Transcript
01:03
Khentrul Rinpoche:Okay, so first, why we are here? We want to be happy. But when we say happy, I think we have to think something is a broader view. Because when we say happiness, probably different people have different interpretations. But we should not think about just a little pleasure. Yeah, we should not think something small. Happiness is something we should think something mental well-being. And, go beyond that. If that way, then happiness is everybody need. Is not exceptions. There's no exceptions. So who is not here, it's not the reason they don't need happiness. Just be aware of that first.
And then we make some simple categories of happiness first. Let's say conditional happiness and non-conditional happiness. All happiness is should be included in that. It's nothing excluded.
But when we say unconditional happiness, we have to understand… is conditional or non-conditional is only difference degrees. Degrees only difference. But almost not possible this absolute unconditional happiness, okay. And then as much as unconditional, you know less conditional, and then is much better. And it's too much conditional, then is less happy. The quality of happiness is much less. So try to understand that.
So you understood? Yeah? Okay, so now, now we can make categories from these two categories, okay? And then each category of this, which type of the happiness is better than the other happiness. We have to compare like that. So this is a process to understanding what is, you know, more quality of the happiness.
So let's say first, you can say happiness is the… one happiness is this mental, not mental sorry, the five senses; pleasures. You know, five sensory pleasures. So which means this happiness is very dependent on five senses, what you experience through the five senses. So this happiness we consider is not the great happiness, the least happiness. Why? Because it's not… it is not you cannot enjoy through the five senses. Of course you can. Of course you can enjoy through the five senses. But the quality, quality is less. Which means, if we have something material, very beautiful looks like, but bad quality, you know, that kind of.
So why is not good quality? Because too much condition, conditional. So your happiness is really, really depending what your five senses can experience. So that kind of happiness is very unpredictable, unstable, and if you didn't get the five sensory pleasures, then you have nothing to holding on.
So the modern world is very much dependent on these habits. Especially looking on your phone almost 24/7.
[The impeccable timing of a mobile phone ringing in the audience causes everyone to laugh]
This is five sensory happiness!
So, okay, so we consider this happiness… [audio cuts out for approximately five seconds] … not saying, nobody needs this. Also, not saying you never gain great happiness from five senses, we’re not saying that. But in general, this is the least happiness quality.
Okay, so the second level of the happiness, I call… this is not instructional my book. This book is written, wrote in maybe fifteen years ago, so today my structure is new. But I'm sure you can relevant, relevant this. So I call ego competition happiness, okay. Ego competition happiness. So this is not is dependent on your five senses, not totally, but more ego; ego driving.
So this happiness is only you get, you something you can compare. This is a lot of majority people dependent on this happiness. It's not absolutely you need something, but you want to compare, you want compete. You want to compare and you want to compete because your ego said, “do that”.
So this also very much conditional happiness because we always think, “I will be very happy if I have this”. So everything is if, if, if, you know. “I will be very happy if I have this job”. “I'm very happy if I have this status”. “I am very happy if I have this recognition”. “I am very happy if I have this much wealth, and if I have this kind of relationship, then I'm happy”. Everything is if if if if. So you’re comparing. And also, you will always happy you compare somebody, and then you are better than this. But you always unhappy you compare somebody else, you're less.
11:54
Then why this is little bit better than five sensory happiness? Why? The only reason a little bit better is there is some other qualities involved. Other mental factors, such as like determination, enthusiasm, you know, how to say? These things involved, then a little bit better. Why? Because you not get happiness only after the result, but when you’re doing this ego, how do you say? Ego commanded you to do this, and try to achieve this, compete somebody. Ego only tell you that and then you try to serve the ego, but you have not enough determination and you know like, [?], you're not strong enough basically. And then is difficult. But if you are strong enough to compete and try to achieve this, and then … [audio cuts out for approximately twenty-three seconds]… you, you know you forgot unhappiness.
But the five sensory pleasure ones, when you didn't get these five senses pleasure then you are depressed very easily. Because you don't have other factors that support you. But this one is a little bit better, if there is other metal factors involved. So when you get, when you win the competition, you are very happy, but a very short time. Only short time. Sometimes you don't even get that because … [audio cuts out for approximately thirteen seconds]… If you are really strong, working hard, you're not very happy, but you’re also not very unhappy. You’re not completely depressed, basically. So that's why you know. That's why a little bit better. But still ego serving, you know, you are servant for the ego. So that's why. You're taking your own freedom through ego. Ego taking your freedom. So that's why it's not, it's not perfect.
