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I'll talk a little bit about

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meditation practice

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and then we can try to do some

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afterwards together.

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So, I think the most important thing

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to realise about meditation practice

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is that it's supposed to be

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a positive experience.

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Right?!

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This may seem obvious,

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because why else would you want to do it

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if it isn't a positive experience?

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It <i>may</i> seem obvious,

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but as a matter of fact,

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many of people don't experience

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meditation as a positive experience.

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When you start to read

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the word of the Buddha,

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and you start to see how he explains

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what you might call

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the psychology of meditation,

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how meditation is supposed to be

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experienced by yourself,

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personally

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you start to realize

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the <i>incredible</i> emphasis

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the Buddha has on this thing

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which is called the positive experience.

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You'll probably have a look at

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one of those suttas later on.

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But basically, one of those suttas

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which talks about the psychology

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of meditation,

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when you read it,

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it starts off with:

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okay,

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you are a virtuous person,

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this is the foundation of all meditation,

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is to practice virtue.

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One of the things that unfortunately

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is forgotten around the world,

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people talk about mindfulness

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and they forget about the virtue aspect.

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Virtue means both being kind

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and avoid doing bad things.

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That is the foundation,

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so once you have that

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you can start your meditation practice

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And then, from that virtue,

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the Buddha starts to explain

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from virtue you have non-regret,

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right?

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Non-regret is obviously

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a positive experience already.

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From non-regret you get gladness.

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From gladness you get rapture, <i>pīti</i>.

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From <i>pīti</i> you get calm,

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calm of the mind and the body.

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From calm comes even more happiness.

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Gladness, rapture, happiness, calm,

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and then from that

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comes what is called <i>samādhi</i>,

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which is the unification of the mind,

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when the mind goes into a profound

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state of meditation practice.

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What you can see there,

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one of the very important facts about this

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is that meditation is <i>all about happiness</i>!

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Almost every word the Buddha uses there

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on how were supposed to experience it

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is one type of happiness after the other

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arising through

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the right practice of meditation.

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So make sure that when you are here

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you don't do things which causes you

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to feel ill at ease,

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not relaxed

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which created too much pain

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and all these kind of things.

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Because if you do that

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there's no way you're going to be able

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to access those positive states

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that the Buddha is talking about.

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This is so important,

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and, your know,

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it sort of seems obvious,

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but I think human psychology

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often gets in the way,

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human psychology blocks you

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from seeing that.

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So,

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for this reason

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the very first thing I want to talk about

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in regards to meditation practice

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is what to do with the body.

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The physical body is really the first thing.

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What you need to know

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about how to deal

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with the physical body

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is for the body to be comfortable,

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not to sit with too much pain

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and these kinds of things.

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For this reason we have

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all these great chairs at the back.

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Don't feel shy about using the chairs.

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You know this is not competing

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with anyone else, right?

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Do what you need to do to make

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sure your own practice makes progress;

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this is what it's all about.

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So there's no competition here.

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It doesn't matter what everyone else does,

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forget about everybody else.

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Do what you need to do.

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It's wonderful

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more and more these days

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you go on meditation retreats

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you see that chairs are coming out.

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It's natural.

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Most of us have grown up

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in a society,

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in a culture,

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where we sit on chairs all the time.

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When you've grown up

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sitting on a chair all the time

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and suddenly

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you're told to sit on the floor

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it actually can be very difficult.

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So please don't be shy about

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using the chairs.

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Much better to be a little bit

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more comfortable,

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extra comfortable

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than to be a little bit on the pain side

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while you're sitting.

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That is much better, so please

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use that and please do that.

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There's so many horror stories

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that I've heard over the years of people

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who don't get this kind of very basic thing.

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One of those stories

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when I was in Singapore

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a few years ago...

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One of the things as a monk,

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you travel a lot

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it may seem strange

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but you actually travel a lot

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because there's so much demand

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for English speaking monks everywhere

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English speaking monks

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are very few and far between

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so you get ferried around the world

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by plane everywhere

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to talk to people.

