MOTIVATION BY RINGU TULKU

MOTIVATION

October 19 2010

Video by Wangdu

Transcribed by Albert Harris

I’m very happy that you have already started studying Bodhicharyavatara, The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva; and also you have studied discussions and started to initiate the discussion with action and non-action: and I think there are lots of discussions going on in that and I’m very happy about it. In due time, maybe I will also say something about that.

Now, I wanted to go through the text of the Bodhicharyavatara and try to briefly explain stanza by stanza. I’m using the translation of the Padmakara Translation Group, of course there are other translations also in English and they’re all equally good, and there is also a commentary on this book, The Way of the Bodhisattva, by Khenpo Kunpal, into English. His English translation is also from the Padmakara Translation Group and it’s an excellent translation. I think it is also translated into other languages. There are translations of this text, Bodhicharyavatara, I think, in many languages, including the languages in the west. Some people thought that this kind of teaching that I’m going to give, or the explanation that I’m going to give, should and could also be translated into other languages: and if there are people who would like to do that I’m very happy. They can verbally translate it and then make it available in audio to the people who want to listen to them.

Now, to start the book, as you know, it’s tradition that we should first remind ourselves to generate the right motivation or to remind ourselves of the motivation for doing this study or teaching on this text, and if there is…I’m sure there is no negative or no other motivations for it, but also, if there is, then to correct them because we can always change our motivations, we can always remind ourselves and kind of change our way of thinking a little bit. So to do that-this is not actually for studying this text but for anything we do-why do we do anything? Because we want something good coming out of it, some benefits for me and for others. It is not easy or it’s most usual for any beings, any human beings that we first look at what good and what benefits it will bring to me. That’s nothing bad, there’s nothing wrong. But it is also important that [although] what it brings is good for me, for me only is not enough. We should also think what my actions, whatever I’m doing, is bringing something that is good for others as well. That’s why, if I do something that I feel and I understand is good for me and good for others as well and nothing really bad for anybody, then I must understand it, I must feel very strongly, clearly, that what I’m doing is a good thing. I’m proud of what I’m doing, I’m satisfied with what I’m doing, I feel meaning with what I’m doing, I feel purposeful and useful [for] my life that I’m living now, today.

Therefore, to really understand this and use this way of finding out that what I’m doing is something that is worthwhile doing or not and then doing those things that are worthwhile is a way of making my life worthwhile. I think, in a way, it’s a very important way to bring happiness to myself, satisfaction to myself because if I’m doing something that I feel is useful and beneficial to myself and others most of the time then I have to feel kind of satisfied and content and happy.

Therefore, this motivation is not something that we kind of pretend to generate or to try to artificially make as a prayer or [just] to say words, but it’s a genuine way of living our life. So therefore, generate the bodhicitta, try to generate bodhicitta, try to think what I’m doing is something that’s worthwhile and good for myself and for others, for now, in this moment in life, these days and also for the long term. I’m going to do something that is going to bring good things, happiness, and lots of benefit for now, for myself and others and I also wish that I could eventually get rid of all the sufferings of all the beings and bring a lasting peace and happiness.

This is a very big thing and many times we might think that it may not be possible. It’s too big; it’s too great a motivation. But, if it is possible that I, or one person, can be freed from suffering and pain and bring a kind of happiness to oneself, then it’s also possible to bring that to all the beings. It might take a long, long, long time; it is of course not an easy thing at all. But there is a possibility and there’s nothing wrong to wish for the best.

Therefore…we all know that this is not something that is going to happen soon, easily, but that’s the most important thing that should happen. Therefore, even if it’s just one prayer, one wish, one strong kind of aspiration, why not make it?

So, I don’t want to take too long because this whole book is about how to generate this and how to work on this. Therefore, I don’t need to talk much at this point, trying to generate the bodhicitta. This, actually, should go at the beginning of every teaching, every lesson, every meditation, every practice, every morning, every starting of the day. But of course, I will not say it because it is going to take time. I know everybody has not that much time. So please, listen to this if you want to remind yourself, otherwise just remind yourself. It doesn’t need to take a long time. That’s the first thing.

