experience by us the true path and the true cessation, the nirvana that was achieved by Guru Shakyamuni or by other living beings. If it is possible that although someone followed the path and achieved it, and we receiving it by not following the path—if this is possible then it is not necessary to follow Dharma—we can experience other beings’ realizations, other beings’ ultimate peace, everlasting peace. If there is such possibility like this, there is no need to practice Dharma, it is not necessary to observe karma. But besides this, one person experiencing another beings’ pleasure of eating food, even this ordinary thing is impossible to do. Our not working for food or eating, and trying to experience the pleasure the other person has is impossible to do. This ordinary thing is impossible, so of course it is impossible to experience another’s ultimate peace. Therefore, experiencing the results of karma not created by us, any result of karma that wasn’t created by us, is not possible; it cannot be experienced, there is no way to experience—as long as we don’t try to do anything from our side with karma, it is definite that we will be reborn in the lower suffering realms. It is more definite that we will be born there and suffer, because any karma that was created from eons and eons ago, trillions of eons ago, can never get lost. So therefore, it is more definite that we will born in the lower suffering realms after death.

So, we should do something ahead of time. The actual time of rebirth and death is not definite, not definite, we cannot trust, cannot think it will not happen in this year, in this month, this week, tonight, tomorrow. Thinking and trusting, “I am happy now, there is nothing wrong, my body is healthy”—thinking this cannot give an answer and is not sure, is never definite. Even if someone is so well, so healthy now, maybe after a certain number of hours, all of a sudden gets disease, gets sick—either with a mental problem or a physical problem. Even if in this minute someone is well, no one knows what will change, so there’s nothing to trust in the present situation.

So as we don’t have the capability or power to save ourselves at the moment, we have need of taking refuge in a perfect object. The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are the three perfect objects, so the most practical way, what really guides you from these different levels of suffering is your own Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This depends on the help of the outer Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Receiving help from the outer Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and your own Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha depends on following karma; without following karma it is extremely difficult. Therefore, the whole thing depends on karma. Just as in this example. For the patient, the main thing is the patient has to cure himself, he has to; the main, important thing is that the patient cures himself being skillful. But this depends on the wise doctor and the practice, the right, perfect medicine, and the nurse. So the whole thing—the patient himself solving his own sickness, guiding himself, and the patient receiving help and being guided by the doctor, medicine, and nurse—what does this depend on? Whether the patient listens to the instructions or not. If he doesn’t listen, take them correctly, nothing happens; this is simple, easy to understand. So as we understand this, we should understand this evolution. The way refuge works is like this. The whole thing depends on the patient following instructions and advice, that is the most important thing. If the patient takes wrong diet that is forbidden by the doctor, if the person doesn’t follow, doesn’t take the medicines correctly, takes the wrong medicines, not following correctly the instructions at the time they are given, if the person does this, besides curing himself, he gives suffering to himself, no matter how wise the doctor, how rich and perfect the medicine, or how well-qualified the nurse.

So therefore, the whole peace, the ultimate peace, the highest peace—enlightenment, cessation of suffering—and even the ordinary happiness, a single ordinary happiness, even the happiness of feeling cool with the wind blowing when you are hot, all the happiness, the whole happiness is the result of the virtuous karma. The greatest sufferings in the lower realm, even a tiny suffering such as headache, back pain, knee pain, feeling cold, even a tiny suffering is a result of negative karma, of evil karma. Therefore, anyone who desires peace, happiness—for instance, with details like this: of course, for those who desire enlightenment, there is great need to observe karma; and for those who want to receive a better rebirth, the fundamental thing is observing karma. We forget even those things, leave those things; for those who are only concentrated of one life, they also desire peace and happiness, they never want to get sick, to get into any problems; even those beings who are only concerned or believes in only one life, since they desire peace, they have to observe karma. It is not something that someone forces on you—following karma is not something only obliged by the enlightened being. If you check up, to make this work, actually who obliges? We, the suffering beings who have suffering oblige; if we don’t have ignorance there’s no suffering, so there is no reason to create karma or to observe karma in order to avoid suffering. So his suffering is created by himself. As the living being desires peace, wants peace, observing karma is his job. For the person, even the person who only believes in peace, doing this job, observing karma, has to be done. Even if he doesn’t have idea or belief or understanding of Triple Gem, following karma is his responsibility.