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It's very nice,

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it's a very nice thing to do to

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be able to give that kind of service.

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But it means that

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sometimes you're in Singapore,

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and when you're in Singapore,

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of course, you meet Buddhist people,

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just like here,

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just like everywhere else.

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I was staying in the apartment of this man.

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He was from Kuala Lumpur originally,

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but he was working in Singapore

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and he was travelling back and forth

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and very kindly offered me

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to stay in his apartment.

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Then one day while I was there

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he comes to me and says

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"Bhante, I have a question for you,

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have you got a few minutes."

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And of course I'm staying in his apartment

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so of course I have a few minutes for him

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and he says to me that,

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"a few years ago

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I was on this meditation retreat

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and

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it was the worst experience

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of my <i>entire</i> life.

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It was <i>terrible</i>!

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I was in pain all the way through,

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I felt so

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<i>tense</i>

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and so non-relaxed

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and so completely ill at ease

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for nine days.

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Never, ever in my entire life do I ever

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want to go on meditation retreat again."

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I said, "ooh!

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Wait a minute,

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you're talking it too far.

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Just because you had one bad experience

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doesn't mean you should never

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ever go on meditation retreat again.

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Retreats are different.

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There are different types of teachers

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that teach in different ways.

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You can't just assume

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that everything is the same,

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that everything is so bad."

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But he insisted that, <i>no</i>,

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he never ever wanted to meditate again

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because the experience had been

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so terrible, was the worst thing

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he'd ever done in his life.

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I couldn't really persuade him

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so he asked me, "what should I do,"

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Well, I don't know

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what he should do in that case.

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But, essentially he was turned off for life

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in regards to meditation practice.

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That is a very unfortunate thing

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because the idea with meditation,

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the idea with the spiritual path

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is that is something

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which develops over time.

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When you keep practising these things,

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when you keep doing things

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especially in the right way,

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when you understand what morality is

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on the Buddhist path

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you practice that in the right way

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and you combine that with

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making the mind peaceful and calm

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then these things together are

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incredibly powerful.

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The longer you do it

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there's a gradual transformation

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of your entire character,

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of your entire person

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and, essentially, you are creating

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a new personality for yourself

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as you go through this.

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But the effect really is most powerful

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when you keep on doing it,

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month after month,

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year after year,

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the results become very powerful

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after a while.

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So please make sure that you do this

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in such a way that it encourages you

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to keep on doing it also in the future

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and when you feel encouraged to do it

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also in the future

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then the long term benefits

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will be incredibly powerful for you,

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and something very beneficial

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will come out of this.

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So don't do what this man in Singapore did.

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He was maybe an extreme example,

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but this is what happens sometimes

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to people.

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I know that there are certain types

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of meditation retreat where only a very

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small fraction of the people

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come back to those retreats

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precisely because of the amount of pain

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and problems and tensions that

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people experience as a

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consequence of that practice.

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So this is the first step,

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allow the body to be relaxed.

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So please use the chairs.

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Another way, if you want to sit cross-legged,

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it's nice to sit sometimes

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against the wall.

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Sit with your back against the wall.

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Sometimes when you sit with your back

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leaning against something,

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you can relax a little bit better;

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that's a nice way of doing it.

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And, especially at the beginning

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of any retreat.

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I don't know what you

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have been doing today,

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some of you have probably been working,

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you're probably tired.

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When you're tired and have been working,

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usually you need to relax first of all.

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A good way to relax

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is just to lean back.

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Some of the best meditaters I know

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they always do like that,

286
00:08:35,020 --> 00:08:36,535
they lean back, they relax.

