Mind Training, 2010, part 2

Okay. Okay. Has been studying a lot and he is quite tired tonight. So we must generate certainty with respect to the teachings and in dependence on this pure certainty, the teaching will actually penetrate the mind. When we speak of the teachings penetrating the mind, we are referring to the teachings taming the mind.

But the teachings should tame our mind not only for our own benefit, we should actually wish through this to tame the minds of all sentient beings. And therefore, we should generate the motivation to listen to the teachings so as to tame the minds of all sentient beings. And therefore, we should listen to these teachings with the motivation of placing all sentient beings as vast as space without an exception in a state of unalloyed happiness, which is bereft of all suffering and endowed with all qualities. So it would be good before explaining the Dharma that we meditate for one or two minutes on this motivation. So we’re on page 10 of your English text, and Andre Boucher will cover again some of the material covered last time.

So these are the modes of generation of desire which observes beings and its objects. However, many forms of desire arise with respect to other objects from good tea and tasty food upwards. Nonetheless, after saying I like tea or I like momos, we never say that desire has arisen with respect to them. Although I like these is response to craving, to the craving for the good taste of the tea or the momos, Rinpoche says, for the flavors, colors, and so forth of food. So here Rinpoche says, we have an introduction to Dharma.

What the introduction to Dharma is is an explanation of what is to be practiced and what is to be abandoned. And here, many of us in this room are unacquainted with the teachings, and we wish nonetheless to practice the Dharma. So it is important to differentiate clearly, as has been done between what is Dharma and what is non Dharma. And to do this, one must make a clear difference between the thoughts and the qualities. Faults are what is to be abstained from, and qualities are what is to be practiced.

And we often say, and it was like, would like to to give an introduction here to this concept, we say that we like things. We say that we like our parents, we like our friends, we like certain foods or certain beverages. Now, what exactly is meant by liking here? What is it we like and what is it we don’t like? Generally speaking, when we refer to liking our spiritual teacher, the Buddha or the Sangha, this actually is none other but faith.

Faith means liking the spiritual teacher. Now, when one likes a spiritual teacher, when one has faith in the spiritual teacher, he imparts blessings upon oneself. in dependence on these blessings, one can progress. Without faith, one does not receive these blessings. And the Buddha, the Sangha and so forth are objects of faith, so there is benefit in having faith in them.

On the other hand, the objects which we like as worldly beings, such as our parents, our friends, husbands or wives, or for that matter, horses or dogs, are all objects for which liking means none other than desire. And in dependence on this desire, we accumulate karma, and through this karma fall in the lower realms. Generally speaking, all of the realms one can be reborn with within are divided into the happy or the upper realms and the lower realms. The number of beings in the lower realms is said to be comparable to the number of atoms, particles in the great earth. Infinite.

On the other hand, the number of beings in the higher realms was said by the Buddha to be comparable to the number of motes of dust on his thumbnail, far smaller indeed. Beings are born in the lower realms with the power of desire. Now, to put things simply as an introduction to liking, in dependence on powerful liking, powerful, forceful desire arises, and in dependence on this, one is reborn in the lower realms. And therefore, liking and desire have a very strong connection within the three categories of beings, those who are close to us, such as friends and relatives, those who are indifferent to us and our foes or our enemies. We like those who are close to us very much and it depends on this desire arises.

With respect to our enemies and those who are indifferent to us, however, no desire arises because we do not like them. So one could say actually that the indifferent are those which we do not like, independence in dependence on the reason that no desire arises towards them. And when we speak of liking, we can like tasty tea or has heard quite a few of you like beer. Meals, Momos, and Rinpoche has also heard rumors that you like cake. In every single case, this is desire which arises with respect respect to the taste and the color of these objects.

Desire can also arise with respect to fabric. The smooth sensation of the fabric gives rise to desire. However, in reality, all of these do not go beyond being the truth of suffering since all of these sensations are none other than the product product of the contaminated karma of beings. So if we analyze what happens, we can see that through the five sense organs, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and bodily sense organs, their respective sense objects appear. These are apprehended by the sense organs as likable and in dependence on this desire arises.

With respect to a pleasant shape, upon seeing that shape desire arises. Arises. Like likewise, upon tasting tasty food desire arises for the for the food, the Australian lamington cake, and the same, Rinpoche says, regarding smooth fabric. In the context of secret mantra, one speaks of ordinary appearances and conceptions. Here, the term ordinary in this context would be understood as what appears to the sense consciousnesses, such as forms and so forth.

