Дебаты дьявола с ангелом, часть 4: Как наладить жизнь в мире, который не таков, каким кажется (2012, Феникс), занятие 1

[Speaker 1]
I don't have any big original meditation, just my usual, because that's all I do anyway. So, we'll do a little bit, and then we can talk for a while, and then we'll do a little bit more, okay? Okay, so get ready.

Sneeze now. Just twice. Please soften your face.

Become aware of the muscles in your face, your forehead. Loosen the muscles in your forehead. Relax your eyes, your eyelids.

Relax the corners of your mouth. Tighten in your tummy just a little bit, which will relax your lower spine. And then without losing all that, please come to your breath.

Start watching your breath. Hold the mind against the breath. Let the breath rub against the mind.

Mind is steady, still, and the breath is sliding across the mind. Then we'll do the traditional preliminaries to a meditation. Your first meditation of the day.

It's traditional to do a warm-up like a runner who warms up their legs before they run a race. So, by tradition this is a very important part of meditation. The first part of that tradition is to invite a teacher into the room to sit with you.

Could be whoever you relate to. Could be a teacher in your life now. Could be a historical teacher like Jesus or Moses, Mohammed.

You are sitting with them. They are sitting in front of you. And you are going to meditate together.

So, bring a teacher to sit with you. Whoever calls to you. Then the old tradition is to bow down to your teacher.

Namaste. Namaste. To bow.

So, in this tradition you can bow to your teacher in your mind by thinking of one quality they have that you admire and bowing to that quality. So, just think about why have you chosen this person as your teacher today to sit with. What's one thing about them that you would like to learn yourself?

And praise them in your mind for this quality. Then the tradition, the next step by tradition is to make your teacher an offering. Flowers are popular.

Fruits are popular. But the greatest offering of all is called Drupadrupa. Drupadrupa means your successful practice in serving other people.

Drupadrupa means offering. So, as an offering to your teacher, bring to mind some kindness you've done in the last day or two. Someone started to get you angry and you became aware of being upset and you refused to get angry.

Something beautiful success, little tiny success in your spiritual practice in the last few days and bring that to mind and offer it to your teacher. We're assuming the teacher can read your mind. Now the tradition is to clear our conscience before meditation.

Meditation requires a very quiet mind and still mind and it's difficult to bring the mind to stillness if we have something on our conscience. So, just as a representative of all the small negativities we do all day, choose something from yesterday. Could have been just a series of thoughts about someone else.

It could be some unkind word we said. Think of something that happened yesterday where you weren't so noble, where you lost your temper or you judged somebody mentally and admit that to your teacher in your mind. Make some kind of resolution not to do it today.

Probably that person is around today also. Make a commitment not to repeat that kind of negative thinking or behavior today. Now do the opposite.

Very important to make the mind bright and happy before meditation. Think of something good you did yesterday. Different from the thing that you offered to your teacher.

But think of some kindness or kind thought, kind word from yesterday or the day before. The goal is to have your mind bright, happy, clean before you start to meditate. So try to put yourself into a good mood by thinking of something positive you did yesterday.

Like we all went to the class, we all heard some holy ideas from the first Panchen Lama. Things like that, positive things we did yesterday. Try to make a short list of good things you did yesterday.

Now spend a few moments thinking about something good that you saw someone else do yesterday. There are many people working hard to have the program this weekend. They're all working as volunteers.

They spend a lot of their own money, time. Time away from their families. Time that they could be resting this weekend.

And other examples of nice things that you saw yesterday. Be, in your mind, celebrate those people that you saw doing good things for others. Make a list, three or four people.

And almost the last step of this preparation for meditation is to think about some change you would like to make in yourself if this weekend were very successful and you were able to make some change in your own life about how you act or who you are. What would it look like at the end? If you could change anything about yourself that you'd like by Monday.

How would you like to be on Monday? Have a vision in your mind. How would you like to look by Monday?

What kind of a change in your heart would you like to make by Monday? And then ask your teacher in front of you for a blessing to make that change. Have a clear vision of yourself already changed.

And the final step of the preparation for meditation is to ask your teacher to stay close to you, perhaps invisible during the day, next few days, for the rest of your life, guiding you quietly, silently, invisibly, helping you to be a better person. And ask them in your mind. They can hear your thoughts.

And ask them in your mind, please stay near, stay close to me like a shadow throughout my days and guide me at crucial moments. Steer my way, help me. Then slowly come back to your breath.

And then when you're ready you can open your eyes. Give yourself a stretch if you like. If you like, you can stand up.

Do an Uddhanasana or something. We're going to do two more short meditations, but if you have any questions about anything, it can be completely irrelevant. We could do that.

Dennis has two questions. Yeah. Say loud so everybody can hear.

In making karma, when we say to get what you want, you have to give something else, a similar thing. Right? And so the scripture says, the result is similar to the cause.

I want to mention Ben Kramer, dear Ben Kramer. He once pointed out to me that any two things are similar. Oh boy.

For me it's a big debate. So my question is, how specific is that? So when we say, in order to get an apple, do you literally have to give an apple?

Do you have to have a Macintosh? Okay. Yeah, good.

Okay. Everybody heard the question? Okay.

Okay, the source for this discussion is the Abhidharmakosha, fourth chapter. It was written 350 A.D., fourth century. And there's a discussion in there.

By the way, that's where they teach the four steps. Same chapter. It's the chapter on karma.

You should study it someday. But they say, the argument there is that, if I'm supposed to be born as a... I forgot the exact thing, but it's like, if I'm supposed to be born as a groundhog, you know, I die in the spring, and then groundhogs don't mate until the fall.

Can I... What happens? You see what I mean?

Which is kind of, in the higher schools, that's a facetious argument. there would just be an unusual groundhog born or something. You know what I mean?

anyway, there it says that you can, it can shift to a dog, to some animal that's mating in the summer. You see what I mean? So you're supposed to be born as a groundhog, but groundhogs aren't mating just then.

So, the karma can shift to a dog. So let's say I want to... I don't know.

Somebody asked me yesterday, as we left the room last night, the Franciscan Center, they asked me, if I sign up for the prison project, could I use that to find a boyfriend? You see what I mean? Or does it have to be a nursing home?

You see what I mean? Because it seems like the prisoners are also lonely. You see what I mean?

And then we were talking about it, and then I thought, you can redirect karma within certain limits, with your intention. So you can, rather than going to a nursing home to help an elderly person who's lonely, you can go to a prison, and you can focus on the loneliness there. And then mentally you can direct that to finding your partner, or creating your partner.

You see what I mean? So, there's some kind of cruise missile thing, where you can, with your intention, direct it to certain goals or ends, even if it's not exactly... they're not as lonely perhaps as an elderly person.

They get to hang out with other people all day. In fact, they drive each other crazy, but... maybe they have too much interaction sometimes.

They told me that yesterday. But, you can suck the loneliness out of the prisoners, and redirect it to finding your partner, creating your partner. So yeah, there's a lot of leeway.

Almost any good karma can be, with intention, redirected to a similar good result. Okay, like that. Okay?

Like it's aimed with your mind. Okay? I'm going to try to pick the people I don't see very often.

But I see all you guys. How about Tim?

[Speaker 2]
Just kind of thinking back to his question. How would you plan to see for...

[Speaker 1]
Loud, loud.

[Speaker 2]
How would you plan to see for an experience you've never had?

[Speaker 1]
For example, let's say, if you haven't had...

[Speaker 2]
Yeah.

[Speaker 1]
How could I... If I've never had that experience, how could I give that experience to somebody else?

[Speaker 2]
Yeah.

[Speaker 1]
Okay, good. I'll repeat it. Generally, they say that our lifetimes, our past lifetimes are infinite.

Because every particular lifetime had to have a lifetime before to create. So therefore, there was no beginning. Okay?

In fact, a Buddhist philosopher finds the Western scientist's need for a beginning illogical. You see what I mean? To say that there was a Big Bang with nothing to cause it is considered illogical in Buddhism.

And then they're finding, scientists are finding, they're postulating now pre-Big Bangs that caused the main Big Bang. But then you have to have a pre-pre-Big Bang. Because nothing can happen from nothing.

Ex milo. Right? So, there's no such thing.