287
00:08:36,535 --> 00:08:38,259
Many of you would know Ajahn Brahm,

288
00:08:38,259 --> 00:08:40,783
Dr. Tan you would know Ajahn Brahm,

289
00:08:40,783 --> 00:08:42,530
and Ajahn Brahm tells me that

290
00:08:42,530 --> 00:08:43,945
when he starts out meditating

291
00:08:43,945 --> 00:08:45,839
he always leans back.

292
00:08:45,839 --> 00:08:46,669
Not always,

293
00:08:46,669 --> 00:08:48,634
but when he is tired

294
00:08:48,634 --> 00:08:49,897
or has been working hard

295
00:08:49,897 --> 00:08:52,014
he always starts off by sitting back

296
00:08:52,014 --> 00:08:53,276
and leaning again the wall.

297
00:08:53,276 --> 00:08:54,943
So if Ajahn Brahm does that

298
00:08:54,943 --> 00:08:55,942
you can do that.

299
00:08:55,942 --> 00:08:56,508
Ajahn Brahm is just about

300
00:08:56,508 --> 00:08:58,222
one of the best meditaters around

301
00:08:58,222 --> 00:09:00,867
he gets into these incredibly profound

302
00:09:00,867 --> 00:09:02,122
meditations, so if he can do that

303
00:09:02,122 --> 00:09:03,756
anybody can do that,

304
00:09:03,756 --> 00:09:05,729
because it is about relaxing.

305
00:09:05,729 --> 00:09:07,350
It's about knowing what you need,

306
00:09:07,350 --> 00:09:08,261
understanding that you need

307
00:09:08,261 --> 00:09:09,781
to relax first of all.

308
00:09:09,781 --> 00:09:11,893
So sit back, lean back against the wall

309
00:09:11,893 --> 00:09:13,004
and you're okay.

310
00:09:13,394 --> 00:09:14,445
Another monk I know,

311
00:09:14,445 --> 00:09:15,687
is a good friend of mine,

312
00:09:15,687 --> 00:09:19,247
he says that <i>every</i> time he meditates

313
00:09:19,247 --> 00:09:20,425
every time he meditates

314
00:09:20,425 --> 00:09:21,972
he starts off with nodding.

315
00:09:22,822 --> 00:09:24,933
He nods for about 10 or 15 minutes

316
00:09:24,933 --> 00:09:25,929
and then after you have nodded

317
00:09:25,929 --> 00:09:27,677
for about 10 or 15 minutes

318
00:09:27,677 --> 00:09:29,572
the mind clears up.

319
00:09:29,572 --> 00:09:31,793
And then when the mind clears up,

320
00:09:31,793 --> 00:09:33,996
then his meditation starts.

321
00:09:33,996 --> 00:09:35,544
He's also a very good meditator,

322
00:09:35,544 --> 00:09:38,167
but it's natural to feel tired

323
00:09:38,167 --> 00:09:39,061
at the beginning

324
00:09:39,061 --> 00:09:40,040
because you've been active

325
00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:41,406
you've been socialising,

326
00:09:41,406 --> 00:09:43,112
you've been doing all of these kind of things

327
00:09:43,112 --> 00:09:44,687
which tire the mind,

328
00:09:44,687 --> 00:09:45,643
so it's natural.

329
00:09:45,643 --> 00:09:47,569
So allow the mind to be.

330
00:09:47,569 --> 00:09:48,479
Just relax.

331
00:09:48,479 --> 00:09:49,566
Allow the mind to be,

332
00:09:49,566 --> 00:09:51,281
don't do anything in particular.

333
00:09:51,281 --> 00:09:53,593
Wait for mindfulness to arise.

334
00:09:53,593 --> 00:09:55,967
And when mindfulness arises by itself,

335
00:09:55,967 --> 00:09:57,717
it becomes very powerful

336
00:09:57,717 --> 00:09:59,359
and very useful.

337
00:09:59,869 --> 00:10:04,398
So, what all of this is about,

338
00:10:04,398 --> 00:10:06,779
and I'm going to relate it a little bit to

339
00:10:06,779 --> 00:10:09,034
the teachings of the Buddha.

340
00:10:09,034 --> 00:10:10,346
I'm sure you have probably heard

341
00:10:10,346 --> 00:10:11,917
of the middle way.

342
00:10:12,747 --> 00:10:14,176
The middle way in Buddhism

343
00:10:14,176 --> 00:10:17,435
is essentially, in a way, on the one hand

344
00:10:17,435 --> 00:10:19,947
not to torture the body.

345
00:10:19,947 --> 00:10:21,857
In India in those days people would

346
00:10:21,857 --> 00:10:23,651
torture themselves. You know, sometimes

347
00:10:23,651 --> 00:10:25,690
you think that people lying on these

348
00:10:25,690 --> 00:10:27,550
beds of nails, you think it's some kind of

349
00:10:27,550 --> 00:10:29,786
cartoon caricature of India,

350
00:10:29,786 --> 00:10:30,542
and then you open the suttas

351
00:10:30,542 --> 00:10:31,476
and it says right there they were

352
00:10:31,476 --> 00:10:32,993
lying on beds of nails.

353
00:10:32,993 --> 00:10:34,602
It's actually the reality,

354
00:10:34,602 --> 00:10:36,170
it's actually what people where doing.

355
00:10:36,170 --> 00:10:39,584
So this was one of the ways that people

356
00:10:39,584 --> 00:10:41,551
were practising at that time.

357
00:10:42,361 --> 00:10:44,729
The Buddha says this is the wrong way.

358
00:10:44,729 --> 00:10:46,058
And the other wrong way

359
00:10:46,058 --> 00:10:48,298
is then to indulge the body.

360
00:10:50,518 --> 00:10:52,353
Here, on a meditation retreat like this

361
00:10:52,353 --> 00:10:53,844
you're not really going to be able to

362
00:10:53,844 --> 00:10:55,206
indulge the very much.

363
00:10:55,206 --> 00:10:57,229
Especially if you keep the eight precepts.

364
00:10:57,229 --> 00:10:58,999
So forget about the indulging side.

365
00:10:58,999 --> 00:11:01,386
The side to be careful about, is the side

366
00:11:01,386 --> 00:11:02,967
which has to do with experiencing

367
00:11:02,967 --> 00:11:05,357
too much pain, torturing yourself

368
00:11:05,357 --> 00:11:07,237
thinking that: "by torture, I'm going to

369
00:11:07,237 --> 00:11:09,200
make quick progress".

370
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:10,672
This is the problem,

371
00:11:10,672 --> 00:11:12,977
the classical problem in meditation.

372
00:11:13,689 --> 00:11:16,415
What happens when you find that middle way,

373
00:11:16,415 --> 00:11:18,929
where you neither torture yourself,

374
00:11:18,929 --> 00:11:21,423
nor you indulge the body

375
00:11:21,423 --> 00:11:23,894
what happens is that the body becomes

376
00:11:23,894 --> 00:11:25,064
irrelevant.

377
00:11:25,474 --> 00:11:26,878
The reason why the body

378
00:11:26,878 --> 00:11:28,024
is important to us,

379
00:11:28,024 --> 00:11:29,110
is because either,

380
00:11:29,110 --> 00:11:31,278
we get some pleasure through the body

381
00:11:31,278 --> 00:11:33,114
when you get pleasure through the body

382
00:11:33,114 --> 00:11:34,645
the body is important because

383
00:11:34,645 --> 00:11:37,043
that's where you get your happiness.

384
00:11:37,043 --> 00:11:38,914
Or, the body is important because

385
00:11:38,914 --> 00:11:40,828
you get pain through the body.

386
00:11:40,828 --> 00:11:42,178
If you get pain through the body,

387
00:11:42,178 --> 00:11:44,897
there's something to be done with the body.

388
00:11:44,897 --> 00:11:46,491
There is a problem there, a problem

389
00:11:46,491 --> 00:11:48,180
that needs to be resolved.

