for a moment in emptiness. And as far as the degree of emptiness, they're all the same, they're identical in essence. However, perhaps it wouldn't be too good to try to stay too long in the emptiness state in each case. because when you enter into samadhi, then you're probably familiar with the fact that you suddenly get a rush of discursive thinking and find before long that you've been totally distracted for the last few minutes. And so it would be unwise to try to extend this period of meditating in emptiness, like the Sridharams, the Sambhala, longer than necessary for the practice. as you get distracted. Yes, are there any particularly female deities that have a symbolic import and should really be seen to be used in visualization in the Zen?

[01:13]

What do you mean by that? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Yes, definitely. There's many. female deities that, in fact, they all have the same incredibly profound symbolism in various aspects. And so meditating upon, say, Jetsun Dronma, Tara, is equally beneficial to meditating on Chenrezig.

[02:19]

And the, you know, in every way it's identical. So the difference between the female deities and the male deities is that what we're dealing with is to discover the true realization of the union of emptiness and clarity, or wisdom and skillful means. So the male deities, particularly relying a little bit more on the skillful means. And the female deities, the practice is relying a little bit more on the wisdom. However, all the deities are the same in that they are the realization of the union of skillful means and wisdom. It's just like a slightly tilt to one side or the other. And they're all equally beneficial. I have two questions.

[03:20]

One is when you're, during your daily activities when you're seeing everything as part of the deity's realm and yourself as a deity, does it happen that, because it's all supposed to be illusory, does it happen and you start feeling like that's more real and, you know, you're supposed to always know that this is an illusion? Or do you feel that it's really real and you're feeling yourself with the deity? But then you know that's also a truth. You know what I mean? Maybe he's talked about that, but I just don't understand. He did, but it's okay. And then, when I was a kid, I used to go to school. And I used to go to school. And I used to go to school. I used to go to school. I used to go to school. You might get like a little degree of thinking that the deity is real and, you know, clinging to that is real, but that's okay.

[04:56]

But as you progress, you develop more and more a very profound realization that this is form void, that the deity is illusion. That's the whole thing of deity, that it is this illusory rainbow-like illusion that's like a reflection in a mirror that is insubstantial and yet there. And so as a beginner, you may find a degree of like a fixation upon that appearance of the deity. Second question? Yes. The second one is in the Vajrasattva meditation when you're on the third part of seeing all the defilements and obscurations passing away, what part of your body or where does that leave from? Is it all the pores of your skin or is it the Lord's reopening? Didn't you ask that before? No, that was about... The demons?

[05:58]

The demons. The obscurations and the defilements, that was the third section. Uh-huh. It's from the same orifices as before. The bottom of one's feet, the big toes, and one's excretory orifices. And actually one more. When the wisdom nectar falls down, does it just fall from both their bodies? Yes. Does it just flow down their skin and Thank you. Wherever it comes out, it's okay.

[07:24]

I just thought for you, just imagine that it's coming out. Recently a friend of mine died and died in a hospital. Half alive, half dead for hours and hours. I think they had him on morphine. And then when his mom left, he died. You know, there was no sun in the hospital to check things against the sun, and he was on drugs, and it was a long period of time, and it just didn't happen. Yeah. So under circumstances, modern circumstances, without the sun, without, like you're high on drugs, because that's what they usually do, is take away the pain to give you more. Mm-hmm. How would you decide? And maybe you need to be hooked up to machines to keep certain things like the blood... So how do you die in those situations? How do you realize you're dead?

[08:26]

Yes, throw the plug out and see if he's dead. I know that's true. You know, when I was young, When I was a child, I used to go to school, and I used to go to school, and I used to go to school, and I used to go to school. And then I went to the U.S. to study. And then I went to the U.S. to study. And then I went to the U.S. to study. And I went to the U.S. to study. What do you think about this?

[09:30]

I think it's very important. I think it's very important. I think it's important. I think it's important. Yes, so if such a person dies with some kind of sudden death, or death where, you know, it's completely, there's no sort of self-control of the circumstances, no kind of awareness, and then it obviously is very difficult to ascertain the death process and to perform the power.

[10:33]

However, if you do the Poha practice, then by the blessing of doing the Poha practice, then that won't happen to you. And also, if something like that does happen, then you will know. You will have the awareness just by the blessing of having developed the habit. So you know from within, even if you're high on morphine and anything like that, you'll know and be able to do it just like that. I have a little question, a little difficult to put in words. It has to do with the illusory and real aspect that I have. It means if you want to visualize what is that and you think it's not real, then you're defeated from the very beginning. because you say it's not real, but if you do feel that it's real because you have that feeling, devotion, or kind love, as you said, that as long as you maintain that particular feeling, isn't it possible that that instant it is real?