KARMA: EXTRACTS

RINGU TULKU RINPOCHE

रिन्गु तुल्कू रिन्पोचे

KARMA

कार्म़ा

[Transcribed by Albert Harris]

"It's your karma" is a phrase often heard whenever something good or bad happens, especially the latter. But a question often brought to my mind is: Can we apply this phrase collectively, as in the case of victims of an earthquake or of those who suffered during the holocaust; and individually, when an innocent person dies of starvation or is incarcerated in a torture state because of their beliefs?

Questioner:
What about Jewish people? How do you explain [in the context of karma]? What could they have done to have come to such a situation? The last person who asked that to me, I could not answer this question. So, can you help with this question, please?

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche:

That's why I say that karma is not really a kind of punishment and reward. Karma is as you become and as you are. What happened to Jewish people, what happened to Tibetan people, what happens to you, to me, everything that happens, what happens today, what happens tomorrow-everything happens for many reasons.

There are long-term karmic reasons; there are short-term conditions also...I think this is a very wrong way to understand this. This is the main problem. Every time, however much we think, as soon as we talk about something like karma, it always goes back to this punishment and reward way of thinking. That's very difficult for people to...what can you say?...get rid of this. Thereby, it comes down to that way of thinking.

It's karma, everything that happens to us is karma, but it is not like I have done something and there is this result. It's not necessarily like that, I think. I read recently on one of the teachings given by, I don't quite remember, maybe Karmapa, a long time before, it is said that the situation in the world is predicted as a degeneration time...a time of conflict. A conflicting time means that everybody's negative emotions are very raw, very sensitive: therefore. they're very angry, very greedy. They become aggressive very easily so things are generally said to be like this.

But it is also said that if people want, they can reverse this situation. It is possible to reverse this situation....It's like this also for the Tibetans. Guru Sambhava predicted-he gave lots of predictions-for the future of Tibetans because the King of Tibet at that time asked, "What will happen to the Tibetans? What will happen to the dharma? What will happen to the monastries?...And then Guru Sambhava gave and answer.

"If you do this, something good will happen and if you do that something bad will happen... and if you do this it will be ok and if you don't do this it will be bad. Then the Tibetans did not do a single thing right.

To begin with, Guru Padma Sambhava said, "This year, I think you should not observe the Tibetan new year."

And the King said, "OK," and went back

All his ministers said, "That''s impossible. How is it possible we don't observe our new year which has been observed every year? We must observe it whatever this wanderer, this useless fellow says."

The king went back to Guru Padma Sambhava and said, "We have to observe our new year."

Guru Sambhava said, "OK, you observe your new year but please don't participate in any of the contests."

The King went back and he did participate. He went horse riding and he fell down from the horse and he died.

Everything that happens has it's causes and conditions. When things occur, we can see a little bit how it's occurring. Sometimes, if you look a little bit far with events, one [event] leads to another. Most of the time, hatred begets hatred. This is very simple. This we all know. More violence begets more violence and if you create things that would create distrust by the people, that kind of thing becomes stronger and I think it can be changed. This is the understanding. It can be changed if you want to.But that also needs lots of strength, lots of resolution, lots of co-operation, lost of wisdom, lots of people to do this.

KARMA

Question: What about purification of karma, if it's in the subject?

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche:

If it's in the subject. Everything is in the subject, [laughs] no? [Takes his time and seems to look inwardly for inspiration.] I think it is like this. The purification of the nagative karma...the strongest purification of karma is said to be wisdom. If you see the nature of the mind completely, then that's the strongest purification of karma.

The second is compassion. The stronger the compassion the stronger the purification of karma. This will come later on [in the teaching]. The practice of full poweres in order to purify the karma...realising the negative deeds as negative deeds and regretting it; trying to resolve not to repeat it again and again; doing any positive deeds; taking support in certain practices.

When we have a painful experience we also create more negative karma because we become angry, frustrated...when we are in a negative state of mind, a painful state of mind, we create negative karma. Tha's not really purification.

When we go through very difficult times or when we have negative things happening to us like illness, then sometimes it's used as a path, as a practice and saying, "This thing happening to me is my negative karma, I wish all the negative karma of everybody to come on top of this and all negative karma may be finished," using that thing happening to me to purify my karma...to dedicate that towards the purification. This has to be understood in a very clear way.

(Transcribed from Pointing out the Dharmakaya, a teaching by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche)