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TED ARNOLD: Thanks everyone for coming. If any of you want to move onto the floor with the cool people, please do. My name is Ted Arnold. I'm with the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, which a lot of you will know is sponsoring the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a very few short days. And one of the items that His Holiness will be doing is a teaching on mind training. That's at Ithaca College.
So we're very fortunate tonight to have here the current abbot of Namgyal Monastery, the personal monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Dawa. You'll see him referred to as Khen Rinpoche, which means Precious Abbot, and then Geshe Dawa. Geshe being a title for the highest degree in the Tibetan monastic system, and then Dawa being the surname.
So I want to thank everyone for coming. Cell phones off everyone, please, thank you, for any of you who have cell phones on. And also, if you're going to leave at any point, go and take food outside, as well. If you are going to leave, for any reason, please do make sure you go around and see the wonderful exhibit that's further down by the Asia library. Some wonderful things that the library has put on.
Let's see. So His Holiness the Dalai Lama is arriving and he'll be teaching here on Tuesday, as a lot of you know. He'll be overflowed, for those of you who did not get tickets, at Kennedy Auditorium and also Bailey Hall, so don't despair.
So what Geshe-la will do for us this evening is give us a taste of what His Holiness will speak on-- the tradition of mind training in India, and then brought into Tibet, which the Tibetans refined to an extraordinary degree. His Holiness will be speaking on a particular text. Geshe-la will be giving a more wide ranging talk.
And I'd also like to welcome his translator, who has been translator with Namgyal for a number of years, Palden Oshoe. Geshe-la will speak for about 40, 45 minutes, and then we can open it up to questions for those of you who have them. But is there anything at all before we begin? OK. Great. Thanks.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: First of all, I would like to convey my traditional greetings to everyone by saying [NON-ENGLISH]. And I'm really happy that I was invited here for this very popular university, Cornell University, that is located in Ithaca.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And I was told to talk about transforming my mind as well as yours. So therefore, this is what I want to talk today.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: The reason why we today go through many problems in our life is because of not being able to attain our current mind.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And we all have--
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And we all have this basic potential to become one of those spiritual, fully realized beings.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And the only problem that we have so far in becoming such a fully realized person is due to keep possessing the same kind of mind that we used to have in the past.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And this is because our minds, which is internal, is very hard to transform generally compared to external development. That's why when it comes down to transforming our mind, it is way more difficult.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Right now we all have both factors. Good, positive factors, as well as negative factors of our mind.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Now, before we transform our mind, first thing that we need to remember is to make sure that we acknowledge our own fault.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Just as it is said that if someone were to point out your own faults, you should hold that person to be your supreme teacher. And if you having pointed out the faults, your own faults, if you were to accept it by acknowledging it and by saying that is truly your own fault, then that's considered as the sublime form of quintessential instruction.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: It is always important to point out one's own fault as well as the faults of others, and that way we will find one of those things that has to be transformed. Otherwise, we often remain obscured with those faults. We tend to think, therefore, that we are more pure, but that's mainly because we don't see our own faults.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So when others point out your own fault, then you need to look at it very closely. And then if you find it is truly your own fault, then you should acknowledge it.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because when someone were to point out your own fault and if you do not acknowledge it, then there's no basis for you to transform it.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And we have these three basic things which are considered as three poisons-- attachment, hatred, and ignorance.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And the basis of the two among the three would be ignorance, which is the misknowledge.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: It is with this kind of misconception or misknowledge you then tend to view yourself to be an absolute existent as well as you view others to be equally in that nature. And because of such strong sense of thinking things to be inherent existent, you tend to hold strongly onto your closely related people, and then keep yourself away and distant from those people whom you do not like.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And anger is that which hinders us directly.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And anger, for instance, when it comes or enters in your mind, then it tends to destroy others as well as destroys yourself. Therefore, it is something that destroys both self and others.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, a great Indian bodhisattva, Shantideva, said that we normally hold our life to be most precious, the most precious. But then often when we were being obsessed with anger and madness, then even that precious thing tends to be destroyed easily without any sense of regard to our precious life, let alone destroying the well-being of others.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, the most powerful remedy for overcoming a sense of holding things to be in an absolute way is to develop the wisdom realizing selflessness.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Although, we may find it extremely hard to develop this wisdom that realizes selflessness, which is a way of realizing the reality, which is considered the most powerful means to overcome a sense of viewing things to be inherent existence. But then in the meantime, it is important for all of us to at least try to reduce the degree of the intensity of angers that are normally generated.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, there are many other means in order to reduce the degree of anger and so forth, regarding the practice of generating love and compassion and developing patience.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: I normally think that the love that is being explained in Buddhist scriptures is way different from the type of love that we normally talk about.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Love, according to Buddhism, is described as a powerful mind that wishes others to have happiness.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, I often hear much about love according to many different tenet systems. But if we were to ask, what love belongs to within the three categories of functioning things? There are namely forms, physical matters, and non-associated compositional factors, and minds.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So love, according to Buddhism, is described as our powerful mind which wishes others to have happiness.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because the advantage of having love is to wish others to have happiness. So when you have such a powerful wish, wishing others to have happiness, then the thought wishing others to be to have suffering will naturally just disappear.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, there are also means and methods explained in Buddhist scriptures regarding how to reduce angers.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, the first step is to really find out the faults of anger.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, we need to always look closely into anger and then see, what are the destructive features of anger?
