Good evening. I would like to welcome you tonight. This night is very special time, special occasion. We are starting the seven-year study program of Sutra and Tantra. I would like to welcome you, and also I like to thank you to all of you showing great interest, wanting to know what we are going to study. I’m not sure all of you are going to study or not. But I know many of you are going to study, and many of you done lots of study before, and done also lots of practice: Dharma in general, and particularly Lam Rim, and Vajrayana path. And showing your interest, it is very wonderful, and I like to thank you, and I appreciate your coming here.
Tonight I would like to speak a little bit about the study program. I won’t talk very much, because Cyndy already gave a very wonderful description, how we’re going to study, why we’re studying and so forth. As Cyndy said, this kind of study program is one of my wish, long-time wish. And I always felt it is important to people to study Dharma step-by-step, and have a long-term kind of vision. Because Dharma is very vast. Dharma is so profound. The Buddha’s teaching is very profound and vast. So we cannot study, we cannot accomplish the result of studying, or we cannot achieve the result of Dharma practice in such short time.
And it is important to study for long time and practice long time, and have a vision and goal and dream, and also perhaps a kind of fantasy. And I had this vision that it is important to study Dharma for years, because I myself studied Dharma for many years, I can say. Even though I’m not a great scholar. I never been a good scholar. Since I was little I always prefer to meditate, somewhere in the mountains or in the caves. Many times when I was little, I request my teacher. I said to him, “I like to go into the mountains. Meditate.” I was told my previous incarnations are Kargyupa lamas. And many Kargyupa lamas, most Kargyupa lamas are great meditators, practitioners. But also my teachers ask me to study. And also my teachers told me my previous incarnation made a will, and he said that he would like to study as well, in the Gelugpa monastery. So that’s how I end up become a Gelugpa. And I also still have very deep, intimate feelings and devotion, connection, love and passion with the Kargyu lineage. Especially Karma Kargyu lineage. Because my monastery is Kargyu monastery in Tibet, and many of my family members are Kargyupas, and also Gelugpas.
Anyway, so because of my background, studying in the monastery, I saw how it is wonderful to study Dharma step-by-step. To study, and read, and discuss, and have a dialogue, and debate, and then meditate. Then discuss and debate and study. So then the Dharma gradually soaks deeply in your mindstream, within your mindstream. And also Dharma kind of soaks into your body. Not only mind, body — in your heart, in your brain, in your liver, in your ?? And so you become a real Dharmic person, and your whole body language and mental attitude, everything becomes a Dharma person. It is possible one can become a good Dharma person and good practitioner, if he study for long time and meditate and practice.
So I felt it is important to study Dharma step-by-step and Lama Tsongkhapa said, this is very famous words, what he says in Tibetan, [Tibetan words here] means: first in the beginning, or in early age as a Dharma person one should study Dharma and listen to teachings. Take teachings from the masters, different masters, thoroughly, as much as possible. And that is very important. [More Tibetan words here] Then, in the middle, after that, in the intermediate state, at some point in your life, in your mid-life perhaps, then one can see. One can see the Dharma, one can have a good Dharma understanding. What is really Dharma, how the Dharma works. The teaching of the Buddha, the whole path, and the goal, and everything. You can see very clearly. Like looking at a good map. Good map — looking at a good map, like that, you can see very clearly. And you have deep confidence in the Dharma, in mid-life, mid-Dharma-life, I should say. [More Tibetan words here]. Then at the end, one should practice, day and night, day and night. Now then he said, [more Tibetan words]. Then the Dharma, and the teaching of the Buddha, and the realization of the Dharma will bloom and increase within your mindstream, inside of you. Tibetan word is “??” “??” is the teaching of Buddha, and “??” means “to bloom.” The realization will bloom within you.
So what Lama Tsongkhapa was saying is it is important to study Dharma. If you don’t study Dharma, just sort of go right into meditation, so you only know maybe one formal meditation. Maybe you know some, one or two, three or some aspect of Dharma, maybe you’re good. You maybe can do very well. But you don’t have a good basis. And also, one cannot have the confidence to actually to give Dharma, and to share the gift of Dharma to others and for all sentient beings. That’s why it is important to study Dharma, and then meditate. Study and meditate, study and meditate. Meditate and study.
And Lama Tsongkhapa is known as an incarnation of Manjushri. There were three great lamas who were incarnation of Manjushri: Sakya Pandita, Lama Tsongkhapa, and Long Chenpa — he was great teacher according Nyingma tradition. And Sakya Pandita was great teacher and master according Sakya tradition, and Tsongkhapa was the founder of Gelug tradition. Now all the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism have Lam Rim teachings, and all the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhist tradition we have Lam Rim. According Gelugpa tradition we call Lam Rim. According Sakyapa tradition call Lam Dey. According Kargyu tradition there is a wonderful text called The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa. And that text is Lam Rim. According Nyingmapa tradition there is a text called “??” which is also Lam Rim.