[11:50]

Yeah. I would like to ask that. Yeah. When I was a child, I used to go to school with my parents. When I was a child, I used to go to school with my parents. This is what we call the Ketubi-O-Mau. This is the Ketubi-O-Mau. This is what we call the Ketubi-O-Mau. This is the Ketubi-O-Mau. Thank you.

[12:52]

What is the meaning of the name of the tribe? What is the meaning of the name of the tribe? What is the meaning of the name of the tribe? So, um... Because we have fixation clinging to appearance as being real, then we naturally perceive the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas within the same context as real people who are giving benefit and so on to all beings.

[15:10]

However, think about this, that if all samsara was real, like a fixed substantial state of existence, then how would the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas be able to transform it into enlightenment? So that what it is, is that because of our fixation and clinging to reality, thinking of all appearances real, then we cannot perceive the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are able to operate within this samsara that is insubstantial and unreal by means of their insubstantiality and unrealness. And so that is how the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can waken up sentient beings because all is uncreated illusion and unreal. But to begin with, then, we definitely have this idea of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as beings that are helping us, and then we pray to them in this dualistic way.

[16:24]

And this is okay to begin with, to develop our faith in this way. And there's an element of truth in that. But in the ultimate sense, the all phenomena without exception is uncreated, is insubstantial and like an illusion. Yeah, I understand now what the Buddha said that everything was substantial and illusory. So that means that reality then, this reality is unreality. But then there is another reality where it's not unreality, where it's bullies and the deceptives abide there, and they commit to this unreality as unreal to us, which are also unreal to relate to us. All of us are real, but there is another realm there where they are real. Yeah. Annette? I was born in Kerala.

[17:27]

I was born in Denver. [...] I hope they're not doing this. That's all. So, It's actually okay to think of it that way.

[18:45]

That's an acceptable explanation that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are real, in this completely real place that are helping us to waken up from our delusion in our non-reality. So if you think in that way, then you can pray to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for blessings to develop your own realization, your own compassion, your own love and so on, and develop faith and devotion in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, which really do help. And at present the clinging to something as being real or not real may be too difficult to deal with, too difficult to grasp with the mind because our mind tends to fixate upon things so much that this whole thing of real and not real becomes a real dilemma.

[19:50]

And so to begin with, just think of the compassionate Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sending blessings to you and that you pray to them and invoke them for blessings and wisdom. And gradually the realizations within your mind will increase. Um, it's sort of early, right? So we're not all racing out the door. I was wondering if Lupe Shea, in his experience, has known teachers that had a personal interest or even Avalokiteshvara, and read some stories about them, or frame some work with masters. I remember one thing that reminded me of the first teacher, Desi Rinpoche. That was his paper, another picture. Maybe, since we've spent this time studying it, maybe you could tell us about some more illustrious followers of the Satya.

[20:52]

It's a nice story, but... When I was a child, I used to go to the temple every day. I used to go to the temple every day. I used to go to the temple every day. then they didn't actually want to chamber this or merely chamber the court. That's the story of this. [...] I am very happy to be here. I am very happy to be here. I am very happy to be here.

[21:54]

And today we are going to go to the temple to pray. We are going to pray. We are going to pray. We are going to pray. Well, obviously there's many, many stories of great saints, male and female, who attained the full realization through the practice of Chenrezig. And however, just to give one that is extremely famous is the story of Gilongwa Palmo that was a woman who got leprosy and because she had leprosy and therefore was contagious to the other people the um the chief of the village banished her to the charnel ground and she had to dwell in the charnel ground

[23:13]

and was not allowed to go near anybody. And so she... Her body was rotting, her fingers and face and all her, you know, extremities dropped off her body, and... She prayed continuously with great devotion to Chenrezig, just developing love and compassion and so on, and cured herself of this leprosy, or was cured of leprosy by means of this practice. And her body was perfectly restored and became beautiful. And she became famous as one of the great composers of the sadhanas of Chenrezig. And her transmission of Geloma Pamo exists today as one of the most followed liturgies, you know, within the practice of Chenrezig. Yeah? Is Chenrezig a form of nomination of Amitabha?

[24:16]

Because of Bukashe, he was to show contrast on the other four group and his name or his love description of the Boyz II. Both associated with each family? Yes, so the contrast would be clear. In fact, he was the one who wrote the first part of the poem. Uh, then there's Rick Rose, who's like John Chisholm's son. He's, uh, so nice. Oh. And, uh... That's the, uh, [...] So, that's what I'm trying to do. I want to make sure that we have the materials that we need. I want to make sure that we have the materials that we need. I want to make sure that we have the materials that we need. I don't know.