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, I personally do not know much about the lifestyle of householders because I, myself, does not lead a life of householders. But then I often hear of people-- a couple often end up fighting all the time.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, if you were to have a fight with your partner, then what is important is if you had that fight in the morning, then you should then look at it one more time and then see whether it is truly something that is destructive in nature or not. And it is by evaluating what you have been through earlier will help you to see how truly anger is destructive.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, you may have fought really hard with your partner, and then, after having fought hard, you need to then think again with that experience, or that you had been truly in a happy experience or an unpleasant experience. And then, soon, you will realize that's what you've done earlier is something truly bad, because it has created much suffering in one's self as well as the mind of the other person.
And therefore, after seeing that it's truly something bad, you will develop the determination not to do it again. So once you develop that, then this is how you are gradually working towards reducing the intensity of angers. And then afterwards when you are to expose to such situations, you will be more prepared.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: The key thing here is to develop the sense of regret after having done something bad. And that is really the key thing-- to always regret what you have done, those that are bad, and that way it will help you gradually develop the strength of the mind not wanting to do it again.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, regret is the first thing. The second is the determination not to do it again. So if you have powerful regret for having done something bad, that will gradually bring you the strength not to do it again. So that's why-- this is merely how you can develop gradually the strength to reduce anger, and so forth.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: You should never give victory to anger because the more victory you give to anger, the worse they become actually.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because if you keep appreciating for doing something bad in the past, that will tend to intensify your bad habit. That's how instead of getting better, although you may feel as if you're winning from the outside, but internally you will start to rot.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: But then the permanent solution for overcoming anger would be to develop this wisdom that realizes the reality or the selflessness.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because if you do not try to overcome it in time, then you may soon come to a point where you are not able to do anything about it because it will start to become uncontrollable. That's why if that happens, then it will be very hard for you to do anything about it.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, we know of many negative actions, events that are based on either murder, killing someone else, taking one's own life, and just throwing things around. All of those things are considered to be the direct effect of anger.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So that's why when we talk about anger, what it does is it tends to motivate and then makes us to do bad things. When we create bad things, that's how we accumulate karmas. Karmas ultimately determines our being, and nature, and existence in the future.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So anger, for instance, attachment, those factors of our mind that makes our mind untamed, uncontrolled.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, pride, bad pride, is something that is definitely bad because it turns to great happiness in oneself, as well as the minds of others. Likewise, anger. So therefore, if we do not see the faults of anger and pride, for instance, then there's no really basis for us to develop the strength to overcome anger and pride. Therefore, it is important always at the beginning to see the faults of these deluded minds.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Normally in other spiritual traditions, we hear of one single unitary god. But in Buddhism, when we talk about karma, it's never like that. It's not about a single entity thing. Rather, it involves so many different types of karmas.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, with that misconception being the root of our existence, we gradually develop powerful attachment onto ourself, and that's how one creates many different types of karma, motivated strongly by attachment.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And it is out of your attachment, again, towards others' belongings, wealth, and so forth one is being forced blindly to do many bad things like stealing and so forth.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, we can think of some of the consequences of stealing. We see that people today often ended up in prison of stealing things. And this is merely, again, through the power of attachment that you have for those things. What made you to steal things. That's how you ended up in prisons.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And likewise, we hear of many sexual abuse here in the West and that is, again, due to a form of attachment.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So each of this karma, when created and accumulated, yields as a result.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, in Buddhism, we have a special word for adultery, which is called sexual misconduct. But then again, due to sexual misconduct or adultery, we see that there are types of karmas whose result could be experienced in this life or life alone.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Now, according to the scriptures, Buddhist scriptures, it is said that one of the direct consequence of adultery is that one will keep losing one's own wife or husband for over many times. So we know today that there are people who ended up losing their wives or husbands many times, right?
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Normally, we find also conflicts within the partner, which is mostly-- I mean, which is often based on financial problems. Because one may have used more money than the others, and so somehow it can be a source of conflict between the two often.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Of course, when we initially get married-- being because both were new to each other so they were both very excited, and then they will smile almost all the time.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And then after a while when they get used to each other, then slowly they'll just-- the one will judge the other, and the other will judge the other person. That way it is a constant judgment, judging each other.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And then there's a whole series of suspicions again. When one talks to someone else, then the other person gets suspicious about it. So there's whole series of suspicion, doubts, and so forth.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And then the complexions will start to get darker and darker.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: But then as soon as a problem arises that has to do with having an affair with someone, then that's often a very decisive thing for both to go on their own ways. And that's, again, one of the direct or the immediate negative consequences of adultery.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And many of the problems that exist between couple is mainly due to adultery.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, if we acknowledge and truly see that adultery is very bad and that it does create much problem for oneself and others, then you will not actually look at it as something good. Therefore, one will develop the wish to abandon it slowly.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because you do not acknowledge your own problem to be a problem, that's why you can't really have the basis for transforming your mind.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because when you look around and see that there were many problems due to adultery, and then you should be able to understand that those incidents are actually ways of teaching you to realize that it is truly something bad, and that you will be able to gradually develop a sense of not wanting to do it again.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Another obvious problem of adultery is then today. For instance, normally when people are around early 30s through middle 30s, they were mostly engaged or involved with the habit of having affairs with many different people. And then afterwards, as they grow and then they soon realize when they get to early 40s, they realize that it's time for marriage.
And then they wish to have a baby, and therefore it remind them for marriage. But once they have baby, then gradually due to the strong habit that they had in the past, it will be difficult for both of the people to really stay pure. And therefore, it is often out of such affair, which can be the source and the basis for divorce.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Adultery is mainly caused by intense attachment, and anger is another problem.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And I don't think many people, particularly here in the West, know really well about what attachment is.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And attachment is never about liking each other. Or loving each other is just not necessarily entail attachment all the time.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, joy is another term which is often similar to love. And therefore, it is completely different from attachment.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Buddhas are those who are fully enlightened and are fully endowed with powerful compassion and love towards all sentient beings without the slightest tinge of attachment.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So now attachment here, for instance, we can take an example of a flower. A flower does simply have some beauty from it's own side. Say, 5% of beauty is truly there in the flower, itself. And then-- but when we look at it, we tend to multiply, impose more beauty on it, and then tend to make it more beautiful than it's actual beauty. That's how we tend to exaggerate, and put on more qualities onto it, and then make it appear really beautiful to you. That's when attachment is generated.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And the powerful attachments tend to look towards attractive objects in 100% beautiful.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And because it tends to look at things beyond its beauty, natural beauty, that's why often attachment is considered as exaggerating mind as well as delusion mind.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: For instance, if you like someone, then you-- if you are fully attached to that person, then up close you will see the other person to be 100% beautiful and attractive. And under such circumstances, you won't be able to see any fault in the person at all.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Therefore, it is out of such powerful attachment you then create all kinds of karmas, actions, and it is out of these actions you tend to experience many unpleasant experiences.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: It probably would be a good time to discuss if you have any questions.
AUDIENCE: Could Geshe Dawa please speak about the statue, here, beside him?
