Notes from His Holiness the
Dalai Lama Teachings
Madison, Wisconsin, May 2,3,4, 2007
When I have happiness.. dedicate it to all other beings
Turn adversity into favorable opportunities for the awakening mind
Cultivate the awakening mind … loving kindness and compassion, the idea of altruism –
every second of existence is powerful… dedicated to other beings – the purpose of existence…
a deep feeling I know the purpose of my existence
Self/others – attachment to attraction-aversion… we feel either attracted or aversion to everything … grasping at self existence … cultivate the directly opposing objective
Ignorance = individual self … a delusion of opposites
The simple law of cause and effect is the origination of everything … some have spiritual teachings of the creator… the most effective spiritual teaching for each person is the best one. (He talked about not changing one’s religion and honoring all)
The experience of “no-self” the wisdom of no self is the only door to liberation of the cycles (karmic cycles)
sometimes someone may have a fleeting insight into the no-self … but that is not sufficient, one needs single pointedness
When one is in poverty the spiritual is not helpful, but when one has money, then there is the next level of spirituality (i.e. when one has their basic needs met)
Spirituality is not at the level of thought and emotions
Cultivation of conditions of happiness … not wishful thinking, but an active end to the causes and conditions of suffering… the undisciplined mind … what makes the mind undisciplined since the nature of the mind is neutral, clear?
The mind becomes undisciplined in circumstances .. key practice is finding a way to bring to an end (to the undiscipline)… cultivating the opposing perspective … cultivating the direct opposite.. leading to impermanence … no-self
Meditation on no-self – impermanence – knowledge of no self … cultivation of the compassion for others
Cultivate the mind .. habituated to practice.. the essence of the Buddha – a transfer of mind from undisciplined state to disciplined state
“Oppose mind” contrasts … grasping/clinging
In meditation do not try to suppress underlying afflictions – anger – greed, etc. …cultivate insight into anger toward others … (take the opposite view; see the truth of no-self)
There was, of course, much more but these are the things that stuck out so far for me that I was compelled to write them down. I will conclude by copying the little prayer that we all recited at the end, going back and forth from English to Tibetan.
Generation of bodhicitta
With a wish to free all beings
I shall always go for refuge
To the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
Until I reach enlightenment
Enthused by wisdom and compassion,
Today in the Buddha’s presence
I generate the Mind for Full Awakening
For the benefit of all sentient beings
As long as space remains,
As long as sentient beings remain,
Until then, may I too remain
And dispel the miseries of the world.
Judy Gibson, May 8, 2007
Impressions from the large public lecture on May 4:
He said he was not a healer – in fact he had a rash on his neck that he said he could use some advice on —– when asked how we are supposed to raise our children with all the violence in the world, he said he is a monk and has no experience raising children. The best thing was that he said he is optimistic about the future — he takes the long view and said the 20th century may be known as the century of violence and bloodshed and the 21st century, one of balance. He also said people are turning away from wars and aggression as a solution to things – that there is a turning away from that, and people are raising their children differently – to take care of the earth, etc. and the new leaders will come from those children in the future.
He also talked to this secular crowd of university students and others, about how we all know about compassion because of the way we are born and given “compassion and affection” by our mothers at the very beginning, and that we all have that, deep inside, to call upon – pointing to his own heart. (He did talk about those that do not have this at the beginning and can die because of the lack.)