So all these texts, teachings, are more or less commentary of Atisha’s Lam Rim. The great Atisha, the modern Mahayanist Buddhist teacher, who was born in India, in Bengal, and he was invited by the king of Tibet. He came to Tibet. And great Atisha wrote Lam Rim text, called Bodhi-patha Pradipam, Lamp for the Path of Enlightenment. So this text, Bodhi-patha Pradipam, is the very first Lam Rim text. The concept of Lam Rim, the Lam Rim tradition, was actually born when Atisha wrote the Bodhi-patha Pradipam text in Tibet. He wrote the text in Tibet, in Sanskrit, and also translated into Tibetan. Then the Sanskrit translation was sent back to India, to Nalanda, to Bodhgaya and so forth. And the Indian people, Buddhists at that time, were so impressed, felt so appreciative because Atisha wrote this text. It was so important text. Because Lam Rim means Gradual Path to Enlightenment. And the teaching explains how to become Buddha, how to become enlightened, gradually. One can become enlightened, one can become Buddha, gradually. Of course complete enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is final enlightenment, final stage of the spiritual path. But there is also gradual enlightenment. As you practice the path, gradually, then the gradual enlightenment will happen to you. The enlightenment realization will be born within you. And the gradual awakening is happening for all of us when we practice, practicing path. And gradually awakening, the realization is gradually happening, by practicing the gradual path.
And Atisha explained how to practice the path, Dharma, gradually, step-by-step. Atisha wrote this text, first time in the history of Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and something short, short text. Very short text, something that we can read and even memorize, and follow very easily, and very convenient, Atisha wrote. And this kind of text are very important. The many Indian masters and meditators and yogis were yearning and looking for this kind of teaching and text, because the Buddha’s teaching is so extensive, so vast. And we have 100 volumes. We have the Kangyur — 100 volumes of the teaching of Buddha. All the sutras and tantra all together, written down there are, all together, 100 volumes. Then there are 200 volumes, the commentaries of Kangyur — the Tengyur. Tengyur is the 200 volumes.
So there is so much to study, so much to learn, so much to think about, so much to read. But so little time. I mean, life is so short. You know life is so short. We are here only for short time. And by the time we feel, “I would like to involve myself deeply in the spiritual path, and path of enlightenment,” then very little time actually left. For most of us, because when we are young, child and teenage, we are just studying all kinds of things — science and mathematics, philosophy, or just learning about life, trying to grow, trying to become a human being. So by the time when you feel about spiritual path and by the time when you have some realization or deep question about life and death and purpose of life and spirituality, and renunciation, and bodhicitta and emptiness, impermanence and so on and so on. And then we realize there is very little time. We are here only short time. We are a temporary resident. We are like a visitor or perhaps like a tourist in this universe, on this planet. So maybe so little time to study and meditate.
But these teachings are so vast. Sometimes people kind of feel a little discouraged. Therefore, we need teaching that is written down and taught and explained, how to practice step-by-step, and gradually. So that’s why Atisha’s teaching, the text was so precious. And for that reason various masters, according Tibetan tradition, wrote commentaries, these different types of Lam Rim texts. And Lama Tsongkhapa wrote the Lam Rim Chenmo, the great Lam Rim in the year 1402. This Lam Rim Chenmo, the great Lam Rim, huge volume, it has 500 page, he wrote in this holy place called Rading, Rading monastery. This is the monastery where Dontompa, the great yogi who was the disciple of Atisha. Dontompa was also known as an incarnation of Avalokitesvara.
So Lama Tsongkhapa wrote Lam Rim Chenmo. After that he wrote medium Lam Rim. And then he wrote this very concise, short Lam Rim. Also he wrote a text called Foundation of All Perfections. Then he also wrote another very short Lam Rim called The Three Principle Path. Then later on various teachers wrote Lam Rim. For example, the Third the great His Holiness Gyalwa Rinpoche, Gyalwa Sonam Gyaltso wrote Lam Rim text called The Essence of Refined Gold. The Fifth Gyalwa Rinpoche wrote Lam Rim called The Oral Speech of Manjushri. And the great Panchen Lamas also wrote Lam Rim texts. And so we have now lots of Lam Rim texts. So there are lots of Lam Rim teachings. We are very fortunate. And also, recent times, we have many translations now available. Different Lam Rim texts published by Snow Lion Publications, Wisdom Publications, Tharpa Publications, and so forth. We are very fortunate, now, I think.
When I went to Australia first time in 1975, end of ’75, there was no Lam Rim text, except one Lam Rim book by Lama Zopa, and Gampopa’s Jewel Ornament was translated by Professor Gunther. And very few Lam Rim books available. And now, when I read these Lam Rim books I wish when I was translating Lam Rim in Australia, I wish I had these Lam Rim books. And I feel like that. So anyway, we are very fortunate, very fortunate to have these different Lam Rim texts.
