Simplified Lam Rim 16/1

Last Sunday, Kechara House had a Simplified Lam Rim Class. It was a very interesting class and I am going to share what I learned from it. I am not going to go very systematically so please bear with me.

Our Guru can be linked in a chain of action. If one part of the chain was not there. We would not have our Guru. For example, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche came to Malaysia kind of against his own will as he preferred to stay in India. Rinpoche preferred the monastic life but his Guru, Lati Rinpoche convinced him to come to Malaysia. Imagine what if Lati Rinpoche's guru did not teach him, what if Lati Rinpoche's Guru's guru did not teach Lati Rinpoche's Guru. See how the chain did not and must not break as when one part of the chain of actions did not occur, a lot will be changed.

With this chain of actions being fully completed to bring our Guru to Malaysia, we must be very grateful. Kechara is one of the only Buddhist Centers that have a residential Lama. We must be extremely grateful.

When learning what is the Wisdom/Compassion path. We must first learn what is Wisdom.

Wisdom is profound. Profound meaning hidden, beyond all of our ordinary 5 senses. It is profound also because it goes beyond ordinary thinking. Wisdom is not something we can see with microscopes, MRIs or Cat Scans etc. It can only be found with the mind.

Finding with the mind is that we use logic, valid reasoning or we find Wisdom through observing the nature of things.

Everything on the way to Enlightenment makes you happier and happier.

Our mind is something that cannot be checked by scientific means.

If we have all the "happiness" in the world, we will still not be able to stop all the suffering we have.

Compassion comes from within the heart. Our mind must be in sync with our heart.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, we have to have Wisdom and Compassion.

Now, let's talk about about Atisha.

If we look closely at every Buddhist Saint. Their story is usually is quite similar. Atisha was a prince like Gautama Buddha.

The meaning of the name Atisha is peace. That name was given to him by a king.

Even with all the great qualities Atisha had, he still looked for a Guru and he showed no ego.

All of the Dharma gradually shrinks your ego. Buddha is even humble towards mosquitoes. He has no ego. We can be like that too.

There are three higher teachings. They are also known as the three pitakas or the three baskets. They are ethics (sila), concentration or mental stabilization (samadhi), Wisdom (prajshna/panna).

They are Higher meaning beyond the normal level.

We look for Dharma to receive stable happiness.

All of Buddhist practice is about inner reflection on problems that we think are caused externally by others or by a certain object.

We must be motivated by renunciation, bodhicitta and the correct view of emptiness.

All of our actions must be out of the Eight Worldly Dharmas or the Eight Worldly Concerns.

These are the Eight Worldly Dharmas

We want:

1. Gain
2. Pleasure
3. Praise
4. Name

We don't want:

1. Loss
2. Displeasure
3. blame
4. shame

Our mind has 3 root poisons. Those are Snakes, Roosters and Pigs. The Pig represents ignorance. The Rooster represents Desire, attachment or pride. The Snake represents anger and hatred.

Ignorance is the root of the root. It all begins with ignorance.

For more info on this subject. GO AND READ SNAKES ,ROOSTERS AND PIGS BY H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche THAT WAS PUBLISHED BY KMP!!

We always hear people having the excuse of not wanting to go to Buddhism because they don't want to let go. They do not understand what letting go means. It means letting go of the causes of suffering. Letting go of Samsara.

Samsara is an endless cycle of rebirth that results in endless suffering.

If you have more worldly "happiness", you will suffer more than someone who does not as you might not suffer physically but you will suffer mentally. How can a rich man be sad and a poor farmer be happy? Think! The rich mas has to worry about getting poor after being rich or getting robbed etc.

When seeing a sick or dying person, we must not think of their death or sickness on a selfish level by thinking how fortunate we are to not be THEM!

Without Suffering, we can't be Enlightened. Practitioners take suffering positively. We must rejoice when faced with suffering as we will be purifying past Karma.

All of Buddhadharma is personal advice and should be practiced without being selective.

Our views will change when we know more and more Dharma. Everytime we reflect on Happiness or Suffering, their meaning will change.

Impermanence is not always negative. Think about it, Suffering is also impermanent.