PINK SQUIRREL

Last Saturday at 7:30 AM, a 2nd row center ticket to the Dalai Lama’s dharma talk at Gillette Stadium walked into my kitchen, in the hand of my dear friend Willa. With two other fabulous women, off we went for an extraordinary day of listening and observing. What follows are Willa’s and my notes, typed up, hopefully with very little interpretation. These notes are meant to represent the essence, if not the precise language (although sometimes we did capture that) of HH’s two lectures.   If you find this interesting, you may want to watch the  video, which is a very complete version of the teachings of The Four Noble Truths by His Holiness given in London several years ago, far more complete than the short, morning lecture represented here. Namaste.

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

9:30 AM Teaching: Introduction to Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths

Everything that happens is caused. Buddhism is a study of causal relationships: events are caused based on conditions.

Christianity accepts “the beginning” as God. There is no previous cause, just the arrival of God “in the beginning.” From this concept arises the idea of “self.” Does “self” have a beginning? Christianity believes that there is Self in this lifetime only. One lives, one dies, one waits for some amount of time and then one goes to either Heaven or Hell. [Here HH laughed and hoped that more people were going “up there” than “down there.”]
That is the end of Self, which only survives in this lifetime.

Buddhism embraces the concept of the Permanent Self, the Eternal Self. The body and mind are temporary but the Self is constant. The Self is re-established in the body and mind at the time of conception, where it continues in this lifetime from another, previous lifetime. Self is the continuity of consciousness, the phenomenon of knowing and being aware, with knowing arising from the senses and awareness initiating from mental activity. In this way, the nature of being, of human being, is luminous, knowing and full of awareness. Like matter, which can neither be created nor destroyed, mind and consciousness are beginning-less and, therefore continue infinitely.

HH asked, “Is there an end of self? For the Christians, yes. There is Heaven and Hell and that’s the end. Are there Gods and Angels? I don’t know! Can God remove all beings? I don’t know!”

Christianity posits that when the Self reaches salvation (heaven), Self and consciousness ends. Buddhism has a different idea, maybe a better idea. [Here, HH winks and laughs.] Sensation (the body and mind) can cease but self cannot cease. A deluded sense of reality can cease but mind cannot. The space created by mind remains and so self remains.

There are many different religious teachings and all bring goodness to humanity. There is a supermarket of religious beliefs! There is freedom and it is up to us to choose. It is essential that we respect all traditions. Religious harmony is the result of mutual respect.

The Four Noble Truths

• The truth of suffering. Suffering is to be understood.
• The truth of suffering’s origins. The origins (delusion, attachment and aversion) are to be abandoned.
• The truth of cessation. Cessation must be realized.
• The truth of path. The path is to be cultivated.

The Noble Truth of Suffering

We do not want pain and suffering. All human beings want joyfulness and happiness. We want permanent happiness. The truth is there is suffering. It is wishful thinking to say there is not suffering. Joy and happiness pertains to one’s mental level. To be rid of suffering, we must approach the causes, not just wish it away.

The Noble Truth of Origins

The causes of suffering are delusion, attachment and aversion, or “duka.” These are brought on by two elements: karma and afflictions. Karma is our actions, in this and former lives and afflictions are brought on by mind. Karma is a result of our actions in the world. If our actions are negative, we will have suffering as a response to those negative actions. Afflictions are related to interpretations of the mind. As we think negatively, so do we suffer. The untamed and undisciplined mind has the effect of suffering.

The Noble Truth of Cessation

By addressing the causes of suffering, we find the cessation of suffering and the creation of joy and happiness. Cleansed and purified of “duka,” we achieve and enlightened state of mind.

The Noble Truth of Path or True Path

To achieve the cessation of suffering we must follow a true path. We must cleanse the deluded mind of mental afflictions. Delusion, aversion and attachment stem from fundamental ignorance of what underlies ultimate nature of reality. Path cultivates wisdom that sees through, opposes and remedies that ignorance. Grasping at Self, or self-centeredness, is a fundamental distortion of reality. Path helps us to gain insight into “No Self,” the true wisdom of realizing there is no Self, just continuum of being. We pursue both the intellectual as well as the experiential in acknowledging the truth of path.