So, the majority humans happiness is really dependent on these two. These two types of happiness. Only get that. I mean people didn't learn how to be happy properly. For those people I'm saying, you know. When [I say] didn't learn, doesn't mean you have to learn from a teacher, or book. Some people just naturally learn and some people need teacher, book. But as long as you’re not learning, you just normal human being’s expectation and this imagination life is become better, better, always something, you looking for always better. And that kind of, you know, typical human beings only these two types of happiness you can get. So this very much conditional. But even… conditional means there is no guarantee. There's no guarantee happiness you try to achieving. But the second one you’re not too extremely unhappy through the process. Of course there’s differences, some people have not much other mental factors. And then yes, differences, but in general.
So now the third level of happiness. I would say you get happiness from acceptance, you know. Acceptance is the really important. Because the most of unhappiness from we not accepting what the situation, or whatever you say, your karma, or your you know, your destiny, or whatever you call. You’re not accepting the reality.
So, some people have naturally accepting mind. So this kind of people, less suffering and more happiness. Think about this, you know, like ego competition, even you had strength, you can, you still you can have the ego competition. But who is not accepting one, when you compete you lost, don't accept. But this one, you’re accepting. You’re competing the same thing, but the result you accepting; the loser. You lost, or your obstacles, all of them you accepting. So that means some degree, more degrees you are happier. Happier means less suffering. The only differences, you accept the reality. You accept the worst scenario.
And then, the next, fourth, yeah? Fourth level of happiness, there's four? Yes, fourth happiness. Fourth level of happiness, you not only accepting, but you understanding. You understand what is the life is. You know, what is the life and death. You can say bardo, whatever, this cycle, you understand. So there's differences, you accepting without understanding, or you … [audio cuts out for approximately fifteen seconds]… without understanding means you accepting when there’s no choice. That time you’re only accepting. So that means until you didn't have any other choices, until then, you have expectations.
But who understanding the nature of reality, for them, you’re not expecting anything absolutely. You could be incredible enthusiastic and determined, try to achieving something, looking for that achievement, many things. But the same time, you understand this could be go very, very wrong and turn the opposite result. And you know from the beginning. I mean, you know means is not predicting. But you know the possibility. So that's why when everything goes wrong, and yeah, when you lost, or obstacles, whatever happens, your suffering is much less than the others.
So that's why sometimes the so-called happiness, I don't know the exact word, but it's very high and then possibility very low.
Audience member: Extreme?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yes, extreme. What you call it? Influ? You know the... sometimes the market, what you call?
Audience member: Flux? Fluctuation?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Fluctuation, I don't know. Whatever. Like this possibility, here like this. [Rinpoche moves his arm quickly up and down] Up and down, too much up and down. But when you are steady, you understand the life nature, and you appreciate every moment. That kind of mental attitude. Then you’re not incredible “ahhhhh” enjoy, but you’re always steady. So the steady life, and then up and down, very happy, this one, together compare, and then the steady one much better. Much appreciate, much quality. So that's why I say understanding the life, understand the nature, understand the consequences whatever you do.
And also, we have to understand the consequences bigger than, you know, what we think. Which means that we have to understand karma. You know karma, karmic propensity, karmic actions. Which means really in this path you have to understand very extensively the karma. When you understand karma, you understand life. Why? And also you don't blame anybody because you’re not expecting any god, or anybody helping you and rescue you. And also you’re not blaming anything, all you're unfortunate to somebody else's fault, because you understand the cycle. So that's why. You have no inner complaining so that's why your life is steady. Your, you know, your happiness is steady.
So that's why five sensory happiness, ego competition happiness, accepting happiness through the acceptance of the life, and happiness to understanding the life, nature of the life, these four, all of them conditional happiness. But one other less conditional. Not too much on condition. You know, let's say, you’re dependent, your life is dependent completely on your family, or let's say, your life is completely dependent on your, something external conditions. Or you're not dependent on external conditions, but your own capacity. Still conditional, you know, your own capacity. Maybe you can drive yourself, you can, you know, many things you can do for yourself. It's still conditional but it’s... you see? Everything you can do yourself is better than dependent others, so similar the happiness.
