བརྙན་འཕྲིན། སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་གསང་སྔགས་བསྟན་འཛིན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། ཚེ་ལ་དཀའ་ངལ་དང་བར་ཆད་སྣ་ཚོགས། རང་གི་ཉམས་ལེན་དུ་ཇི་ལྟར་བེད་སྤྱོད་ཚུལ།

So, the main theme of our teaching today is how to bring unfavorable conditions onto the path — that is, how we should practice bringing onto the path the adverse circumstances we encounter.

And first of all, we need to create a base, a foundation for such practice, because we cannot bring an adverse circumstance onto the path if we have no corresponding foundation. Just as, for example, when we build a house, we first lay the foundation. In the same way, we must lay a foundation for practice. What is this foundation? It is our way of thinking, how we think, how we orient ourselves, what intention we hold, and what view we have. This is the foundation that will allow us to go on to practice what we are speaking of — bringing obstacles onto the path.

[Tibetan verse] And what we need to understand, what we need to learn, are three components, which are called view, meditation, and conduct — that is, view, practice, and our actions.

These are the three components of the foundation that we need to understand.

[Tibetan verse] And the first is the view. What is the view? The view is what we must clarify for ourselves, that in which conviction must arise in us. We must accept this view for ourselves and be certain of this view. And then, on the basis of such a view, we can already carry out the practice. [Tibetan verse] And if we have gained such conviction in the view, if we have a good, firm, clear view, then our practice too will become just as good and confident.

[Tibetan verse] And what is the view? The view is what concerns our mind, which is originally present within us, within our mind. It is precisely this mind, so to speak, that contains the view, that is connected with the view. And this is what arises in our mind on the basis of the teachings we have received, the advice of teachers we have received, and on the basis of the experience we have gained by following this advice and these teachings.

[Tibetan verse] And the practice that follows from the view, from that view in which we have gained conviction, which we have clarified for ourselves — the practice naturally follows from it. We simply apply the view in practice. This is the practice, this is the second of the three components — that is, meditation or practice. View, practice, conduct. [Tibetan verse] And the next, conduct, it also naturally follows from the first two. That is, first, on the basis of the lama's teachings, on the basis of the instructions received from the lama, we arrive at conviction in the view, and after this we practice that view, and from this, again, conduct naturally follows — activity, that is, how we apply the view, how we practice it.

And the action that follows from this is the third component, conduct.

[Tibetan verse] And further, from these three — view, meditation, and conduct — follows the basis of our practice, which also has three components: this is the ground, the path, and the fruit. That is, they correspond to one another — view, meditation, conduct, and ground, path, fruit.

And the ground is the same, that is, it has the same meaning as the view. The path has the same meaning as practice or meditation.

And if our view is stable, if our view is this very ground, then our meditation and our path will also be good, stable.

[Tibetan verse] And further it is said that conduct is how we apply the view in practice, and which is, let us say, our helper, our companion — that conduct, that activity which we carry out.

[Tibetan verse] And it is just as when we are going to start some business: we need investment, we need starting capital. In the same way, we need this foundation of the view when we are going to practice, to apply the instructions in practice.

[Tibetan verse] As Rinpoche explained yesterday, our practice first requires a preliminary part, requires preparation. What is this preparation? It must be carried out perfectly, and it is the generation of intention, the generation of the attitude of bodhicitta — that is, the intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings. This is the necessary preparation that is needed for practice.

[Tibetan verse] And if we have generated bodhicitta within ourselves, such an intention to bring benefit perfectly, then our practice will go on to bring benefit. Because whatever we do, whatever adverse circumstances we encounter on our path, we will have good preparation for this — in the form of our intention, our bodhicitta. And whatever we practice — the path of secret mantra or the path of sutra — all the same, this is necessary, this preliminary preparation in the form of generating the intention of bodhicitta.

[Tibetan verse] [Tibetan verse] For example, if we are going to eat, then first we must prepare the food. What do we do for this? We buy vegetables for this, we buy some products, then we cut them, cook them, and so on. This is the preparation.

[Tibetan verse] And so, from the three parts — the preliminary, the main, direct practice, or action, and the concluding — if we again take this example of preparing food, then it is not enough simply to prepare it; it is necessary to taste it, it is necessary to truly taste its flavor, that is, to eat it. This will be the main part, this will be the practice in this case, that is, the action.

[Tibetan verse] And accordingly, the last, concluding part is simply everything: we have eaten this food. We did not only eat it, but we finished it. It was prepared, we ate it, and we finished it. Such are the three parts.

And in the same way as in this example, in practice we too need to fully complete all these three parts — that is, the preliminary, the main, and the concluding.

[Tibetan verse] And yesterday, and today — what do we do? We listen to the Dharma. How do we listen to the Dharma? First, it is necessary to create an intention. If we create an intention, "Yes, I will listen to this teaching and apply it in practice," then this is not enough. That is, it is necessary to generate a vast intention — the intention, through listening to the teaching, to bring benefit to all sentient beings. That is, the intention to bring benefit to others, not only to oneself.

[Tibetan verse] And the practice of this enlightened intention must necessarily consist of two parts. The first is compassion. And the second is wisdom. As Rinpoche also explained yesterday, it must be a union of compassion and wisdom. A union of method and wisdom, where method in this case is compassion. [Tibetan verse] And whatever we do — whether we are listening to the teaching or engaged in some other activity — the first, essential thing to do is to generate such an intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings.

May my activity bring benefit to all, may it serve the attainment by other sentient beings of the state of Buddhahood. It is with such an intention that we must necessarily approach any work, any activity. [Tibetan verse] And we must generate this intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings — this is like taking a vow. We take such a promise: "I will bring benefit to all sentient beings." But Rinpoche asks: can we actually do this? Will we be able to help all sentient beings?