390
00:11:48,180 --> 00:11:50,465
The mind will always tend to go out

391
00:11:50,465 --> 00:11:52,854
to the body, out into the world

392
00:11:52,854 --> 00:11:54,691
rather than staying inside and watch

393
00:11:54,691 --> 00:11:57,164
the breath, or whatever it is.

394
00:11:57,164 --> 00:11:58,718
So this is the idea of the middle way.

395
00:11:58,718 --> 00:12:01,588
The middle way, is a way where your body

396
00:12:01,588 --> 00:12:02,807
is no longer important.

397
00:12:02,807 --> 00:12:04,851
The body falls by the wayside.

398
00:12:04,851 --> 00:12:07,135
The body becomes irrelevant.

399
00:12:07,135 --> 00:12:08,384
Of course, we all know that meditation

400
00:12:08,384 --> 00:12:10,151
in the end is about the mind,

401
00:12:10,151 --> 00:12:11,641
and because the meditation

402
00:12:11,641 --> 00:12:12,649
is about the mind

403
00:12:12,649 --> 00:12:15,006
then getting rid of the body is precisely

404
00:12:15,006 --> 00:12:16,849
what we want to do.

405
00:12:16,849 --> 00:12:18,876
And that is what the middle way is about.

406
00:12:18,876 --> 00:12:21,167
It's kind of strange, the two extremes

407
00:12:21,167 --> 00:12:24,124
in a sense are quite close to each other

408
00:12:24,124 --> 00:12:26,390
because the two extremes are about the body

409
00:12:26,390 --> 00:12:28,150
and the middle way is where the body

410
00:12:28,150 --> 00:12:30,938
falls away and the body is irrelevant.

411
00:12:32,128 --> 00:12:32,818
So this is the point here,

412
00:12:32,818 --> 00:12:34,250
this is what the middle way is,

413
00:12:34,250 --> 00:12:35,830
the body is gone,

414
00:12:35,830 --> 00:12:37,188
and when the body falls away

415
00:12:37,188 --> 00:12:39,838
you feel so at ease.

416
00:12:39,838 --> 00:12:41,206
So watch that.

417
00:12:41,206 --> 00:12:43,586
If you <i>do</i> feel pain

418
00:12:43,586 --> 00:12:45,773
in your meditation practice, please

419
00:12:45,773 --> 00:12:47,043
change your posture,

420
00:12:47,993 --> 00:12:48,696
don't think that

421
00:12:48,696 --> 00:12:50,409
you're going to be some superhero

422
00:12:50,409 --> 00:12:51,945
and just get enlightened now

423
00:12:51,945 --> 00:12:53,902
on this retreat.

424
00:12:53,902 --> 00:12:55,399
It's not going to work.

425
00:12:55,899 --> 00:12:56,956
I know Ajahn Brahm did that.

426
00:12:56,956 --> 00:12:58,171
He always said that when he was

427
00:12:58,171 --> 00:12:59,681
a young man he would sit down and say:

428
00:12:59,681 --> 00:13:03,280
"okay, I'm going to sit until I get enlightened"

429
00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:04,611
and, of course, it didn't work.

430
00:13:04,611 --> 00:13:06,228
But everybody has these ideas sometimes.

431
00:13:06,228 --> 00:13:07,477
Please don't try that.

432
00:13:07,477 --> 00:13:08,869
Enjoy the practice.

433
00:13:08,869 --> 00:13:11,257
Sit down, if you have pain somewhere

434
00:13:11,777 --> 00:13:13,747
get up, change your posture,

435
00:13:13,747 --> 00:13:15,657
go out, do some walking instead,

436
00:13:15,657 --> 00:13:17,481
do something else, if you find that.

437
00:13:17,481 --> 00:13:19,610
These are general guidelines

438
00:13:19,610 --> 00:13:21,276
for meditation practice.

