Transcript
[0:00] Oh,
[0:05] [singing] my name
[0:14] [singing]
[0:18] is
[0:25] [singing]
[0:26] My harmony is so
[0:30] ty.
[0:37] So,
[0:41] [singing]
[0:44] name
[0:46] [singing]
[0:52] [singing]
[0:58] [snorts]
[1:00] [singing]
[1:05] is Oh
[1:09] [singing]
[1:10] my name
[1:14] is so
[1:19] [singing]
[1:23] ma
[2:23] >> [clears throat and cough]
[2:53] >> Okay. To the teacher endowed
[2:56] transcendent destroyer oneness gone f
[2:58] destroyer completely and fully awakened
[3:00] one perfect in knowledge and good
[3:02] conduct one gone to bliss nor of the
[3:04] world supreme god of beings to be tamed
[3:07] nature of gods and humans to the but
[3:09] transcended destroyer glorious [singing]
[3:11] conqueror shakim I prostrate make
[3:13] offerings and go for refuge when oh
[3:15] supreme among humans you were born on
[3:17] this earth you pay seven strides and
[3:19] said I am supreme in this world to you
[3:21] who are wise then I bow with your Bodies
[3:24] form supremely fine. Wisdom motion like
[3:27] a golden mountain. Fame that blazes in
[3:30] the three worlds. Winner of the best.
[3:32] Supreme guide to you I bow. With a
[3:34] supreme science face like a spotless
[3:36] moon. Color like gold to you I bow. You
[3:39] are immaculate. The three worlds are not
[3:42] incomparable. Wise one to you I bow.
[3:44] Great compassionate protector. All
[3:47] knowing teacher field of merit and good
[3:49] qualities. Vast as an ocean. To the
[3:51] titagata I bow. Through purity, freeing
[3:54] from attachment, through virtue, freeing
[3:57] from the lower realms, unique supreme
[3:59] ultimate reality to the dharma that is
[4:02] peace. I bow, having freed themselves,
[4:05] showing the path of freedom do well
[4:07] established in the trainings. The holy
[4:10] field endowed with good qualities to the
[4:12] sa I bow. Do not commit any
[4:15] nonverirtuous actions. Perform only
[4:17] perfect virtuous actions. Subdue your
[4:20] mind completely. This is a teaching of
[4:22] the Buddha. A star, a mirage, a flame of
[4:25] a lamp, an illusion, a drop of you, a
[4:27] bubble, a dream, a flash, a lightning, a
[4:30] cloud. See condition things as such.
[4:33] Through this merit, may sensient beings
[4:35] attain the state of all seeing subdue
[4:37] the full faults and be delivered from
[4:40] the ocean of cyclic existence, perturbed
[4:42] by the waves of aging, sickness, and
[4:45] death. [singing]
[4:47] This ground
[4:49] anointed [singing]
[4:50] with perfume.
[4:54] Flowers
[4:56] mount [singing]
[4:59] for land, sun and [singing] moon.
[5:04] Imagined
[5:06] as a Buddha land [singing] and offered
[5:10] to you may all beings. [singing]
[5:15] Enjoy
[5:17] this pure land. Better of ally [singing]
[5:24] good
[5:26] in the [singing] space of your truth
[5:31] body
[5:33] from [singing] billowing
[5:35] clouds of your wisdom and love. Let
[5:40] [singing]
[5:40] fall the rain of the profound and
[5:44] extensive
[5:46] dharma [singing]
[5:48] in whatever form is suitable for
[5:52] subduing.
[5:57] [singing]
[6:02] [singing]
[6:04] I take refuge until I have [singing]
[6:07] awakened in the Buddhas, the dharma and
[6:11] the sa. By the merit I create by
[6:15] listening to the dharma. I will
[6:18] [singing] attain Buddahhood in order to
[6:22] benefit all sentient beings. I take
[6:25] refuge until I have [singing] awakened
[6:28] in the Buddhas, the dharma and the sa.
[6:31] By the [singing] merit I create by
[6:34] listening to the dharma. I will
[6:38] [singing] attain Buddhahood in order to
[6:41] benefit all sentient beings. I take
[6:45] refuge until I have awakened in the
[6:49] Buddhas, [singing]
[6:49] the dharma and the sana. By the merit I
[6:53] create by listening to the dharma. I
[6:58] will attain [singing]
[6:59] Buddhahood in order to benefit all
[7:03] sentient beings.
[7:08] [snorts]
[7:14] Gender disorder.
[9:16] So um here as um the master Chandra Kiri
[9:20] um has stated he gives this example of
[9:23] like um an [clears throat] animal say
[9:25] like an elephant or something that sees
[9:28] um some bit of uh grass right they see
[9:31] this bit of grass over there and
[9:33] thinking to go get that They don't
[9:35] notice that there's like a huge drop
[9:37] right there. There's like a well or
[9:38] there's some other danger. And so out of
[9:41] their attachment, they're clinging to
[9:43] this mouthful of grass, rushing to eat
[9:46] it, they end up falling, right? And so
[9:50] um here uh when you have a kind of um
[9:53] when we are allowed when we allow
[9:56] ourselves to become attached to the kind
[9:59] of worldly affairs, right? We need these
[10:01] things to be able to live. we need food
[10:03] and we need shelter and we need clothing
[10:05] and so forth. But if out of our clinging
[10:08] to them and in a desire to get these
[10:10] things that are really small and
[10:11] insignificant, we allow ourselves to do
[10:14] all kinds of negative actions, then in
[10:16] order to get that like mouthful of
[10:18] grass, right? I mean, in the case of
[10:20] whatever animal, this elephant or
[10:21] something, because they've fallen, they
[10:23] don't even get the grass, right? And so
[10:25] too when it comes to us, we're pursuing
[10:28] these sorts of insignificant worldly
[10:30] pleasures, but in the course of that
[10:32] creating the causes that will lead to
[10:34] our downfall, falling into the lower
[10:36] realms into the future.
[11:40] Foreign
[11:52] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[12:11] So here having been born as humans, we
[12:14] need certain things to keep ourselves
[12:16] alive, right? We have to have shelter
[12:19] and we have to have food and we have to
[12:21] have clothing and so forth. But if we
[12:23] have a kind of excessive attachment to
[12:26] those things that are, you know, just
[12:28] the basis of our survival, but we get
[12:30] especially attached to things and we
[12:32] have this sense of like, well, I need
[12:34] this and I need that and I, oh, this
[12:36] thing isn't exactly right and so forth,
[12:38] we get so caught up in that, um, then we
[12:41] end up creating all kinds of
[12:43] negativities out of being driven through
[12:46] our attachment and our animosity and
[12:48] this sense of us and them. Um and so
[12:50] here as we are talking about um uh
[12:52] sukavati if we were say born in the pure
[12:54] land of Amitaba um there's no sense of
[12:58] us and them right particularly around
[13:00] various possessions and the things that
[13:03] we need because you're born in this
[13:05] environment where those are
[13:06] spontaneously and effortlessly
[13:08] available. So there's no need to
[13:10] separate out into oh this is mine and
[13:12] that's yours and so forth. And when we
[13:14] get rid of that, we get rid of a lot of
[13:16] the kinds of afflictions that come from
[13:19] that, right? The kinds of conditions
[13:21] that lead to are creating these negative
[13:24] actions. So, um, here in this realm, we
[13:27] get angry, say, when something isn't
[13:29] just right or when we don't get what we
[13:31] want. Um, we say all kinds of harsh
[13:34] things, divisive things. We lie, we
[13:37] cheat, and so forth. All in the course
[13:39] of just wanting to get these things that
[13:41] yes, we need for our survival. But our
[13:43] kind of excessive clinging to them
[13:45] drives us to do all kinds of non
[13:48] virtues.
[13:51] [clears throat]
[14:28] for
[14:57] someone that Foreign
[15:05] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[15:14] [snorts]
[15:25] Yeah.
[15:29] So um here it said that at the beginning
[15:32] um of this uh world um humans or the
[15:35] beings that were uh alive at that time
[15:37] did not have to rely on the same kinds
[15:40] of uh coarse uh food that we did or they
[15:42] would if they needed food they would
[15:44] just go um and freely get whatever they
[15:47] needed. There wasn't this sense of
[15:49] ownership of particular parts of land,
[15:52] right? There wasn't um this idea of this
[15:54] is mine and this is yours. they were
[15:56] able to freely get whatever they needed.