Rinpoche's answer is that no. We, actually, cannot attain this benefit in full measure. What to say, then, of helping all sentient beings?

[Tibetan verse] Why can we not bring complete, ultimate benefit not only to all sentient beings, but also to ourselves? Because what is our situation? We, for example, have no power, we have no freedom over our own life. We are born without our own will, without any understanding, without freedom. Further, the four sufferings spoken of with regard to humans are the sufferings of birth, illness, old age, and death. We cannot escape them, we can do nothing. And when these sufferings, these circumstances come, then we have no strength, no ability to bring them onto the path, to use them in our practice.

That is, we cannot even accomplish our own benefit, let alone bring benefit to all sentient beings. [Tibetan verse] But when we say, "I take upon myself the promise to bring benefit to all sentient beings," does this then have no meaning at all? Just empty words? No, this is not so. There is still a way.

[Tibetan verse] And what is this method? It is listening, reflection, and meditation — that is, applying the instructions in practice. That is, we must listen to the instructions. We must reflect on them and apply them in practice. And we must generate within ourselves such an intention: "I will attain the state of Buddhahood in order to help all sentient beings." That is, I myself will gain this attainment, this fruit of the state of Buddhahood, in order to then help all sentient beings gain this same fruit.

In this way, by applying listening, reflection, and meditation — that is, practice — we will be able to attain the state of Buddha, we will be able to gain this fruit. And if we attain the state of Buddha, if we become a Buddha, then, having taken upon ourselves beforehand the vow to help all sentient beings, will we be able to help sentient beings? He again asks: can a Buddha help all sentient beings? No?

Yes, that is, the Buddha has such power. The Buddha can indeed help all sentient beings. That is, our task is to attain the state of Buddha, and this vow of ours, taken beforehand, to help all sentient beings, we as it were actualize in this state. From this state one can help all sentient beings, and this is the very best method.

[Tibetan verse] And what should our intention be? Our highest intention, our ultimate, absolute intention, should be not the attainment of the state of Buddha, but bringing benefit to all sentient beings. But the path to this lies through our own realization, through our attainment of this state, this power. And this is the very best way. That is, we take upon ourselves the vow to help all sentient beings, and the path to this is our realization, our practice, because, having attained the state of Buddha, we will be able to help all sentient beings. [Tibetan verse] We generate the intention to help all sentient beings without exception.

This is the method — that is, the compassion that we use in our practice. But what is the method, what is the path for carrying out this vow? It is the attainment of realization, the attainment of the state of Buddha. And this is the ultimate perfect wisdom that can arise — the one that arises upon the attainment of enlightenment, upon the attainment of the state of Buddha. And in this way these two — wisdom and compassion — unite. [Tibetan verse] It is desirable.

Those who attain this, who unite compassion with wisdom in this way and do not forget in their compassion a single sentient being — such bodhisattvas, what are they called? They are called the heart sons of the Buddhas. That is, as we know, in Vajrayana there is the concept of the body, speech, and mind of the Buddhas. And the highest — that is, the sons of the highest order — are the heart sons of the Buddhas, which the bodhisattvas precisely are.

[Tibetan verse] That is, if even for a moment we manage to unite this wisdom and compassion, if even for a moment we manage to attain this state of the bodhisattvas, then this is already a very great merit, a very great virtue. And imagine how long one can abide in this state. That is, the more one abides, the more virtues, the more merit one accumulates. But even a moment of this state, of this compassion for sentient beings, of the intention to bring benefit, already brings very great merit.

[Tibetan verse] That is, if even for a moment you can generate bodhicitta within yourself perfectly, then this brings immense benefit. What to say, then, if you can sustain this for a long time? Because even a moment of such a state, of such realization, makes you heart sons of the Buddha.

And what to say of what happens and how much merit is accumulated if you can truly sustain this, for example, for an hour? How many moments are in an hour — that is, what quantity of merit is thereby gained?

[Tibetan verse] What to say, then, if you can sustain within yourself such an intention, such an aspiration, such an attitude over, for example, a single day? How many moments are in a single day? Just imagine this immense quantity of virtues and merit that are thereby accumulated. And whatever may manifest at that time — for example, illness, difficulties, and so on — if all this is embraced by the intention of bodhicitta, the intention to bring benefit, then accordingly, this too will be a great accumulation of merit, of virtue.

[Tibetan verse] And such sustaining of such an intention will bring you immense strength, immense possibilities and capacities.

[Tibetan verse] If you are able to sustain this attitude, this intention, then whatever difficulties are met, whatever arise, you will have the strength to overcome them — that is, everything will turn into activity, into the activity of bodhisattvas.

[Tibetan verse] And whatever happens in our life — a happy circumstance or an adverse circumstance — if we have such breadth of mind, if we have such an attitude, then we will have strength in these circumstances, and all these circumstances will become our friends, will become our helpers. And our mind will be fresh, it will be vast and fresh.

[Tibetan verse] For example, if some illness has come, and we begin to worry about it and feel unhappy because of it, will there be any benefit from this?

[Tibetan verse] And if in such a situation, for example, in a situation of illness, we only complain and pity ourselves, will there be benefit from this, will we be able to help ourselves? No, on the contrary, from this still more difficulties and obstacles will arise if we behave this way and relate to it this way.

And also, as Rinpoche explained yesterday, in order to bring adverse circumstances onto the path, we need conditions for this. That is, we need to understand in what way we carry out this practice.