Now, during this program, during this year we are studying the Lam Rim. We made a plan and schedule to study Lam Rim, and we are studying mainly the book called Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. This text is a very special text, wonderful text. It was written by a great lama from the Gelugpa tradition called Pabongkha, Pabongkhapa. He was the root guru of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, and Kyabje Song Rinpoche. As you know, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche are root gurus of His Holiness the Gyalwa Rinpoche, the Fourteenth Gyalwa Rinpoche.
And this book actually is very special. I’d like to say why we choose this book as a main text. Because when the great lama, Je Pabongkha gave the teaching of the Lam Rim, when he was giving the teaching he used the book, Lam Rim text written by the Fifth Gyalwa Rinpoche. This text called The Oral Speech of Manjushri. And the great Pabongkha gave the Lam Rim teaching in 1921 in a place called Chozang Retreat. It’s above Sera Monastery. It’s said there was 1000 people, 700 monks and nuns, 300 lay people, 30 highly reincarnated lamas, and many great geshes and scholars and yogis came from all over Tibet. From the west, from Kham, from the east, various places.
At that time Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche, teachers of His Holiness Gyalwa Rinpoche, both were there. And Trijang Rinpoche made note, and same time many high lamas, Rinpoches and geshes wrote a note, because those days there was no machine, recording machine, so they have to write down everything. And Trijang Rinpoche was quite young, and he was very fast writing, so he wrote as much as possible. And other lamas wrote as much, fast. Some monks or some people are what they call, like a secretary. They have special training, and so they can write very fast. They have to do this training for fast writing, because we don’t have recording system.
So after the meditation course, the teaching, Trijang Rinpoche gathered various notes and books, gathered together, put it together, and then he did lots of research and study. And then finally he offered the text, this text, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand to the great Pabongkhapa for proofreading, and the great Pabongkhapa, Pabongkhapa the teacher, approved. And he praised Trijang Rinpoche: how wonderful book, how wonderful text.
And as I mentioned before, when the great Pabongkha gave the teaching, at that time, he used the Fifth Gyalwa Rinpoche’s Lam Rim text, The Manjushri’s Oral Speech. And also the First Panchen Lama’s text called Gelam. The First Panchen Lama was the root guru of the Fifth Gyalwa Rinpoche. So therefore, I feel this text is very special, because the text is originally based on the commentary by the Fifth Gyalwa Rinpoche and the First Panchen Lama, and written down by Trijang Rinpoche, who was one of the main guru of the Fourteenth Gyalwa Rinpoche. And I feel very auspicious and I think I feel that this is very important for us to study, because we follow that lineage. And also Trijang Rinpoche is one of my most important guru. He is my root guru, and so I have a very special connection. And I feel very blessed.
So I know some of you had the opportunity to receive teachings from Trijang Rinpoche, some of you met. And those of you haven’t met Trijang Rinpoche, I believe that you are blessed by Trijang Rinpoche because you also received teachings from His Holiness the Gyalwa Rinpoche, and Lati Rinpoche, and His Holiness Khalkha Jetsun Dampa, and so forth. All the lamas are one in essence. So I feel strongly that you are also blessed. So by studying this book, it will be very beneficial for us.
Now also I would like to make it clear. I would like to say that we are using this text as a main book, kind of a base of the Lam Rim study. Now this does not mean we are saying that you should not study other Lam Rim books. We are actually encouraging you to study other Lam Rim books. It is very beneficial to study other Lam Rim books, written by various Gelugpa lamas, Kargyu lamas, Sakya lamas, Nyingma lamas and so your knowledge and understanding of Lam Rim becomes very deep. So it is good to study different Lam Rim texts. But at the same time, as a group when we are studying it is important to us to study one text, as a base. Then we can go on and have a dialogue and we can have a debate.
And this Lam Rim book, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand has various examples, very beautiful examples, and so many beautiful stories. Life stories of various yogis and yoginis, and Dharma practitioners, about their realizations. And also about problems, you know, as a human being. Many great yogis and Dharma practitioners and lamas, when they’re on the path, they have to struggle. They have many difficulties. As you know, like Milarepa’s life story, and so forth. So it is very wonderful for us to read, because it gives us encouragement. It makes us to feel, “Yes, I should study hard, practice hard.” Even the great lamas and yogis had to go through such difficult training. But then they achieved the realizations. So it is normal, as a Dharma practitioner, as an ordinary practitioner, as an ordinary person, go up and down, having difficulties, sometimes doubts and skepticism, and crisis on devotion to Dharma, commitment to Dharma, crisis in guru devotion, crisis, some problem with tantric practice. These things are normal, because we are ordinary human being. We are filled with delusions, filled with karma. So it is normal thing, natural thing. But sometimes we don’t think this way, sometimes.