Illuminating the Four Noble Truths after illustrating them specifically, HH gave the following general notes:

According to the sage Pandita, suffering has the qualities of impermanence, dissatisfaction, emptiness and the fear of “no self.” Impermanence is perceived on two levels: gross and subtle. On the gross level are the body and the physical world. This impermanence or tendency toward change is noticeable. The seasons change, the leaves turn color, the rain comes and then changes to snow or sun. The body ages. [Here, HH told an amusing tale that last time we saw him he was a different man. Now, because of surgery last year, he is missing his gall bladder and he is a changed person.] On the subtle level is the moment by moment changes that are constant. This is this moment. Now this moment is gone and we have a new moment. Anything that is brought into being is in a state of change under the power of their own causes.

The primary cause of suffering is a fundamental ignorance that our very existence is a condition to suffering. It is possible to remedy this suffering by understanding “no self,” and the concept of cause and effect (karma). Developing a faculty of higher intelligence, through true path, is a cultivation of liberation and higher rebirth. Path is the practice of morality and discipline; liberation stems from cultivation of the wisdom of “no self.” Study constantly. There are many texts and endless dialectics to help you.

2 PM Public Talk: The Path to Peace and Happiness

The goal of all human beings is happiness. Happiness is fundamental. Faith, color, nationality, politics, ideology-all that is secondary. Those are differences. What binds us is our desire for happiness.

Spirituality can be defined in two ways: by religion or faith and by a simpler universal value. An illustration of simple universal value is the genuine love, kindness and affection between humans and pets. We love the animal and the animal loves us back. We are different species but there is no question of faith, religion or nationality. There is a simple universal value that the one finds in the other.

How do we achieve happiness? Through drugs? We buy it, we take it and no, no happiness. Government regulation? A little regulation is useful and helpful but not adequate for happiness. Realizing our potential is a key to happiness. We all have the same potential for warm heartedness, affection, love and compassion.

The best way to start is through the mother, at birth. Survival is dependent on the mother’s care and affection. The mother’s touch is essential. The twelve weeks after birth is essential in the development of compassion and joy in the child. Maximum care at that age, showing compassion and affection, creates a stable mental state and better physical condition. [Here, HH told a touching story about his own mother. While his father had “a short temper,” his mother was, despite her illiteracy and poverty, very giving and rare to anger. HH used to ride on his mother’s shoulders, gripping her ears so he could “steer” her from one place to another, as one uses reins on a horse. She was very happy to do this and indulged HH with love.]

Science says that anger, hatred, jealousy, tension, fear and suspicion are at the root of the poor immune system. To strengthen immunities, a calm, compassionate mind, and open heart and the assumption that everyone is your friend is a crucial factor for good health. For your own health, serve others or at least restrain yourself from harming others.

Language can be an expression of mental attitude. People who continuously use language like “I, me, mine . . “ are self-centered and bad health.

HH said, “We are just human beings. Six billion people, basically the same, above status. Whether royal, president or beggar.”

HH told a story about his recent visit to Los Angeles/Berkley, CA where he visited a homeless shelter. He sat and talked with a man for an hour who was interested in Buddhism. The man was intelligent and very innocent. HH enjoyed his talk with him very much. He told him, “Wherever you feel comfortable is your home. Whoever you feel offers loving care to you is your family.”

Inner satisfaction has an enormous effect on the mind and body. Inner satisfaction makes a difference in the mind, and gives peace.

HH went on to say that he, himself, has been homeless for the last 50 years. At age 16 he lost his freedom at the hands of the Mainland Chinese government. At age 24, he lost his country. At age 73, he receives constant bad news from Tibet. The whole country trusts in the Dalai Lama for freedom. It is an enormous responsibility. Overwhelming! Peace of mind is a really big benefit. Peace of mind is health. Peace of mind lends a peaceful atmosphere. This is how HH copes with the stresses of his situation.

Pay more attention to these inner qualities of peace of mind, either through religion and the infinite love of God or through the study of causality (the study of Buddhism). Do good and get the benefit. Harm will bring negative consequences, more suffering. Help. Serve others or at least refrain from harming others.

