Clearing Away Misconceptions about Kalachakra
Teachings in Preparation for Receiving the Kalachakra Empowerments
By Khentrul Rinpoché Jamphel Lodrö
In this two-part teaching, Rinpoché addresses the many common misconceptions preventing students from fully engaging with the Kalachakra Teachings. He also provides his own personal approach for how to work skilfully with the extraordinary wisdom presented in this system.
Why Kalachakra is the King of Tantra
These teachings were recorded in Hong Kong on March 20, 2017.
00.01
Ok today we’re going to start with questions. Do you have any questions from yesterday, the other day, or anybody new? Do you have any questions? Who is new today? New people. Have you heard Kalachakra before? From where?
(Student) From a book and another centre.
Another book and another centre. Which centre, which Lama?
(Student) I forgot
Ok Others? Others new?
(Student) From internet.
Ah, only internet. No questions?
(Student) She said like will she be born with the physical form in Shambhala, with a physical body?
No, no. Not like right now. Much finer, much finer, finer physical, not like this physical.
(Student) But is it still a physical body?
Yes still physical. Very clean, healthy, light and flexible. No limitation.
Regarding the practice of the sadhana, she asked whether she can for example, focus on mantra chanting for one day and then just focusing on the sadhana chanting for the other day?
Yes, you can do.
(Student) Will Christian or Muslim be able to be born in Shambhala?
Probably not next life no. But anybody practicing loving kindness and compassion, you contributing to connecting with Shambhala. But directly contributing, more indirect. If is not linked with Kalachakra tantra, everything you do contribute but is indirect and less chance.
(Student) Asking the…?…, if your heart is pure, your already exist yourself the pure land, similar to the …?…. sutra. The gentleman asked is it same for Shambhala, for example we keep our heart pure right now, then we can connect with the pure land right now.
Yes similar but connecting to Shambhala is very necessary to connect with the Kalachakra tantra, the Shambhala lineage. If you do that, then even if you have even less pure, there is still more chance. Because Shambhala is not 100% pure, not 100% pure. There is room have karmic link. So Amitabha pure land you have to be 100% pure otherwise almost impossible because is Buddha realm
(Student) If have already attained Kalachakra empowerment and she was told she had to practice on a daily basis otherwise she will be breaking vow, very big trouble. Is that true?
No, that is not true.
(Student) So she is worried, like today she is not allowed to practice. Is this ok?
15.15
Let’s say, no matter the children, how naughty or incapable, good parents never give up. They prefer you are of course not naughty and good and everything they prefer, but they never punish you, like kill or something serious, they don’t do that. In similar way, any Buddha Dharma practice, as long as you try, you have good intention, and you try. Your failure may have some disadvantage, bit disadvantage is much smaller than you not try, and huge better than you never try. It’s always like that. That’s why it’s not like you fail daily practice then you in big trouble, it’s not like that kind of risk.
In ancient text saying Vajrayana practice, you go up, putting the snake in the bamboo, so you go up or you go down hell, or you go Buddhahood, there is no other way. That’s what they say. That I would say is not true. Why is not true? You can think of how cannot be true, this is Buddha texts? Buddha also saying not true things for the benefit of purpose. So if we not (?) that message today, we are not civilised. It is ancient village people and modern international knowledge people. We have incredible knowledge compared. So if we still this not (?) and stuck this message, that means we are not civilised. So this message is for like village people, uneducated village people, not like us. For us, nothing is black and white, everything, good and bad is degrees. One explanation, for example, let’s say we have three levels of people. One is not very civilised, one medium civilised, one is very intelligent. Let’s say don’t steal money. If we say this, the very uneducated person, not civilised person, we have to say “don’t steal money, you will get trouble. There is camera and the police will see you and they capture you and put you in jail”. We just have to say this threaten. And then the second one, we don’t have to say these things. Basically we say, “ok, if your money somebody steal, who would you feel?”. Everybody saying like that, that’s enough, you don’t have to threaten them. That is more powerful than saying you will go to jail, they capture you. This is obvious and the most smart person you don’t have to say it, that this is somebody’s money, you just have to say. You don’t have to say “this is not for you, this is somebody’s”. That’s all you have to say. So if this person, this civilised person say “don’t steal this money, you will get trouble”. That message for them is ridiculous, it’s like that. That’s why say “oh don’t do this bad or you will go to hell, you will get huge trouble”. These things necessarily for lower people. So lower people means this message is little bit distant from the truth. It’s not 100% lying, but is distant from the truth. So thinking of Bodhicitta, even if you don’t think of Bodhicitta but you just thinking equal yourself and others and for this reason you’re not harming anybody. This is more civilised way of thoughts, rather than I will get trouble, if I don’t do I will get trouble. That is more lower way of thinking, so is distant from the truth. But if we’re thinking the other way it’s much more close to the truth
(Student) I heard the philosophy of…?…where is Shambhala? Is it three dimension, four dimension, five dimension or is it physical plane? How can I understand?