[15:58] We talk about like the unplowed harvest,
[16:00] like they had access to whatever kind of
[16:02] um foods that they needed. Um but over a
[16:05] time there was maybe a thought of like,
[16:07] oh, I don't want to have to go out every
[16:09] day to get food, so I'll just take a
[16:10] little extra and keep it here. And then
[16:13] you start to have this sense of like,
[16:14] okay, well, this is my food and these
[16:16] are my trees or my areas. And then they
[16:18] figure out, well, if I plant crops, I
[16:20] can get even more than would naturally
[16:22] come about. And then there's a sense of
[16:24] like well this is my land and that's
[16:26] your land and we develop into this whole
[16:29] sense of ownership like all the way from
[16:31] towns and cities and states and kingdoms
[16:33] and so forth. Um when really all
[16:36] sentient beings have a portion of the
[16:39] common karma that created this world and
[16:41] thereby have a kind of part in the
[16:43] ownership of it or a part in control
[16:46] over it. I mean when we offer the
[16:48] mandelola right we offer um the four
[16:50] continents the sun and the moon and so
[16:52] forth the the the lands and the trees
[16:54] and all of that it's because we all have
[16:56] a part each of us has a part of like
[16:58] ownership or control over um this land
[17:01] and thereby are able to make it as an
[17:04] offering. Um so here uh this is um you
[17:08] know just a little bit about how we came
[17:10] about and come have come to the the
[17:12] point where we are at.
[18:07] >> [snorts]
[18:15] >> Fore! Foreign! Foreign!
[18:54] So um here in um this uh world as humans
[18:58] particularly we see that there's a sense
[19:00] of you know there's some that end up um
[19:02] having more when we begin to accumulate
[19:05] uh property accumulate various things
[19:07] and so forth. There are some that end up
[19:10] [clears throat]
[19:11] excuse me being poorer and some that end
[19:13] up richer. And this has continued to
[19:15] sort of escalate in the sense of the
[19:17] disparities grow larger and larger. You
[19:20] get to the points where um uh for
[19:22] example the poor uh look at the all of
[19:24] the wealth that the wealthy have and
[19:26] think well why don't we have that and
[19:28] they might even rise up and try to steal
[19:30] that and reaportion that wealth or you
[19:32] get countries that are bigger than
[19:34] others and think well uh I don't have we
[19:37] don't have enough within our own country
[19:38] let's like take over these smaller
[19:40] countries and steal their resources and
[19:42] take them for us right this kind of idea
[19:45] of ownership and property and really um
[19:48] doing whatever you want to get more.
[19:50] It's like um it's sort of like wild
[19:53] animals in some way. He's even worse in
[19:55] some ways, but it's like wild animals
[19:56] the way that those are stronger just go
[19:58] after those that are weaker without any
[20:01] um sense of shame in that. And so uh
[20:04] here in this planet, humans uh seem to
[20:07] be insatiable. Like we can't get enough.
[20:10] Again, larger countries trying to take
[20:11] from smaller countries. And we see that
[20:13] some are even like well this planet is
[20:15] not enough. let's go colonize like the
[20:17] moon or other planets, right? Um and so
[20:20] uh here uh you know if we have um the
[20:23] kind of uh karma um to be born as a
[20:26] human, we enjoy a part of this
[20:28] collective um you know planet, right?
[20:31] And we um uh create extra worries for
[20:34] ourselves when we get beyond just
[20:36] thinking about the things that we need
[20:38] and getting into this craving and
[20:39] wanting more and wanting more, right? Um
[20:42] and so uh here uh we um [clears throat]
[20:46] uh should recognize um that the ways in
[20:48] which this sense of needing more and
[20:50] more um really and not having a kind of
[20:53] satiation um creates all of these kinds
[20:56] of problems.
[21:08] for
[21:22] [snorts]
[21:38] Fore
[21:48] team members.
[22:15] Foreign
[22:19] [snorts]
[22:23] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[22:33] Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign
[22:34] speech.
[22:56] team.
[22:57] [snorts]
[23:45] Fore speech.
[24:04] >> [snorts]
[24:52] >> So um here uh just I I forgot one thing
[24:56] that um you know in the past I mean I
[24:58] mean in the ways that we have changed in
[25:00] terms of coming up with this idea of
[25:01] like kind of ownership and personal
[25:03] property one of those things is the the
[25:05] willingness of uh to harm others, right,
[25:08] in the service of getting what we want.
[25:10] And so it used to be that we were sort
[25:12] of um horrified or amazed when two or
[25:14] three people, 10, a dozen people were
[25:16] killed. And now it's like hundreds of
[25:18] thousands we see that are slaughtered in
[25:20] the service of getting more, right? And
[25:22] so we need to have a kind of sense of
[25:24] contentment, not always wanting more,
[25:27] needing to get more. Um, but rather
[25:29] being satisfied with what we have when
[25:32] we have enough to sustain ourselves. And
[25:34] when we see others that maybe are
[25:36] improving in some way, we should rejoice
[25:40] for them. We shouldn't feel a sense of
[25:42] kind of competitiveness or like how can
[25:43] I get better or the better of them, but
[25:46] how could I get better like them kind
[25:48] of. Um, so, uh, if we could all in some
[25:51] ways if we could all sort of just be in
[25:53] our own, um, countries, right? If we all
[25:55] had our own sort of communities with our
[25:58] own cultures and we stayed within
[26:00] ourselves and just used what we needed
[26:02] within our own countries and sustained
[26:04] ourselves, um, that would be a very
[26:06] different uh, world, right? Uh, we would
[26:08] be able to um, sort of appreciate our
[26:12] own um, traditions and carry them on.
[26:15] Um, but that's not the way that our
[26:17] world is. And when we begin to interact
[26:19] with other cultures and ideas, often
[26:22] there's this kind of um uh again sense
[26:25] of like well I'm stronger or that's the
[26:27] other, right? Um and so uh when it comes
[26:29] to uh looking at the other um often the
[26:33] kind of strategy is to like take over uh
[26:35] their country, right? Um to take it for
[26:38] ourselves. Um and uh sometimes that
[26:40] means that you're bringing ruin to
[26:42] another country and then the people that
[26:44] were there, you don't want them. And
[26:46] it's like well you can't kill all of
[26:47] them right this is just I mean when we
[26:50] have this habit of one country bringing
[26:52] ruin to another that really brings them
[26:55] both down right um and so uh when we
[26:58] look at the way in which countries
[26:59] interact based upon this kind of sense
[27:02] of like well I'm bigger and I can just
[27:04] wield my power and my control um and so
[27:07] forth it really uh leads to this just
[27:09] bringing ruin all around and so if we
[27:12] are to instead live our lives lives well
[27:15] live our lives in a well in a way in
[27:18] which we are you know um not harming uh
[27:21] one another when we are able to um be
[27:24] kind and loving and so forth. Um really
[27:28] part of the important message and the
[27:30] coming of the Buddha was to promote
[27:32] harmony, right? Um the Buddha is the
[27:34] source of it says happiness and benefit
[27:36] but also for the harmony of all. Uh
[27:39] right when we think badly of others,
[27:42] this is really when we um begin to
[27:44] inflict harm on them. And when we um I
[27:47] mean it's not like we can kill all of
[27:49] our external enemies. We can't destroy
[27:51] all of them, but rather we have to learn
[27:53] to be able to live in harmony um with
[27:56] one another. And so we have um you know,
[27:59] we often listen to these teachings with
[28:01] the idea of benefiting and improving um
[28:03] our own mind. And that is for the sake
[28:05] of using that to benefit others um
[28:08] instead of being driven by the kind of
[28:10] attitudes of like, well, I'm the most
[28:12] powerful and I can just take over. I
[28:14] mean, those things are not lasting. If
[28:16] you get enough um uh of the less
[28:18] powerful together, that one that's in
[28:20] power doesn't remain, right? Those
[28:22] things are not stable and lasting. Um
[28:25] but rather it's something where we talk
[28:28] in the dharma about we need to promote
[28:30] that kind of harmony beginning with
[28:32] families, beginning with neighborhoods
[28:34] and so forth. But this really then can
[28:36] extend all the way up to, you know,
[28:39] cities and countries and states. Um but
[28:42] it's you know on the basis of our own
[28:45] practice our own trying to be um you
[28:48] know more uh loving and kind and so
[28:50] forth that we are able to promote that
[28:53] harmony and actually spread that kind of
[28:56] harmony which is a a key reason for the
[28:59] coming of the Buddha.