So anyway, that implies that we've had every experience there is countless times. I like to tell the guys, you've been Miss America countless times. And I like to tell the women, you know, you've been President of the United States in a more enlightened time countless times.

And, you know, you've been everything countless times. Then there, last night, we spoke about the aftermath. And we spoke about the moments that come after a special meditation experience called the direct perception of ultimate reality, right?

That experience is unique, you see. I compare it to virginity, all right? I'm sorry for the metaphor, but your life, from the time you're born to the time you die, you can see it as a, what do you call it?

Timeline, right? And then, at some point on that line, most people lose their virginity, right? You are a virgin before that moment.

You have relations with somebody. And then after that, you are no longer. It only happens once in a human life.

I like that metaphor because the direct perception of ultimate reality, right? It's the same. The timeline of your life has no beginning.

It also has no end, okay? Your spirit or your mind will go on forever. You will be a separate individual forever.

At some point on that line, you will become an enlightened angel, okay? To trigger that, you have to see ultimate reality directly. And that only happens once.

The first perception of it only happens once. If you haven't had that perception yet, Tim's question is, how do you trigger it, something that's never happened in infinite time, right? You've had infinite chances to have that 20-minute experience.

You've had billions and billions, countless billions of lifetimes, but you've never had that experience. Then his question went a little further. He said, if you have to give something to someone else to get it, how am I going to help someone else have that experience in order for me to get it, if I don't know what it is?

You see? If I've never had that, if I have to offer an apple to get an apple, but there's no apples in the world, okay, in my world, how am I ever going to do that, right? So it's a really sophisticated question, and it's kind of cool.

You get into this idea called... What do you call it? The...

The unique combination of existing elements, okay? A... An original combination of existing elements, okay?

By the way, thinking is made of that. The process of argumentation, or convincing somebody of something, in Buddhism, requires that you only use pieces of thinking that the person already accepts. You see?

The process of Buddhist persuasion, or debating, requires that you use new combinations of existing ideas in the person's mind, okay? You're not trying to convince them of something they... You're not trying to convince them of something they don't accept.

You are trying to make new combinations of what they already accept, which will help them to go further to accept your new idea. You see what I mean? That's a base...

That's a principle of Buddhist logic. You're not allowed to use an argument... You're not allowed to use in your argument anything which the other person doesn't already accept.

Got it? And that applies to when you're fighting with your spouse, and... You know, you're trying to convince them why they shouldn't wash the dishes.

If you observe what you're naturally doing, you are using as arguments things which they already accept. You're just putting them in a new combination. And then, you know, in the monastery, debate consists of...

Take this person... You make a statement, the other person disagrees. Then you say, Do you believe this other thing?

Yes. Do you believe this other thing? Yes.

Do you believe this other thing? Yes. That means you have to wash the dishes.

Okay? Like that. You use their own beliefs to force them into a corner.

And you checkmate. And then they have to say, Yes, I have to wash the dishes. You're right.

Okay? That's proper logic. In Buddhism, that's a proper way to convince someone to do something they don't want to do.

Okay? When you want to have a novel experience that you've never had before, you can take elements which you already have and combine them in a new way. And that will create the experience.

The direct perception of emptiness can be created by practices you already have, which are serving other people. You know? I'm talking prison work.

I'm talking building solar panels for poor people. Something with your heads, right? Serving other people.

Studying. More angel-devil debates. Okay?

Studying. Learning from a trained person. And then meditation.

More meditation. Like that. More...

What do you call it? Study, practice, and meditation. And then yoga can help to open the channels.

These elements, we combine like... I think of an enchilada. You know?

Like a new kind of enchilada. Okay? Like you take pieces of the relleno, and the taco, and fish taco.

You know? You rearrange into a new thing. Right?

Then you can have an experience which you've never had before. Okay? That applies then to the karmic seeds you'd have to plant to have that experience.

Help other people meditate. Give other people the opportunity to serve other people. Help them find a good teacher.

You know? And then all of those karmas would come back and create a new combination. Of the direct perception of emptiness.

Okay? Got it? So take the pieces, which are service, teacher, meditation, study.

Take those elements and offer them to others. And then they will come back strong enough to trigger the direct experience of emptiness. In a new combination.

Something you never... An enchilada that no one ever made before. Alright?