[25:40]

I don't know. [...] In the past, there was no such thing as a temple. It was just a small temple. It was a small temple, but it was a small temple. It was a small temple. I think that's the way it is. I think that's the way it is. I think that's the way it is. Basically, you can determine the Buddha family of each of the deities by the color, so that the deities of red in color are usually...

[27:13]

of the lotus family, same color as Amitabha, and yellow as Sambhava, blue as Akshobhya, and white as Varachana, and green as Amoghasiddhi. Is that five? Yeah. And so, however, you know, there's sort of various exceptions to the rule on this. For instance, that Chenrezig's white, however, he belongs to the lotus family because Chenrezig's like emanation of Amitabha. And then, for instance, Vajrapani... is of the Vajra family, Vajrapani. And Manjushri, that normally, because of his body color, would belong to the family of Ratnasambhava,

[28:16]

however, usually belongs also to the Vajra family because his guru is considered to be Mityupa or Akshobhya. But anyway, there's like, there are definitely, you know, all of the deities and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas fit into these various categories. And as a sort of a basic overview, just think, you know, the colors kind of connect them together. But actually, you know, there's no real specific thing like the one bodhisattva belongs, you know, each Buddha family has a representative on the bodhisattva level. It doesn't work, you know, in such a fixed way. With their activity. I see.

[29:24]

I see. I see. Vril, [...] Vril. Yes, so each family in a way presides over each one of the Buddha activities like pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, destroying or whatever. But then at the same time each deity also has all those different aspects.

[30:29]

So it's not like they're, you know, just these one-sided things that they just belong into one category and don't fit in anything else. And that, incidentally, is the whole principle of mandalas, that there's an entire realm, that everybody's there. But anyway, so each of the deities has its manifestation into each of the different activities. And they're all complete and entire in their own way. And each have the wisdom and blessings of all of the five families. Exactly, yeah. So it's not like clans, you know, that have their own. Yeah, that's it, yeah. Could Shri Rinpoche, if he could identify in the Tibetan tradition, who is Shikudarabha? Yeah, yeah.

[31:30]

Yeah. I think it is important for us to have a good relationship with each other. If we don't have a good relationship with each other, we can't have a good relationship. They call it . [...] Shittigarbha in Tibetan is called Sai Nyingpo, which means heart of the earth or essence, earth essence, you might say.

[33:09]

And anyway, there are these eight, what are called the eight close bodhisattvas, which is Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Siddhi Garbha, Akasha Garbha, and there's three others. I can't remember the names. But there's these eight classes of bodhisattvas that actually were present at the time of the Buddhas teaching the sutras and so on. But the Siddhi Garbha, is the same as all the other bodhisattvas in terms of wisdom and blessings compassion and everything but has a particular sort of special power of enriching the earth enriching the element earth and is to do with everything to do with firmness and solidity and the earth and riches and so on and

[34:12]

He kind of takes care of the realm of Earth. Okay, thank you. I just feel very attracted to a picture of Jitigarbha. And I don't know why, because every time I look at it, I just love it. I feel attracted. And I just want to know more. It's very good. Go ahead. I have a question and I'm not exactly sure how to word it. You received the empowerment from Australia on Saturday and I wondered if there were a time that we were only

[35:17]

to do part of the practice. I wanted to validate that in the entire practice. And one of the two, what would happen if we don't practice it? What would happen? What are the consequences? if we would choose, after looking at everything, not to practice it. Since we received the empowerment and we have taken the vows, do we have to remove ourselves from it? What is the process? What do we need to do to Yeah, I'm going to have to ask you to define this a little because do you mean you would decide that this practice is no good, is wrong, useless or something, or you just think that you don't feel like doing it? Perhaps, yeah, that would be, not that I would choose not to do it, after looking at it, or do you want to be part of it and not do the entire practice?

[36:27]

What do you mean by only part of it? just up to a certain stage in the meditation? Maybe different, certain level meditations, for example. I've had difficult with everything. It's gone so fast. I'm not familiar with Buddhism at all. I see. And I'm trying to copy it down. Listen, it's, I haven't been able to Absorb it. I see, yeah. And I'll be getting the tape, so that'll be different. But what I wanted to know is if after looking at it again, once again, and I choose to do some of the meditation, for example, the Mahamudra, for example, where I would be reading a certain way, reading in and out, and realizing a certain effect. Okay. I'm not doing that at all. That's one of the reasons. What do I do? I mean, do I say, okay, I want to divorce myself from this vow. You know, I have to take these steps not to do this. Or is it always with me? And maybe sometime later on in my life I would choose to do it.