[Tibetan verse] That is, if we only declare, if we only say, "I am going to bring all my difficulties onto the path, I want to bring everything bad that happens onto the path of my practice" — but we do not know how to do this, will there be benefit from it? Most likely not; it will be too difficult.

[Tibetan verse] Yes, first, we must understand how to do this — that is, an understanding, a view, must arise in us: how to do this, we must understand the method, in what way to bring an adverse circumstance onto the path after all. And then we will be able to carry this out in practice.

That is, if we simply say, "I bring a negative circumstance onto the path, from today I bring negative circumstances onto the path," then these will be only words, and there will be no benefit from them. That is, we must after all learn in what way, how to carry out this practice.

[Tibetan verse] Such a practice of bringing all difficulties onto the path is a high teaching. That is, if we speak of levels of teaching, then such a practice is a high level of teaching, a high level of instruction.

That is, it is a practice for the brave, for those who possess this courage. It is not for those who say, "No, no, no negative circumstances are needed, no problems, difficulties are needed." This is not a practice for such people. It is for those who have the courage to say, "Yes, I will bring all negative circumstances onto the path, I will use them on the path."

That is, in the main, people of course avoid negative circumstances, avoid certain obstacles and difficulties. They say, "No, no, this is all very bad, I must stay as far away from this as possible, I do not need this, I do not like this." [Tibetan verse] When we say, "I do not want difficulties, I do not want problems," can we avoid them, can we truly rid ourselves of them? Most likely not, because they do not ask us when they come. If we fall ill, the illness does not ask us whether to come or not. We do not call it, but it comes all the same.

It arises naturally. And likewise difficulties — that is, there is no way to rid ourselves completely of all difficulties and problems.

[Tibetan verse] And if, for example, we apply acceptance and rejection — that is, if we say, "All good circumstances I accept; everything bad, everything unpleasant, everything difficult I reject" — that is, if we behave this way, accepting only the good, rejecting everything we dislike, the unfavorable and difficult — then will this be the practice of bringing obstacles onto the path?

If we speak of what circumstances there are in general, what conditions there are — they are of two kinds, that is, favorable and unfavorable. There are two, two varieties.

[Tibetan verse] And if, for example, we do not bring onto the path, do not apply in our practice favorable circumstances, then will these circumstances be just as favorable, if we cannot apply them in practice? And if we bring onto the path of our practice unfavorable circumstances, then will they be so unfavorable? If we can bring them onto the path, then their force, their difficulty and obstructing force will also not manifest, because they become favorable for us, since we can apply them in practice.

[Tibetan verse] That is, favorable circumstances too, everything good, must also be brought onto the path. If we do not do this, then what benefit is there from them, even though we call them favorable? But there will then be no benefit from them. [Tibetan verse] Well, for example, let us take a statue, some statue of the Buddha or a statue of a deity. If we strike this statue on the head, then will there be benefit from this? Although it is a statue, it is the same as, for example, striking the head with a stone — all the same there will be only pain, only a bruise.

[Tibetan verse] And bringing adverse circumstances onto the path is even simpler, even easier; it is, as it were, a more obvious method. But it is very important to understand — many do not understand — how to bring a favorable circumstance onto the path. This is a more subtle method.

[Tibetan verse] To want favorable circumstances and to not want, to resist unfavorable circumstances — this is in our nature, this is habitual for us, but we must reflect, we must work out in general what a favorable and an unfavorable circumstance is, what is favorable and what is unfavorable.

[Tibetan verse] Well, for example, let us examine circumstances: if we feel strong hunger, and we wonder — what to do, what to do — if we simply think this way, what should we now do — then will there be benefit from this? Most likely there will be no benefit. [Tibetan verse] I said it wrong — it is not hunger we feel; rather, if our stomach hurts, for example, or our head hurts, and we say, "What to do?" — we complain, then there will be no benefit from this whatsoever. And what should we do in this case? Here, for example, we have some illness, pain. And if, as was described before, we have generated this intention to bring benefit to other beings, if this too is embraced by this altruistic intention, then how should we think? We should think: may the suffering of illness of all sentient beings ripen upon me, may I experience these sufferings for other beings, may I be ill in their stead. And when we can generate such an attitude within ourselves, then this will be that very moment of bodhicitta — that is, a moment of union with the suffering of the bodhisattva, which brings very great benefit, great merit, and is a practice.

[Tibetan verse] And we must understand that, for example, if we do not have this pain, do not have this illness, then do we have the opportunity for practice, do we have the opportunity for carrying out this vow of the bodhisattva, this intention? That is, if we have no illness, then it turns out we have no opportunity to do this.

[Tibetan verse] As is said in the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva about how bodhisattvas should relate to this: they say that one should rejoice in every illness. Why do we rejoice in illness? Because in past lives we accumulated non-virtuous karma. And now, with the help of this illness, we can purify, rid ourselves of this non-virtuous karma.

[Tibetan verse] And thus there are two ways. The first is to relate to all obstacles and all illnesses as ripened past karma — that is, as the result of those non-virtuous actions which we committed in the past, and to say to ourselves: how good that this has arisen, because now it is purifying my karma. This is purifying my past karma of non-virtuous actions.

[Tibetan verse] And the second way is, when illnesses or some obstacles arise, to think about it, to relate to it, to pray about it thus: may these obstacles and these illnesses ripen upon me. May all other sentient beings, by means of this, be rid of obstacles and illnesses. May all illnesses and obstacles be experienced by me; yes, may they all come to me, and may all sentient beings, my parents, be rid of obstacles and illnesses. If we can relate this way, then this will be the practice of the bodhisattva, this will be the practice of bodhicitta. And thus our mind will be very vast, our intention will be vast, and we will be able truly to carry out the practice of bodhicitta.