Okay? Alright. We're gonna meditate a little bit more.

You ready? This is called present moment meditation. Most of you have done it with me.

But I suspect you haven't... What I want to do is do it over and over with you until it becomes habitual. In everyday circumstances.

You're in the prison. It's 2.40. They told you you had to leave the prison by 2.45. Do you set your mind on what's gonna happen later this afternoon? Okay?

Or do you stay in the prison for those five minutes? Do you give them your total attention for those last five minutes? That takes a lot of discipline.

To be in the present moment until the time you have to leave. Until the moment you have to leave. And it's very, very powerful.

His Holiness has it. If you've ever had a talk with His Holiness, he has this ability to be attentive to you. 100%.

Until the time you leave the door. He's totally focused on you. It's very weird to be in the presence of someone who's totally focused on you.

You know? So, he's in that moment. So we're gonna practice that.

But I... The reason I'm doing it over and over again is I want you to carry it into your daily life. And not just your meditation.

It's a powerful meditation tool. But it's a powerful thing to have all day. It makes you happier.

Immediately. If you can learn to do it. Here we go.

Please come straight to your breath. Please start counting your breath. Try to count up to ten breaths without thinking of something else.

If you think of something else, start over again. Exhale is the first half of the breath. Inhale is the second half of the breath.

Now please start to observe your thoughts. 50% of meditation is the ability to watch your own thoughts. Try to observe what thoughts are percolating up in your mind this morning.

Don't try to control them. Don't try to have them be more politically correct. Just watch them.

Mine are mainly about breakfast. Just watch what thoughts come. And watch them come.

Watch them pass. See what comes next. Try to focus on that.

Try not to think about people opening the door or how the room feels or what you're going to do this afternoon. Just watch what thoughts are coming up. If you can gain this skill, you have conquered half of meditation.

Now I'd like you to evaluate how many of those thoughts that bubble up in your mind, how many of them are about what's going to happen after this moment, like this afternoon or tomorrow, next week. And how many of those thoughts are about the past. Something that someone said to you, something that someone did to you in the past.

Then in between those two there'll be some thoughts about the noise outside. Those don't really count. I would like you to see how many thoughts are about the future and how many thoughts are about the past without trying to control them.

Now I'd like you to try to block any thoughts about the future. Even this afternoon or this evening, tomorrow. I'd like you to try to block from the mind any thoughts about any moment beyond this present moment.

If a thought about tonight or tomorrow or next week comes up, block it. Bring the mind back to this room. In that case the noise outside becomes an anchor to stay in the present moment.

Block any thoughts of the past. I know someone hurt you. I know someone said something bad to you.

Block it. Live in this room. Live in this present moment.

When you catch yourself ruminating about the past, force your mind ahead into this present moment. Be here. Settle into this room, into this present moment.

Slowly come back to your breath. And then slowly release the meditation. Open your eyes.

Stretch. Stretch if you like. You can stand up and stretch if you like.

That's called Jamy Chö Dönme Sir. It's an old meditation from, I don't know, thousand years ago. We have this subtle, or not so subtle dissatisfaction with the present moment.

We are thinking about something we'd rather do. You know, like something tomorrow is going to be more interesting, or I'm going to see my friend. You know, my big goal in life is to spend time with my Lama.

Sometimes I'll be sitting there with Lama, and I'll say, what are you doing tomorrow? You know, and Lama will say, today's not finished yet. You know, and you see, I'm more worried about, somehow we don't want to be here.

You know, we always think tomorrow is going to be better. Or there's something else. You see what I mean?

Always something else. And then, this meditation is really good for, I mean, contentment is a high spiritual goal, and very elusive. Very few people get there.

You know, contentment with your current moment. You know, you're always thinking about something that might happen tomorrow, or next week. At Venerable Nyingbo Gyalmo's class, where was that?

I get confused. At Diamond Mountain. And he said, look, tomorrow doesn't exist yet.

And yesterday's gone, and it doesn't exist either. And wouldn't it be nice to live in a place that exists? You know, rather some place that doesn't exist anymore, or doesn't exist yet.

And it's an interesting thought. You know, can you be content in the present moment? Then your meditation is much better, and you can have deep realizations of reality.

