Серия ежедневной практики, курс 06 — Четыре силы для устранения негативной кармы (1999, Институт Ваджрапани, Калифорния), занятие 7

[Speaker 2]
This is the continuation of session 6.

[Speaker 1]
I think one more question and then we'll stop. Do you have?

[Speaker 2]
Do you have an issue with the word intoxicants? How do you describe cigarettes or coffee?

[Speaker 1]
Okay, good. She's asking about the vowel, it's a layman's vowel, that you can't take intoxicants. The Tibetan word is nyoje, which means crazy maker.

And what's the use of that vowel? And it's famous in New York, because I refuse to give the vowels unless people take that. Because that's the old line, the old party line.

Okay. So, what's that all about? The scriptures...

First the question, first answer is this, the scriptures clearly delineate between naturally fermented intoxicants and chemical intoxicants. So, 500 BC, Lord Buddha is predicting chemical intoxicants. He says, duir jangam chupay jangam, which means, whether you've made it with chemicals or naturally fermented substances, you still can't take it, or offer it to another person.

The amount that you could put on the tip of a blade of grass. And he holds up this blade of grass and he says, whosoever drinks this much or offers it to another person, don't call yourself my follower. He's very, you know, kind of wrathful at that moment.

And then there's this long discussion through the centuries, what's the big deal about a glass of wine at dinner, you know? And they say, because it lowers your inhibitions. Slightly.

Very slightly. Okay. It lowers your hesitation to do something or say something dumb.

You know what I mean? So, anything that would lower your... lower in a markedly...

in a drastic way, immediately, your ability to restrain your mind is an intoxicant. So, you know, the first Tibetan I ever met in India gave me a cup of Tibetan tea and said, this will make your mind sharper. Drink it.

And it tasted like terrible. You know? It tastes like chicken soup, actually.

And I think that's a distinction in Buddhism, you know? I think they'd say it actually kind of sharpens your mind a little bit. I mean, the Tibetans drink a lot, like 16 cups a day.

My lama taught me to do that. And it just kind of keeps you on a slight heightened sense all day long. Now, are there people who drink a cup of coffee and get nervous and then yell at somebody?

Yeah. Does that qualify as an intoxicant under the rules of the Vinaya? No.

Is it a stupid idea to drink it if that affects you that way? Yeah. Okay.

So, technically you don't break your vow. But...

[Speaker 2]
It's not intoxicating because it's poisonous?

[Speaker 1]
No. It's an intoxicant because it lowers your inhibitions. Okay.

Okay. How about... Yeah.

Oh God, I didn't bring it. Rob, you want to do a run? Computer.

Flashlight. Well, someone has to do questions and answers for another few minutes. Because he has to go get the mantra.

Okay. You run all the time. How about you?

If it's correct to say that... Black computer. He knows.

Yes.

[Speaker 2]
If it's correct to say that bodhicitta and the achievement of omniscience is one of those deeply hidden karmic correlations...

[Speaker 1]
Yeah. Are there any instances where the Buddha actually flashed that out and described how bodhicitta functions as a cause to remove the obstacles to omniscience? To omniscience?

Omniscience. Is it correct... Is a definition of omniscience...

Is it correct to say that it's a direct perception of causation? Definition of omniscience is... Although I can't state it direct...

I mean, word for word. But what it says is... To see all objects...

which fall into either one of the two truths of all times, simultaneously. Meaning, only a Buddha can directly perceive emptiness and all those objects which have emptiness at the same time. And of all time, past, present and future, at the same time.

And that's omniscience. I've also heard... And dependent origination is one little one of those.

You see what I mean? I think you also said, perhaps last year, that it was knowing what you should take up and what you should put away. That's a test of...

of how you should relate to the idea of omniscience. You see what I mean? Like...

Do you want to become omniscient so you can know the Latin names for every plant? No, that's the example in the scripture. Not Latin, okay?

But... No, really. It's like, do you want to know...

means that the divisions of... the technical divisions of all... knowable things.

Is that what it is to be omniscient? Is that the point of why we should try to become omniscient? And they said, no.

Omniscience really boils down to knowing what's good karma and what's bad karma and what will get you to liberation and what won't. But it doesn't mean you don't know the other thing. That's what that says to me, though.

It says to me that that's a direct reception of causation that you understand immediately. Yeah, you could say that's the benefit of being omniscient. And that's the main point of being omniscient.