Of course, everything is dependent on cause and conditions, but you depending on external conditions like five sense pleasures means mostly, you know, five sense objects is external. Ego competition, ego is inside, it's not outside. So that's why a little bit better. And then your acceptances is better because your ego is not completely ignorance and arrogant. Instead you are a little bit humble. You have acceptance means you are humble So we know, we like humble people, we don't like arrogant people.
Audience member: That’s the truth.
Khentrul Rinpoche: It's very similar So inner humbleness and you know, and inner arrogant, very different. Different result, different consequences.
And then, you understanding the nature of life, which means really, you understanding the impermanence, nature of the impermanence, the nature of unpredictable. Or you can say you understand the interdependence of the life. So that kind of wisdom, that’s kind of wisdom, so that's why it's better. So wisdom we need everywhere. Whatever degree of wisdom, even a little degree of wisdom is always helpful. Without this wisdom, even your love, even your compassion, not very beneficial all the time. You need companion of the wisdom. You know. So that's why.
All of them conditional, but conditional different ways. And that's why we can say, comparatively we can say the last, last ones, the higher, higher level ones, we can say unconditional. It's not totally unconditional, but is comparatively unconditional So that's why I say from beginning, I say conditional happiness, unconditional happiness. Unconditional happiness better. Why? Because you are not so much dependent, not 100% dependent on circumstances. You have inner ability to be happy yourself, not totally dependent on circumstances. Okay.
So, and then the question, is there any absolute unconditional happiness? Is exist? So the answer is yes. The answer is yes. But you can say, is that achievable? Is anybody can achieve? How much if we buy? Maybe that question you have, you know. I mean, that kind of question can anybody have. The answer is no, you cannot buy by material price. No, not possible. Even not necessarily you achieve through your determination and ego driving. Ego driving definitely not achieving that happiness, not possible But is your determination, let's say, let's say, let's say there is something, incredible determination, enthusiastic without ego, can we achieve this? Still, still probably not. Okay?
So that is sounds very difficult, right? You can't buy. Billions, billions you can pay, you can't buy, right? No matter how you are determined and brave, you know, you can't achieve. Okay, then what we do? We have to generate the pure love, and the pure compassion, and the pure wisdom. Through this, then is possible. But even these three, not together, [only] one of them, no, not possible. Okay, even the love? No. Why? Because there is no perfect love without wisdom There is no perfect love without compassion. That's why.
So when I say this, sounds familiar to you. You’ve got some idea, “oh, okay. I know what is love. I know what is compassion. Okay, I know what is wisdom”. Do you think that? Because you hear so many times. Especially you talk like that kind of spiritual, you know, philosophy. You’ve heard many times, you’ve read many times in books. So, I have explanation of the love and compassion, wisdom, very extensively in the books. I still I have more than the books. But if we say very briefly today, we have to understand first, love and compassion, wisdom, all inseparable. If is real, then is inseparable. Okay. But, if is real and complete, then is inseparable.
But normally people have only contaminated love, contaminated compassion, contaminated wisdom, only that. And we think this is real wisdom, real love, real compassion. That's the problem. That’s why we cannot achieve the great happiness through this love and compassion, and even wisdom. Why we didn't achieve? Because is not pure, real, complete of those. Is just only some kind of contaminate.
So if I explain a little bit, let's say love. We have to understand what is love means exactly. Love is giving, giving nature. Radiate nature. Radiate light, radiate warmth, radiate kindness. But, think about our so-called love, is like this? You may think, “oh, yes”. Yes, you think yes because there is some degree is really love. That's why you think yes. But is anything contaminated with this? Is there any attachment? Grasping? Possessiveness? Is compete? Is contaminated with this? Then maybe you think, “oh yeah. Maybe yes”. So that's the problem. You know when the water, very dirty water contaminate, toxins, if we think is very clean, healthy water and then you drink it, what will happen? Similar, the contaminated love, we think, “oh, this is really love and so nice”. Then later we have problem.