You see? If you get used to being in the present moment. And also you can be more present for other people.

Be more aware of what their needs are. And that makes you happier. Okay?

You can't be tuned in to others' needs if you're thinking about tomorrow all the time. Because they're in front of you. Got it?

Okay, we have a few minutes. I'm not going to try to do a third meditation today. I think that's a good one.

But do you have any other questions or anything? Yes, Venerable.

[Speaker 2]
You mentioned in the talk once that there are certain karmas that if you work on planting seeds for those, have fallout effect.

[Speaker 1]
Yeah.

[Speaker 2]
Can you speak on which ones those are?

[Speaker 1]
Yeah. I will say this. Last night, we talked about four steps to getting something that you want.

And you know, in my old age I realized that the purpose of Buddhism is to get the things you want, right? So we might as well just say it. It could be you want world peace or it could be you want inner peace.

But it's all about getting things that you would like, your dreams, right? That's why you came here today. You think something that goes on here would relate to getting what you dream of, right?

So then people come to me and I teach them the four steps. But I really encourage them not to... What's step number one?

You state what you want, okay? You state what you want. I tell people a single sentence.

Then a person in this very room sent me... I said, send me an email with your single sentence. It was a whole paragraph.

It was like ten sentences with commas artificially inserted between them. And I said, no, that's cheating. You know, give me one tiny sentence.

What do you want in your life right now? What's the most important thing you want in your life right now? Or the main thing you want in your life?

Then of course we all have like six or seven things that we would like to happen. But can you tell me which one would be the main one in your life at this present time? And you have to think about it, right?

Buddhist practice is aimed at fulfilling your dreams. But you have to decide what your dream is before you can practice. Okay, that's like, duh.

Then people say, well, really I have five or six. You know, of course I want a boy, but I also want some financial security. You know, I'd like my back to be a little looser, not to hurt so much.

I really do have five or six, Geshe-la. Can I just be an exception and I could have five or six wishes? I feel like the Wizard of Oz.

And I say, no, pick one, okay? Then for the first time in your life you will attempt to fulfill one of your dreams by providing it to someone else first. You're going to try a new approach, right?

Rather than coming up with 14 strategies to get what you want for yourself. You're going to focus, your strategy is going to be a single strategy. I will provide what I want to someone else so that I will get what I want.

It's a new idea. And it's the reason the world suffers and the reason samsara has gone on for countless lifetimes, is that it's so unintuitive, counterintuitive. To get what I want, I must give it up to someone else.

Like, I imagine the first caveman who discovered this, okay? He... This is how I figure it.

He lived on the top of a mountain. He wanted to have lots of meat. He killed a rabbit.

He was cooking it out in front of his cave. The tripod fell over. The rabbit rolled down the hill.

His neighbor came out of his cave, caught the rabbit, and ate it. And then the first caveman was like, okay, well, I'm glad somebody got it. Because of that gladness, the next day a deer came.

You see? I'm trying to decide who figured this out the first time. Somehow he had this insight that because he gave the rabbit away, he got the deer.

You see what I mean? So we have this problem that it's so against human nature. That's why human nature is to suffer.

Because we can't imagine that to give someone to something else that we want is the only way to get it for ourselves, okay? So that's a reason to restrict your dreams to a single one. Because you will use it as an experiment to prove the system to yourself.

Okay? That's why it's good to limit it to one thing. I want a partner.

I couldn't have a partner for X years. Then I'm going to try what Geshe-la said, I'm going to go to the nursing home, or I'm going to help some lonely person. It'll just be an experiment.

To prove or disprove this concept, you know? Then you have to do all the things I asked, and you have to follow up. And then a boyfriend will come.

Then that has a fallout effect on all your other dreams. That's what I'm trying to say, you see? That has a fallout effect.

Then it's like, it's much easier to give away the second thing, to get the second thing, if you did it on one thing. And then suddenly you have a new system to fulfill your dreams. And it all starts to involve helping other people get their dreams.

You see what I mean? That's what I mean by fallout. So go for one, because you'll get the other five automatically.

Because your behavior will change. Your methodology will change. You will serve others to get your happiness.

So, if you crack it with one thing, the rest is easy. My Lama forced me to go to work. We had a huge fight.