Conceptions on the other hand refer to what is activated or seized by conceptual minds. Generally speaking, sensory conceptions cannot conceive phenomena. They can only perceive them, and in dependence on this perception of phenomena, conceptuality arises, and the mind in turn grasps the phenomena. In the context of secret mantra, it is said that appearance is weak, whereas conceptuality is much stronger. For instance, when we meditate on deity yoga, it is conceptuality which is the strongest issue.

Then independence in this context on both appearance and conception, the appearance conception of the object desired, we circumambulate in cyclic existence. And it is famously said that cyclic existence is pervaded by desire. Now we see desire all around us. We see for instance, when we look at a fish in a pond seizing an insect and eating it, that it performs its deed out of desire. Hence, it is said in the Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Je Tsongkhapa, in as much as beings are fettered by desire in cyclic existence, initially search for renunciation.

The foremost motor of cyclic existence which leads us to the search for happy places, bodies, and objects of enjoyment is the generation of desire. Without renunciation, automatically craving arises and increases ever more precipitating us into the lower realms. Hence, the ultimate antidote to craving is renunciation. There are other antidotes, however, contingent antidotes to desire. First and foremost, meditation on the skeleton in keeping with the teachings in the Heruka tantra, where the guardians of the graveyards are animated skeletons.

Vasubandhu himself says meditation on the skeleton is the foremost antidote to desire for all five objects of the senses. It is an antidote for desire for form because the skeleton is completely bereft of any flesh. It is mere bone. There is nothing there to desire. It is an antidote for desire for beautiful sounds because the sound of a skeleton dancing is a mere creaking and gnashing.

It is an antidote for desire for smells because a skeleton of the nature of bone has no smell. It’s an antidote for desire for pleasant tastes because bone has no taste. And it’s an antidote for the desire for pleasant feelings, because bone is rough. So if in dependence on this, we can engage in a meditation where when desire arises, we visualize on the forehead a fleshless zone, a small area of bone, and then allow it to expand progressively, allow the bone nature to pervade our body until all flesh has completely disappeared and all that is left is pure bone, and we stay in this state very contentedly, Rinpoche says, then we will have no desire whatsoever. And if we have desire with respect to an object, let’s say a pretty girl, and we visualize her as a skeleton, no desire whatsoever will arise in the mind either.

This is the first antidote to desire. The second is visualizing whatever is of a pleasant color as black and rough black in color and rough in texture. And some again visualize whatever object of the senses is seen as attractive as covered with boils and purulent pimples, bleeding and excreting pus. These are the three antidotes to desire. And the bodhisattvas, for instance, practice by allowing initially desire to arise, meditate then upon the faults of desire and then destroy it through the application of the antidote.

In the same same way as we wanted to clean a piece of cloth which has a stain on it, first we have to bring the stain out to make the stain clear so we know where it is. And then using soap, we can clean the piece of cloth. This is how the bodhisattvas practice and they practice in the same way with respect to anger, to desire and so forth. So we cannot practice as the bodhisattvas, but we can strive to emulate them and learn their techniques. Is doing the introduction.

The doctor is coming for him. The doctor is coming at 08:30 to see. I would say we have to stop here. He’s afraid the doctor is too important. Okay.

And then, yes, yesterday, yesterday, many many many many body. So Robert was studying many texts yesterday, and as a result, he was physically very tired. That’s why the doctor is coming. There’s nothing else wrong with him, but he’s a little bit exhausted at present. And we just started with one text and was quoting another text which he thought was very interesting.

Then he moved to a third text. And by the time he was at the fifth text, he was very tired. Okay. I think this Saturday, so November 20, there will be a teaching by Lama. He’s going to give upcoming seminars and it’s going to be one of the three principal aspects of the path and it starts at two to 04:00.

Some of you already registered and paid for it and you’re welcome. And of course, there is the very special day coming up on the November 30. It’s a Lha Bab Duchen Day, and we will have Guru Puja on that night and it starts on 07:00 in the evening PM. So I think it’s one of the auspicious day and a very precious day. And as we are following his teaching, and I would really strongly recommend all the members and the friends to come and join this evening on on that evening.

It’s Tsongkhapa Day. So that’s all. Thank you. And there is a child outside. Thank you.

And the the back room is already booked, the Tibetan class. You can welcome in our office and in a public area in the outside here. Thank you.