And similarly, the compassion, our idea of compassion is you understand the other people's suffering, and you really feel it, and you feel the suffering. That we think is compassion. Somebody not feel it, don't care other people’s suffering, but another person really care and feel this suffering, they share this, this is great compassion we think. So, I'm not saying this is not compassion. It is but not the real true and complete.
Love and compassion, we have to understand like masculine and feminine nature. When we say masculine and feminine, we have to understand this masculine and feminine nature is in many levels. Many levels means the most obvious level, male and female. They’re so different. Are separated, but they need each other. But other levels within ourselves, within every individual you have both, that's why you function. So love and compassion is like that, if is real. But not balanced, and then is not working very well. So just like we are unhealthy, we miss some… you know, different traditions they have different names. Not, basically not balanced your health so your body not function well. The consequence is sickness and suffering. Similarly, this love and compassion. Not union very well, not balanced, then not 100% function and not 100% beneficial.
If you separated different aspects, then this love is feminine, and this compassion is masculine. So masculine part should be courageous nature, The feminine part is an incredible giving, nurturing. When we say giving, you can say giving birth. You know, giving birth is a huge giving, right? So that kind of nature together then works so well. So usually, we don't have this love and compassion, we don't have that. We have only contaminated one.
Why we only have contaminated one? We never have this? The answer is no, we had. Temporarily we don't have. Temporarily. Why we don't have temporarily? Because we have too much distracted. We are too distracted means we are too conditional. We become too conditional, too much relying on external things So you lost your own nature.
So that's why unconditional happiness, you have to connect your own nature. Your own ultimate reality. Not this temporary surface of the ego of you. Not ego. Ego of us means the surface us. So the ultimate truth, the ultimate our self is perfect, this love and compassion union very well. Okay, so if we connect with this and then, then you can call absolute unconditional happiness. Or you can call eternal happiness, or whatever you want to call it. Or you can say immutable bliss, or whatever you want to call it. Is something unchangeable, not conditional. That's why you can't buy, and you cannot chasing. You have to realise. You have different approach. Not the other happiness approach.
So then you say, “okay, tell me in one minute that approach”. So why we say that? Because we get used to too much machines and internet, everything instant result. We get used to that. That's why you, we lost all patience. So we think, “I want now!”. But unfortunately, this is not, you cannot have it, “I want now”. You have to do the opposite. Everything you have to undo it. It's not the way of what we’re doing, what we get used to.
So, we could say this we can do a little bit steps through the meditation. Through the meditation. So then you can think, “okay, what is meditation?” Or you already think, “I know what is meditation. What is meditation, I know”. But maybe you don't know meditation, you only know some approach of the meditation. So when you know meditation very well, that means you are already directing to the, you know, the unconditional happiness. But if you know only some approach of meditation and then, it's still better than nothing.
So this is I am going to teach tomorrow; the meditation. So you can bring tomorrow all of your ideas on meditation, and yeah, we can discuss. I'm not saying my way of meditation is the best. I'm not saying that. But we can compare a little bit, because we get used to compare. We don't compete, but we can compare.
So, what time now?
Yeshe Wangmo: Eight o’clock.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay one hour?
Yeshe Wangmo: Yeah.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay, usually I talk one hour, and then I let discuss half an hour. So we can do that now. You can have question, or you can have, can say your opinions and yeah, you can have, you can challenge me. I will be not angry. I will not angry with you, okay?
Yeshe Wangmo: Does anyone have any questions?
Audience member: I would like to know what your aspirational prayers are and how I can support that?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Aspirational?
Audience member: Yes, what do you wish for?
Yeshe Wangmo: She wants to know what you wish for, and how to support your aspirations.
Khentrul Rinpoche: My aspirations?
Yeshe Wangmo: Yeah, how can she support your aspirations and what are they?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay. My aspirations too big. But I can have small, I can have big, you know. But my aspiration is changing education. The whole world education. Education system, I want to change. I wish I can change it.
So why? Because all education I see as already… let's say, not only education sorry, all strategies of happiness and well-being we’re doing in the world, I see as… we have sickness and we’re treating our symptoms, but not treating the roots, the illness. So the only way you can treating illness, through the education. Not just education in a few groups and few people talking something different, not enough. Have to change the whole primary, the education system have to change. That is the key points. That’s I wish, that's I wish for. Thank you.