And thus our illness becomes, acquires meaning. That is, it does not become meaningless, useless. It acquires great meaning in this context.

[Tibetan verse] A person asks: well, so does illness in this way become desirable? I say: no. No, in this way illness precisely becomes desirable, it begins to be pleasing, we begin to love it — if we truly understand such a context.

And why is it not pleasing? After all, such an opportunity to accumulate merit, to accumulate virtue by means of such an illness — it ought to be pleasing. [Tibetan verse] We have indeed gained a very great opportunity to accumulate very great merit. This is very good. That is, so simply — simply by being ill — we can accumulate great merit. This is so wonderful. That is, we must by no means miss this chance, otherwise it will be a great pity.

That is, if you fall ill tomorrow, you should rejoice in it.

This too one should rejoice in. If we die having accumulated a great quantity of merit, then what could be better? To die with a great store of merit? [Tibetan verse] That is, if we live long but accumulate only negative karma, then what benefit is there from this? Better little, but of great quality of merit. And each day we must live with meaning, that is, meaningfully.

Yes, in this there is indeed great benefit.

And if, for example, we live even two days — that is, we live one day with a great quantity of merit, this is far better than if we live two days, but without merit, with accumulated bad karma.

[Tibetan verse] And if, as Rinpoche said yesterday, we can change our character for the better, if we can further generate within ourselves the intention of bodhicitta and of bringing benefit to all sentient beings, then our precious human birth truly acquires meaning. In that case we truly — it has value; our body, our life then has great value. And the longer we live, the better. But only in this case.

If, however, we only accumulate negative karma, if we only bring harm to sentient beings, then if we live long, it is all the worse. That is, the longer we live in such circumstances, the worse.

[Tibetan verse] Yes, so what meaning is there in a long life at all? If we have generated within ourselves the intention of bodhicitta, if we if we help other sentient beings, if we practice much, engage in practice in general, then it has meaning, then a long life has meaning. But if we do not do this, then what meaning is there? What benefit is there from a long life?

[Tibetan verse] That is, we must understand: if we want to live long and have no illness, then why? What meaning is there in this? What meaning is there in life at all, in a long life, in wishing for a long life, if there is no meaning in it? That is, we must understand well for ourselves what intention we create, what our view is, what we do with our life, what the meaning of our life is. Then there is no need to live long, no need to wish for a long life without illness.

As I said, that no, I do not want illness — Rinpoche says: well yes, then one must understand why, why illness is disliked, why one wishes to live long. Then one must understand what meaning there is in this, why it is needed, what benefit there is from it.

But if you have a firm view, if you truly generate bodhicitta within yourself, the intention to help all sentient beings, then there will be conditions for a long life and a life without illness. [Tibetan verse] That is, there must be faith in oneself, and there must be faith in one's practice, there must be faith, courage, and confidence regarding one's life and one's practice. [Tibetan verse] [Tibetan verse] And what is today's main theme of our teaching? It is how to bring negative circumstances onto the path. And for this, for such practice, we must understand what we need, what is necessary for us. Also, as Rinpoche recounted yesterday, what is necessary in order to engage in practice, what conditions are necessary. And yesterday Rinpoche explained that the main thing is the mind.

Everything depends on our mind. That is, the main condition for practice — our mind — is always with us, it is always present, and therefore we always have the conditions for practice too, regardless of anything. And even the question of what our mind is — narrow or vast, what our intention is — narrow or vast. Everything depends on this, on what we will be able to attain.

[Tibetan verse] And what do we have? We have time, we have only today; yes, tomorrow has not yet come, therefore we have only today, only now for our practice. And we must give this meaning, we must derive benefit from this, we must, day by day, today, now, derive benefit from our time, from our life.

[Tibetan verse] And when must we practice? We must practice today. And when must we fill our life with meaning? We must do this today. We cannot say that I will do this in the future, I will practice in the future, my life will have meaning in the future. Because, as we know, the future, it may not come — that is, there is no exact, definite future that will necessarily come. No, there is only today. Therefore, precisely today, precisely now, day by day, we must give meaning to our life, to our today, to our present moment.

And we must practice too precisely now. Therefore today has a special, the greatest value for us, because precisely today we can carry out practice, can fill our life with meaning.

[Tibetan verse] And we must not postpone to the future our plans, our intentions, our intention to practice and our intention to have a life filled with meaning. We must do this today, we must do this now, without fail. And if we speak of today, then the most important part of today is early morning. As Rinpoche said yesterday, early morning is as soon as we wake up, it is the beginning of the day, and it is the beginning of our life, because we say that our life — we have only today, in this moment. Therefore, having woken early in the morning, at the beginning of our day, we generate this intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings. We generate the intention: whatever circumstances we meet today, bad or good, they will all be embraced, pervaded by the intention of bodhicitta, the intention to bring benefit.

And as for the past — we must understand, first, the past has already gone; yes, there is no meaning in the past, no benefit from the past. And second, in the past we have already lost very much time, very many past lives have already passed in vain, because we are still now in samsara, in those circumstances in which we are. Therefore in the past we have probably lost much time in vain, we have probably not practiced as we could have. And therefore, today, in these circumstances, we must resolve to do practice. But we must not be angry or enraged that all my past lives passed in vain, what was I doing, I probably did not practice the Dharma, did nothing. No, there will be no benefit from this. We must simply understand that the past — it is past, it has already gone, much time has already flowed by, without benefit, without aim.

And today we have only today in order to carry out practice and fill our life with meaning.