We talk Shambhala details tomorrow but the short answer. Ok Shambhala, if you say physical or not physical, the answer is yes, physical. Physical as in the course physical like our physical, no. Because our physical is very inflexible and limited and easy to get disease, it is very easy to decay and everything. It’s not like that
(Student) This gentleman asks, as far as he knows, Kalachakra is the only tantra taught by Buddha and the other is taught by Padmasambhava, but is it true?
No. ok.
11.39
The most important, most simple. When we say, we thinking ok, attend a ceremony, attend empowerment ceremony, so I have these commitments. If I don’t do I will get trouble, I will go hell or have bad luck in this life. If you’re thinking this way, is already you make very minimised, even you doing, it’s minimised benefits. Instead, not thinking I will get trouble if I not focusing. If I not prioritise the practice and then slow down my enlightenment. So, slow down enlightenment means more slow down being benefit to all sentient beings. That is much better way to think. Same way, ok, I want to be vegetarian. But why I want to be vegetarian, if I eat other people’s flesh, blood, and that is very bad and then I go to hell, it’s not good I go to lower realms. If that’s your reason, still you have benefits, but benefits you minimised. Instead you thinking eating meat is killing, contributing to killing, so I reduce this contribution. For this reason I am vegetarian, this is much better. But if somebody thinking I am going to eat meat because this poor animal already died, already killed, their flesh should be at least be useful. So if I died, if I see my flesh there, something become useful, I prefer that rather than not useful. If somebody thinking that way and eat it, if that is only reason they are eating, no other reason involved, there is virtues, merit. Can you believe that?
So everything, the most important, what is your motivation, what is your intention, the sincerity. That is the essential point of view of focus. Why? Do you understand why? Because this intention, this intention, this motivation is in our mind right. Think of like mind is like no colour, like glass, think of like that. Then any bad thoughts black colour let’s say, any other colour good colour, golden colour or whatever, arises. So whenever have good intention it arises that colour arises. So this colour arises, even arise and it goes, but there is imprint, like computer. Computer you write documents and then close, but you saved, you don’t see them, but is there. Similarly, anything arises in your mind there is impact, even gone, but it still left something, a seed. So that’s why even body, physical body is just temporary house, but the mind stream always carry whatever you’ve done. That’s why the motivation and the intention is number one important. That’s why.
15.06
So when we say karma, karma, karma, don’t think of something capture you. Something another extra entity cutting you, and punish you or capture you or help you. If good karma helps you, bad karma captures you, punish you. Not some different entity coming in, not that basically. Our mind already did some action, action means the thinking action, and then the action is gone, but they left some seed, and then saved this, saved this, more, more, and more. Whenever they have conditions, other actions contributing this condition, then they all together arises, then experience. Just like in the computer you save, save, save, save. Ok then computer disconnected, battery flat and you go somewhere a long time, a few years. And then one day you put parts together, buy battery and you find another pieces you missing, this all you found, then you’ve got electricity and you’ve have computer then you open, all conditions are ready, then all the saved ones, all come up. Same thing. Everything is just in the mind. Whenever the other conditions are ready, they just show up, show up means we experience, that’s it.