[29:02] >> Oh yeah.
[30:05] >> [laughter]
[30:15] [snorts]
[30:17] >> foreignch.
[31:37] disorder.
[31:57] >> [snorts]
[31:59] >> Thomas.
[32:24] >> [clears throat]
[32:35] [snorts]
[32:37] >> So um here it's um so important that we
[32:40] see the value of sentient beings right
[32:43] sentient beings are precious often we
[32:46] sort of look at them as like unfeilling
[32:48] ing objects, right? Um often um there
[32:51] are people who are willing to like cast
[32:53] aside sentient beings, other humans in
[32:57] the service of just getting a place,
[32:58] right? Like they just can get that land
[33:00] and then they can use that, right? Um
[33:02] and so they're willing to completely
[33:04] disregard these other feeling breathing
[33:06] beings. Um and so it is the case that we
[33:09] really need to see others as having
[33:12] feelings, as wanting happiness and not
[33:15] wanting to suffer. And this really means
[33:17] valuing society. Seeing that society is
[33:21] important. I mean in the society, the
[33:24] people within a society are even more
[33:26] important than the place, right? Um even
[33:29] if we we live on the land and we need
[33:31] the land for our survival, but we
[33:34] shouldn't be um kicking people off land
[33:36] in order to like take that for our uses,
[33:39] right? Society is the most important. Um
[33:42] and so here this is something that is
[33:44] really um [clears throat]
[33:46] encapsulated in a verse um that says uh
[33:48] something along um the lines of uh
[33:51] benefiting sentient uh beings is the
[33:53] supreme offering to me to the Buddha.
[33:55] Right? When we act in ways that are
[33:58] beneficial uh to sentient beings, that
[34:00] is the best kind of offering that we
[34:02] could make to please the Buddha. Um and
[34:04] harming sentient beings is like harming
[34:06] me. um uh were sort of uh equivalent in
[34:10] that way. When you do um good for
[34:12] sentient beings, um uh that is uh
[34:15] something that is pleasing to the
[34:16] Buddha, right? Um but if you are to go
[34:18] around harming sentient beings, harming
[34:21] sentient beings and then um sort of like
[34:23] turn and in front of the Buddha say,
[34:24] "Oh, I go for refuge." Um right, that's
[34:26] very hypocritical. that isn't respectful
[34:29] because what you have done is something
[34:31] that is completely contrary to the
[34:33] message the meaning of the Buddha's
[34:36] coming to like there is no refuge in the
[34:38] Buddha when you act in ways that are
[34:40] harmful to sentient beings the Buddha
[34:43] trained for countless eons solely to be
[34:46] able to perfect the ways of benefiting
[34:48] others right and so showing respect for
[34:51] sentient beings recognizing them as
[34:54] feeling beings and wanting to bring
[34:57] about their benefit is the greatest way
[34:59] we can show respect and reverence for
[35:01] the Buddha. And so to say how can you
[35:05] show respect to the Buddha while harming
[35:07] sentient beings basically we should see
[35:09] them all as equally important.
[35:11] [laughter] I mean in terms of creating
[35:13] our merit Buddhas and sentient beings
[35:15] are equally important. Um and so uh when
[35:18] we [clears throat]
[35:20] are able uh to um get rid of all of our
[35:23] kind of uh senses of you know our
[35:25] afflictions and so forth when we are
[35:27] able to remove those sorts of harmful
[35:30] attitudes that's when we are able to be
[35:32] really happy right when we are able to
[35:34] live in harmony based upon seeing others
[35:37] as feeling beings. Um and this is really
[35:41] uh based upon seeing society as
[35:44] important. I mean, we see some people
[35:46] who pursue their own wealth at the
[35:48] expense of others, like kicking them off
[35:50] of land, extracting resources and so
[35:52] forth. Um, and that kind of grab for
[35:54] power and wealth is not stable. And it's
[35:57] also not the case that you would be able
[35:58] to um live happily all alone. Um, we
[36:02] need society to live and we need society
[36:05] for happiness.
[36:07] >> Oh yeah.
[36:51] forchech.
[37:31] forchech.
[38:21] forchech.
[39:31] >> [clears throat]
[39:50] >> Foreign
[40:00] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[40:10] foreign.
[40:39] So um here we need to survive, right? Um
[40:43] we need a livelihood that supports us to
[40:46] the extent that our needs are met
[40:48] because we can't have a dharma practice.
[40:51] We can't think in a kind of vast or
[40:54] large way if we are so preoccupied with
[40:57] our immediate needs of like hunger and
[40:59] shelter and so forth. So we need a way
[41:02] to make money to be able to support
[41:04] ourselves but we should do so in a way
[41:07] that is really in accordance with the
[41:10] best kind of practices. Um often when we
[41:13] look at others we feel jealous right if
[41:16] something good happens um uh for them
[41:19] rather than rejoicing in whatever it is
[41:22] whether it's their wealth or some other
[41:24] quality um we think like well why them
[41:26] why not me and we don't feel joy for
[41:29] them. we then get a kind of like
[41:31] competitive attit attitude of like well
[41:33] how could I um uh better them right um
[41:37] instead of looking at this other being
[41:40] and recognizing that they too want
[41:42] happiness right and when good comes for
[41:44] others we should feel happy for them we
[41:47] should rejoice in that and we should
[41:48] really have this sense may they continue
[41:51] to have that kind of happiness may they
[41:53] not be separated from it um and so uh it
[41:56] becomes virtue if we are instead of
[41:59] looking at others with a sort of
[42:00] jealousy and competitiveness, able to
[42:03] feel real joy at their good um whatever
[42:06] that might be. And rather than feeling
[42:09] like we have to um sort of approach it
[42:11] with what about me and we have this
[42:14] feeling of animosity, right? Uh this
[42:16] kind of like um sense of competing with
[42:19] them or being jealous of them. Um to not
[42:22] uh have that the best method is to
[42:25] rejoice, right? Um like this the kinds
[42:29] of things that we get in the world right
[42:31] are for our happiness and often they
[42:34] become instead sources for our anxiety
[42:38] and our anger and our they just create
[42:40] suffering right so these things that we
[42:42] get all of a sudden it's like oh this
[42:44] isn't good enough I don't have the thing
[42:45] that this other person has or oh am I
[42:47] going to be able to protect this and all
[42:48] of these kinds of things come up and
[42:51] instead of being able to like enjoy
[42:53] these things that are supposed to to
[42:54] give us happiness or at least sustain in
[42:57] a worldly sense they become a source of
[42:59] suffering right and so here we need to
[43:02] have the proper kind of mindset
[43:04] especially when we see the things that
[43:06] others have whether that is their wealth
[43:08] or their education other qualities that
[43:10] they have developed what they've studied
[43:13] rather than feeling well why don't I
[43:14] have that we should feel a joy for them
[43:17] and if it's something that we would like
[43:19] to attain strive for that right um like
[43:22] feel instead oh it's so good like you
[43:25] know sometimes we see this with, you
[43:26] know, little kids who are playing sports
[43:28] or something where instead of looking at
[43:30] their teammate and thinking um like,
[43:33] well, I need to be better than them or
[43:35] somehow this kind of attitude of me me
[43:37] to look at them and say, "Wow, they're
[43:39] really good at that. I wonder how I
[43:41] could learn to be like that." Right? And
[43:43] so um when it comes to others you know
[43:45] and this is on the level individually or
[43:47] countries and otherwise if we're able to
[43:49] look at uh the good of others the wealth
[43:52] of others the kind of improvements that
[43:55] they have made the sort of education or
[43:56] qualities that they have and feel joy
[43:59] for them. This is so much of a better
[44:02] response, right? Because we all need
[44:04] happiness, right? We all need good
[44:07] things. And so in the same way that we
[44:09] want to have good things, we want to
[44:11] have happiness. Every single other being
[44:13] is like that. And so when we look out
[44:15] and see that they have good, we should
[44:18] feel happy for that. We should rejoice.