There’s no way to receive an uncomplicated life without creating the karma, without ceasing the ignorance of that person. Therefore, as long as he doesn’t recognize that important point, that important subject as important, as long as he doesn’t observe that important point, there is no way to make his life uncomplicated and satisfactory, no way. Why no way? Because as long as the person creates negative karma, as long as the mind is under the control of the collection of delusions, collected from beginningless lifetimes, there’s no way to receive the uncomplicated, satisfactory life.

What happens is this—in modern times with people. During life they never seek this point or try to find out this important point; so when death comes it is finished, and there’s no time after death to seek it, as this is the time of experiencing the suffering result. Even during the lifetime, even if it is explained, even if the person met the method, if it was shown, the person goes away from it, wants to close it, doesn’t want to understand it and gets shocked. Just like in the example, when a person gives food to an animal, the animal escapes away because the animal doesn’t know the situation, doesn’t know about the person; the animal only thinks he is harming, making complicated—that’s why he runs away, making more trouble, the animal himself causing more trouble. Anyway, this is the modern situation, the life of people. Like this.

Karma is not something that only Tibetan people have and Europeans do not have. And it is not something given by the enlightened being, like a material thing given to you in order to keep it. It’s a matter of recognizing and understanding. It’s like this—in Tibet there’s an example—a man had a few animals, several donkeys. He was riding on one, and counted the others, but not the one he was riding. So always one was missing, and again he counted, and again one was missing—such worry! This was a useless complication made by himself—not recognizing the donkey he was riding on. So same thing, the samsaric sentient beings have to observe karma.

For instance, as the impulse is important at the beginning of the meditation, at the beginning of the Dharma practice, the first thing is observing karma. The door of Dharma practice is observing karma. As long as the person doesn’t observe karma, even if the person does retreat his whole life, it cannot help, he cannot guide himself from rebirth in the suffering realms. In previous times there was a meditator who made much long retreat on the tantric deity, and by meditation on this wrathful tantric deity, he achieved certain powers and with that killed so many people. After his death he was born in suffering, in the stage of the narak, even though he was a meditator in his previous life. This is because of not observing karma.

Anyway, whenever we meditate, the meditation is supposed to help us to observe karma. Otherwise, if it doesn’t help us to observe karma, how can it help stop suffering? So the meditation, whatever we are doing, should make it useful to observe karma—then the meditation, whatever we are doing, helps to stop suffering. There is no need for the meditation to create the cause of suffering; there are billions and billions of actions, no need for the extra action, the meditation. So meditation should be made useful to observe karma—observing karma also helps the meditation. So, if we meditate to help observe karma, observing karma helps us to realize the meditation more quickly, to achieve the realization of the meditation more quickly, like this it helps.

In previous times in Tibet, in Tenpo, close to Lhasa, there was a meditator who meditated on the tantric deity called Yamantaka [sic: Yamandansa]. But he didn’t have deep understanding of the Dharma, didn’t have the understanding of the important points of Dharma practice—he was only concerned about the deity, but did not have a strongly renounced mind of samsara, and did not practice bodhicitta. After his death he was born as a preta that had a similar shape to the deity he meditated on before, in his previous life. He was born as something like this—he was born as a preta and he came to his meditator friends of his previous life—he came to beg the smell of burning from his previous life’s friends, the meditators. Usually, the smell of burning meals, there are certain pujas to do—they burn tsampa in the fire and mix it with things and put it outside to make charity to the pretas—there are many ways to make puja, to make charity to the pretas so that they find food. Also it causes the spirits to soon be born in the upper realms. So as he was born a preta in that shape, he came to beg the burning smell. So, if one is not careful with karma, karma can be very heavy. If one does not observe karma, the suffering problem cannot be ceased no matter how much the person is learned, wise, or famous, no matter how much he has magic powers. If the person doesn’t observe karma, he can’t guide himself from suffering.

(Page 74)

1. Action done with greed and hatred and meritorious actions done for future lives. But any action that is done for future lives is not necessarily meritorious. If the person doesn’t know what is meritorious karma and demeritorious karma, without knowing exactly is it possible that they are creating negative karma expecting to have a better life in the future?

(a) This “circle of three” means the person himself—for instance if a person is making charity—himself, the object, and the material he is giving, thinking of the absolute nature of himself, the object, and the material, and then giving it—the action being possessed by the wisdom of the absolute nature, the understanding of the absolute nature.

(b) This means meritorious karma that is created, such as keeping morality, precepts, or creating charity to have a better life in the future, even if it is not done with this concentration.