(Student) Similar to the questions we asked. If somebody practice energy works, like kabbalah work, to make the body lighter, cleansing. Does it help for the practicing…?…
Clean body?
(Student) Cleansing body, like emotional, like cleansing the heart, like energy work, like qigong we practice to help our body….
Yes qigong, yoga all these things all good, not bad. It’s all good ok. Good contribute so that’s why in the future I want for the Kalachakra practice to introduce all these things, qigong, yoga, everything. Kalachakra have yoga anyway, right now we are introducing preliminaries practice preliminaries, and when finish, slowly, slowly introduce you to more yoga. Always physical, physically if you are very good, it contributes your mind. Not physically you cannot achieve something limitless but it helps your body. Yoga means made flexible and flexible your mind, flexible your body. But the problem in the modern times, people not making flexible the mind, only flexible the body. And also it is not only just flexible to just survive, not for that reason. In ancient times yoga means…. if you have Bodhicitta, if you practice compassion, all these things is incredible, flexible your mind. So you find your mind is expanding, the capacity basically, your mind becomes very flexible and incredible strength. That is also affect your body too. Body and mind affect each other, but mind affect body even more. But modern yoga they losing the mind one, very little, some yoga’s have nothing, some yoga teachers, some yoga practices they only just physical, some have a little tiny mind focus, some have a little bit more, a little bit more, but not a lot, not enough. Definitely not have this bodhicitta and these huge ones, they don’t have it, they losing them. So if we combine together they are really good. So in simple terms we can put, everything is refining, you’re refining your body, refining your mind, refining your person, that is rea education, real training, real practice and then we incredible refined mind, refined body, refined society, refined realm, what is the Shambhala ok.
19.50
(Student) Like you mentioned before about Amitabha pure land which means people have to be 100% pure. But according to sutra, like people can go to Amitabha pure land even though they are simple so how do you explain this?
Sometimes simple is more pure, simple people is more pure sometimes. For that reason, in Buddhism you have two ways one we say ****(20.19 uses Tibetan term). Which means, not incredible intelligent but indestructible faith. This is one way. The other way you have to be incredible intelligent, incredibly intelligent. So the obstacle of normal intelligence is sometimes becomes obstacle, so that’s why who has chance is incredible intelligent or indestructible faith. Who most likely sometimes have majority is the simple people have indestructible faith, not the medium intelligence, never.
(Student) Anyway, she just asked are we training in a Buddhism way which will go to Amitabha?
Do you mean is there a way?
(Student) Because I think, I’m not sure, I personally think her question is a bit confusing.
Does anybody understand her question?
(Student) I think she said that her understanding of practice is that usually the practice is at the end is dedication to Amitabha pure land. She said had a Mahakala sadhana, dedicate to Amitabha….
Ok, ok. So does Tibetan Buddhism have Amitabha pure land practice? Yes. They always focus more lay people, lay people focus Amitabha pure land. Like who didn’t have time to study properly and these people always they already old, and no time to practice, study extensive things, they always focus Amitabha pure land. That’s one thing. The other thing if you perform phowa or somebody died and then you perform phowa, all these things, they always focus Amitabha pure land. Amitabha Buddha. And then Mahakala maybe possible because Mahakala is wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara. So Avalokiteshvara and Tara they have special…?…or kind of like way simple way, their master is Amitabha. That’s not the right term but simple way, their master is Amitabha, so that’s why they have connection.
26.16
(Student) So she has a question. When she is practicing Kalachakra, chanting the Kalachakra mantra and once she has finished the practice, she would like can she dedicate to Amitabha pure land or can only dedicate singularly to Shambhala pure land?