[44:20] When it's virtue or when it's wealth or
[44:23] when it's education or qualities, we
[44:25] shouldn't feel jealousy, but instead
[44:27] have that kind of happiness for them.
[44:29] And this helps us to remain in harmony
[44:32] and to promote harmony. Right? Um as it
[44:34] is said um when you abide in harmony you
[44:37] can accomplish whatever task however
[44:40] difficult it might be. You can do that
[44:42] without difficulty. So when we are able
[44:44] to be in harmony and in that way support
[44:48] and uplift one another um rather than um
[44:52] you know if we look at the way that the
[44:54] world is right now and there are so many
[44:56] difficulties I mean there are people
[44:57] that are starving to death and who are
[44:58] in wars and so forth but we don't have
[45:01] the resolve as a world to try to look
[45:04] around and improve one another right and
[45:06] to lift up one another. Instead, we have
[45:08] this idea of like taking others down and
[45:11] doing that. And imagine what would be
[45:13] accomplished if we had that kind of
[45:15] attitude of harmony instead. Because
[45:17] when you have harmony, um, you can
[45:20] accomplish anything, however difficult.
[45:23] >> Oh yeah.
[46:02] Foreign
[46:10] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[48:23] So here, like that verse said, um, going
[48:25] for a mouthful of grass. This elephant
[48:28] can just fall into an abyss, right?
[48:30] They're not looking at what's right in
[48:31] front of them going for this grass. And
[48:33] so too uh when it comes to the things
[48:36] that we need for this life um again we
[48:39] should see these things like food and
[48:40] clothing and shelter as being conditions
[48:43] necessary for us to be alive. But when
[48:46] we ha when we have strong desire for
[48:49] those we're sort of clinging after them.
[48:52] That's when we become willing to
[48:55] disregard others, right? We see our own
[48:57] wealth as being so important that that
[49:00] idea of the other person as having
[49:02] feelings is kind of pushed aside and
[49:04] we're willing to do whatever. We're
[49:06] willing to harm others in the service of
[49:08] getting that thing that we see as more
[49:11] important. So here it is based upon that
[49:14] kind of clinging to our attachment to
[49:17] those things having an extra strong
[49:19] attachment that we then don't see the
[49:22] other and we don't act in ways that
[49:24] really regard them as a feeling sentient
[49:27] being. And so right livelihood is so
[49:30] important in the sense of having a way
[49:32] of sustaining yourself without this sort
[49:34] of uh excessive attachment to
[49:37] possessions and wealth and so forth. um
[49:40] and in a way act in a way that is in
[49:42] harmony with others, that is not harming
[49:45] others, that is in accordance with the
[49:47] law and so forth. And when we are able
[49:49] to see others as important, when we
[49:52] really begin to basically recognize that
[49:54] every sentient being is just like us,
[49:57] right? That's when we are able to have
[49:59] right livelihood because the ways that
[50:01] we will act to sustain ourselves will
[50:04] not harm others. It will not just be um
[50:07] like oh for a small profit I'm willing
[50:09] to do things like cheat and lie and
[50:11] steal and so forth. Um and so you know
[50:14] even if someone has attained the state
[50:16] of an arh hot right that they still have
[50:18] this body they still have to eat right
[50:20] they still have to um take care of that
[50:23] body and so it's said that the food that
[50:25] they take is like medicine I mean this
[50:27] is um how we should see um uh food right
[50:30] it's something that prevents us from
[50:32] [clears throat] dying we have to have
[50:33] this at the proper times it's not
[50:35] something that is taken out of
[50:37] attachment to the food itself and so too
[50:39] clothing is like medicine we wear it in
[50:42] order that we don't freeze. Um, and so,
[50:44] uh, here we should pursue the needs that
[50:47] we have as a human being, um, in a way
[50:50] that has regard for others, that sees
[50:52] them as just like me, that they're not
[50:55] above, that you're not above others,
[50:57] wherein you see your own wealth, your
[50:59] own possessions or whatever as so
[51:01] important that you're willing to
[51:03] disregard others out of that kind of
[51:06] pursuit. Um, and be like this uh
[51:08] elephant who's reaching for this
[51:10] mouthful of grass and falls into the
[51:12] abyss.
[51:14] >> Oh yeah.
[52:14] forchech.
[53:21] >> [snorts]
[54:35] >> Oh yeah.
[54:37] >> So out of that kind of um temporary um
[54:40] attachment or attachment to these things
[54:43] that are temporary, our wealth and so
[54:45] forth. Um if we were to fall into the
[54:48] lower realms, that would be such a loss.
[54:50] Uh so here we should think that um for
[54:53] the sake of avoiding such a fate I'm
[54:55] going to abandon any kind of harm um
[54:58] toward uh sentient beings right and
[55:01] based upon seeing them as equal seeing
[55:04] them like me I'm going to try to work
[55:06] for their benefit um in any way that I
[55:09] can in order to secure a good rebirth in
[55:12] the future but here not just a a good uh
[55:15] rebirth but if in the short term we are
[55:18] able to be born within the pure lands In
[55:20] the pure land of sucavati, we have um
[55:23] this kind of different body there,
[55:25] right? The body that we have right now
[55:27] has so many different needs. We have to
[55:29] take care of all kinds of different
[55:31] things with this body. Um and a lot of
[55:34] the non virtues that we accumulate are
[55:36] in relation to taking care of our body,
[55:39] right? And so um just uh like our our
[55:42] our sense here is that we want to take a
[55:44] place take rebirth in a place that is
[55:46] free from the kind of sufferings of the
[55:48] lower realm. Um but not uh just uh uh
[55:51] that we want the kinds of conditions
[55:54] that will be conducive to our continued
[55:56] practice right. Um so when we are in uh
[56:00] sukavati if we were to take birth there
[56:02] we are able to really if we have created
[56:04] the kind of causes developed that
[56:06] accumulated that merit and so forth and
[56:09] we are born there we have a circumstance
[56:12] in which again our bodies are different
[56:14] as well as our minds there is less anger
[56:16] and jealousy and pride and so forth and
[56:19] therefore we are not accumulating so
[56:22] many negative actions as much as we are
[56:24] able to develop more quickly. So our aim
[56:28] in wanting to be born in such a realm is
[56:31] not for our own personal peace. When you
[56:34] are um in the Mahayana, you are doing so
[56:37] in order to be able to develop my own
[56:39] qualities to then go into those lower
[56:42] realms, go into um the impure realms and
[56:45] be able to benefit sentient beings. And
[56:47] so um here uh when we are in that kind
[56:51] of a place in which we have those best
[56:53] conducive conditions for practice, we
[56:55] are able to quickly develop these kinds
[56:58] of qualities like love and kindness, our
[57:02] uh our our compassion, our bodhicitta,
[57:05] emptiness, all of these kinds of things.
[57:07] And when we are developing say
[57:08] compassion, we look at all sentient
[57:11] beings. I mean here we think that we
[57:13] have a good view sorry a good view of
[57:15] sentient beings but really there are
[57:16] sentient beings in countless world
[57:19] systems right so contemplating the
[57:21] suffering is contemplating them all
[57:23] cycling in samsara and based on that we
[57:27] generate a strong wish to be able to
[57:30] become a Buddha in order to be of
[57:32] benefit to all of these sentient beings
[57:34] and so um here we are listening uh with
[57:37] to these teachings we should set a
[57:39] motivation thinking that I'm hearing
[57:41] these teachings ings on the prayer to be
[57:43] reborn in sukavati. Um really generating
[57:46] this sort of attitude, may I take birth
[57:48] for the ability to quickly become a
[57:51] Buddha in order to benefit all sentient
[57:54] beings. And in order to do so, I need to
[57:56] accumulate merit, purify my
[57:58] negativities, and really um uh for that
[58:01] purpose, I'm listening here to the
[58:02] dharma now.
[58:08] something.
[58:52] >> [laughter]
[59:00] >> Yeah.
[59:02] Oh.