So when you read Lam Rim text like this one, and there are so many stories of the yogis and yoginis and teachers. Very encouraging stories. It explains their patience, perseverance, devotion, compassion, love towards all sentient beings. Also this book explains not only the stories and devotion, but also explains logic and reasons, the logic and reasons. And explains how to practice Dharma in everyday life, why do we practice Dharma and why do we study Lam Rim. And there are also many beautiful stories, funny stories. It makes you laugh. Some of the stories of lamas and lay people, and various stories, it makes you laugh. Some of the stories so interesting, and some of them make you cry. And some of these teachings and explanations and stories makes you feel like shivering, shivering. Like when you think about sufferings of all sentient beings. And also when you read the stories of great yogis and realizations makes you feel kind of shivering. And also it makes you feel very fortunate, when you’re studying, like the topic The Precious Human Rebirth, and so forth.
And also these teachings explains and gives you great hope. It makes you feel, “Oh, even though I’m born in the west, and Dharma is new for me, and I haven’t studied Dharma for a long time, and sometimes I feel maybe it’s too late for me. We’re such westerners, so many confusions, so many questions, so many doubts. And I’m not a Tibetan person, I don’t have those devotions and faith, and maybe it’s not possible for me to have great realizations.” But when you’re studying this Lam Rim, and this text, when you read those stories about people who studied Dharma, begin to study Dharma when they are sixties, late sixties, seventies, eighties, even nineties, who obtain realizations in such a short time.
It is not always a matter of time, how much you study, how long you study. Sometimes depends on your karma, depends on your karma. And depends on your karmic connection. For example, if you have studied Dharma in the past lives, and meditated, not only Tibetan Buddhism, like other Dharma Buddhism, or other Dharma spirituality, so you already have realizations. So then easy to light the fire of realizations, you already have this pile of wood, kind of like wood. And just easy to start fire.
It says Milarepa’s previous life was great Kadampa geshe, Kadampa lama, and that’s why he achieved enlightenment in his lifetime. Sometimes we think, “Well, Milarepa, when he was young, he was bad, he was very bad because he did black magics. He killed people! And murdered, he was a murderer! How can this kind of person become enlightened in one lifetime? I don’t understand. Like, for me, I haven’t killed anyone! I haven’t really done really bad things. Of course we lie, and sometimes intentionally, unintentionally we maybe try to cheat, or try to rip off somebody. Or maybe killing insects and bugs. And due to intention, or sometimes when you’re a child you kill some birds, and go into the bush and hunt and shoot. But you feel that you haven’t really done really bad things, like murdering human beings and doing black magics. But I done so much study and meditate for ten, fifteen years, still no realization. But Milarepa become enlightened, even though he was a murderer. So I don’t understand what’s going on here.” So sometimes we have lots of confusions, lots of questions.
See Milarepa, as I said, was great practitioner and yogi and geshe in his former lifetime. So if you have connection with the Dharma in the past, and I do feel strongly that you have a connection. I mean, I’m not a clairvoyant, I can’t say. But because logically, why are you here? If you think logically, why are you here? I mean, how many people live in Vancouver? How many people live in Canada? How many people are really studying Dharma? How many people really study Dharma, and put a lot of time and energy? And you people do spend a lot of time in Dharma — reading, studying, going to this retreat, that retreat, and this workshop, this initiation, that initiation, running around doing spiritual shopping, browsing, and try to find some time off. Working so hard, and trying to make living. You know most people go away for skiing or snorkeling, or maybe kayaking, and so on and so forth. Go down to Mexico, whenever they have some money and time. But most of you spend your time and vacations doing Dharma, studying, meditating and retreats. You spend a lot of money too. Average Dharma student probably spend $2000-$3000 (Canadian) a year for Dharma things — like books, and this and that, statues, all kinds of things. So why does this happen to you? What happened to you?
So even though you still feel, “I am not a good practitioner, I’m a lousy practitioner. I’m lazy. I broke all those vows and commitments.” You still go on, and don’t give up Dharma practice. So you should think, “Why? I wonder why?” I wonder why. We all wonder why. Because I believe because you have a Dharma seed. You have a connection with the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in a past life. That’s why naturally it’s deep inside your mind, your spirit, that says, “Study, study, meditate. Keep trying. Keep trying. Keep trying.” Life after life. Doesn’t matter. Because Dharma is always beneficial.
Let’s say you sit and meditate, fall asleep. And meditate, fall asleep. Meditate, fall asleep. Sometimes you don’t get good sleep. And meditation is not so good either. But I think it’s still beneficial. Maybe, I think it does something good. See the idea is good, and motivation is good. The intention is good. So when you have a good intention, good idea, it will bless you. It will bless you.
Anyway, so I shouldn’t talk too much about this. So I believe that you have a very strong connection with the Dharma in the past, in past lives. Therefore, I’d like to encourage. I’d like to say that if you keep practicing Dharma, the realization will come. And many of you have realizations. Some of you don’t think you have realizations. And you think, “Oh, I don’t think I have realizations. It’s my delusion, and projection. I think it is ego. I don’t want to think this way — I have some realizations.” But I think you do have realizations.