That is her choice. But if you focusing Kalachakra then you can choose which ever realm you want to dedicate. But in general, is Shambhala. If you are incredible advanced practitioner then doesn’t really matter, but if you are limited, then focus to Shambhala is much more easier ok. But in general, I think important to know that Kalachakra has everything. Amitabha is one other, Kalachakra is something another, is not like that. So you have to think more like Dharmakaya way and Sambhogakaya way, they are inseparable and together, it’s like that. Only Nirmanakaya way is separate. But in general in Buddhism, the view should be that people establish is that there is no contradiction. Not contraction way, is better way to take, establish as the view.
(Student) Don’t worry so much about who does…?…. Just like you are…?… Australia, England, Canada. Practice your English first and then your English is very well spoken and then…?…English…?…countries.
29.28
I give example. For instance, my main master, Lama Lobsang Trinley. He gave me his Amitabha text. Entire his life he practice, he gave to me that text, he said you teach Amitabha teaching. He told me that. But later on, I don’t teach a lot Amitabha. I teach more Shambhala. Why? Because for me is the same. At Dharmakaya is same, Sambhogakaya, level the same. Nirmanakaya level the same. And then Shambhala is extra, lower and we have much more hope in this world, we have much more hope to Shambhala. That’s why I am focusing Shambhala. That is not contradiction.
According to Kalachakra mandala, the middle of the centre is Kalachakra union. And then with eight lotus petals, they have ten shaktis, eight with one above and one below, ten shaktis. And then the six Buddha families, one is Amitabha, Amitabha union. So this is called mind mandala and then outside they have speech mandala, they have many, many deities. And then they have body mandala and all total together 636 deities. But Amitabha in the mind mandala. So this 636 deities, they all is manifestation of Kalachakra itself. Even the outside have like 3.5 million demons, looks like demons, but even they are manifestation of Kalachakra.
31.18
Ok now we going to talk about why Kalachakra is king of tantra. First we think of what is mean king. King means somebody is very powerful and the most important one and everybody have to follow and if king said, then the others cannot say anything. Some kings be more gentle and they discuss a little bit with ministers and advisors and if they suggest something, he consider, but to consider or not consider is up to king’s choice. So the king is principle right. So have to think of that. And then, in Tibet we call ****(32.07 uses Tibetan term). (Breaks down the Tibet term to explain) 32.10**** Means this tantra, all tantrayana and the ****32.14 means the king of the tantra, the Kalachakra, the glorious of Kalachakra. This everybody saying, all the traditions, well knowing name.
32.24
So then we have to think of why is king? Why like a king? That’s all we have to think. So we have to think of when Buddha taught it, how he taught it, that’s one way we can think of. So how he taught it, he taught as more principle, Kalachakra more principle. He did because like Buddha Amitabha himself, as manifest as Kalachakra union. And if we think of today is huge, like huge, like mountain, but not only that, he appears the whole mandala, not just mountain, not just Kalachakra himself but the whole mandala. There is two mandala actually that appeared, one above and one below. Huge mandala’s. That means have to think if we just say everything we see in this land, in the sky, everything we see is just turns Kalachakra mandala and then in the middle of, the Kalachakra union. Then he talked from the middle face, talking Kalachakra tantra. And the other faces at the same time, talking the other classes of tantra. But the main focus is the main face, and the other’s is taught as more like secondary way, more like background way. So maybe listening other beings like naga’s, but more focusing the main audience, the Shambhala sages and Dharma kings. Which means absolute higher level of the Bodhisattvas. So he taught that way is like the most important way, so that shows, in one way, is the most important.
34.20
So then if we think of the time, like time, how Kalachakra taught is very special time. Why? Because Kalachakra means also time remember, wheel of time. So wheel of time means Kalachakra is the time of everything. Ordinary time and go beyond the ordinary time, all Kalachakra. So that’s why is even he taught also very strange with time, like one Buddha Shakyamuni, the Indian monk, he talking the Prajnaparamita in Rajagriha, at the same time, he manifest in Kalachakra union and all the mandala’s, in that time we call the south of India. Today some people believe that Amravati, south India, there is incredible stupa to be exist and some people believe, some scholars believe Indonesian huge tantrayana stupa. Some people believe that because at that time there are many arguments. Whatever that time is south of India, at that time probably the earth a different shape. Anyway, so he taught there at that time same time he taught that way. That also makes that very special, it’s not like normal way, not conventional way. So that makes Kalachakra is something very special.