[59:03] >> Uh so here then we will um turn to uh
[59:06] the the text um and uh we are um in this
[59:10] kind of uh description. I mean last time
[59:12] when we had been going through this this
[59:14] um was describing uh the various uh
[59:16] qualities of uh this realm um and so
[59:19] forth. Um and so then uh we get to and
[59:23] and here in um opening uh the door to
[59:25] the supreme pure land um we have uh this
[59:28] kind of description and and that's where
[59:30] we had left off and then there is a
[59:32] portion in this text where it goes
[59:34] through um the actual prayer right that
[59:36] we normally that one that we normally um
[59:38] uh recite and then picks up uh again. Um
[59:42] so as far as again the prayer itself
[59:44] deals with wanting to be born in
[59:46] sukavati but in those times when you are
[59:48] not able to be born there the kinds of
[59:50] conditions um that you you wish to have
[59:53] um and so that uh that will come in the
[59:56] text although we've already gone through
[59:58] that part.
[1:00:00] >> Oh yeah.
[1:00:48] And then forchech.
[1:01:28] for
[1:01:55] redeech.
[1:01:58] Fore!
[1:02:01] Foreign! Foreign!
[1:02:31] for
[1:02:50] [cough]
[1:03:41] for
[1:03:43] some.
[1:03:52] Mhm.
[1:04:22] Yeah, I got
[1:04:52] for
[1:05:38] >> [snorts]
[1:05:55] [snorts]
[1:06:05] [clears throat]
[1:06:16] >> So um then where we had left off um last
[1:06:19] time and in our new version this is on
[1:06:21] page uh 13 near the bottom. Um so was
[1:06:25] with this is a partial description of
[1:06:27] the qualities of the bodhic sappa
[1:06:29] assembly. So we had gone through um a
[1:06:31] description of the various assemblies,
[1:06:33] the hero's assembly and the bodhicatta's
[1:06:36] assembly and kind of how many um there
[1:06:38] were and and so forth. And then we turn
[1:06:40] um next uh so it says um
[1:06:45] in the center of that supreme pure land
[1:06:48] endowed with such extraordinary
[1:06:50] qualities of environment and
[1:06:52] inhabitants. So we see this phrase um
[1:06:55] often um of environment and inhabitants.
[1:06:58] Sometimes we talk about it as the thing
[1:07:00] that is like enjoyed and those who enjoy
[1:07:03] it, right? Um and this is uh because uh
[1:07:06] the world system right is created
[1:07:09] through the karma of those who enjoy it,
[1:07:12] those who make use of it. And of course,
[1:07:14] as I was saying, we should see as more
[1:07:16] important the inhabitants, right? um
[1:07:19] there is this interdependence between
[1:07:21] the inhabitants and their environment.
[1:07:23] But we should always value um those that
[1:07:26] inhabit the environment. And so these
[1:07:29] kinds of uh world systems are
[1:07:32] established due to karma. And I think
[1:07:34] one of the things that when we see this
[1:07:36] description of sukavati um it is beyond
[1:07:40] uh our mind, right? Well, beyond what we
[1:07:42] can think. And so um when we take our
[1:07:45] external world the world that we
[1:07:47] perceive um as being this sort of basis
[1:07:49] it's hard to imagine what is described
[1:07:52] here uh within this kind of description
[1:07:55] right but there are world systems I mean
[1:07:57] even the kind of experience of this
[1:07:59] world system for a different type of
[1:08:01] being is something that we can't
[1:08:03] perceive that we can't know right and
[1:08:06] there's um there are so many different
[1:08:08] kinds of world systems and experiences
[1:08:11] of those that are really beyond our
[1:08:14] comprehension um can't fit within our
[1:08:17] mind. These are all established based
[1:08:19] upon um karma and of various uh beings
[1:08:23] that inhabit those world systems. It is
[1:08:25] their karma that has created that. Um
[1:08:28] and so we should uh sort of keep open to
[1:08:30] the possibility that there are myriad
[1:08:33] world systems, right? and the the
[1:08:36] descriptions um may seem like beyond
[1:08:38] what is believable, but we're basing
[1:08:40] that on our perception of our world,
[1:08:43] right? And so here um then um in the
[1:08:47] center of that supreme pure land endowed
[1:08:49] with such extraordinary qualities of
[1:08:51] environment and inhabitants is the great
[1:08:54] sovereign bodhic tree. Um and again uh
[1:08:58] this is uh when we um look at uh the
[1:09:02] kind of uh size that is uh described
[1:09:05] here of this um tree um it's uh so I
[1:09:09] don't know if it's 600,000 or 16 um00 uh
[1:09:14] in in either case um it's quite a large
[1:09:18] um uh like uh tree right I mean this is
[1:09:23] um being uh 1 1600 yojanas in height
[1:09:26] right is something again that uh seems
[1:09:28] quite unimaginable to us um in our
[1:09:31] current mindset. Um and in the center of
[1:09:33] that again what is beyond our mind there
[1:09:36] are things that are beyond our
[1:09:38] comprehension and we can't say that they
[1:09:40] don't exist. It's just that it can't um
[1:09:43] uh fit uh in uh that uh mind. So when we
[1:09:46] think like how on earth could there be a
[1:09:48] tree that is this large and that has
[1:09:50] this kind of things on it um we really
[1:09:52] need to uh remember the the varieties of
[1:09:54] karma. And so um here it says then um uh
[1:09:59] the uh
[1:10:01] uh so um it's those uh 1 1600 yojanas in
[1:10:06] height with branches, leaves and petals
[1:10:09] hanging down as far as 800 yas. So we
[1:10:12] imagine again this great tree um spread
[1:10:15] out and these branches and leaves and so
[1:10:18] forth hanging down very far. Um and the
[1:10:21] girth and circumference of the trunk
[1:10:23] measures 500 yojanas. Um and the leaves,
[1:10:27] flowers and fruits perpetually hang down
[1:10:30] having many hundreds of thousands of
[1:10:33] different colors. Um so uh here it is
[1:10:36] the case that this tree um is covered
[1:10:39] with all of these kinds of different um
[1:10:41] uh flowers and uh or different colored
[1:10:44] leaves and branches and flowers and it
[1:10:47] always um has fruit. So here where it
[1:10:49] says it uh uh and fruits perpetually
[1:10:52] hang down. It's not like our trees where
[1:10:54] we only get fruit in the summer or in a
[1:10:56] particular season. Um but this
[1:10:57] constantly has fruit and all of these um
[1:11:00] uh different components of the tree. The
[1:11:02] leaves, the flowers and fruits have many
[1:11:04] hundreds of thousands of different
[1:11:06] colors and it possesses many diverse
[1:11:09] leaves, flowers and fruits. So um like
[1:11:12] our trees um if we have one kind of
[1:11:14] plant, it produces a certain kind of
[1:11:16] fruit, right? And not all of them. Um
[1:11:18] but this um can produce all kinds of
[1:11:20] different fruits from this single tree.
[1:11:24] >> Oh yeah.
[1:11:36] for
[1:12:09] Fore! Foreign! Foreign!
[1:13:44] marvelous.
[1:13:58] Oh.
[1:14:09] Fore! Foreign! Foreign!
[1:14:30] for
[1:14:57] some
[1:14:59] Foreign
[1:15:02] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[1:15:51] So then um continuing uh with the
[1:15:54] description of um this uh tree. Uh so um
[1:15:58] it is thoroughly illuminated
[1:16:02] um by precious jewels that appear like
[1:16:05] the moon. Um so this uh great uh bodhic
[1:16:08] tree is kind of like glowing with um
[1:16:10] moonlight illuminated with that um and
[1:16:14] illuminated by these precious jewels um
[1:16:16] and completely endor adorned with
[1:16:19] precious gems held by Indra. So Indra um
[1:16:22] as a a deity probably has a special kind
[1:16:25] of um precious gem and of course that is
[1:16:27] beautifying um this tree as well and it
[1:16:31] is filled with wishfulfilling jewels.
[1:16:33] Again, there those are those kinds of um
[1:16:35] jewels or gems that uh when we make
[1:16:37] requests to them are able to fulfill
[1:16:39] whatever kind of wishes we might want.