(c) Siddhi—samadhi. Meditating siddhi for the achievement of greater pleasure.

3 p.m.

The way karma is explained by the Enlightened Being is exactly the way that the evolution of karma is working—not that Guru Shakyamuni explained one way and the actual evolution is something different—not like this—Guru Shakyamuni explained the factual evolution.

Everything that the enlightened Being explained about the evolution of karma is accurate: what arises from what—what positive result arises from positive karma, and what negative result arises from negative karma.

Even the moon and the sun can possibly become non-existent in a time; even the countries, the earth, can be destroyed; when the color of the sky is not definite, it can change; now it looks blue, in a time in can change. Everything has change. But the order of the Enlightened Being has no change. Even though those phenomena can possibly change like this, the Enlightened Being never tells even one single untrue word. If we can remember, continually, the whole life, the continuity of the whole life, if we can remember—if we can remember, the situation becomes something like this for the person who remembers his past lives—he has to achieve Dharma practice, has to achieve the method to stop it, to stop the cause of suffering, the continuity of suffering. Even though other people insist that he not practice Dharma, as much as other people insist that he doesn’t practice Dharma, he is in such a situation that he has to practice, he has to find a method that ceases the suffering.

This can have a result—such as indifferent feelings—you can check up.

Karma: Principal and Cooperative Causes (Page 75)

For instance—negative actions, the principal cause, impure impulse or the delusions. The thing is this, one thing is—for the continuity of your Dharma practice, of course, it depends on the environment, the place where you are, and the people. If your inside understanding is not deep it easily gets changed by people, influenced by other peoples’ ideas, you easily become controlled by ideas, conflict, the environment, many things. If your inside understanding is strong, unshakeable, then also your practice becomes unshakeable; then you can continue, it is stronger, as it is that much stronger in your mind—the understanding and fear of samsaric suffering, and the understanding of Dharma—your practice will have less disturbance. If your understanding is not strong, if you have disturbance, and you follow the disturbance, the person himself easily follows the interferer. If he has fear of samsara, and of creating negative karma—if this is strong, as much as this mind is strong in that person, that person will be that strong in not following the interferers, the negative influences. He cannot be easily influenced by other people in a negative way, by the people who don’t follow karma, the evil creator people, living beings who are the evil creators.

Especially if you have if one has precepts, if one has made a vow and is keeping precepts, for this person the place is very important, it depends a lot on the people whom you are with. And the main thing that really keeps your precepts, your main protector, the main method that makes you keep your precepts, is the more you understand the nature of samsaric suffering, the more you understand the evolution of karma; the way the evolution, the terrible negative suffering result has to be experienced from the creation of negative karma, and fear, strong fear in karma, in creating negative karma. And samsara—this depends on understanding, which has to arise through your own meditation, the experience of these meditations. If one does not have such strong fear in samsaric suffering, in the creation of negative karma, if there’s no strong fear, then the person’s precepts will easily get broken. As the person is in the situation—in such an environment, with such people, the most main important thing that we should try, the most helpful, main protector, is your understanding, the great fear of suffering, and the understanding of it. This is the main protector that will protect us from suffering, that will protect us from creating negative karma, not breaking precepts; this is the main protector. If this is not strong, then just only running away from people cannot help—this is the main thing, only running away from people cannot help—we cannot exist without seeing people.

The main thing is this—as long as we don’t have this strong protector in the mind, even though other people, surrounding people, do not disturb you, do not disturb your Dharma practice, because this protector is not strong, not strongly achieved, there is much interference inside—the cooperative cause is outside, and in the mind there are negative interferences, and in the mind no strong protection—so the negative interferers are stronger and you disturb your own practice—generally like this, the person disturbs his own peace because he listens to his inner interferer. The reason he listens to the inner interferer and can’t protect himself from not breaking the precept and not disturbing his Dharma practice is because of not having a strong protector, not having a strong protector, the strong fear of the evolution of negative karma and samsaric suffering; totally, samsaric suffering. There’s danger, even though your surroundings are positive, not disturbing, that you will be disturbed by following your own negative interferer—besides disturbing one’s practice there is danger also to make it stronger, more powerful than the inner protector. Totally this—the main disturbance to Dharma practice is the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas. The main hindrance is this, also the disturbance. The hindrance, the negative interferers that hinder your Dharma practice, the meditation, keeping the precepts, no matter how much we talk, it is the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas. As long as we think this is good, and follow it, there’s no way to make continual Dharma practice, and it is extremely difficult to keep the precepts pure.