35.53
So then also if we think of who is the main audience. Who is he talking to is really very special because the main audience, the most main audience Suchandra, emanation of Vajrapani, in Tibet we call ****(36.13 uses Tibetan name). Means he is the treasure of all Vajrayana, so emanation of him. He is already treasure of whole tantrayana, so talking to him is the main audience and his retinues, incredible sages and the Dharma Kings and Bodhisattva’s. He talking to them. Let’s say one of our master **** (36.42 uses Tibetan name). Ok he, this time, invite who ever we think of, doesn’t matter whoever, one of our master usually talking to human, human talking teaching, but one day say “oh, today is not humans”, he talking to heavenly beings coming and talking, and how we feel, we feel ohhhh wow!!! That’s very special. Same way Buddha taught really. Same time he talking sutra in Rajagriha, and then talking the more important he invite these Shambhala beings and talking. So that’s why who talking to who, if we look at that, also make very special. Kalachakra tantra is like king tantra.
37.32
Ok so how he taught, very special way and who he taught to very special way, the time, everything is very special. But what about the subject itself. Is very special and is incomparable to any other sutras and tantras? Yes, the answer is yes. It is very incomparable. Incomparable in four ways. One, incredible powerful or profound, or powerful. The other is very clear and very extensive and complete. These four aspects makes it incomparable to other sutras and tantras. So the first one, how profound and powerful. We don’t have a lot of stories, like when Buddha taught, and then these Shambhala Kings they took to Shambhala and didn’t flourish in our earth, that’s all we don’t have much information. And then how they established in Shambhala, also we don’t have huge stories. Because we only have little. If we compare Kalachakra tantra and Shambhala what they have is like ocean, we have only just one bottle of the water. But this one bottle of water is more extensive than any other sutra or tantra we have. Anyway, so this one, but we have story, after seven generation, this Manjushri Yashas, he initiate the whole nation, the whole realm of Shambhala at that time and he taught Nagpalingpa ?(39.13 check name) So Kalachakra day is the third month of how you say? So this third of month usually we say ****(39.23 uses Tibetan term). What that means Mongolian, so the third month. Let’s say Chinese calendar very similar. The only difference is sometimes New Years is sometimes same time, sometimes a month different because Tibetan calendar introduced the Kalachakra and so more calculated, and then sometimes makes differences. But anyway, so the third month he taught the Kalachakra and then 4.5 million sages they reach Buddhahood the next year, Suka Dawa. Suka Dawa the fourth month, basically one year they reach Buddhahood. So that kind of powerful, unbelievable powerful. So I don’t think we have that history anywhere, that many people reach Buddhahood in one year. It’s that kind of powerful.
40.18
Ok then how to come to our earth is Manjuvajra, very special practitioner. He has deity give message, saying “go north”. Not many messages, just say “go north” and then he just of course keep going north, north, north, long time he just went north, north. And then finally he met an emanation, not real, emanation of Kalki King. Kalki King means Shambhala King. One of the emanations. And this emanation give him some instruction for practice. He practiced this for six months and after six months he can travel in Shambhala. Travel to Shambhala of course means he developed some incredible fine body and mind. So that’s why he travelled to Shambhala and then he had opportunity to listen and receive all the Kalachakra teachings. So then he come back, but he come back, he kept very secret, in ancient times you keep very secret. So that’s why. Now we lose the secret, that’s why we, there is not much advantage to keep secret, but that time is secret. He only taught absolutely ready people and had only twelve disciples’. All twelve disciples they say all become rainbow body, all of them, so he didn’t tell many. So then one of them he taught more and then the next one taught more and that’s why flourished to India and then Tibet. That’s how it came but at that time the Manjuvajra he taught Shri Badra, he made big statement put on Nalanda University. He said (editor’s note; Nalendrapa I believe, heart son of Shri Bhadra said this) if somebody don’t know Kalachakra, don’t think you know Dharma. He said this, because this is very big statement, because Nalanda at that time had 500 pandita’s there. They all incredibly scholar and practitioner and they think they know, maybe not everything but quite proud, probably the most pride place. So he made big statement saying, if you don’t know Kalachakra, don’t think you know Dharma well. He made this statement so then of course everyone talked and come there. Oh and he said if you want, come to me and debate. So they come him and debate and he defeated all of them. So that’s why Kalachakra flourished at that time.