[37:31]

Didn't it? Then, Moral, Les Temps au Païs, L'Anbiture de Sarperesse, then it uh... [...] What is the meaning of this book? I am very happy to meet you.

[38:45]

I am very happy to meet you. I am very happy to meet you. I don't know.

[39:48]

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. So if you decide, say, just to do the mahamudra meditation, Yes, for an example, I might have asked it not quite the right way, but I'm going to give you the answer anyway. So if you decide to do just the Mahamudra meditation, then ultimately that is the only point of the meditation is to realize Mahamudra.

[40:55]

that aspect of realizing mind's nature, and this is very clear. However, as a beginner, if you just try to do Mahamudra, then it's very easy to make a big mistake and think that you're meditating on mind's nature, where in fact you're not, that you're kind of fooling yourself, deluding yourself. So we have this process of transforming your current fixations upon the body as this thing. And although we don't actually even know it at this present time, our view of ourselves and the world is an extremely kind of low-level gross perception compared with Buddha's realization. We think actually that our gross perception is quite uplifting, but in fact it's very solid. So to transform that,

[41:56]

by means of meditating on yourself as the deity. And so undermine the whole fixation upon this gross appearance is an extremely beneficial means to be able to meditate and rest the mind in its own natural state, which is the Mahamudra. So for this reason, it's good to do the whole practice if you desire to attain Lahamudra. But if you make a decision that this is not worthy of your faith, that this is like not a valid meditation, that it's a false path or something like that, then, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, well, so if you decide that, you know, it, there's something inherently wrong with the meditation, which is, in other words, like a loss of faith, then this is actually a negative accumulation of karma.

[43:07]

There's extremely negative results that come from doing that. That's sort of a mental action of saying, this is... no good you know but if you just sort of put it into a position where you think of it as something really good and really wonderful but right now you can't quite get into it you know so that you're not disrupting your connection with it that's okay so you can approach it that way if you need to if you want to And even if you do, Rinpoche says, even if you do have like a faith breakdown, you can fix it too with confession and purification and stuff like that. But you have to want to. Does that answer your question? Not a problem. Because I... I am coming from, I think, a position where I'm trying to be a leader, and I probably know it's bad.

[44:14]

Potentially, this is not happening. Not because it's bad, or because I'm George. I think along those lines, it's more effective for me to be a leader. I'm not totally a creator. And that way, it's not that I don't think this will affect some aspects of people, but for me, it perhaps would be a little. This is what I think. So this is true, or this is if you think that is true? Yeah, because I really... This is the way that it is? No, it's not totally the way. I'm not shutting up because I really did not have all the instructions. I've been here most of the time. This goes down cerebral. I've been here most of the time. The absorption power has not absorbed it all.

[45:17]

I will. Thank you. I don't know. [...] Oh, that's right. That's right. Thank you very much. Yes, that's right. That's [...] right. More soon.

[46:42]

Actually, there's no faults. There's really no problem. You can take it or leave it. You can just decide whether you want to practice it or not. And you can still look into it, study it more, see if you like it or not. And there's really no problem with that. But if you kind of just think, if you totally have the opposite of faith, which is like somehow a despising Dharma, then you would bring upon yourself a great deal of negativity. You'd be really unsuccessful in everything you try to do. It would have a big effect. But if it's just like you're approaching this, like you want to find out what the path is, and you're looking into it on that level of just trying to make a choice, then there's absolutely no problem, and you should feel free to do that. It's okay. So don't worry. I think, yeah, I think that finishes for today.

[47:47]

Oh, okay, go ahead. Okay, just one final question. We really should thank you for coming at this time, because we were struggling to get a meditation together, and this was the meditation we used to do. you've given us a much further elucidation of it. And I think this might give us the strength to get a small group going together. And I'm just asking for monks and Rinpoche to keep us in mind and do more meditations and send us a little strength because we, a lot of new shepherds, But we are all in struggles, you know. We need every drop of the monitor we can get. Okay. I was very happy.

[48:56]

I was very happy. [...] I am very happy to be able to talk to you. I am [...] very happy to be able to talk to you. So it's very nice, your thought.

[49:58]

And Rinpoche says, of course, he will always dedicate his merit to you and to all of you. And you're always within his prayers. And so don't think that you have to be in a great big hurry to make some fantastic Dharma center, that things grow very slowly and gradually from very virtuous roots. So don't feel too frustrated with that. It's just like practicing Dharma. It goes little by little and it grows very gradually. and even times you think that nothing is happening, but it is. So gradually, just with a little bit of faith and diligence and doing some practice together, then all things can grow and you'll be a big success. Okay. Oh. On behalf of Dr. Blaine, I'd like to thank

[52:12]

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