439
00:13:21,756 --> 00:13:23,513
Don't sit with pain, especially

440
00:13:23,513 --> 00:13:25,827
when you feel the mind gets obsessed

441
00:13:25,827 --> 00:13:27,662
with that pain, it goes back to it

442
00:13:27,662 --> 00:13:29,420
again and again, you can't deal with it,

443
00:13:29,420 --> 00:13:32,250
then the time is right to change the posture.

444
00:13:33,820 --> 00:13:35,660
So this is number one,

445
00:13:35,660 --> 00:13:38,520
and I am always surprised

446
00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,841
how tenacious this idea is,

447
00:13:40,841 --> 00:13:43,120
that it's okay to sit with pain,

448
00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:44,354
how many people think

449
00:13:44,354 --> 00:13:45,531
it is a good thing to do.

450
00:13:45,531 --> 00:13:46,845
I think there is something deep

451
00:13:46,845 --> 00:13:48,279
in the human psyche

452
00:13:48,279 --> 00:13:49,603
that tends to think that

453
00:13:49,603 --> 00:13:51,473
if you torture the body

454
00:13:51,473 --> 00:13:53,207
you are freeing the spirit.

455
00:13:53,207 --> 00:13:55,249
The body is like the sinful thing

456
00:13:55,249 --> 00:13:56,992
that keeps you tied to the world

457
00:13:56,992 --> 00:13:59,119
and if you torture that evil body a little bit,

458
00:13:59,119 --> 00:14:00,875
then you can free the spirit,

459
00:14:00,875 --> 00:14:02,947
then the mind gets developed

460
00:14:02,947 --> 00:14:04,919
and you get spiritual practice from that.

461
00:14:04,919 --> 00:14:06,827
Because it's so common in the world!

462
00:14:06,827 --> 00:14:08,254
In Christianity they do that.

463
00:14:08,254 --> 00:14:10,698
Christianity is famous in the Middle Ages

464
00:14:10,698 --> 00:14:13,241
for having these people who torture themselves.

465
00:14:14,261 --> 00:14:15,628
In Hinduism,

466
00:14:15,628 --> 00:14:17,614
very, very famous for all the torturing;

467
00:14:17,614 --> 00:14:19,142
you find that in the suttas.

468
00:14:19,142 --> 00:14:21,314
In Islam, apparently, you find the same thing,

469
00:14:21,314 --> 00:14:22,699
people torturing themselves.

470
00:14:22,699 --> 00:14:24,805
And then you come to the one religion

471
00:14:24,805 --> 00:14:26,006
where the emphasis is on getting away

472
00:14:26,006 --> 00:14:28,064
from suffering, it's all about happiness

473
00:14:28,064 --> 00:14:29,528
which is Buddhism, and then you find

474
00:14:29,528 --> 00:14:31,354
people still do the same thing!

475
00:14:31,354 --> 00:14:32,795
People still torture themselves

476
00:14:32,795 --> 00:14:33,950
even in Buddhism.

477
00:14:33,950 --> 00:14:36,077
This should be the one religion

478
00:14:36,077 --> 00:14:38,277
where torture is absolutely prohibited,

479
00:14:38,277 --> 00:14:40,208
and yet it still happens.

480
00:14:40,208 --> 00:14:42,665
So I think there is something in the human

481
00:14:42,665 --> 00:14:45,900
psyche which basically makes us feel

482
00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:49,373
that this is the way to develop the mind.

483
00:14:49,373 --> 00:14:50,866
If the body gets a bit tortured

484
00:14:50,866 --> 00:14:51,713
that's okay

485
00:14:51,713 --> 00:14:53,274
because that's just the body.

486
00:14:53,274 --> 00:14:55,127
But actually, no, it's the other way round,

487
00:14:55,127 --> 00:14:57,525
it's a hindrance for meditation practice

488
00:14:57,525 --> 00:14:58,452
to work.

489
00:14:59,615 --> 00:15:02,080
Okay, that's point number one.