Sometimes our own mind, we are very pessimistic. People are very pessimistic. And we underestimate our own strength of our mind. And we think, “Oh I don’t have realizations.” It’s kind of like tradition, sometimes, like in the Tibetan tradition too. Even the high lamas say, “Oh I’m not good. I just end up on the throne, and people call me high lama. But I’m not really high lama. I’m not really highly realized.” And one of my teachers used to say, sometimes he say like that. He says, “I’m sitting here on the throne, it’s not because I have great realization.” He says, “It’s my karma.” It’s your karma that somehow we end up like this.
And then he tells stories, funny stories. He says one beggar who end up on the throne of high lama. He tells the story. This beggar was going around in the monastery begging, and he thought the monks are very kind, they will give him food. So he went to the monastery, and then he run into some very vicious dogs. So these dogs are clear, they know beggars, who’s beggar, who’s who. And they don’t like beggars, some dogs I mean, in Tibet. The dogs in Tibet are very vicious because they live in the mountains and isolated places. So this group of dogs came and they chased the beggar. And the beggar run and run, and don’t know where to run. He run inside the temple, and the dogs came after him in the temple. So he thought, “Well, I think the safest place is to go up and climb up on the throne of the lama.” So he run up and sat on the throne. And then the dogs sat on the floor, and barking. It was funny. And then when the lama came, he thought, “Oh that’s interesting.” This lama came, and he thought this beggar was giving discourse to the dogs.
So it’s a Tibetan custom, it’s tradition, sort of being modest, humbleness, always says, “I’m not very good, I’m not good meditator.” And so on. So when the lamas keep doing this, then the students also, of course they will do the same thing, right? You have to follow the footsteps of guru. So people sometimes they maybe think like that, because they keep saying like that, you see. They think they don’t have realizations because of that. But I do think, I do feel, and I do know many students have great realization. Because I look at the way they do things, how they live in their lives, how much compassion they have, and love and tolerance. And they do lots of wonderful work for humanity and society, and for the environment. So these are realizations. So therefore what I would like to say that realizations are not very far, far from us.
So now I’d like to talk about the essence of Lam Rim. The Lam Rim text has three main scopes, we call “scopes” — the First Scope, Second Scope and Third Scope. The First Scope is focused on how to liberate oneself from the sufferings of the lower realms and also how to liberate from the sufferings that are like the sufferings of the three lower realms. Now we talk about three lower realms: the hell realm, hungry ghost realm, and animal realms. So there’s so much suffering in the hell realms, there’s no doubt. No need to even talk about. And there’s lots of sufferings in the hungry ghost realms, or preta realm. And there’s lots of sufferings in animal realms. Animals suffer a lot, due to abuse and torture by people, and animals losing their territories, place, home, and animals preyed on by other animals and so forth. There’s so much suffering in animal realm.
So the First Scope focused on how to liberate sentient beings from the sufferings of the three lower realms and how to liberate myself from the sufferings of the three lower realms. Also how to liberate oneself from the sufferings that we experience in our daily life and other people’s lives, those sufferings are like the sufferings of the three lower realms.
Many people suffer so much — have physical sufferings, illness, disease, and all kinds of physical sufferings. Mental sufferings: trauma, deep trauma, childhood trauma, and being a victim of war, victim of abuse, and so on and so forth. And victim of abandonment and rejection — and so much suffering, mental sufferings. Physical sufferings, such as disease, poverty, and discrimination, and all kinds of sufferings people go through. We also go through, from time to time. Some people have more suffering, some have less. And these sufferings that we go through are like the sufferings of the hell realm. Sometimes people feel they are in hell. In reality, you are in the human realm, you have human body, but it’s really not much difference in some ways. I mean, when you listen and when you look at the sufferings that people go through in third world countries, like in China and India and Africa, and Bosnia, Yugoslavia, and Tibet and East Timor, and so forth. So much torture and horror people go through, endless suffering, cycle of suffering — physical suffering and mental suffering. So you feel like you are in the hell realm. These people who torture you and abuse you and traumatize you, they are like the guards of the hell realm.
Also, there is suffering that people suffer, we have suffering like the sufferings of the preta realm. Hunger and thirst, physically suffering. Malnutrition, lack of food, lack of drink, lack of medicine, lack of comfort, lack of sleep, and so forth. And also many people have greed, and that is like being in hungry realm. So much greed. A lot of people have material possessions, they have a very good job and a good house, and car and so on, investments, pension, and so on and so on. They have plenty money, plenty things, more than enough for two lifetimes. Still greedy, always thinking, “Not enough. I need more and more and more.” More security, more investments, more security. Feel very insecure, wanting more. And then involved in some kind of corruption, bribery, and so forth. So much suffering, and then embarrassment and shame. So that kind of mental attitude and behavior we call “hungry ghost,” suffering of hungry ghost. Human beings, we experience the suffering of the hungry ghosts.
And we also experience the suffering like animals, because we are not free. Usually in a Dharma teaching, in Lam Rim says animals are not free, because animals are used by people, like horses, camels, and dogs, and sheep, and yaks, and cows, and buffaloes and so on, chickens, and so forth. People use them constantly. And many people don’t have love towards animals. They don’t treat animals like part of their family, unfortunately. People should treat animals like their family, but people don’t. People treat them like a machine. Even machine deserve love and care. So animals are victims, suffer a lot.