42.56
Ok so there is much more we can tell these things, but we move more next. So this is how profound and powerful and the second how clear. Clear means Kalachakra always clear. Because clear means the other tantra not clear. Why not clear? Because like they are clear from beginning, but then more and more you practice higher, the less clear, less clear. Everything, we say ****(43.27 uses Tibetan term). Is hidden and secret and not elaborated, like that. We have to think of why. Because is so profound and so advanced, then much, more, more people have chance to misunderstand. That’s why kind of like difficult to explain clear. So that’s why more hidden, hidden, hidden. So Kalachakra is the most tantra to elaborate, saying very clearly, the skills of saying very clearly. So that’s why probably even we give empowerment in public, these things have more, many ways of the room for different people. So the others is very risk. That’s why probably. So anyway, Kalachakra elaborate everything more. That’s why Kalachakra have many, many, many, empowerments. Sixteen empowerments, like this and we doing seven. Which means elaborated. So the other tantras not like that.
44.39
Ok so the third is extensiveness. So extensiveness is easy we can see. Kalachakra talks about the universe, the cosmology and ontology, and everything they talk about. Any other tantras say these things? No never. And then other tantras they talk about channels? Yes, but not as detailed as Kalachakra. Do they talk about mandalas and deities? Yes, but not as details as Kalachakra. And also they not talk about much the correlation, the connection between these deities, and between our channels, and between the stars, these things they don’t talk. So basically, only Kalachakra talk whole universe, everything. Everything is interconnected with Kalachakra, as explained. Not any others. So that’s why is extensive.
45.44
So the last one is the completion. When we say completion, when we are talk about the ground, the base and the already completed say. Not just like potential of Buddha. It is absolutely full, completion Buddha we have, that talks that way. And when come to the path, again like everything. And then you come to the result, then talk everything. So everything is more full way of talk and that’s why is really you can go with science, you can go with anything, medicine, anything in samsara, anything. And simple way more explain, the love and compassion and more connected, which means basic human needs, in that way. So completion means everything, nothing is excluded. Everything is included. That’s why even the religion, other religions, everything, other terminology, other religion, everything, yoga, everything is included. That’s why it is so complete.
46.56
So for instance, even Kalachakra mentions small things it cares. Like what we should do and how we make our society better. That’s why Kalachakra tantra predicted our world can have second chance at golden age. Not any other sutra tantra, never, ever, ever mentioned anything. Usually people mistake, say “oh, when the Shambhala influence to our world, then at that time we have golden age ok. But Buddha Maitreya come again this earth, what is the differences?”. People mistake these things. That’s huge mistake ok. Why? The Kalachakra prediction I’m talking about, the second chance at golden age is within a few hundred years. Kalachakra has, the Shambhala has thirty, twenty-five Kalki’s, which means Rime, the ultimate Rime, twenty-five Dharma Kings. Now we are up to the twenty-one, so each one rule approximately 100 years, so we are in the ages of the twenty-one, so we don’t have much left. So the twenty-fifth time, we have chance to golden age. But that is also not necessarily literally we should take. I don’t take literally this, I take oh, if we can practice very well Kalachakra, if we can flourish more and more Kalachakra to people and majority of our world practicing Kalachakra, we can make happen very quickly in our lifetime. Not necessarily that long. But this predictions even has Kalachakra cares small things, means small things means compared to eons, and compare then we are our generation our few hundred years is small, these things predicted. But the other sutras never predicted these things. So Buddha Maitreya coming, that is eons late. Eon means according to science, when the sun burn and finish, and then what happened our planet, everything gone. That’s one eon, the science way eon. So eons talking about it’s so many, many, many countless human years later, Buddha Maitreya, they talking about that. But this Shambhala we are not talking about that long, very, very quick. Completion means teaching so complete and taught everything. Didn’t taught the other sutras and tantras.
