Student A: So that then the word ‘purify’ is wrong.Rinpoche: This is, it is may be wrong but eh, there is the only choice; and especially for the beginners, it sounds nicer. No, no, actually, actually, we should; you know this is a good thing that you mention because it is something to do with the recognition. See it’s not the right time but this is where the Tantrayana really talks about that, you know like eh, you know the, the highest level of confession. But that is really dangerous for the, you know ordinary beings, because then they, then they; you know what will they do? They will divorce the ‘method’ bit; they will not chant the Vajrasattva; they will not do the hundreds, hundreds of prostrations, they will not do that, regret and all of that. They will not - Oh, there is no karma. There is no misdeed. There is no mind. There is no past so how can I say there is a past mistake. There is no future. Oh, that is very dangerous.Student A: The problem is that is the mechanism. Rinpoche: When you say ‘mechanism’, what are you talking mechanism? Student A: Well, the reason why confession purifies karma is because through confession you purify your mind and so the karmic seed has no mind stream in which to ripen.Rinpoche: Yes, just like what I was telling you.Student A: But this brings another problem.Rinpoche: Okay, okay.Student A: Because merit is also karma, so in exactly the same way…Rinpoche: Very good, this is why Chandrakirti said “Those who are foolish; they will do good things and go to heaven. Those who are foolish; no, those who are foolish, they will do bad things and go to hell, they will do good things and go to heaven.” They’re both fools. Those who are wise, they will go beyond good and bad, and go to nirvana.Student A: Right, so Shantideva in his Chapter is talking about both confession and merit. (Rinpoche: Yes) In a sense, that’s internally contradictory because the very act of confession is showing the act of merit has no meaning, because if you can confess and weaken your karma, in exactly the same way you can confess and weaken your merit.Rinpoche: This, I’m confused.Student A: Because, because the merit is also karma; its good karma, not bad karma. So in exactly the same way, through confession neither merit nor bad things are real.Rinpoche: WELL, that’s what I was telling you. (Tibetan phrase) At the end of the day, all these must not divorced from the wisdom. This is what I was saying. But you know this is what I was saying. Okay, you have anger emotion and then you have compassion emotion. ACTUALLY if you are clever, you can use both equally. And in fact for many people, anger - for not many people; exclusive - some certain people, anger works better because it’s sharper, it’s certain, it’s clear, it’s fresh, it’s vibrating, it’s, I don’t know, it’s really great. But for most of us, poor souls like us, very dangerous to go there because it will deceive us, right? So, what is the greatest thing? – Compassion. Why? Because compassion is this, this element of thinking others is more, more or at least equally precious and THAT is closer to the non-duality. But you know this mug example I was telling you, I am kind of proud with it, so please, you know, what do you call it? Dwell in it because it really works like that. Because you see knowledge is the most powerful, right? Knowledge is the most powerful. What you don’t know, once you know – the not knowing is GONE. Wouldn’t you say that? Yeah, not knowing is by then gone because you have knowledge. Maybe it’s not, not the right knowledge but that’s how it’s works, the karma.Student B: Rinpoche, in Indian convent schools, the girls say “Good girls go to heaven and bad girls have fun” (laughter). All they have to do is to go and confess the next day. (Rinpoche: What?) All they have to do is to go and confess the next day that they’ve fun. Why the good girls depriving themselves of all the fun in the world? (Rinpoche: Right) – Because it’s so easy.Rinpoche: Right; okay, take a break, tea break, okay now.
No, actually that confession part is REALLY, REALLY important. It’s REALLY, REALLY important, I think because the concept of morality...because I was talking to some Koreans and that is the most interesting because in Korea there’s a lot of Christianity. This Korean Buddhist was; we had a conversation and I was quite amazed. And actually even lot of, you know like Buddhists who were ex-druggies or ex-Maharishis or, you know all of this – they have lots of that’s similar. When we come back we will talk about this, but based on dependent-arising – because that’s another angle. See mistakes as big as mountain-like can be purified within (Rinpoche snapped his fingers), by a simple something like this because of dependent-arising again. This is why I was giving you the example of full grand-scale lunch and the samosa, remember? We think like oh, you know people think – I kill somebody so I guess this life time, I will be killed – that’s how the karma works? But it doesn’t. It doesn’t always; I shouldn’t even say always; it doesn’t work like that. It’s not what recip, reci, reciprocate, yeah, it’s not like that. It’s not like embassies, the Brazilians are not giving American visas okay, Americans are also not going to give visas – it’s not like it, it’s not like that.Actually not only the confession; all the Buddhist methods must be based on the wisdom. Okay, say renunciation mind - if the renunciation mind fundamentally is not ground with the wisdom, grounded to the wisdom such as…You know, okay in the renunciation, when we talk about renunciation mind, we are talking about renouncing you know, this worldly life. And we also, we hear teachings the worldly life has no essence, their deception, their sinful, you know all of that. Yes, all of those are, of course eh, their, that’s how we have to practice, we have to, you know ideally like a, like eh, I don’t know, bundle of grass in front of tiger. One must think that all these worldly objects are not what do you call it? It should not eh, what do you call it? (Speaking aside - What do you call it – famished? When you have saliva in your mouth, then you see…salivating from audience. Salivate or drool, you really want to eat; famished, famished?) Famished, yes; the worldly samsaric object should not famish, create, should not, it should not make you actually feel the opposite, make you feel really revolted but this is what you hear in the teachings, of course, because that’s how, that’s the, that’s how we have to teach. But FUNDAMENTALLY it’s really important that you know that when, when dharma says that worldly objects are deception, we are not saying that these are ultimately, truly existing evil entities. This is so important to know. You have to know; actually they are a big illusion. That it has to be the root. If this is the root then this is the fundamental of the renunciation mind. Okay, I’m sure you have heard this many times. But if you are dreaming, if you are dreaming of having a really incredible life - everything what you want. But let’s say you really want lots of pasta with all sorts of cheese. In the dream it’s important also; let’s say you have high cholesterol. It’s important that you, even in the dream, know that it’s bad for your cholesterol – pasta and the cheese. But fundamentally the most important is you know that you are dreaming. That has to be there. That actually is the essence of the renunciation mind. If the pasta and the cheese of the dream truly exist, then trying to renounce the pasta and the cheese is a really painful task. It’s a painful path. I think the Buddhas are also called Sugata, right? - Rajiv, Sugata? Sugata means blissfully gone, something like that, blissfully gone. What makes, why do we call the Buddhas, Sugata – those who are gone blissfully? - Blissfully.If the pasta in the dream and the cheese in the dream really do exist, and then you have to renounce – that’s not Sugata, that’s not peaceful because you know there is, it’s just, it’s there; you just, you can’t eat it. But what makes it Sugata? Because it does not exist; if you know that, then even giving up, the act of giving up is so easy. There is nothing you are giving up fundamentally, right. So see wisdom and method connecting this – SO IMPORTANT.
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche - Way of the Bodhisattva (2010 Deer Park, transcribed from audio file)
thanks for sharing !!
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