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Looks like this statue is a statue of Buddha Vajrasattva.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And this is particularly a Buddha of purification. Therefore, if you were to practice into this Buddha, then you can definitely purify many negativities.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And there are many practice manuals, that are called sadhanas, that deals with the practice of purification involving this deity, with Vajrasattva. And there is also empowerment that you'll receive. So it is through the combination of receiving the empowerment and also going through those practice can help you to purify and inform some negativities.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And we normally hear that there aren't any negativities that cannot be purified if we were bring the force of the full remedies or the remedy of powers.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And if we were able to conjoin those four remedial powers with the practice of Buddha Vajrasattva, then there aren't any negativities that cannot be purified fully.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Any other questions?
AUDIENCE: There are injustices in the world, not the least being in Tibet, itself. What is the appropriate mental condition in order to strive against those injustices?
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah, I think this is something that relates to what I've said earlier because by observing those injustice and so forth, then you should see those things as a problem. And therefore, you need to realize that you should never engage in such injustice. That would be the first practical approach.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah. So if you see those things as a fault and problem, then you need to realize that you shouldn't be involved with it.
AUDIENCE: But how do we work to stop it? I mean, like, we have right now a very bad government that is, you know, murdered over a million people. I mean, how do we stop that and still not anger inside?
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Although it is often very hard for anybody to fight back against the government because they are truly very powerful. And probably what you can do for the time being is to practice some patience.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: There is a major difference in the power between you and the government.
AUDIENCE: I'm just wondering how long you've been studying, what monastery you're originally from, and what are your thoughts about the Dalai Lama's visit?
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: My story my not necessarily help anybody.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah. I don't see any special purpose in telling you my story, because it may not necessarily benefit anybody.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah. I mean, what benefit would you expect from my story?
[GESHE DAWA LAUGHING]
AUDIENCE: How long you've persevered shows there's hope for us.
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because if I were to tell you my story, then it'll be all about escaping from Tibet. That we were beaten badly by Chinese, and then we were forced to leave Tibet and go to India in exile. And then we met the Indians and we lived there. They were kind.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: I personally think that it would be far more fruitful and also productive to talk more about what is love, what is compassion, rather than talking about the type of nose you have. And that kind may not necessarily serve any purposes at all, I think.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Because if you were to ask me instead, how do we practice love, how do we practice compassion, and what are the experiences that you go through when you practice compassion love, could make me feel slightly more comfortable because I have a lot of talk about these things.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: If you instead ask me something like, you have a bulky nose, pointed nose, then what's so special about a pointed nose, and such may not necessarily make much sense.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yes.
AUDIENCE: We're told that people that we want to avoid, that we should consider them a treasure and a teacher. And yet I also read that if we are not strong enough to avoid anger, then it's OK to avoid that person because we do more damage to ourselves and that person. So unless we're strong enough-- so, I'm reading two different things, and I'm just wondering what Geshe Dawa thinks.
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah. Your question does seem to imply that you had some sense of what the mind training is about.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So it is said that, if you are someone who is very successful in counteracting delusions, then it should be-- you should associate more with people. But instead, if you do not have that kind of power and strength, then it would be better to keep yourself away from the people just for the time being.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Just as it is said that if you are someone who is a beginner, then you should give yourself distance from someone who may have much anger and hatred. Because that's mainly due to your inability to counteract anger, and hatred, and so forth. So therefore, for such person, it would be far better to keep yourself distant and away from such people. That's why it is primarily meant for beginners when they start practicing.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: But then, from a different perspective of practice, what we find is that anger, for instance, on someone whom you may consider as an external enemy, could be actually a perfect source for you to develop patience. That's because it is out of such anger in the minds of the person gives you the opportunity to practice patience, developing tolerance, and so forth.
That's why under such circumstances, from a just different perspective, to associate with enemy can usually bring you much benefit.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: It is also said then that enemies are like our own spiritual teachers. This is because of providing you with a special opportunity to develop patience when you are being provoked through his or her behaviors. That's why there is often an expression in scriptures that enemies should be viewed like your own teacher.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Thank very much for your question, and you seem to have some familiarity with the mind training.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Anymore questions? Yes, please.
AUDIENCE: I don't have familiarity with the mind training. It's quite foreign to me. But when you speak of love and compassion, is this love tinged with a kind of sadness? When you look at others, you think, poor, trapped creature. Why don't you see who I am, who we are? And there's a sadness to this that they have not yet seen this kind of connective love and oneness between us?