I had money. My mother had died. She left me money.

You know, I had money to live another ten years. I lived for eight years in the monastery. Then he forced me to go to work.

And we had a big fight about it. I didn't want to do it. And he forced me.

And looking back, you know, as usual with your Lama, I'm grateful, you know? Because what he was doing was setting up an experiment that I could prove these principles to myself. And it was business.

You know, I hate business. I have no interest in business. That's why I went to the monastery.

You know? Then you can use your first dream to prove the system to yourself. Then everything else is easier.

You just... It becomes part of your nature to do that. You see?

That's the idea of fallout. Okay? So choose one and then the rest will come.

Because your life, the way you get things will change. Okay? One more question, if anybody has.

The gentleman in the back. Yeah. I gave this a lot of thought last night.

And what I wrote down is, I once wondered with my wife of 34 years, that I don't feel it at my ground. Yeah, good. What could I give away that it wouldn't be betraying what I want?

Yeah, good, good. I was in Oslo. We were teaching in Humber?

Where were we? No, before that. Where did we fly from?

I think we were in Humber. And our friends in Oslo said, could you just get on a plane and come and give an evening talk and then go back to Humber? You know?

Like they crushed a talk in Oslo into our schedule, which was kind of cruel. But anyway, we went. And we gave a similar talk to last night's talk.

This is John and Leong, if you know them. So, you know, we went to Oslo. I think there was like a hundred people in the room, something like that.

And this guy raised his hand and he said, what's the karmic seed for kulf? You know? And he was speaking like in Norwegian accent, you know?

And, excuse me? And he said, what's the karmic seed for kulf? And I said, well, if you want children, the seed would be...

He said, no, no, no. Not kids. Kiss.

Kiss. I want kiss. You know?

And then I'm like, you want people to kiss? You want to kiss? And he said, yeah.

I want kisses. Then I said, he said, what do I do? Go to the Grand Hotel in Oslo and kiss everybody?

And do I have to give away kisses to get kisses? And I said, well, it's probably going to get you in trouble. You know?

If you go kissing everybody in the restaurant without permission, you know? And, that's that thing where you have to do something similar. You know?

Which in the scriptures, like a lot of people come to me and they say, my husband doesn't show me affection. You know? In the first few years he did, then it sort of tapered off and he doesn't, he doesn't really give me good hugs anymore.

Forget a kiss, you know? He doesn't even give me good hugs anymore. What would be the seed for affection, you know?

And then, that's, in the scripture it says, just smiling at other people. You know? Like, on the principle that the seed is much smaller than the result.

Okay? An acorn, I always say an acorn is a half a gram. A mature oak tree is 250 tons.

And, one has come from the other. You see? So, a concerted effort to be more friendly to people that you see in stores or, you know, what do you call it?

People, cashiers and coffee makers at Starbucks and, a concerted effort to be, to show a little friendliness to them. Then take that karma and direct it to your husband in your mind. Say, I dedicate all the smiles I offered today to my husband that he should be a little more affectionate.

Because of the principle that small causes create huge results, a concerted effort to be a little more outgoing and friendly. And for some of us it's difficult. I have trouble with, you know, I go to Barnes and Nobles and the guy, the same guy makes me hot chocolate for the last couple of years.

And it's still hard for me to like smile and say, how's your day? because I'm a little shy that way. But then you have to try.

So, you try just to give a little smile encouragement and then that will come back as much more affection from, from the person you're with. You see? So, I would try that.

That's planting the seeds for affection. Notice, that we didn't say demand affection. And we didn't say wear a lingerie in the kitchen.

You see what I mean? because those are two extreme options, right? Fight for your affection or, you know, what do you know, be all sexy for your affection.

Like that. Those are two approaches you will get in marriage books. Right?

Stand up for your rights. Demand a hug. Or, maybe you should wear something a little more alluring when your husband gets home.

Right? And that will get you affection. In this system, those are false choices.

In this system, those are two false choices. Because they don't work all the time. If they don't work all the time, they're not addressing the real cause of your husband's lack of affection.

You see what I mean? They are just somewhere in between the real cause and the affection. Got it?

It's like the aspirin. It's not what you wear, and it's not how much you fight for your affection. Because they don't work all the time.