490
00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,173
I've said a lot about that and the reason

491
00:15:04,173 --> 00:15:05,800
is because in my experience

492
00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:07,230
people still don't get it.

493
00:15:07,230 --> 00:15:09,421
Even if you talk after half an hour,

494
00:15:09,421 --> 00:15:11,584
it still hasn't sunk in.

495
00:15:11,584 --> 00:15:13,396
Sometimes it takes years before

496
00:15:13,396 --> 00:15:15,128
the basic message sinks in.

497
00:15:15,128 --> 00:15:17,314
I'm just talking from my own experience,

498
00:15:17,314 --> 00:15:18,696
I know how stupid I am,

499
00:15:18,696 --> 00:15:21,133
how stubborn sometimes you can be.

500
00:15:21,133 --> 00:15:22,535
It takes a while for these things to

501
00:15:22,535 --> 00:15:24,399
actually become clear.

502
00:15:26,199 --> 00:15:28,650
So that is number one.

503
00:15:28,650 --> 00:15:31,242
The second point in meditation practice

504
00:15:31,242 --> 00:15:34,840
is, once your body is at ease,

505
00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,378
the body doesn't have any pain,

506
00:15:37,378 --> 00:15:41,065
the next thing to do is to relax the body.

507
00:15:42,535 --> 00:15:44,231
This is one of the things you will find

508
00:15:44,231 --> 00:15:47,444
as well, is that you come into your busy life

509
00:15:47,444 --> 00:15:49,552
and the business of life

510
00:15:49,552 --> 00:15:51,149
always is felt in the body.

511
00:15:51,149 --> 00:15:52,957
You feel tensions.

512
00:15:52,957 --> 00:15:54,245
You feel tensions in the stomach,

513
00:15:54,245 --> 00:15:55,786
you feel tensions in the shoulders,

514
00:15:55,786 --> 00:15:57,459
you feel tensions in the face.

515
00:15:57,459 --> 00:15:59,638
The muscles tighten up.

516
00:16:00,548 --> 00:16:01,791
So the first thing we need to do,

517
00:16:01,791 --> 00:16:03,194
is to relax.

518
00:16:03,194 --> 00:16:05,563
Again it's about finding the ease.

519
00:16:05,563 --> 00:16:07,878
Not only do we not have any pain,

520
00:16:07,878 --> 00:16:10,238
but you want to find the ease in the body,

521
00:16:10,238 --> 00:16:12,380
where the body feels really nice,

522
00:16:12,380 --> 00:16:14,174
and really good.

523
00:16:14,744 --> 00:16:17,104
What is happening here,

524
00:16:17,104 --> 00:16:18,181
the reason why

525
00:16:18,181 --> 00:16:19,993
the body is tense

526
00:16:19,993 --> 00:16:22,579
is because the mind is tense.

527
00:16:22,579 --> 00:16:24,740
The mind is what controls the body.

528
00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:26,390
So, if you get very stressed, of course,

529
00:16:26,390 --> 00:16:28,358
during daily life,

530
00:16:28,358 --> 00:16:30,328
stress will always reverberate,

531
00:16:30,328 --> 00:16:31,648
or will make itself felt

532
00:16:31,648 --> 00:16:33,360
in the body afterwards.

533
00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,728
Mind and body are so closely connected.

534
00:16:35,728 --> 00:16:38,225
This idea that these are separate things

535
00:16:38,225 --> 00:16:40,259
is really a non-starter.

536
00:16:40,259 --> 00:16:41,682
They are very, very closely connected

537
00:16:41,682 --> 00:16:43,237
to each other.

538
00:16:43,237 --> 00:16:46,264
It's a very useful way of learning

539
00:16:46,264 --> 00:16:47,973
how to deal with the mind,

540
00:16:47,973 --> 00:16:50,422
by working with the body,

541
00:16:50,422 --> 00:16:51,269
because with the body,

542
00:16:51,269 --> 00:16:53,145
it's very obvious what is going on.