INTERPRETER: I didn't get the end part. Could you repeat that, please?
AUDIENCE: I'm sorry?
INTERPRETER: You said something about an animal being trapped, did you say?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
INTERPRETER: Could you repeat that, please, all together?
AUDIENCE: When you look at another person, there are-- over the years, if you have spent many years in meditation, sometimes it happens. You will look at another person and you will see that they are very unhappy, and you understand why.
And you think, you poor, trapped person. Trapped in yourself. Why don't you see who I am, who you are, who we are? And you feel such sadness for them and love for them. Is that what compassion is, the sad love? Because the person doesn't understand, doesn't see who we really are.
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: You do often come across this feeling of sadness along with compassion that you have for someone.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And that kind of sadness is a very fruitful sadness.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: But then normally, we are full of sadness that are meaningless. But then therefore, it is always worthwhile to have more of the sadness that are meaningful.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So it would be somewhat like taking medications. That you do so involuntarily, right? You do not like it, but you are forced to do it because you know the benefit of taking the medication.
Likewise, when we eat a hot food, it has some benefit to your body. Even though we find it very hard when we chew it, it's very hot and burning, but then we still endure through, enjoying the meal because of the benefit we get from eating such food. So likewise, meditation or compassion does involve sadness, but that sadness is something that is very productive.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And just as when we go through surgery, we go through some pain in our body, but then we still endure through those pains because of seeing the benefit of it. Likewise, when we meditate on love and compassion, we do feel sadness and so forth, but those are sadness that are very meaningful. Should be adopted more.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
AUDIENCE: Can Geshe-la talk about joys after-- you know, just in terms, after the sadness of joyous effort?
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: After compassion, then what we normally see is a great many prosperities in terms of harmony between many groups. That people will be more mutually happy. So there are many good, positive results of compassion, which are truly a source of much joy.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Should be the last question. OK.
AUDIENCE: So much in our Western culture encourages duality, and yet there is so much benefit in seeing things in a non-dualistic way. So what suggestions are encouragements would you make for when we're confronted with so much of it in our culture to find ways to see through it more quickly?
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah, I think here the ultimate view, just as described in Buddhism, should be the one that has been described by great Indian master Nagarjuna. OK?
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: And the notion of non-duality has to be understood within the context of emptiness, just as taught by Nagarjuna, where you see the interconnectedness of everything.
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Yeah. I wasn't sure exactly when you talked about non-duality against duality, all right? So what are you talking about? Reality or non-duality in terms of what exactly?
AUDIENCE: In terms of our culture and so much good-evil, black-white,
INTERPRETER: Oh, I see.
AUDIENCE: We like things in extremes.
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: Of course, we can mix between the two, good and bad, you know, but we should not view bad as something absolute bad in an absolute way. Likewise, the good shouldn't be viewed as good in an absolute way. But nor can we make good into bad and bad into good either, right?
GESHE DAWA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
INTERPRETER: So therefore, we can't just look at those patterns and think of them to be good, and vise versa.
[APPLAUSE]
TED ARNOLD: So thanks, everyone, for coming. And I should point out that on the 11th, which is one week from tonight, the cafe will be closed again for a question and answer session with David Patt, who is a Buddhist studies scholar, Robert Frank, who most of you know as an economist here, who's worked with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and one of the Namgyal monks, who draws the short straw, who will be there to answer any questions. And we'll have another spread? OK. Great. And there'll be food there, as well.
AUDIENCE: What time is that?
TED ARNOLD: Oh, 6:30 for that night. So for those of you who have any questions related to the Dalai Lama's visit, please do come up for that.
In this introduction to the mind training (lojong) tradition, Geshe Dawa explains the history and practice of mental transformation. Coming from early Indian Buddhist masters, this important, practical tradition became central to all the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The most sophisticated and rigorous system of positive psychology ever devised, the mind training teachings uphold phenomenological existence while denying any underlying essence, thereby providing a powerful tool for both simple and profound change.
The talk marks the opening of "Bridging Worlds: Buddhist Words and Works," an exhibition in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 2007 visit.