What really works all the time is to plant seed, be friendly to other people, and that will come back to you through your husband. It's very interesting. So all tension is gone in the relationship.

You don't have to talk to your husband about his lack of affection. You just work on it with other people. He doesn't even know what you're doing to him.

Which is better. There's no tension. Then notice one more thing.

Okay? And then we'll stop. Notice one more thing.

You don't have to spend the time to consider false options anymore. And that saves your life. That saves all your mental peace.

Comes back. You're not sitting there sleepless, night after night thinking, maybe I don't have the right lingerie, or maybe I should stick up for my rights. All that time that's spent on false choices is cancelled.

And you get that time back to do other things. See what I mean? You get that mental time back.

No more worrying. The idea of worrying depends on not understanding where things are coming from. Once you understand how to make things happen, the idea of worrying becomes obsolete.

And think how much time that saves you. And how many wrinkles that saves you. No, I'm totally serious.

And bags under the eyes and everything. Those all come from not understanding where stuff is coming from. It's very easy to say, tomorrow I'll be more friendly to people.

Because I want some hugs when I get home. Like that, okay? Then you're not worrying about options.

Should I fight with him? How to wake him up? Should I slap him?

Hug me once in a while? Should I wear something else? Change my hair?

All those things are cancelled. All those decisions are cancelled. And you have your mind back.

You have your time back. And you have your emotions back. Got it?

It's very cool. The time is... Then you can just relax during that time.

You can learn some songs or something. Okay? Much more productive.

All right. Now, Jigme, tell me if I'm right. We have till 11.30?

Is that correct? And it will be here? The yoga will be here?

It's 10.30? So we have an hour off? Am I right?

Okay. Okay. So we'll have a yoga class at 11.30. I don't know the level. Do you know the level? Is it like... It's supposed to be intermediate, okay?

But you're welcome to come. You can do what I do. Are you the teacher?

Yeah. You can just relax. She says, stand on one leg.

You can... I'll level. Okay.

Okay. So we'll just... You all right?

It starts at 11.30. We have an hour. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Okay. So a couple of options for you.

You can go out and have a beer and some breakfast. I don't advise a lot of food before the class. But maybe some juice or something.

And there'll be a homework review session with you. Nicole, raise your hand. Even if you didn't bring your homework, she has...

She can go over it with you, and you can fill it out. The reason to do the homework is I want you to learn to teach it. What we talked about last night.

If what we said, even this last 10 minutes is true, think what a gift you can give to other people. Okay? If you learn how to teach it, think what a gift it would be to help your friend not to have bags under their eyes or...

You see what I mean? It'd be a great gift to give someone. To do that responsibly requires that you do the homework.

Okay? Because you will learn it. So, that'll be with her.

[Speaker 2]
Here?

[Speaker 1]
One before class and one after class. Here? Okay.

Okay. Two to four there'll be another one here also. Right after that...

Right after yoga there'll be one here. And right now there'll be one here. From two to four there's a training that allows you to work in a prison in the state of Arizona.

Even if you live somewhere else and you're interested in this kind of work, I would take the training. And then, whenever you're here, maybe we could go down to the prison together. It's one thing to...

It's sort of, what do you call it? What do you call it when you... you do something just to make yourself happy?

Self-interest. What was that? Self-interest.

It's an indulgence. Sometimes these weekends can be an indulgence. You know, you already know all this stuff.

You just want to come and hang out with your friends and... You know? So, at some point I'm gonna make you go to the prison on these weekends.

Okay? And you'll probably have a better time. But anyway, it'd be nice if you were...

If you get the certification, it lasts for a year, right? And it brings great meaning to your life. Jeff has pioneered this and kept it going.

And I'm really grateful to him. Yeah, yeah. So, two to four for that.

And it's not... You don't have to take a test or anything, right? Just sit there.

I mean, you can even fall asleep and you still get certified. It's fine. So, we'll do that.

I'm gonna hang out here. I'm gonna sit here. So, if anybody has some life crisis or something you want to talk about, I'll just hang out here.

If nobody has a life crisis, I'll do your second homework. Okay? All right.

Have a nice hour. Please be on time for class, okay? It's a little irritating for the teacher to have people wandering in after start time.