[1:16:41] And um also uh adorned by supreme
[1:16:45] precious ocean gems. So those kinds of
[1:16:47] gems that have come uh from um the ocean
[1:16:51] and then all um uh these are all
[1:16:54] beautified by um golden threads. Like
[1:16:57] when we have things that are connecting
[1:16:59] them together, it's with this gorgeous
[1:17:01] golden thread and half necklaces. Has
[1:17:04] clusters of precious jewels, single
[1:17:07] stranded necklaces, um blue pearls,
[1:17:10] ornamental garlands of red pearls.
[1:17:13] Apparently there are many different
[1:17:14] colors of pearls that one could have as
[1:17:17] ornamentation. Um and multitudes of
[1:17:20] belts hanging from lion's mouths. um
[1:17:24] nets of all precious substances and that
[1:17:26] nets of bells and bangles are draped
[1:17:30] over the canopy um well adorned with sea
[1:17:33] monsters. So often um on temples and
[1:17:36] other traditional places you'll see a
[1:17:38] kind of a sea monster head with um some
[1:17:40] sort of jewels of course hanging from
[1:17:43] their mouth. Um and uh there this is uh
[1:17:46] marked as well beautified as well by
[1:17:48] various um a auspicious symbols swirling
[1:17:52] swastikas and half moons. In brief it is
[1:17:56] adorned um in accordance with that level
[1:17:59] of knowledge of uh the minds of sentient
[1:18:02] beings. So um basically this uh tree
[1:18:05] again described as being ornamented with
[1:18:07] all of this kind of beautiful um
[1:18:09] ornamentation that accords with uh the
[1:18:12] minds of beings.
[1:18:15] this one. This
[1:18:17] >> Oh, yeah.
[1:19:14] >> [snorts]
[1:20:06] [laughter]
[1:20:07] >> Um so this is not directly related to
[1:20:11] the commentary um here. But when we talk
[1:20:14] about um these uh uh the uh sea monsters
[1:20:18] right who have um the jewels um in their
[1:20:22] open mouths um there was a story uh sort
[1:20:25] of uh that at the before um the Chinese
[1:20:29] invaded um Tibet there was um at the
[1:20:31] temple in Lassa um around the sides of
[1:20:34] it like in each of the corners right
[1:20:36] there were those um sea monsters um with
[1:20:39] the jewels hanging from their mouths
[1:20:42] Right. Um and it was said that right
[1:20:44] before um the Chinese came that actually
[1:20:46] um water started coming um out of their
[1:20:49] mouths like the water came out of their
[1:20:51] mouths and you know they would have been
[1:20:53] like goldplated or something and also
[1:20:55] painted and they um it was said that the
[1:20:57] the water that came out was red um and
[1:20:59] this was kind of like a sign of what was
[1:21:02] um to come. Right. Sometimes when we see
[1:21:04] uh we strange signs like uh water coming
[1:21:07] up suddenly out of dry places or
[1:21:08] whatever. And so I don't know if this is
[1:21:10] like, you know, we can't trace it
[1:21:13] exactly maybe through science, but um
[1:21:15] this kind of uh there was definitely
[1:21:17] water um that was coming out of these um
[1:21:19] sea monsters um mouths. And of course um
[1:21:21] what came next in terms of the kinds of
[1:21:24] destruction that the Chinese wrought,
[1:21:26] you know, are are quite obvious.
[1:21:33] foreign
[1:22:30] Oh, againchech.
[1:22:33] Huh?
[1:22:43] for
[1:23:07] speech.
[1:23:26] >> [snorts]
[1:24:24] >> So when that bodhi tree is stirred by
[1:24:27] the wind, whatever melodious sounds that
[1:24:30] emerge from it reach immeasurable world
[1:24:33] systems. So um stirred up by the wind,
[1:24:36] this sound of the dharma or the sound um
[1:24:39] reaches all of these uh immeasurable
[1:24:41] world systems. And it says, "Then all
[1:24:44] who hear the sound of that tree, see it,
[1:24:48] smell its fragrance, experience the
[1:24:50] flavor of its fruit or are touched by
[1:24:53] its light, will not be afflicted by
[1:24:56] illness in their eyes, ears, nose,
[1:24:58] tongue or body until they attain
[1:25:01] awakening." So um here it said that this
[1:25:04] tree has this kind of um a power right
[1:25:06] that through hearing the sound of it
[1:25:09] just even seeing it or smelling the kind
[1:25:11] of beautiful fragrance that it has
[1:25:13] experiencing its flavor or touched by
[1:25:15] the light that it radiates out um will
[1:25:18] be free from um illness of all of these
[1:25:20] various uh parts of the body until they
[1:25:22] attain um awakening. Now uh most of us
[1:25:25] uh we our eyes and so forth start to
[1:25:28] degenerate. So,
[1:25:31] oh yeah.
[1:25:32] Oh yeah.
[1:26:59] Yeah.
[1:27:01] So then um continuing even those who
[1:27:05] contemplate that tree will not be dist
[1:27:07] will not become distracted until they
[1:27:10] attain awakening. Um so here Gisha was
[1:27:13] saying earlier that this um
[1:27:15] contemplating this tree has the kind of
[1:27:17] benefit of creating stability in our
[1:27:20] mind um developing that kind of
[1:27:22] undistractedness.
[1:27:24] And then it says um continuing before
[1:27:26] that king of bodhi trees. Um so in front
[1:27:29] of this great tree that has just been
[1:27:31] described dwells the bavan the datagata
[1:27:35] the arhot the perfectly complete Buddha
[1:27:38] amitaba who is stainless and completely
[1:27:41] pure living and abiding expounding the
[1:27:44] dharma in the midst of an oceanlike
[1:27:47] retinue. So um here uh we imagine again
[1:27:50] in front of this bodhic tree um that has
[1:27:53] been described uh Buddha Amitaba
[1:27:55] surrounded by an ocean of uh various um
[1:27:58] disciples, various um uh dharma uh
[1:28:03] friends, Buddhas and bodhic savas and so
[1:28:05] forth. And um here we imagine that he is
[1:28:08] turning the wheel of dharma teaching.
[1:28:14] >> Oh yeah.
[1:28:43] >> [snorts]
[1:28:56] >> Fore speech.
[1:29:12] >> [snorts]
[1:29:17] >> for
[1:31:08] Yeah.
[1:31:12] So um here the point in giving this
[1:31:15] description of um the pure realm of
[1:31:17] Amitaba is in order that we're able to
[1:31:20] meditate on it right to try to like
[1:31:23] visualize this within our mind to
[1:31:25] imagine that and it might seem from
[1:31:28] where we are right now that that's
[1:31:30] inconceivable. It just can't even be
[1:31:33] right. Um but there are many different
[1:31:35] things that we can't see. Um but that
[1:31:38] doesn't prove that they don't exist. Um
[1:31:40] and so uh it seems like you know there
[1:31:43] there also perceptions and ways of
[1:31:45] thinking that change. Um uh prior uh
[1:31:48] people thought that the moon was maybe
[1:31:50] just like this orb of light. It wasn't
[1:31:53] actually anything solid at all. Um but
[1:31:56] then people landed on the moon and we
[1:31:58] realized oh this is you know earth. This
[1:32:00] is something that is actually um a solid
[1:32:02] thing like kind of a planet. So our our
[1:32:05] ways of perceiving and our the
[1:32:07] understanding that we have from our
[1:32:10] perceptions is something that can um
[1:32:12] change and so we shouldn't say well that
[1:32:14] doesn't exist because I can't see it. Um
[1:32:17] as it is said in um Dharma's Pman of
[1:32:19] Arctica um that uh just not seeing
[1:32:22] something doesn't prove its
[1:32:24] non-existence. like our past and future
[1:32:26] lives. Just because we can't see them
[1:32:29] with our direct sense consciousnesses
[1:32:31] does not prove their non-existence.