If a person who feels that creating negative karma and the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas are a poison that can cause danger to life, besides the person being scared to take the poison, he doesn’t want those poisonous things that cause danger to the life around, he is so scared of the suffering the poison can cause. Being extremely scared of this, besides of eating the poisonous food, he is scared of the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas as poison. And the same thing with creating negative karma—this is like taking poison, and he can’t be easily disturbed in his Dharma practice, keeping precepts, whatever it is. He cannot be disturbed by his negative interferer inside, and he cannot easily be disturbed by other people, however much other people try to please him by giving him food, by giving him clothes. Anyway, however it is done, his practice, the one who has that much fear of creating negative karma and of the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, his practice becomes that pure and can’t be easily disturbed, and that makes him continue his pure practice, such as keeping precepts and many things.

As long as we don’t have this much fear it is easy to disturb the Dharma practice—we don’t need other people to disturb us—we disturb ourselves before the other people do. The main thing that really makes the person keep, that gives him the energy to continue his Dharma practice, keep precepts, however the situation changes—happy situation, unhappy situation, whatever place he is—the main thing that makes him continue Dharma practice and keep precepts is continual meditation on death and samsaric suffering, trying to see all of samsaric pleasure as suffering. Because, as I said before, the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas is the main interferer. The main thing is, one thing is this—lacking deep understanding of the nature of samsaric suffering, he sees samsaric pleasure as a real pleasure. So in that way, due to this wrong conception, he easily gets attached to it. This great yogi, Milarepa said, “..and materials and demons’ spice—give up, don’t trust.” I do not mean you should die of starvation, practice Dharma always, it does not mean this. Because, you see, food and so forth is just one example.

Anyway, even though we try to think in meditation, “Samsaric happiness is in the nature of suffering,” why do we, during life, easily get attached, the opposite of what we think in meditation? One thing is, the meditation is not really made practical. We do not have a strong feeling as we say the words, intuitively seeing it as we say the words, not being conscious, not being continually conscious. So again, what is missing? The fear, it is the lack of fear. The mind easily gets attached because of this cause—the evil thought comes—the person’s protector, guide, police is missing, and because that is missing, the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas can come—these two cannot exist together. So sometimes even the meditator doesn’t know, because of not having strong fear and not being conscious, not feeling, discovering that this temporal life is in the nature of suffering. So even if we try to use Dharma, try to meditate, the mind easily gets attached and we don’t realize how the mind easily gets attached, don’t recognize it, even don’t recognize what mind is—the thief, the thought of the eight worldly Dharmas came and got attached. So after a time, then you discover, then you realize that thief, that evil—the eight worldly Dharmas came and stole your inner peace. Because being attached to samsaric pleasure always causes negative karma, and so avoiding that itself is the cause of peace. Avoiding the thief itself is the cause of peace. When the thief comes, he steals the inner peace, the inner freedom—just as a cat sneaks into the room to eat meat. First of all you don’t know the cat came into the room, and then when the meat disappears you realize it. So continually meditate on samsaric suffering and karma, and especially on impermanence—this can become the real protector.

The pure Dharma practice comes if the person continually tries to watch the thief, the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, and tries to fight it. Always watch it, but only watching is not enough. It will be like this—the police standing in the house and letting the thief steal everything. What the police are supposed to do is not only see the thief but stop him from stealing, to destroy the thief, take him out. So, same thing, we should work with our thief, putting ourselves as the police, always watching and trying to fight. Everything comes—pure Dharma practice, successful meditation—everything comes from this. And this helps a great deal with karma; just this itself is observing karma. It helps in many ways.

2. Karma is Cause and Effect

Karma generally means action. It has to be a secondary mind. Within secondary minds, there are fifty-one. Karma itself is a secondary mind but it can depend on action.

For instance, as the action is created, it leaves impressions, some ability on the mind. For instance, a person kills a dog—but how does that make the connection to his future life’s karma? The relationship, how it happens is, the action leaves an impression, an ability, a seed on the mind. So as mind continues, that impression is not destroyed or purified; that seed—like the seed of a grain that is planted, cultivated—the ability ripens whenever the time is ready.