Now, human beings are also like animals. Many ways there’s no difference between animals and human beings, because many human beings are victim and used by others. People using people all the time. You know, they use each other. So many people are like slaves. And many people, we don’t call them slaves, and we don’t call ourselves slaves, and according law there is no slaves. And the government says there’s no slaves, and society says most parts of the world, now there’s no slaves. But many times, we don’t understand. We are really slaves of technology, slaves of big corporations, slaves of big industry, and slaves of powerful people, powerful companies, and so on. We are slaves. We are like animals, many times, barely surviving. And due to overwork, we suffer, and hard work, we suffer. We become sick and die. So human beings have so much suffering like animals.
So the First Scope is focused on how to liberate ourselves from these types of sufferings. So the Lam Rim explains refuge. We should take refuge. If we take refuge, then we can be saved from these sufferings, and lesser and lesser. We need to take refuge. We have to be free. If you are slave, you have to try to escape. If you are animal who is slave, you have to try to escape. We need to take refuge. And we have to go somewhere — safe place. So we must take refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Buddha is our teacher, holy teacher. Buddha is the one who showed us the path of enlightenment. So we must take refuge to Buddha, and cultivate devotion and trust to the Buddha, and take refuge to the Buddha. And Buddha is teacher. Buddha is like the doctor, Buddha is like psychologist, Buddha is like counselor. Buddha is counselor, psychologist, doctor, physician, therapist. And we must go to therapist. When we’re suffering, we must go to counselor and psychologist, or whatever. We must go, take refuge. Otherwise, we suffer, if we refuse, if we being stubborn. We suffer. So therefore we must take refuge to Buddha.
And Dharma is the medicine. After going to doctor, the doctor give us prescriptions, and we must take the medicine, we must take it. According to prescription, we must take it, three times daily. Twice daily. And with warm water, or cold water. And we must take medicine according to prescription, according to advice. So then there will be possibility of cure, and become well, become healthy, perfectly healthy again. Likewise, the Dharma is the medicine. Dharma is the path. Dharma is the teaching.
And the Buddha said to us, “I am a teacher. I am only teacher. I cannot wash your unwholesome karmas by my hand. I cannot wash your sins and karmas. I am a teacher. I show you the path. Now you have to follow the path, the Dharma. You have to accept Dharma. You have to experiment Dharma. You have to study and analyze and meditate.” Buddha also said, remember Buddha also said, “Don’t follow me with blind faith. I’m only teacher. I’m showing the path to you. You study, experiment. If this work for you, then go ahead. If it doesn’t work for you, then try different Dharma.” So the Dharma is the path. Dharma is actually the ultimate path. We rely on the Dharma, not rely on the person. Buddha also said, “Do not rely on the words. Rely on the meaning. And don’t follow the words literally.” And he said, “Do not rely on the person.” Buddha also said, “Don’t rely on the guru. Don’t rely on masters. Don’t rely on some other person who calls himself or herself ’wise man’. And ultimately you follow, rely on the Dharma. That’s the most important.”
So if you rely on the Dharma, if you practice Dharma, then when we see human beings have problems, we have problems, teachers have problems, and the Dharma will always stay with us. Dharma is always with us. Dharma is always the protector. Dharma protects us. Dharma liberates us, from everyday suffering. And from the three lower realms, rebirth in the three lower realms. And also suffering, like the suffering of the three lower realms. So we take refuge to the Dharma. And also take refuge to Sangha, spiritual community, spiritual friends. We must share our practice with others.
So the First Scope emphasis on this. There’s various topics. I won’t talk about tonight, there’s no time. And emphasis on refuge — how to liberate oneself from the sufferings of the three lower realms and sufferings like the three lower realms that we experience in this life as a human being.
Then the Second Scope focused on how to liberate ourselves completely from the cycle of life, cycle of samsara. Because, okay, if we liberate ourselves in everyday life — sufferings, miseries of everyday life, and we work very hard, work very hard to help ourselves. Try to become better human beings, good human beings, healthy human beings, physically, mentally, and practice Dharma and do all kinds of practice, yoga and so forth, achieve longevity, good health and so forth, do lots of practice. We save ourselves, become healthy and happy human beings, and perhaps holy — some kind of holy person, and live long. Have good health and longevity.
But, what about next life? Can we live the same way? Or life after life? What happens after this life? What happens? We don’t know. No guarantee. We don’t know. It all depends on karma. We’re not sure where we’re going to be reborn. And it all depends on karma. See, if as a Buddhist, or if you do believe in karma and reincarnation, or if you think there is reincarnation, or life after life, and if you think the karma is too, then we also think about next life. So we would like to have realizations next life. And also we want to do something good for the future life. Not for myself, not only for myself. For others, because we are all interconnected.