Audience member: So if I understand your teaching correctly, to be able to get out of sadness and hopelessness, to be able to do that you have to be accepting? Is that how you would guide someone? To be accepting of...
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yeah, so,
Yeshe Wangmo: Can you repeat the question for the online? Can you just repeat the question for people online?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay, so okay, if I understood you say how overcome sadness...
Audience member: And despair, depression.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Despair and depression.
Audience member: Is to learn accepting. That’s what I got from you.
Khentrul Rinpoche: So is the acceptance, right?
Audience member: Because that can be so heavy for one person.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yeah, so we have to understand who we are, you know. If we try to look who we are, and usually … [audio cuts out for approximately two seconds]… who we are. We kind of, we are kind of layers of like onion. All these layers, layer is habit. We are just layers of habit, habituation, habituation patterns. We are not this body. We are not just mind. We are not brain. We are just layers of habit. First, I think we have to understand this.
Layers of habit, you know, means who you are. First we have human being habit. Then we have you know, whatever nationality you are, how you born, whatever culture, what your education. All layers. Everything is layers, habit. So usually we can think these habit patterns is just habit patterns, which means you can change. It's not something solid.
So if we understand that and then, where this sadness come from? Where the depression come from? It's only this habit This habit, this certain habit says, “oh, you’re no good. You’re no good”. Which means you comparing already You comparing somebody else, or many of, and you just said, “oh you’re no good”. There is no such thing good and bad if you don't compare. But we have such long habit to compare. And then we have such long habit to idea, “oh this is good. This is bad. Oh, I'm sad because of this so bad”. So all of them if you understand is just habits, layers of habits, you know. There is no essence. There is no solid. Just only layers of habit, and you triggered, triggered from this habit.
So we try to understand, break down, you know. I hope that way, one way you are accepting, you know. Before I said, remember when I said accepting without understanding, and accepting with understanding. So that's also difference, remember? So even you accepting without understanding is far better than, million, trillion times better than not accepting. But if you understand, accepting with understanding… with understanding means, “oh, of course! This is just a habit. This is only impermanent, everything nature. It's nothing special. It's not good or bad, just nature”. “But...”Oh, yes, but…”. Probably in your voice, voice in your head say, “oh, yes but…”. Yes, but, but but. When we say but, you are taking away from the habit. Habit say, habit say, “oh they already told you, they already brainwashed you. You meant to have to be this This is good, this is bad, everything. That's why you’re not good bah bah bah”. Don't listen this habit. Don't listen this habit. Try to be yourself. Be nature, you know? Yeah.
Audience member: Thank you, thank you.
Audience member: Can you give us a preview about tomorrow’s meditation, you’re going to teach?
Yeshe Wangmo: He wants a preview. He wants to know a little bit about what you’ll do tomorrow.
Khentrul Rinpoche:Oh, that’s secret! Yeah?
Audience member: I’ve been a student of Buddhism for many years and I know there’s a lot of Buddhists in Eugene and I'm really happy because I think the Dharma has really brought a wonderful gift to the West. And I think now more than ever, because this deep acceptance is going to be sort of, it's something we need to do in community and I really appreciate Scott for having us.
Because there's so much wisdom that the Eastern cultures have brought to America, and now the West is floundering to find happiness and we are, you know, the education systems have educated, and I agree with you about education. The main, you know, the idea of a sacred cosmology I think is critical because you have it…it's very similar to the Native Americans. All life is sacred and that's wisdom.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yes.
So first meditation, I can't teach you tomorrow’s subject today, but I can, the only thing I can tell you, I can guarantee you’ll not regret if you come tomorrow. Is that good enough? Okay.
Second, second the comments, yes, I agree. Yeah, you know, these native people, I don't know them, but I heard they are not very unhappy, right? They are okay. They don't have suicide, yeah? So, my guess, if they thinking everything is sacred, so that means there's some respect, right? So when we say respect, appreciation, gratitude, is causes of happiness. We don't respect, we don't appreciate anything, we forgot, you know, and then causes unhappiness. So that's why maybe, yeah, okay. Next?
Audience member:I understand that our life situations are not reflective of our true nature, but we live in a time where it's becoming increasingly more challenging keeping our life situations together on a practical basis. I’m talking about the economy of keeping a roof over your head and basic needs met.
And in situations like this, sometimes, sometimes the mind can project into an unknown future and then a lot of concerns can arise. I understand that our minds tend to project into the future or into the past, and our mind has a tendency in doing that to sometimes compromise our sense of gratitude and our sense of joy. But nevertheless, it does happen and I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for strengthening that part of us that isn't fearful of an unknown future?
Khentrul Rinpoche: So we have to, we have to generate, or we can say reconnect our compassion. So when I say this, compassion, it means braveness, not the compassion of feeling sad one. It's not that one. It's braveness. So braveness, this brave, the courageous nature.
Which means I'm sure you guys may be familiar with the name called bodhicitta, right? So bodhicitta means you have to understand is courageous nature. So when we talk about our future and economy, or this problem worry, that is not courageous nature, you know. So we lack of courageous. That's the problem. That's mainly lack of compassion. So this masculine nature, you know this perfect masculine nature, courageous nature, we need that. We have to reconnect this. We can say, we can say generate, or we can in better words we say, we reconnect with this. We remind ourselves, “I am bodhicitta. I am bodhisattva. Why I took vows of bodhisattva? Why I think all sentient being’s benefits?”. When you think of all sentient beings, the ultimate benefits, you not carried by worry about that, you know, like temporary small problems. Because you understand the nature. You are so determined, the ultimate aim. So yeah.
Everything I think that we worry and everything too much, is all come from the habit tendencies, you know. How we taught, the society what told us You know, you have to think of twenty-four hours include television and what told you? That told you Dharma? Or opposite?
Audience member: Opposite.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yes, the opposite telling you. That's why a little bit all become difficult because all of this. You build layers of these habit patterns. What they told you. So, which means you are weak, is taking away from the your own roots. You're the best roots, the true roots, okay, the buddha nature. I hope this may answer.
Audience member: Thank you.
Audience member: So this understanding, acceptance with understanding, is this truly dependent upon belief in karma?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yeah, understanding karma is help a lot. But if you can go further, more than karma, then we have to understand interdependent nature, all is illusion, emptiness, all this stuff. That's furthermore, furthermore go, more than karma. But I think it’s good enough to understanding karma, is far more good enough. Yes.
Yes?
Audience member: I always deeply enjoy the logical mind of the Tibetan tradition, thinking about these things it helps to approach, or go in an orderly fashion.
But I was thinking about your definitions of happiness and it reminded me of a group of very American people called Shakers. I don't know if you knew about them. But they had a belief that this lifestyle was very simple, created things like our brooms, a number of our chairs and things like that that people still use. Very simple and very functional.
But they had a song that said, “come contentment, lovely guest, ring unbridled in my breast, thou alone will do”. And it sounds like your concept of happiness is a little bit more like that. That that alone, the rest of it goes something like, “that alone will heal my soul. Every passion will control, when the stormy billows blow, thou will bear me through”. And it sounds to me like that's more in the end kind of happiness that you're speaking of. Not sudden joy.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay.
Audience member: And that's a Western tradition.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yeah, so you know, I have the book called "Ocean of Diversity", when I try to study these things, I don't understand, I don't remember all traditions, their differences. I mean, like even Christian, by itself, so many inside different branches. So it's not possible I remember all of them, not possible. And also place, names, no possible remembering. Even I researched, try to write book many, many years, but what I realized, so I can argue with any other religion and to defeat them. But if I don't decide to argue and defeat them, I realized everybody talking about same thing, if I interpret different way. So, some may have a simple explanation. Some have more detailed explanation. But you can see they are the same, if you decide in that way. It's flexible. You can make contradict, or you can make they are the same.
So, in that case, of course many, many layers, many, many surface are very different. But the essence, if you take very well, if you understand very well, I think just everybody talking the same. Whether you call God, or whether you call, you know soul, spirit, atman, self, buddha nature, tatagatagarbha, whatever you call. It's different names. You can understand the same, same nature. So in that case, of course the ultimate happiness also same. The problem is that everybody have different names and different way of explanation and then everybody have different interpretations. Depend your interpretation, you know. Okay.