[Tibetan verse] And also, as for understanding that we have only today, and today, the present, is the most important. And, for example, if at home some disputes, some disagreements arise, we should not constantly recall the past, we should not say, "Back then you did such-and-such in the past, and now this has happened." And we must not constantly recall the past and turn to the past, because the most important thing we have is the present, is now. [Tibetan verse] And we must not, at home like this, to our loved ones, constantly recall something from the past and allow, so to speak, problems from the past to arise in the present. Because if we recall the past — "you did this wrong, you did the wrong thing" — then this means that we will be bringing these past problems into the present. In the present we will also have difficulties and problems, and this we do not need at all, because we want happiness, we want to accomplish our aims.

Therefore we must live by today and not bring from the past those problems which, perhaps, were there.

[Tibetan verse] And we must look upon all our mistakes in the past, all our problems in the past, as experience. That is, we must not cling to them. We must say to ourselves: yes, I gained this experience, I made a mistake, I did wrong, but I have now gained this experience. These are my lessons, this is my study — to relate to this in this way.

[Tibetan verse] And all that we had bad in the past, all our own mistakes, all the difficulties, all the illnesses that were in the past, we must understand as a basis for accumulating experience. And why do we need this experience? It is needed so that in the future we may have happiness, so that we understand what conditions are necessary for happiness. And this experience gives us such an understanding of what to do, what not to do, what conditions are needed for happiness. If we do not have this, then how will we understand? And precisely this way we must relate to everything that was in the past — as a basis for our experience and for our understanding of what after all to do, what we will need to do in the future.

[Tibetan verse] And the future has not yet come, and the future depends entirely on our present. Therefore our present is so important, because precisely our present, what happens today, determines what our future will be.

[Tibetan verse] And we must learn, we must train to bring all circumstances onto the path in such a way that whatever happens today, we must look upon it from the good side, also as a training, as a practice. And we must understand that if today something not good has happened to us, obstacles or difficulties have arisen, then this is a result of our past accumulated karma. If, however, something good has happened, then we must understand that this is a result of merit we accumulated earlier, virtues we performed earlier; it is a result of the compassion and love of our lama, of the Three Jewels. That is, we must learn, we must train to see everything precisely in this light.

That is, the most important thing, to speak briefly, what must we understand? We must understand that today is the most important. And the present moment — it is the most important. And precisely today and the present moment we must fill with meaning. And we must, precisely precisely in this moment, carry out our practice and fill our life with meaning.

[Tibetan verse] If we manage to fill our today with meaning, then we will also manage to fill with meaning tomorrow, and the day after, and so on. That is, everything begins today. If today we have managed to use our opportunities and our time, then we will also be able to do this tomorrow, and the day after, and onward.

[Tibetan verse] And if today we have managed to generate this intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings, if we have managed to generate it perfectly, which, as Rinpoche explained, is the preliminary preparation for all our actions — if today we have managed to carry this out, then we will be able to do it tomorrow too, and the day after, and onward. And if we go through life with such an intention, then a literally bright future awaits us — that is, a future filled with light.

[Tibetan verse] If we have managed to generate such an intention and such an attitude, then our today will already be filled with happiness. That is, if we have in this way opened our mind and generated precisely the vast intention of bodhicitta, of bringing benefit, then already today will be filled with happiness, and further all days too.

[Tibetan verse] And again, if we have begun our day this way, as Rinpoche explained, then during the day, of course, various circumstances are met — both difficulties are met, and favorable circumstances are met. But if all this is embraced by the intention, if all this is embraced by the compassion of bodhicitta, then then we will be able to bring any circumstances that arise onto the path, onto the path of our practice.

[Tibetan verse] And, generally speaking, I have great hope that already today, already now, we will be able to make our life filled with meaning, a life filled with essence, in which there is some inner essence and inner meaning. Because if we postpone this to the future, to some indefinite future that may or may not come — will we have the opportunity in the future to carry out practice? This is unknown. But we have today's life, the present moment — the most suitable time for carrying out practice.

[Tibetan verse] And if we have such an intention, the attitude of bodhicitta, then with such an intention, whatever circumstances arise, they will not be wasted, they will not pass without benefit. We will be able to practice in these circumstances, to bring them onto the path. And then from this very great strength will arise, because the intention of the bodhisattva has very great strength and very great blessing. And then our life, all our actions, will be filled with this blessing, this strength of the bodhisattvas.

[Tibetan verse] If we reflect well, then difficulties are our kindest friends — that is, these are circumstances that possess immense benefit and great kindness toward us, because precisely they give us the opportunity to carry out practice. Were it not for them, there would be no opportunity to carry out practice. There would be nothing to bring onto the path, there would be no basis for training and for practice. Therefore we must understand: when some difficulty arises, or some adverse circumstances, we must say to ourselves: now I have gained the opportunity to practice. Thank you to these circumstances, thank you to these difficulties, that they help me to carry out practice.

[Tibetan verse] And also many teachers have spoken, including Longchenpa, much about how we must be grateful to obstacles, to enemies, to adverse circumstances, because they give us the opportunity for practice. Were it not for them, there would be nothing to train on, there would be no basis for practice, for applying various methods. And therefore we must be grateful, because precisely these adverse circumstances contribute to our gaining lasting happiness — that is, when we attain realization. Lasting happiness in the future is attained by our practicing today with difficulties, with adverse circumstances.

[Tibetan verse] And these instructions — how to bring difficulties onto the path — are profound, secret instructions. And if we did not have these circumstances, then how could we use these secret instructions, these secret profound instructions of the teachers? Only in this way, only by encountering various circumstances, can we use these instructions and apply them in practice.