Last Paragraph

Also, we talked about this before in the example of precepts. This causes loss of the ability of the body, the power of the physical energy, also this becomes a big hindrance to meditation, such as causing us not to have a clear visualization, the mind being easily distracted, the mind not being in a safe place, in a firm place. It is like paper in the wind, easily distracted, not firm, not strong. As it affects the body, it also affects the mind—as the body is the vehicle of the mind, so it affects the mind. The sense base relies on the subtle physical body, so when that very calm physical object or vehicle gets disturbed it also disturbs the senses. So as the ability, the physical energy is lost, it also affects the vehicle, so it affects the mind. Things like that—it can cause many hindrances.

Also, especially in tantric meditations, this is one of the disturbances to not achieve the tantric meditations. This is only telling just one part of evolution, the changes that it causes, without talking of the future suffering result of this karma.

(Page 77)

Dul.wa.lung quotation. Generally there are five paths:

1.The path of accumulation.

2.The path of conjunction, which means leading to the right seeing path from the path of accumulation. Without this second path there are four degrees. When one approaches the third degree then that living being is definitely not going to be born in the suffering realm again. It’s not because the seed, the ignorance is destroyed, but because the cooperative cause is stopped, like the elements—if there are no elements, the seed of the rice cannot grow; it’s not because the seed of the rice plant is destroyed, it is because the cooperative cause is not made, so it is not growing. So the being who has reached this third degree of the path is definitely not going to be reborn in the lower suffering realms.

Four Powerful Remedies

When we make confession, if we do so with all these four, it becomes much more powerful. With these four powers it becomes perfect, the confession becomes powerful. The confession done through these four can purify more negativity.

The most important thing from these four is the great fear of the negative karma that was created and making the vow, the promise not to create them again. These two are the most important things in the confessions. As strong as the person’s fear in the negative karma that is created is, the person then makes the vow not to do it again for the rest of life, by fixing a time like this. If the fear in the negative karma created is not so strong, it is also difficult to make the vow, as there is no fear in the negative karma created before. If there is no strong fear, even you have made the vow, in the mind you would feel not sure, you might break it—so the mental decision depends on how strong the fear in the negative karma, the suffering is.

I think I will explain the confession after; now there is no time.

It would be good to understand the outlines on karma and the outlines on the meditations on samsaric suffering, to keep by heart, understanding the total meaning of it. Then it will be useful—when you meditate, there’s something in the mind to meditate on.

6 p.m.

Four Powerful Remedies (Page 77)

1. So when you make confession, visualize Guru Shakyamuni as he is all gurus and all infinite buddhas, bodhisattvas, as he is all noble beings. Think, “I go to refuge to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,” thinking of him as Buddha, as Sangha, and his realization as Dharma. “I go to refuge until enlightenment is reached.” Also, at the same time think of the meaning of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, taking refuge completely from the heart, completely relying with your whole life on him, not being just doubtful of whether he can guide you or not. This meditation on confession is for those who will use the confession. For those who are not interested, it is not necessary to listen.

2. Then, “Even in one second I have created negative karma that will cause me to experience a suffering result in the three lower realms, one of the three lower realms such as the narak stages, the worst suffering stage, where I am suffering on burning red-hot iron ground, becoming oneness with fire, extremely suffering, for eons. The sufferings, if they could manifest in form, would be something that is infinite.” Also, try to visualize the narak stages at the same time—try to feel the suffering, try to see it—such as getting angry, the negative mind arising with bodhisattvas, noble beings, harming the holy beings, getting angry, giving harm to other, besides to these noble beings, also to gurus; killing Dharma practitioner, creating these five extreme negative actions, the heretical mind arising toward the Enlightened Being’s teachings and the teacher, and the heretical mind arising toward the guru. There are so many other things. Anyway there are many other heavy negative karmas that cause us to be born in those sufferings stages; such as criticizing the holy Dharma and the noble beings who have higher realization. These are examples of the very heavy negative karmas.

“Even one second of negative karma such as those heavy negative karmas—such as anger, such as heretical mind, such as criticizing—causes the result of being born in such suffering stages for eons. And I created those not once, those heavy negative karmas, I created them many times.”

Question: Does this mean speaking out to a person, or just the thought that arises and you try to fight?

Answer: Yes, it can be mental as well as speech. Once you really have the thought, it creates karma.

“Many heavy negative karmas that I know of and that I don’t know of. Even in this life, I have created those that I know of and those that I don’t know of. Some of those heavy negative karmas were created in previous lives, many times. In one day, one month, one year, more negative karma has been created than positive karma (this is generally talking), also in many previous lives, since there’s no such time when I started to create negative karma, no time before which I never created any, there is no such thing. So there’s such a great collection of