(Student) So the golden age is on earth or….
49.48
Shambhala is golden age all the time. More than golden age. We have to practice, we not just stay in hope. We have to act, and we have to do it, make it happen. You all have to come with me, we have to try. Ok. The golden age, we have to make happen. We not just stay and pray, we have to make happen. How we make happen? I dedicate my life, let’s say 30 years in monastery, study, practice, went all the monastery and then 13 years coming to the west and study English and try to write books and that is up to here. So now my dedication will go this Kalachakra knowledge I want to transmit as many people as possible. So they now have to see what is the problems, what the problems they are facing, so different issues. Let’s say Tibet, what they doing, only Jonangpa practising Kalachakra, nobody else doing. Nobody else really seriously practicing Kalachakra nothing. But only Jonangpa also only monks doing and monks also not everybody doing properly. Because the Tibetan system is like something…?… on you, and then up to you how you do it. It’s not like very structured and organised like modern class, like modern schools, it’s not like that, that’s why. In the foreign, people confused, because random lamas have random teaching everywhere, so people are confused. Many people performing ceremonies Kalachakra, but not full on (?). So my dedication, these books make everything very clear and the whole international sangha practice the same thing, same book, everything the same, same structure. So then they recognised each other. So one day, online, everybody, the whole world practice together. If they want it they can join together, the whole world and sometimes we come together, we meet together, sometimes we do the retreat together. ”Ok I go retreat, oh international Kalachakra”. How many countries, ok thirty countries. My hope, thirty five, because of thirty-five Shambhala kings. Or each group I want to name these Dharma kings. Already made a few in only two years. So that’s my dedication, to provide everybody have no obstacles to practice. I mean your emotional obstacle, your distraction obstacles, these things you have to take care, I can’t do. But facilities, everybody can have it. Also of course I can’t do one person by myself. Of course I need support, I need support from other people, but my dedication always that, not stop.
53.07
So basically what I want to be, I want to be see people’s problems and then how I can solve the problems, that is how I want to be. So for instance I saw all over the world, I went to many, so I saw everybody, practitioners, what problems. One problem, everybody have no direction, only just doing to feel good for temporarily, that is not good. That’s why I want to make direction. That’s why I want to make everything, you have all the books, all the way the path, completion. That’ what I want to make.
53.43
The other problem, people doing for sake of the acceptance. Like “oh if I do this, then I can do this. If I do this then I can do next.” Not thinking the benefits, not thinking, not remembering your own limitations. Instead you try to do kind of like competition, so that is also not good. Because it doesn’t help you, even if help, only very little, not genuine progress. So sometimes that also makes people stressful and extra chaotic in your life. It is not really liberating you. So that is also not the students fault. It is the fault of lack of, limited information, random teachings and not really nobody taking responsibility and that’s why you’re confused, you don’t know what you are doing. So that’s why I try to solve that problem, so that’s why I am saying practice, focus motivation. Focus and good intention and accepting your limitations and not embarrassed to tell other people your limitations. Everybody has limitations. So limitations not a problem because limitations are temporary. But if you pretending you have no limitation, so that’s why for me the most important is honest, sincere and accepting your limitations, accepting your own problems and do that way. That’s why you don’t have to be fixed on numbers and you try do better for me, what makes difference to me. If chanting makes the difference for me, or contemplating makes difference, or read more and thinking about, which one is better? Today may be different one better, tomorrow maybe different one better. So you have these books as guideline. Not like strict rules, you not pass one then slapped you, it’s not like that. That is children way, it’s not children way, we are not children.