[Tibetan verse] To sum up: what are the two ways of carrying out the practice of working with circumstances? That is, the first way is to recognize in them the fruit of one's past karma. That is, whatever manifests, whatever difficulties manifest, understand: this is my past negative karma ripened. This is the fruit of my non-virtuous deeds. And now I have the opportunity, I rejoice in such an opportunity to purify this karma by means of my sufferings, these present difficulties. This is the first way.

The second way is the way of the bodhisattvas — it is when we wish and create the intention that our difficulties, that these difficulties be only ours — that is, that we suffer for all sentient beings. That is, be it illness or some other suffering, we say thus: may I substitute myself for all sentient beings in this suffering, may everything be upon me, may all the sufferings be experienced by me. This is the vast attitude of the bodhisattvas.

And such an approach is a high level of practice. This that Rinpoche explains is a rather high level of teaching, a high level of practice.

Rinpoche says: the higher the level of practice, the easier it is, the simpler it is.

That is, one must not think that high teachings are the most difficult teachings to practice. One must understand that the higher the level of teaching, the easier they are to practice, the easier to carry out in practice.

And because they are so easy, it is often difficult to believe in them.

[Tibetan verse] And when very coarse, strong emotions or some ideas arise in the mind, if we do not know the way to bring them onto the path, to use them for practice, then of course we experience difficulties.

[Tibetan verse] And how are we to bring such strong emotions, such coarse ideas in our life, in our mind, strong ones, onto the path? We must understand their nature.

[Tibetan verse] And because of the fact that these emotions and all kinds of thoughts in our mind arise continuously, they arise constantly, regarding them as an opportunity for practice, we thus understand that we can practice always, we can practice continuously. There is always time for practice. There is no need to seek it out specially in one's life, to set aside time for practice, because if we know how to deal with emotions and disturbing thoughts, then we always have time for practice.

[Tibetan verse] That is, if such emotions, such strong thoughts arise, then we must look into their nature, we must look at what they are. And when we do not find in them any nature of their own, then we will already have no problems with these arising negative emotions. That is, we will not — when some negative emotion arises, we will not say that it is a bad emotion, but understanding the absence of its own nature — this is precisely the bringing of these emotions onto the path.

And we must not follow after thoughts, we must not define them as good or bad, because if we act this way, then we are already accumulating some karma — that is, this will already be some consequence. That is, understanding the absence of their own nature, we must not follow after them.

[Tibetan verse] That is, we must recognize the nature of thoughts, following the instructions of the teachers, following the instructions we have received from our teachers. If we only define them as good and bad, this is not an understanding of their nature; this is only a division, a classification of thoughts and emotions into good and bad. But their nature consists in the fact that they possess no existence of their own. And their nature, as we say, is emptiness. What does emptiness mean? It means that they are free from birth, abiding, and cessation. That is, they have no nature that would be born, abide, and then cease — no entity.

This, understanding precisely in this way, in accordance with the instructions of the teachers — this is the understanding of the nature of thoughts, emotions that arise.

And if we relate this way to thoughts and emotions, then they of themselves subside and return whence they came — that is, they subside on their own.

That is, we must understand that thoughts, ideas, in their essence are not them, that is, of such a negative tinge, yes, these disturbing thoughts. And these judgments, concepts, in their nature are not such. Likewise our disturbing emotions, obscuring emotions, in their nature are not such. Likewise adverse circumstances, difficulties, and so on — that is, in their nature they are not such.

[Tibetan verse] And when we look upon thoughts, constructs, and emotions in this way, look into their essence, into their nature, we understand that in essence they are not what we consider them to be — ideas, concepts, judgments, negative emotions that hinder us. Because if we look attentively, they have no form, they have no color, they are not small, not large. We will not be able to find anything real in them; if we truly search for them as something really existent, we will not be able to find them. And thus this will give us the realization of emptiness, that is, the realization of the absence of anything concrete. And thus the realization of emptiness is a very important practice, as far as we know. That is, it is one of the most important practices and one of the most important realizations that must come to us on the path.

And thus we — when these thoughts and emotions appear, we have the opportunity to practice. This is a very important teaching. And thus we advance along the path to realization, along the path to the attainment of enlightenment.

If negative circumstances and difficulties were truly such — that is, if they really were difficulties and obstacles, negative circumstances — would we be able to use them in practice? Would they be able to help us in practice? Since they can help us in practice, since we can use them, it means they are not negative. It means they are our friends and helpers. And thanks to them we gain special powers — what are called siddhis, or special powers, special capacities. Precisely thanks to them — it means they are not so negative.

And many masters have said that adverse circumstances and difficulties are equated with this special power, with practice.

[Tibetan verse] Therefore it is said that disturbing emotions are brought onto the path, and negative circumstances become friends.

And therefore we too cannot say that these disturbing emotions are such in essence, in essence disturbing emotions and obstacles, because if they were such, then how could we use them in practice? And they are in this sense both our friends and those that bring us strength for practice, that bring us special capacities, if we truly apply them on the path, and are no longer in this sense distracting, disturbing emotions. [Tibetan verse] And what must we understand today, what is the most important of what was said today? The main thing is to understand that the very nature, the very essence of difficulties, of adverse circumstances, of disturbing emotions, ideas, concepts, is not negative — yes, that is, the unfavorable is in essence not unfavorable. Poisons and emotions are not such in their essence; ideas, concepts are not such in their essence. And, having understood this today, we will be able to apply it in practice.

Right from tomorrow we will already be able to apply this understanding in practice.