But omniscience is not restricted to that. Is there, I mean, can you address that?

[Speaker 2]
Can you flesh out that link between how bodhicitta functions to actually remove those obstacles to omniscience?

[Speaker 1]
Yeah, hang on just a second. 2nd year till. T.I.L. Near S.R.E.G. In Gyu, in Tantras. How the emotion of bodhicitta destroys the obstacles to omniscience. Yeah, how does it actually function as a cause to the... Yeah, I don't know.

There's a difference between obstacles to nirvana and obstacles to omniscience, right? One is obstacles that prevent you from removing your mental afflictions forever. And the other is obstacles that prevent you from becoming totally omniscient.

And the former are mostly related to mental afflictions, which is why they're called mental affliction obstacles. And then the latter mostly relate to subtle seeds of seeing things as self-existent. So, to get, to remove the obstacles to omniscience, you'd have to remove the very subtle tendencies for things to appear to you as self-existent, which is even more subtle than subtle tendencies to see things as self-existent.

And how it works to destroy those, I think it's more omniscience. I mean, sorry, more the direct perception of emptiness. Continued direct perception of emptiness.

Okay? But it is true that only people with bodhicitta can do that. So why is that true?

I don't know. I don't know. Can't give you an immediate answer.

One thing that I've speculated on... Yeah, I don't mind.

[Speaker 2]
Is it by virtue of the emptiness of the mind that if you have that motivation that you actually create that ability?

[Speaker 1]
It could be. It could be that. It may also have to do with breaking down the limitation of yourself to yourself.

You know? Maybe something to do with that also. I personally think that as you go to sleep is a good time to review the day and do the Four Powers.

I think just before you go to sleep it's a good time to do it. And I would just do like a ten minute meditation on the Four Powers. On like the worst things of the day.

Maybe the worst thing of the day. I think you'll find that it repeats itself and it's due to one mental affliction that's your favorite one. And I'd say that I would do the mantra in connection with the fire offering.

And I would do the fire offering maybe once a week on your day off or something, like on a Sunday or a Saturday. We used to go to the beach and do it. Like we'd have a nice picnic and then everybody would do their fire thing.

And I want to say one thing about the fire thing. You know, this is one of those things that great lamas do because they know it's more fun to sit and make a fire than to try to meditate for ten minutes. And...

No, really, and I'm not kidding. And sit there and go into a reverie, you know, sit there, stare at the flame, and just let your mind go. You know what I mean?

And it's an excuse to be quiet for 15, 20 minutes. And there's something about a flame that's irresistible, you know? You watch the flame, especially on a beach at night or something like that, and just watch the flame and then do a real slow one, four powers.

And there's something about the flame that holds your attention better than just sitting at home on your bed and trying to meditate. You know what I mean? And I find it very relaxing, very cleansing.

I come home and I feel like... They say it's very, very important at the end to say, okay, that's over with. You know what I mean?

Especially if you're going to die. You know, they say... No, I mean, if you're close to dying, it's important to go through four powers on all the bad things you ever did to anybody, and say, that's over.

I'm over that. You know what I mean? And decide that it's finished.

Oh, that's a good question. Somebody said, is it okay to pass this on to other people? Can you teach other people that?

That's 90% of the reason I teach, is that I want to create teachers. In New York we have 12 assistant teachers doing half the classes now, and half of all my classes. So, of course, please.

That's the whole reason, in my mind, to have classes, is that you become the next lineage holder. I want that. That's my dream.

Okay? Sorry. All right, here we go.

Okay, let's do a transmission time. Okay? Then anybody who can't see it or is not close enough, you can come up afterwards and do it, okay?

Ready? You have to repeat it three times. Then you own it.

Then you have to pass it on to other people. All right? Promise?

Okay. Because I get all the time. No, just kidding.

You do too. Okay. Say OM.

Vajra. Dhaka. Kaka.

Kahi. Kahi. Kahi.

Sarwa. Sarwa. Papam.

Papam. Dahana. Dahana.

Basmim.

[Speaker 2]
Basmim. Kurye. Kurye.

[Speaker 1]
Soha. Soha. In the oral lineage they say Kurye, okay?

That's secret, okay? How do you spell it? We don't spell it.

It's oral. Okay.

[Speaker 2]
Ready?

[Speaker 1]
Second time, ready? OM Vajra. OM Vajra.