[1:32:33] And so um here there's all kinds of
[1:32:36] things that we can't um uh comprehend,
[1:32:39] right? We have gone through all kinds of
[1:32:41] different births, all sorts of ups and
[1:32:42] downs. Um there's sorts of things that
[1:32:44] we just don't have um uh the ability uh
[1:32:48] to see. And uh like for example if
[1:32:50] someone has um and I'll forget the
[1:32:52] technical term [laughter] but uh kind of
[1:32:53] like floaters in their eyes um to that
[1:32:56] person they see these things like there
[1:32:58] are atoms out there that are floating
[1:33:00] down um and we can't like uh deny uh
[1:33:03] that there are times when things affect
[1:33:05] our perception and things are seen that
[1:33:08] seem impossible right and so um here we
[1:33:11] have to recognize that just because
[1:33:13] something seems like beyond our
[1:33:15] comprehension doesn't prove its
[1:33:17] non-existence.
[1:33:18] Um like think for example not that long
[1:33:20] ago um I mean people would think okay
[1:33:24] you know my ears can only hear so far.
[1:33:26] So the idea of broadcasting something
[1:33:28] all the way around the world and being
[1:33:30] able to hear it around the world that
[1:33:32] seems impossible right like how could
[1:33:33] that actually be. Um but we have through
[1:33:36] the manipulation of atoms brought that
[1:33:38] about right so we can see that on those
[1:33:40] levels things that we think might be in
[1:33:43] incomprehensible or not possible uh we
[1:33:47] shouldn't discount them just because we
[1:33:49] can't see them. [clears throat]
[1:33:54] foreign.
[1:34:20] Yeah.
[1:34:22] Fore speech.
[1:34:45] One minute.
[1:35:10] >> [snorts]
[1:35:31] [snorts]
[1:35:54] >> So then um here it says furthermore one
[1:35:58] is unable to understand the measure of
[1:36:01] his lifespan by saying that it endures
[1:36:05] this much. Um so in terms of uh the
[1:36:08] lifespan of Amitias and this really gets
[1:36:10] into why he's called Amitias or
[1:36:13] immeasurable life um is that uh his
[1:36:17] lifespan is basically countless from
[1:36:21] hundreds of kalpas or for hundreds of
[1:36:23] thousands of millions of kalpas right we
[1:36:26] can't say um how long it is and so
[1:36:28] therefore that victor is called ammitias
[1:36:30] or immeasurable life and likewise um in
[1:36:35] each of the 10 directions also as many
[1:36:38] Buddha fields as there are grains of
[1:36:40] sand in myriads of Ganji's rivers um
[1:36:44] abide pervaded by the light of that
[1:36:46] Buddha. So again getting at the kind of
[1:36:48] countless um number of Buddha realms uh
[1:36:51] which the light of Amitaba pervades um
[1:36:54] is really like the number of grains of
[1:36:56] sand in a great ocean or the great Ganes
[1:36:58] as many realms as there are of those um
[1:37:00] and uh so that therefore this victor
[1:37:03] that victor is called Amitaba
[1:37:05] immeasurable light.
[1:37:43] So
[1:38:01] yeah,
[1:38:45] Yeah.
[1:38:56] Yeah. Do you say? Yeah.
[1:39:02] Yeah.
[1:39:04] >> So um however uh so in general um this
[1:39:07] Buddha Amitaba ex gives off immeasurable
[1:39:12] light. However this excludes those times
[1:39:15] when by the power of aspiration that
[1:39:18] light becomes a fathomwide and so forth.
[1:39:21] So there are times when for the purpose
[1:39:22] of the particular disciple um that
[1:39:24] Amitaba might display a certain uh
[1:39:27] extent of light right um not just always
[1:39:30] immeasurable and um that light that he
[1:39:33] displays is stainless like a crystal
[1:39:36] ball um so it's completely uh like clear
[1:39:39] we can say like crystal and extremely
[1:39:42] vast like space penetrating or pervading
[1:39:45] everywhere and it generates bliss in the
[1:39:48] body and gladdens the mind and brings
[1:39:51] delight supreme delight to whichever
[1:39:54] sentient being touches it. So this kind
[1:39:56] of light is said to have the quality
[1:39:58] such that if it touches your body you
[1:40:00] experience a kind of physical bliss and
[1:40:03] um the mind experiences a mental uh
[1:40:06] bliss. So this light has that kind of
[1:40:09] quality of bringing supreme delight to
[1:40:11] whichever sentient being beings it
[1:40:14] touches.
[1:40:17] >> Well yeah
[1:40:28] Roller
[1:40:31] Rogue
[1:40:38] Sergey
[1:40:41] Seri.
[1:41:17] Foreign
[1:41:26] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[1:42:21] >> [clears throat]
[1:42:39] >> So thus completely surrounded by an
[1:42:42] infinite mass of light rays like the
[1:42:45] oceans of enjoyment embrace the golden
[1:42:48] mountains. The splendor of the great
[1:42:51] sage Amitaba's body outshines multitudes
[1:42:54] of assemblies of shravakas and bodhic
[1:42:57] sappas. Um so here uh again um this kind
[1:43:01] of um these infinite masses of light
[1:43:03] rays are um completely surrounding the
[1:43:06] environment um uh sort of described
[1:43:09] here. Um and this splendor of the great
[1:43:12] sage Amitaba's body outshines multitudes
[1:43:15] of assemblies of shravakas and bodhic
[1:43:18] sappas. Um so he outshines those other
[1:43:20] beings and having risen up radiating
[1:43:24] brightly in all directions vividly,
[1:43:27] clearly steadily. Um so here this is
[1:43:30] like describing the way in which like
[1:43:32] imagine when the moon appears amidst the
[1:43:34] various stars. It's very vivid. It's
[1:43:37] very sort of like stark and bright and
[1:43:39] clear um in the midst of those. And um
[1:43:42] so too this is the way in which he
[1:43:44] appears in this vivid clear kind of
[1:43:47] steady way. He is like the king of
[1:43:50] mountains Mount Meu um elevated above
[1:43:53] all mountains. Um so here in that kind
[1:43:56] of lofty position in which he is um sort
[1:43:59] of again shining brightly like the the
[1:44:03] moon amongst stars sort of standing out
[1:44:05] with that shine and then also being
[1:44:08] above like uh the the Mount Meu towering
[1:44:11] over other mountains.
[1:44:14] >> Oh yeah
[1:44:21] chimbo.
[1:44:22] >> Oh yeah. You know this
[1:44:26] [clears throat]
[1:44:26] to be
[1:44:30] >> to be
[1:44:41] Foreign
[1:44:51] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[1:45:48] >> [snorts]
[1:45:51] >> Fore! Foreign! Foreign!
[1:46:12] You can do
[1:46:23] this one.
[1:46:38] foreign
[1:47:06] mud
[1:47:08] mood.
[1:47:28] Foreign
[1:47:33] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[1:47:54] >> [snorts]
[1:48:12] >> Then
[1:48:15] shindu shindu.
[1:48:20] [cough and clears throat]
[1:48:22] Wrong.
[1:48:38] Foreign
[1:48:45] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[1:49:08] >> [snorts]
[1:49:21] [snorts]
[1:49:35] >> Foreign
[1:49:40] speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.
[1:50:04] No, no,
[1:50:06] no.
[1:50:25] Fore! Foreign! Foreign!
[1:50:46] Mhm.
[1:51:07] [snorts]
[1:51:10] Oh yeah.
[1:51:16] Yeah.
[1:51:18] So, um here um this then gets into a
[1:51:22] kind of long description which is really
[1:51:24] about um the Buddha uh teaching. So,
[1:51:27] here it says as soon as one sees that
[1:51:31] supreme great uh sta sage um and here
[1:51:35] Gisha was actually reading that as with
[1:51:36] his entourage like with his collection
[1:51:38] but that will come later. So um as soon
[1:51:40] as one sees that supreme great stage the
[1:51:43] 32 major marks of a great person satisfy
[1:51:46] the mind again the bodies of these
[1:51:48] enlightened beings are beautified um uh
[1:51:51] and and here um his body uh is being
[1:51:54] described as being you know hundreds of
[1:51:56] yojanas tall right this is something
[1:51:58] that again from our perspective and our
[1:52:00] body size we can't really imagine and so
[1:52:03] too when it comes to being marked with
[1:52:05] those um signs uh all of the kinds of
[1:52:07] things like the signs uh that uh
[1:52:09] beautify a Buddha's body, their uh
[1:52:11] various entourage or assembly. Um the
[1:52:14] kind of abode that they have are created
[1:52:17] through the collections that they have
[1:52:19] accumulated over time, right? Um and is
[1:52:21] something that is uh so beautiful that
[1:52:23] it's like mentally satisfying just to
[1:52:26] look at. Um and so this again is arisen
[1:52:29] from the cause of many roots of virtue
[1:52:32] accomplished over immeasurable eons.
[1:52:35] Pure and clear and all beautiful things
[1:52:38] thoroughly complete enhance thoroughly
[1:52:42] complete enhance the expanse of his body
[1:52:44] as if they were competing with each
[1:52:46] other. So it's like everything is so
[1:52:48] beautiful. It's almost like well is this
[1:52:49] more beautiful or is that more
[1:52:50] beautiful? you know, it's a very um uh
[1:52:53] very much uh competing for the most
[1:52:55] beautiful. And then it says like the
[1:52:59] moon disc, thoroughly complete in all
[1:53:02] aspects, rising in the autumn night sky,
[1:53:05] free of clouds. And so, um the autumn
[1:53:08] night sky is said to be especially sort
[1:53:10] of pure and clear of any kind of like
[1:53:12] smoke or haze or clouds, right? So,
[1:53:14] we're able to really see the kind of um
[1:53:16] glow of the moon, the [clears throat]
[1:53:19] illumination of the moon. And so, um the
[1:53:22] Buddha is described here, Buddha
[1:53:24] Amitaba, as being like this moon disc
[1:53:27] rising in the autumn sky, free of all
[1:53:30] clouds, beautiful amidst 10 million
[1:53:33] pearl-like constellations. Um he is
[1:53:36] thoroughly surrounded by an immeasurable
[1:53:38] retinue of bodhic sattvas whose mental
[1:53:41] continu faculties and roots of virtue
[1:53:44] are exceptionally vast and fully
[1:53:47] matured. Um so he is surrounded by um
[1:53:50] this entourage who has those kinds of
[1:53:52] qualities and like a supreme bull graced
[1:53:55] with an extremely gentle gate and
[1:53:57] endowed with a very respplendant form
[1:54:00] moving together with a following of
[1:54:02] hundreds of thousands of cattle. Um so
[1:54:04] it's like the the great sage the Buddha
[1:54:06] is leading this retinue of arhots who
[1:54:09] delight in their many supernowledges,
[1:54:11] magical powers and divine eyes. Um so
[1:54:15] this is [clears throat] again kind of a
[1:54:16] description of um this assembly and
[1:54:20] independence on unobstructed and
[1:54:22] detached knowledge of all objects um of
[1:54:26] knowledge self-confidence not knowing an
[1:54:29] end to the teaching of the dharma. Um uh
[1:54:32] so uh teaching in a way that is um
[1:54:36] continuous appropriately as long as
[1:54:38] samsara lasts and great compassion which
[1:54:41] is exclusively intent on the welfare of
[1:54:43] limitless sentient beings and just as so
[1:54:46] that part might come. Okay. So um and
[1:54:49] then it says, "And just as the king of
[1:54:51] wild animals, the lion, brave and also
[1:54:54] having supreme prowess, who roars the
[1:54:57] lion's roar in all directions without
[1:55:00] timidity, amidst a retinue of herds of
[1:55:03] wild animals, the great sage
[1:55:05] continuously procla proclaims the great
[1:55:07] lion's roar of the vast and profound,
[1:55:10] free of all fear of opponents in the
[1:55:13] midst of a countless retinue." Um so
[1:55:15] here uh this is uh the Buddha's teaching
[1:55:18] is described as fearless because the
[1:55:21] Buddha teaches in a way that accords
[1:55:23] with reality in the same way that like a
[1:55:26] lion in the jungle is fearless in terms
[1:55:28] of roaring out like proclaiming um
[1:55:31] because he has no one to fear. So to um
[1:55:34] their knowledge of the dharma, Buddha's
[1:55:36] knowledge of the dharma, renunciation
[1:55:38] and bodhicitta and the correct view, all
[1:55:40] of their teachings of method and wisdom
[1:55:43] can't be challenged by reality. They
[1:55:45] accord with reality. Um and therefore uh
[1:55:48] the Buddha proclaims the dharma in a way
[1:55:51] that is fearless. So this here describes
[1:55:53] um the kind of uh teaching of the dharma
[1:55:55] within this pure realm.
[1:56:20] for
[1:56:59] So um and then there are verses that uh
[1:57:02] kind of summarize the same meaning um
[1:57:04] and are in praise to Amitaba.
[1:57:07] So the first is in sukavati pure land
[1:57:11] refuge of transmigrators at the foot of
[1:57:14] a majestic tree is Amitaba his body
[1:57:18] respplendant amidst the vast retinue to
[1:57:22] you heap of limitless merit I bow. Um so
[1:57:26] here again describing um the kind of uh
[1:57:29] majesty this uh beautiful being of
[1:57:32] Amitaba who is a refuge um his body
[1:57:35] respplendant in the midst of this vast
[1:57:37] retinue who has this limitless heap of
[1:57:39] merit I bow down.
[1:57:59] Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign
[1:57:59] speech.
[1:58:32] Show some of your dandoms. Fore!
[1:58:34] Foreign! Foreign!
[1:58:54] for
[1:59:33] Fore speech.
[1:59:44] fortomb.
[2:00:29] That's angry.
[2:01:51] >> [clears throat]
[2:02:03] [bell]
[2:02:07] [panting and gasps]
[2:02:08] >> So um here uh then turning um to the
[2:02:12] next of these verses it says the aura of
[2:02:15] your light oh guide fills the world
[2:02:18] system oh how extremely vast past is the
[2:02:22] expanse of the victor's pure land. So
[2:02:25] here again kind of describing um the
[2:02:27] qualities of um the victor's pure land.
[2:02:30] Now just as a note in this next verse um
[2:02:33] Gisha explained it as is translated
[2:02:35] since the qualities of abandonment and
[2:02:37] realizations of all the victors have
[2:02:39] been made um your own by you alone. Um
[2:02:43] here it says the three secrets um in the
[2:02:46] commentary we have but he glossed that
[2:02:48] as being the qualities of abandonments
[2:02:50] and realizations. Um and so I wonder
[2:02:53] have not the sentient beings of this
[2:02:55] Saha world our world um been steeped in
[2:02:58] the faults of the five degenerations? Uh
[2:03:01] so here we are in this time of the the
[2:03:03] five degenerations right um in terms of
[2:03:06] time and lifespan and ouruh afflictions
[2:03:08] and defilements and so forth just
[2:03:10] proliferating our anger and our jealousy
[2:03:12] and our pride and our attachment and so
[2:03:14] forth. Um so aren't we are here right we
[2:03:17] are in this kind of time of the five um
[2:03:19] degenerations and we're asking again um
[2:03:23] this being to come to uh these impure
[2:03:26] realms in order to protect us. Uh so
[2:03:28] sorry that's skipping ahead a little but
[2:03:30] um uh if the highest king of mountains
[2:03:33] was endowed with the fullest moon's face
[2:03:37] and the loveliest eyes of blue utal
[2:03:40] flowers then it would equal you. So
[2:03:42] again describing the kind of qualities
[2:03:44] of Amitaba this beauty in this piece
[2:03:46] that uh we are imagining we're in the
[2:03:48] presence of blazing with the glory of
[2:03:50] numerous qualities of wisdom and
[2:03:53] compassion bestowing the feast of
[2:03:55] eloquent eloquent teachings amidst the
[2:03:58] gathered retinue remaining for the
[2:04:00] benefit of others until the end of
[2:04:02] existence in all circumstances may you
[2:04:04] protect trans migrators. So um here
[2:04:07] really calling on the kind of qualities
[2:04:09] having described those qualities we are
[2:04:12] then turning to and asking for
[2:04:14] protection uh from Amitaba making that
[2:04:16] kind of a prayer with these verses.
[2:04:21] >> So um time is up for now.
[2:04:30] Due to this merit, may we soon [singing]
[2:04:33] attain the awakened state of Guru Buddha
[2:04:37] that we may be able to liberate all
[2:04:42] sensient beings from their suffering.
[2:04:45] May the precious body mind not get born
[2:04:48] arise and grow. May [singing] the born
[2:04:51] have no decline, but increase forever