That is, the first is first: we listen, yes, we listen with our ears, we listen to the teaching — this is first. Then the meaning of this teaching enters our mind. And further we reflect on this. And the next, after reflection, what we do — we apply it in practice.

If it went in one ear and out the other, will there be benefit from this?

[Tibetan verse] That is, first we heard, then we understood, and next — we must apply. That is, if we do not apply, then this will not bring benefit. That is, having heard, having understood, further we must apply this in practice. Precisely then will it bring benefit.

[Tibetan verse] And if we reflect on the society in which we live, on the conditions in which we live, in our country, in our surroundings, then if we truly become established in such a view, in such an understanding, then this will bring benefit to all. This will bring benefit both to us, and to our friends, and to our surroundings, and to all people. And then all this will be filled with meaning, and then everything will improve, because, as you know, there are now very many problems in the surrounding world, problems that are becoming greater and greater. But if we can become established, gain confidence precisely in such a view, in such an attitude, then we will be able to change something for the better, to bring benefit both to ourselves and to others.

[Tibetan verse] And thus, how to bring everything that manifests onto the path? Precisely today, precisely now, beginning right from today, we must change our character for the better, as Rinpoche explained; we must generate within ourselves the intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings. This is the main thing — that is, precisely such an attitude must be present in us constantly, beginning from today. We must train in this and must gain a habit of this, that is, confidence. Further, whatever manifests, the next — we must see the essence of it, that is, we must see the nature of it, be it emotions, thoughts, negative circumstances, we must see what their nature is, because there is not a single phenomenon that would be really existent, that would not be empty, as is said, that would not possess the quality of emptiness. There is not a single phenomenon — that is, all our thoughts, circumstances — they are not such in their essence; that is, they lack any nature of their own, permanent and concrete.

And if we truly have such faith in such a view, such confidence, then we will be able to derive benefit from our life. We will be able, right today, already to fill our life with meaning. And here it is important, also, as Rinpoche said, not to forget about this and not to be distracted. These two — non-distraction and mindfulness — are very important. That is, mindfulness of the intention, mindfulness of the nature of all phenomena is very important. And then our life will truly acquire meaning, and then our life will bring benefit.

[Tibetan verse] And since today, yes, we have studied in what way to use any circumstances on the path, now we can apply this in practice. And, as Rinpoche said yesterday, that is, today, precisely today we change our character for the better, tomorrow we generate within ourselves the vast intention of bodhicitta, of bringing benefit to all sentient beings, the day after tomorrow we attain the state of Buddha. That is, precisely such should be our plan.

And, as Rinpoche said, we must not think of practice, of something very difficult, as of something that requires very great effort. We must think of these instructions as something that is easy to bring into life. And we must think that, by practicing, by perfecting ourselves in this, it will become — our practice — easier and easier, simpler and simpler. We will go from happiness to happiness.

Questions? Answers? He says, has it not finished? On the internet they wrote us two questions.

Should we answer on the internet, or? No, we can read it now. And there are still questions; can we first then, yes. It can be on Facebook as well. Someone is recording it home now. Only in Tibetan, yes.

[Tibetan verse] That is, it is possible, and generally speaking, it is possible. That is, it will not be a quick answer, yes, I need to translate this, prepare, answer. Perhaps through Facebook, yes, you can write. Well, in English. Through me — in Russian. It is possible, possible.

Rinpoche says: it is possible. Write, answer. [Tibetan verse] In general, if there is time, if there is the possibility to translate, then Rinpoche will answer. Perhaps he will simply not answer at once, but when all these circumstances come together, then he will answer. More questions? I have a question.

It may be difficult to render, to pose the question. And if a bodhisattva is one who renounces nirvana in order first to help everyone else, then how and at what moment does he understand that he has already practically attained this nirvana — that is, he does not go into nirvana, accordingly, otherwise he could no longer return? That is, how does he understand at all that he has become a bodhisattva, that he can already help others to liberate, if he himself in essence rolls back from liberation — that is, he himself has not liberated? Well, nirvana and liberation are simply different things, I think, how to say. Nirvana and liberation are not one and the same.

That is, they are not necessarily one and the same. In the context of the bodhisattva, what is meant by liberation? And how will he understand that he has attained?

[Tibetan verse] That is, as practice is carried out, experience will accumulate. And as this experience accumulates, the practitioner will understand where he is. That is, at a certain moment, when he understands that he has realized the essence of all phenomena, when he understands that the state of Buddha is very near, when he understands that his practice is simple, easy, and has great meaning, when his own experience tells him this, when he understands this, then he will understand that this infinite compassion, boundless toward other beings, is also effortless, and that he can carry this out. That is, his own experience will tell him.

[Tibetan verse] There were Buddhists who left their body, attained liberation. There were Buddhists who attained liberation, transforming their body into a body of light. What is the difference between existence in a high-born state in a body of light and without such transformation?

[Tibetan verse] As for this — yes, there are simply two different traditions, as it were. The attainment of the rainbow body is when the mind and body become indivisible, and, realizing the true nature of body and mind in their indivisibility, then the rainbow body is attained still in this life. If, however, this did not succeed, then attainment of realization is possible in the bardo of dharmata — that is, after death. I asked your question — what next, where do they abide. Rinpoche says that there is no difference; they are all free. Having attained realization, they possess freedom. Where they wish, there they abide.

There is, as it were, the abode of the Dharmakaya, the abode of the Sambhogakaya, the abode of the Nirmanakaya. Wherever they wish, there they go.

Rinpoche says that there is no difference. After the attainment of realization, whether in the rainbow body or in the bardo of dharmata, there is no difference. That is, after this they go on to follow their respective intentions. They possess equal freedom to choose where to move on.