So we’re not sure what happens next life. It all depends on karma. So therefore, what kind of rebirth one can have. It depends on karma. Wholesome karma leads to good rebirth. Unwholesome karma leads to bad rebirth. And wholesome karma leads us to good life, and unwholesome karma leads into bad life, you know, suffering. So depends on the karma. Therefore it is very important to practice mindfulness and awareness of law of cause and effect, the karma.
Now as I said before, karma, when we’re talking about karma, it’s not only my karma. My karma is not only created, or dependent upon myself alone. It is not possible. I can’t create karma all by myself, without others. So my karma is connected with everybody else. It’s all kind of interconnected. Therefore, if I’m very aware about my karma, mindful of my karma, and trying to create good karma, everyday life, then I can also create some good karma, good energy for others. Create good condition for others. We are all interdependent. So it is important to meditate on law of cause and effect, and karma.
So the Second Scope is focused on mainly karma. And also how to liberate oneself from this cycle of life, how to liberate oneself from death and bardo and rebirth, and from cycle of samsara. How to liberate completely from samsara. This is the focus of the Second Scope.
Then the Third Scope is focused on meditation on altruistic mind, meditation on bodhicitta. And let’s say you have accomplished the realization of the First Scope and Second Scope, become a good meditator, achieve good realizations. Now you have the ability and the realization to free oneself from cyclic existence, from samsara, from this rebirth. No more rebirth, no more coming back to the world by the force of karma. You are beyond karma. You could come back to the world, or you could be in a nirvana, state of nirvana, in the state of peace, as long as you wish, or forever and ever. Now is that good? Is that wonderful? Is that great? Of course it is great. It is wonderful.
But is that the best path? Is that best realization, or highest realization, highest achievement? No, I don’t think so. The Buddhas always taught that the most important, the most beneficial for all sentient beings, for the benefit of all sentient beings, is to cultivate bodhicitta and Six Perfections, and compassion. And to actually become the Awakened One, fully Awakened One, and fully Enlightened One, the Buddha. Therefore the Buddhas encourage people who liberated themselves from samsara, people like great Arhats of the Hinayana tradition, like the Shravaka Arhats, Pratyeka Arhats and people who achieved liberation, nirvana, Buddha encouraged them to enter into the Bodhisattva bhumi, Bodhisattva path. And cultivate bodhicitta, work for the benefit of all sentient beings. So, therefore, the Lam Rim teaching explains how to enter into the Bodhisattva path, how to become fully Enlightened One, or become Buddha, for the benefit of all sentient beings. And how to become Buddha step-by-step. And how to become Bodhisattva step-by-step. And explains the bodhicitta, cultivation of the bodhicitta.
And so the Great Scope has emphasis on meditating on sentient beings, to consider all sentient beings as one’s own mother and father, brother, sister, family. And cultivate unconditioned love, random kind of compassion in everyday life. Cultivate as much as possible. To consider all beings our mothers, and to remember the kindness of others, and we should repay kindness towards others. And also cultivate love and compassion. And also cultivate supreme wish, and take responsibility.
And Buddha said to us that we should not think that sentient beings are numberless, therefore I can’t really do very much. We should think, “Sentient beings are numberless, but I vow to save them.” In the Zen tradition, always have saying, one of the Zen prayers, like vows they take every morning or every evening, probably if you’ve done Zen practice you know, it says, “Though the sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them.” Zen is Mahayana tradition. So we don’t say, “Though sentient beings are numberless, I give up! It’s too much! Sentient beings are miserable and mean and too many. I give up.” We don’t say this. Sentient beings are, yes, numberless, almost numberless. And perhaps they are numberless. But we take vow to save as many as possible, as much as possible. If you save one person, one animal, one insect, it makes difference for that animal and this human being, this insect. That is the most important. That really matters.
So that’s important, if you make one person happy, one time. And that is very important, that’s very great, great achievement. In the sutra it says if you give one handful of rice or sunflower seed to the squirrel or chipmunk, it makes a day. I mean, the squirrel is probably starved, and he’ll go into his little house and sleep, have a good sleep. And happy, instead of running around in hot sun, hungry and starving, hungry and in great danger of other predators, like owls and snakes, you know. If you give one handful of rice or sunflower to animal, like cow or horse, hungry animal, it is great merit. It is so beneficial.
And if you spend half the day, and look after disabled person, or lonely, very lonely person, lonely old person, old man, old woman. You know there are so many, in our society, there are so many old people, old woman or old man, old person who has no home, no family, suffering so much, so lonely. And unfortunately, in our society, this western society, people say, young people mostly, say, “Old people are like garbage. Unwanted, dirty, and we don’t want them, we don’t need them. Their time is finished, expired, and recycle them now. No good.” Very sad. They are very sad. People have very little compassion. So if we spend, if you spend half the day, or even a couple of hours, and give cup of tea or coffee to someone, or just spend time, half hour, one hour one day, it makes a big difference. It makes the day for that person.