Question and Answer Period, responding to questions from the audience:

What is a realistic way that we can work to solve the many problems we are currently facing?

“We are six billion people and the majority is not serious about our fate. We must approach our problems in a secular way. This is not a rejection of religion. Mahatma Ghandi worked in this way. He chose a secular approach even though he himself was a devout Hindu man. By choosing a secular path, everyone could be included and everyone moves forward. This way we can embrace human values with out the religious obstacles and angles. Respect all religions without preference. Respect the non-believer; they deserve our respect and concern. We all have a common connection: our mothers who have a compassionate, warm heart. We have common sense. We are social animals. We must build on these strengths.”

“Negativity never brings benefit to the individual. Negativity gets more negativity. Violence gets more violence. We can never eliminate all our enemies. We kill one person, four more people in their family seek revenge. On September 12th, after the great violence, I wrote a letter to my friend George Bush to tell him to handle the situation without violence. Now, the Iraq war, more violence, more violence. War can only defeat the physical, not the mind, not the religion. Violence builds more resentment.

What can young people do to survive this modern life?

“Modern life is based on constant sensorial experience. Computer, music [he referred to iPod], phone makes us lonely. Our inner value does not depend on our sensorial experience. We need not so much sensorial but more analytical, more inner value. Visit inside, not outside. Don’t be impatient. Young people should pay more attention to the inner world. And being realistic is helpful. We have a lot of problems. There is suffering. Be realistic. We have a saying in Tibet: Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”

How can we balance spirituality in a crazy world?

“The world is not crazy! WE are crazy! We must change ourselves, not the world. Change comes from the individual. When the individual is centered, calm, then the family [can be], then the community then the global [community]. It starts with the individual.”

Why do some people suffer constantly and not others? How do we stay optimistic in view of all this sorrow and pain?

“Some believein God, that the creator is all knowing and therefore there must be more meaning to life than what we see. Buddhist believe in karma, in causality, that the suffering and pain is based on our past mistakes. To blame others brings more suffering. Things are relative and interconnected. Tragedy gets more sadness. New views bring new opportunity. For instance, losing Tibet is very sad but it has opened doors for communication between Tibet and the whole world. If we look very closely to tragedies-loss, death, sickness, even the loss of Tibet, the suffering is unbearable. But if we look relative to six billion people in the world, it is bearable. It will reduce our anxiety. If we look at tragedy in terms of its causes and conditions, it is more bearable, less suffering. 90% of all negativity in the mind, it is in the mental state. Buddhists take a scientific approach to reduce negativity by looking at the causes, conditions and relativity of suffering. This is the scientific approach.”

How can we love everybody when there others who are determined not to allow it[allow us to love them]?

“Love and compassion have two levels. Level 1 is biological. It is limited and biased. Level 2, a deeper level, in not oriented to attitude but oriented to humanity, an unconditional regard for human being. When someone attacks you, take appropriate action to protect yourself. But your enemy still deserves your compassion. Your compassion begets future compassion and their future well being as well. In this way, through education, we can bring compassion to humanity.

How can we help to free Tibet?

You can help if you believe in justice. Tibet is a matter of justice. Tibet is materially backward but spiritually advanced. Materially, we should stay in China. Spiritually, we should stay as ourselves. The Chinese problem is they are narrow minded and do not care about the future. They do not see the long term consequences of their actions.”

”We are appealing to the international community, to the media, to the Chinese government: Show us the real Tibet. Go to Tibet, Study Tibet. Tell us: what is our reality? If everyone in Tibet is ok, then I owe China an apology. If not, the reality of what is happening in Tibet now will make a change.”

What is the single thing we can do today to bring peace?

“I do not know. The situation today is too complex. Maybe we need a miracle from the sky! But there are a few things you can do. Take care on ecology. Take care of the water. Don’t use too much, so much electricity. Drive a small car. Simplify your lifestyle. This will help you and the planet and the global economy.

Another thing is to remember that there are no limits to contentment. Find a daily practice at home. Practice every day your contentment. As long as space remains.”

“OK. Like that.”

Here the talk ended, there were some closing formalities and he gathered up his robes and a simple bag and left the stage.