55.56
Ok. Another problem, we have this Asian problem and Western problem. Western problem is neurotic problem. In general, Western mind is more clear actually. They are very precise. Asians have to talk ten minutes, they only need to talk half a minute, they can sort out. We need to talk a lot, too much. We are a confusing mind basically but Westerners very good about that. But they are too good, that’s why always fixed on that way and then sometimes they have problem with Dharma. Because Dharma is not fixed way, it is flexible, it is limitless to go. But their mind is so fixed. That is one problem. And Asian country isn’t. Why? Because our spiritual path is not so structured, especially Tibetan spiritual path not structured. It is very rich, Tibetan Buddhism, very rich but not structured, not very structured. That’s why monks….how many monks in one monastery, have thousands of monks but who is really genuinely progressing? Very little compared to the numbers. That is why they come to the west, fail monk. 99% fail. Why? Because that means they are not trained very well, because they are not genuine, they are not structures very well. That’s why I’m saying we need structure.
57.29
We need update, update, reform and restructure. That’s why I am updating, I want to update the path, everybody structured, without losing the traditional values. There is one Tibetan master. He went to India and I think few countries he travelled when nobody was traveling, no Tibetans travelling, like 19th century, 20th century, so he said one thing, saying ****(58.08 uses Tibetan term). Which means we say all the old things is given by god, given by Buddha. All the new things is omen of the demon. That is the way of Tibetan thinking. So that’s why I want, I wish to update the Tibetan why of study, monastery, everything. I already written book, but nobody reading. It is very hard to change, it’s very established but I wish I can. But not easy, even the 13th Dalai Lama, he want to change a little bit. He tried to make school because Tibetans never go to school, don’t have school. So he made school, try to make school in Lhasa, but no success. The other people think bad and destroyed. One time I said to some monks, these huge rituals, these Tibetan huge rituals, like thousands of pages, their rituals are huge, like sixteen hours you have to chant very fast, in sixteen hours chant very fast and not finish like that kind of huge ritual. Many, many, not only one, but so many mistakes, so many spelling mistakes, so many sound mistakes. I said, these things should be fixed I told some monks one day. Maybe we try to make this project to fix and make spelling and everything right in one book, so then other people can follow that book. No success, they said no, no, no. They telling stories, no, no, no we can’t do that, some stories believe something can’t. So that’s why all the habits is not easy to change. When we say afflictions, remove the afflictions and reach enlightenment means also really get rid of the habits, that’s it, no more, in simple way, all bad habits, all habits get rid of.
1.00.41
(Student) So they monks have no Rime?
That’s what I’m saying. Rime means open remember, open means flexible. This is not flexible means not Rime. So I tell you one more story. We Asians have very fixed as well, for instance we every day pray, chant, but we don’t know what we are saying, some people. Tibetans are like this as well. So I heard this one Thai woman and one Western woman had friend mad this Thai woman everyday refuge chanting, she chanting everyday but the Western woman asked do you know what is meaning? She said she don’t know. So the Western woman said I know the meaning I can tell you, and she said no, no, no, no I don’t want to know. She didn’t want to hear. What do you think? That’s why the Tibetans empowerment is always fast and nobody understand. So I made book, step by step but probably one day they think I am very bad. Possible.
(Student) They have to change because if they follow they have to change.
Yes but they never follow, they criticise me and say “oh he change this incredible tradition he changed something”. But for us is good isn’t it? To understand what is going on. So you all know we have retreat empowerment. Who want to tell? Lydia? Ok we are five minutes past.
1.02.34 – Dedication
Contributions
- October 8, 2017
Raw transcripts created by Joe Flumerfelt and Vanessa Mason