And also we have to think ourselves, how do we feel when we are sad and lonely and unhappy and sick, nobody around. If somebody comes around and help us, it makes so difference, and you feel like Bodhisattva appeared in front of you. Buddha appeared in front of you. So you are Bodhisattva at that moment, when you help somebody, make him happy. Even like half hour, one hour. And you are Bodhisattva at that time.
So the Great Scope is emphasis on practice of bodhicitta and compassion, and explains how to cultivate enlightenment, Buddhahood, for all sentient beings. This is called the Great Scope because the realization is so important, so powerful.
So, it’s almost ten o’clock. I don’t want to hold you here too long, and I’d like to end the talk here now. If you have any questions, you are most welcome.
Q: Rinpoche, there’s always in the teachings mention of the mother, you should love all human beings like your mother. What if you don’t love your mother? Like, if you don’t have that experience. I keep hearing this over and over again. There must be a reason why. It’s because she gave you birth, I understand, and gave unconditional love, but why do we need to love everybody as our mother?
Rinpoche: As our mother? Well, see, we as human beings, we all have mothers. And without our mother and father, you wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be here. So our life, our body, is given to us by our mother and father. They actually created us. They are the creator. And we are part of them, whether you want or not. And you are part of them, whether you like or not.
And if you don’t know your mother, or if you don’t like your mother, if you don’t get on with your mother, but deep inside you want mother. You need mother. You need mother’s love, mother’s care, you have to. You need that. And you’re looking for mother all the time. And we need a mother, we need a father. Everybody need mother and father. And also, not only that, our mother and father, as I said, they created us. So they are very important to us.
Also, deep inside, in our hearts, we have deep in our hearts, we do have love to our mother. Even though someone says, “I don’t like my mother, the way treat me,” or so on and so forth, all kinds of problems they talk about, we talk about. “I don’t like the way she brought me up,” and so on and so forth. But deep inside, you have love. Mother and child always have natural love, clinging, need. And you do also have, deep inside, you have kind of like a gratitude towards your mothers. You have a warm feeling to your mother.
And we are confused, at the same time we are confused. But we do have love. And when you talk about mother, somehow you feel closer to that person. You feel close to them. So that’s why we use this word. That’s why if we think others are like mother, or they’re our mother, then it makes us closer, become closer to others. It brings closer, closer and closer, so then there’s a base for compassion and love.
Many people, most people have a wonderful relationship with their mothers. Some people don’t have a good relationship, but at the same time they do have love. Even if some people never met their mother, I mean don’t remember. They’re adopted, or mother passed away when they were little, but they still always have love towards the mother. Like they feel, “Okay I don’t know where my mother is, where she is. Maybe she’s in the god realm, or maybe in the Buddha realm. Maybe next block. Who knows? Maybe she’s reincarnated as my child, my son. Or who knows?” But you always have this love.
Comment: Rinpoche, for those of us who are uncomfortable with it, at one point I thought that the greatest thing that my parents, or my mother, did was that they brought me here to learn what you’re teaching. And so for that reason we can love them.
Rinpoche: Yes, and you have the precious human rebirth. So we are very thankful.
Q: I was hoping that sometime during these four nights you could talk about how we engage in dialogue for the course. How we actually study. How we can talk about, debate and dialogue, how we can make that more meaningful. That would be very helpful, I think, for those of us taking the course, for all of us really.
Rinpoche: Thank you. I thank you for asking that question. Yes, I think perhaps tomorrow night we could discuss that. We discussed before. It’s important for us to have a dialogue and discussion, and some kind of debate during this year, Lam Rim study program. But we need to talk about how are we going to debate, what kind of style of debating — eastern style or western style? Or maybe we could find something somewhere between, not so traditional eastern style, because it may be difficult. Maybe some certain style is not maybe so important.
But I think, at the same time, it’s very important to debate, because debating is exciting and is challenging. And it helps to increase your understanding, and also helps to have quicker thoughts and sharp mind. So I think we will discuss this tomorrow night.
Q: Rinpoche, what does it mean, The Union of Sutra and Tantra?
Rinpoche: Well, Union of Sutra and Tantra, the Tibetan word for that is “??” “??” is Sutra, “??” is Tantra, “??” means union. Which means, the Sutra is teaching of the Buddha. Tantra is also teaching of the Buddha. And both are equally very important. And therefore, the Sutra and Tantra are the cause and effect. So when you’re studying Sutra, you should also think about studying Tantra in the future, you aim it. And also, if you’re studying Tantra, if you’re practicing Tantra or Vajrayana, it is important to have the foundation, and the basic Buddhadharma knowledge. So you have to, it is important to combine them, and also learn both.
So during this seven-year program, we like to introduce the Tantra, we like to study Tantra. Not only the sadhanna, the visualization and mantras and so on, but actually the Tantric path. Lama Tsong Khapa wrote a great text called Lam Rim Chenmo. Lam Rim is the Tantric gradual path. He explains about the purpose of Tantra practice, and what is Tantra, different levels of Tantric practice, and the essence of Tantra and so forth.
So, I’d like to say thank you.