Audience member: Thank you for being here Rinpoche.
You mentioned I believe, the masculine was associated with compassion, and feminine with love. And you mentioned also the third part, which was wisdom.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yes.
Audience member: And just a guess, what would that one be? Would it be the union? Or something else?
Khentrul Rinpoche: The wisdom always refer to the female, feminine. And that time, the compassion is referred to masculine. The love is inseparable of the compassion. Okay? But when we talking about love and compassion, we not, we put the wisdom aside for a while, then you can talk love and compassion is like male and female, yeah.
For instance, you know like the love and compassion is like exactly the same nature, different aspects. Wisdom, a little bit different. But if you go further more, look deeper, then wisdom also are different aspects. More deeper level. That's why refer to the feminine. And the compassion, they don't call love that time, just say compassion. The compassion is referred to the masculine, masculine nature.
So, you know in the Vajrayana, we have like these unions. That time, that masculine part always say compassion, or sometimes don't call it compassion, sometimes call it methods. Methods and wisdom. The wisdom is the feminine part and the methods is the masculine part. You see?
Methods, the compassion and you know this compassion, when we say compassion and the love, is still methods. And the wisdom is more roots. You know. The feminine part is more roots to give the humanity, you know humanity, humanity rights, right? Gave birth from the feminine. So that's why…
Let's say like this, another way you have to think about, wise men know how to use tools. But the ignorance man, don't know how to use the tools. So the wise, is the feminine part and… let’s say, our mind, the wise, the knowledge, you can say knowledge, you know. The knowledge is the feminine, then how to use the tools, you can say the masculine. Together they do very well. But if you don't know how to use the tool, tool just there. It's not powerful. You have to know how to use. So like that.
Audience member: What is your definition of discipline and its practice?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yeah, okay. Discipline, nobody like. Nobody like is discipline. Just joking.
Yeah, I think discipline is depend on how you see. You know like, if you’re driven by, you know like, driven by inspiration, then discipline is very easy. And if you don't have inspiration, and you see as like rule, obligation, and then becomes harder. So the definition depend how you like. You like inspirational way of making definition? Or you want to make, you know the rules, the law. Sometimes like government rules you don't like, you don't want for, but you have to follow, no choice. In that way then difficult. Depend, your inspiration or not. You’re inspired or not.
We call, sometimes we call [speaks Tibetan]. Which means monasteries sometimes have a lot of rules, but depends, you know like the monk, the attitude. The monk’s attitude, “oh this is very holy, sacred, important. These rules for our liberation”. If think like that way is so easy to follow. But if they think, “oh, this is not fair. This is terrible”, and then very difficult. Then monk is prisoner. Prisoner in the monastery. Yeah, I think it really depends on attitude.
Audience member: How do you see love and discipline go together?
Khentrul Rinpoche: How do love and discipline together? So, it's really very easy because remember, the love is giving, and you know, a giving and nurturing nature. So you give nurturing is discipline is the opposition? Or helpful? Definitely helpful. So, yeah.
Audience member: You are so kind to sit with us and I just I wanted to say about the Tara, Noble Tara, the noble lady Tara. The divine feminine that exists so strongly in in Green Tara and in general, the very high teachings of the high tantra, which involve the goddess Tara. I think we really need to invoke Tara to liberate us from all of these machinations and to find our true nature is really the most, the best goal we could have is to become enlightened and to act in enlightened ways. But it seems that there's so much ignorance, the darkness of the Kali Yuga is almost overwhelming with the lack of compassion.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay, I agree. Anything else?
Yeshe Wangmo: Dedication?
Khentrul Rinpoche: Okay.
Audience member: One more Rinpoche.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Yep.
Audience member: Go ahead Scott.
Audience member: What's the nature of consciousness? [audience and Rinpoche laugh]
Audience member: Mmm hum. Perception?
Yeshe Wangmo: Perceiver.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Perceiver make sense?
Audience member: Yeah.
Khentrul Rinpoche: Able to perceive. But how much degree of truth we perceive, hmm? Different. Different story again, of course. But definitely perceiver. Something can perceive, not like rock.
So okay, so, yeah the weekend we can talk more the consciousness, and tomorrow probably a little bit more. Okay?