[Speaker 2]
Dhaka. Dhaka.

[Speaker 1]
Kaka. Kahi. Kahi.

Kahi. Sarwa. Sarwa.

Papam. Papam. Dahana.

Dahana. Basmim. Basmim.

[Speaker 2]
Kurye. Kurye. Soha.

Soha.

[Speaker 1]
Last time. OM.

[Speaker 2]
Vajra. Vajra. Dhaka.

Dhaka. Kaka. Kaka.

[Speaker 1]
Kahi. Kahi. Kahi.

Sarwa. Sarwa. Papam.

Papam. Dahana. Dahana.

Basmim. Basmim. Kurye.

[Speaker 2]
Kurye.

[Speaker 1]
Soha. Soha. Okay, cool.

It works if two things are present, right? The Buddha wrote it, so that's okay. And you have to be keeping your vows.

You have to at least be trying to keep your vow, okay? Or it doesn't work. All right.

Okay, I think that's cool.

[Speaker 2]
A quick translation of what that means?

[Speaker 1]
The guts is here. Sarva means all. Papa means bad deeds.

Dahana. Basmim means purified. Kuru.

I do. Okay? Dhaka is referring to the deity.

What do you call it? You're like guardian angel. Okay?

How's that? That's enough. We don't translate the whole thing.

[Speaker 2]
Okay.

[Speaker 1]
It's good to do it while you're... Yeah, you can repeat it. Every time you throw in, try to do one.

Yeah, you can do it on your rosary. But technically, we often do it as we're throwing. Okay?

As you're throwing in. Okay? That's cool.

So just do it, okay? Then you go burn up all your bad karmas. All right?

It's a cool practice. I think it's not like taught enough, or taught clearly enough. So, now you have it.

Now teach it to other people, okay? All right. We'll do a concluding prayer.

Are you ready? Okay. Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti

[Speaker 2]
Geshe-la, on behalf of everybody here and everyone at Vajrapani, we know you want to going to long retreat soon but we pray that you will always consider Vajrapani your home and please you and all of your students please come back very soon and we wish you long long life, no obstacles to your life and to your retreat and all the happiness, thank you so

[Speaker 1]
much for coming and thank you for, me and my ducks get more and more every year and thank you for all the hospitality, I know it's not easy you know from the airport to the LMB okay and I thank you for all your patience and I think you know we try really hard I don't think we're very sophisticated yet at it and so we probably cause you some last minute problems and things like that but thank you for that and then especially I think thank the people who built this place you know with their hearts and with no money and all the work and like we're enjoying the fruits of the labor of people who came here 20-30 years ago and who've worked their whole life here to make this place and thank you for I mean I'm not exaggerating that it's one of the most beautiful places in the world to teach at and the students here and the people in this community are I think I don't know it's just really magic every time I come here it's because the people are already soaked in Lama Sopa's teachings and Lama Yeshe's teachings you're already it's easy to teach here you know because you're so soaked in his I had a dream about Lama Sopa I never have good dreams like that and he this is about two weeks ago and he looks at me and he says you're riling up a lot of people you know and he blinked his eye you know and then I said and I said yeah and he laughed and then he and then he was quiet and he went into this thing and then this big bubble of perfect love was coming out of him and it started to come towards me you know and I'm saying I'm like very objectively looking at it saying wow perfect love I've never seen anything like that you know and and it just hit me and then it enveloped me and then I was inside this perfect love and he didn't say a word after that he just sat there and this perfect love just put me in this big bubble you know perfect love and I was sitting there and he was sitting there and so we finally had the brains to ask him to teach in New York and and it was extraordinary and the feeling of of something happening there that something was starting at that moment in New York was very intense and I think 500 people came on 24 hours notice and it was intense anybody was there will never forget it you know and you're very very lucky to to have such a great Lama you don't have any idea I think because you're used to it you know and and I feel very grateful to be one of his students now and you know it feels very beautiful so that's all you're very lucky and thank you for all your hard work I know it's not easy to do these things and and for me it's very very important for my life to have these things and for my own you know I don't know how to say it anyway thank you for asking me to come and letting me teach okay I pray that you live long life and let you know let's do it

[Speaker 2]
a lot this is the end of session six you have been listening to the four powers how to get rid of your old bad karma with Geshe Michael Roach to contact us on other courses available or for further information please check our website at www.world-view.org