A question about motivation. When there is a problem, it is easy to practice. If there are supports, these problems serve as practice. When there are no problems, when everything goes well, the practice seemingly goes on, but the motivation gradually weakens, instead of creating — remaining strong as well. It may be, not a person… in this way the essence turns into form, and one has to somehow think up some means to refresh it, that is, not necessarily each time.

[Tibetan verse] There was no benefit, so to speak.

First Rinpoche says that it is very important, in any circumstances, to practice without hopes and fears. That is, for example, if all is well with you, if you have good conditions, now, yes, there is happiness, then one must watch this moment of hopes and fears. Perhaps you fear losing it, or perhaps you have a hope that it will all become better and better. Yes, this is one part of practice. I asked Rinpoche what you meant, how to make it so that the practice does not lose its strength, its freshness, so to speak. Rinpoche said that there is no difference whether your circumstances are bad or good.

If you follow these two principles that Rinpoche explained — that is, you generate and sustain the intention of bodhicitta, that is, whatever it be, into all your actions, into your practice, you imbue this very intention, the intention to bring benefit to all sentient beings, then it can in no way lose its strength.

And second, again, if you recognize the nature of all phenomena, then there is likewise no difference between bad and good circumstances. That is, bad and good are only a division by appearance, but not by essence. That is, they look like bad and good, but in essence, if you truly recognize the essence, if you practice toward the meaning, then there is no difference. And therefore your practice should become neither better nor worse, be your circumstances good or bad. [Tibetan verse] You know, you will come up afterward, yes, we will ask which lineage this is, it is some… What is it called?

And how?

[Tibetan verse] Can you give me — yes, I am not taking it in Russia?

[Tibetan verse] Ah, is there a Tibetan text here? But you cannot do it only on the Tibetan text, if there is this transmission?

Now we are dedicating the merit.

First, the first.

First.

Is the nature of the body originally fundamental, or is it an illusory production of the mind? The practical aspect of this question is as follows: should we in our practice study in depth the nature of the body and satisfy its desires in order to be happy, or is it enough to work only with the nature of the mind?

It is not about satisfying the natural needs of the body.

What does it mean about the in-depth study of its nature?

[Tibetan verse] Well, Rinpoche says that both — that is, both the mind and the body can and must be studied, because the further we advance in practice, the more we realize that the nature of our mind, as is said in the teachings, is clear light. The nature of our body is four, or one should say five, elements. And likewise, realizing that matter, the body, is five elements, four elements, yes — and what the four elements are in their essence, they are also originally pure. And when we are at high levels of practice, then we realize the indivisibility of these two, the indivisibility in nature: these two — body and mind — are indivisible; whatever you study, however you approach it, they are indivisible. Therefore both the body — its nature, as it were — and the mind can and must be studied.

If you do not understand the nature of the body, then the rainbow body cannot be attained. The second question. In what way to practice if you experience very strong sufferings of illness, especially if you know that the illness is incurable, and one can die any day. In general, Rinpoche answered this question.

[Tibetan verse] Well, Rinpoche says that, in addition to what he has already explained earlier — that is, in the case where something truly threatens us in our life, if some incurable illness, then of course we must prepare for this. That is, we must practice. This is the preparation for death, essentially. And it is not only those who suffer from some incurable illness who must do this; each of us must do this, because of course we think: well, tomorrow I will not die. That is, at some point, but only not tomorrow. But we must practice thus, prepare thus, as if we will die tomorrow.

And then we will gain this necessary habit when it truly comes. That is, there will be no difficulty. It will be easy. But for this one must acquire this habit and carry out this practice constantly and daily, as if we will die tomorrow. Because we do not know. We could after all suddenly die tomorrow.

Of course we do not believe this, but in principle it is possible.

It is possible, possible, yes, now.

[Tibetan verse] Yes, that is, even if we think — that is, most likely we think that tomorrow I will not die. I will live another ten, twenty, fifty years, yes, we all think so. Only I do not think — tomorrow, no, tomorrow I will not die. But since we know that everything is impermanent, and our life is impermanent, the time of death is unknown, then we must constantly prepare for this, we must prepare for it as if we will die tomorrow, because if this happens, then where will the courage come from that is necessary for a worthy death in these circumstances, where will this strength come from? We must continuously prepare for this. We must continuously prepare, thinking about: tomorrow I will die, what must I do today if I die tomorrow, how must I practice today if I die tomorrow.

And let us, after this, live fifty years. If each day we prepare ourselves this way, then our practice will become very, very good.

[Tibetan verse] He says that we must constantly prepare ourselves, we must think about what will happen if death comes tomorrow. And with such an attitude we must practice. Because if we constantly postpone this practice, this preparation, then if suddenly, yes, suddenly we fall mortally ill, suddenly these circumstances of death come, then we will regret it, because we will know that there are indeed many methods of how to prepare oneself, how… What practice must be done in these cases. But since we have no experience, since we have not accumulated, not developed our practice, then we will not be able to do this; it will be very difficult for us to carry out this transition. Because there are various methods, there are the methods of phowa, there are various other methods — in what way, yes, what to do at the time of death.

But for this we must already have the habit, we must have accumulated experience in practice, we must have prepared well. And, of course, young people are gathered here who do not think about this, well, as it were, about dying tomorrow. But if you truly devote — right now, while you have time, devote your time to practice, right from today — that is, you will, as Rinpoche said, practice, give rise to bodhicitta, the intention to bring benefit to others. If you will practice abiding in the nature of mind, if you will practice penetrating into the essence of all phenomena, then in the future, subsequently, this will bring you very great benefit, when you have accumulated experience in this practice.