543
00:16:53,145 --> 00:16:54,443
You know what is happening in the body,

544
00:16:54,443 --> 00:16:56,203
you can feel if there is any tension there

545
00:16:56,203 --> 00:16:58,110
you can feel if there's a problem there.

546
00:16:58,110 --> 00:17:00,564
With the mind, everything is a bit more

547
00:17:00,564 --> 00:17:02,266
difficult to pin down.

548
00:17:02,916 --> 00:17:04,750
So start by feeling the body.

549
00:17:04,750 --> 00:17:06,259
What does the body feel like?

550
00:17:06,259 --> 00:17:08,635
Start every meditation,

551
00:17:08,635 --> 00:17:10,194
every time you do this,

552
00:17:10,194 --> 00:17:11,376
go through the same process

553
00:17:11,376 --> 00:17:13,696
because then you get used to a good

554
00:17:13,696 --> 00:17:16,357
procedure of doing things after a while.

555
00:17:16,357 --> 00:17:18,878
Start off, by just feeling the body

556
00:17:18,878 --> 00:17:21,276
and then making the body at ease,

557
00:17:21,276 --> 00:17:22,801
making the body relaxed,

558
00:17:22,801 --> 00:17:24,433
feeling good about yourself,

559
00:17:24,433 --> 00:17:27,204
feeling really, really relaxed.

560
00:17:29,645 --> 00:17:33,027
There are many ways of doing this.

561
00:17:33,027 --> 00:17:36,065
One way is just to take some deep breaths

562
00:17:36,065 --> 00:17:37,789
and allowing yourself to relax.

563
00:17:37,789 --> 00:17:39,171
Make sure you sit in a comfortable

564
00:17:39,171 --> 00:17:41,621
posture, like leaning back so that you can

565
00:17:41,621 --> 00:17:43,882
actually allow the body to relax.

566
00:17:44,562 --> 00:17:46,902
Use a guided meditation with somebody

567
00:17:46,902 --> 00:17:50,555
whose instructions you trust

568
00:17:50,555 --> 00:17:52,220
and voice you like to listen to,

569
00:17:52,220 --> 00:17:54,357
again that makes you feel nice and relaxed.

570
00:17:54,357 --> 00:17:56,896
And the last part is the attitude you have.

571
00:17:56,896 --> 00:17:57,978
The attitude is probably

572
00:17:57,978 --> 00:17:59,708
the most important thing of all.

573
00:17:59,708 --> 00:18:00,765
With the right attitude

574
00:18:00,765 --> 00:18:01,505
you will relax,

575
00:18:01,505 --> 00:18:03,241
without it, it's very, very hard.

576
00:18:03,801 --> 00:18:05,457
Spend time doing this,

577
00:18:05,457 --> 00:18:07,879
spend however long it takes

578
00:18:07,879 --> 00:18:09,227
even if you spend the whole

579
00:18:09,227 --> 00:18:11,110
meditation just relaxing

580
00:18:11,110 --> 00:18:12,178
especially at the beginning

581
00:18:12,178 --> 00:18:13,239
of a retreat,

582
00:18:13,239 --> 00:18:14,039
that's fine.

583
00:18:14,039 --> 00:18:14,934
That's good.

584
00:18:14,934 --> 00:18:16,346
At least you feel at ease

585
00:18:16,346 --> 00:18:18,133
and relaxed when that happens.

586
00:18:18,133 --> 00:18:19,482
The idea, here,

587
00:18:19,482 --> 00:18:22,151
is really to take the relaxation

588
00:18:22,151 --> 00:18:24,160
deeper than what you normally

589
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:25,374
are used to.

590
00:18:26,254 --> 00:18:28,720
Ordinary relaxation and ordinary life

591
00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:30,418
actually often isn't all that relaxed

592
00:18:30,418 --> 00:18:31,680
at all.

593
00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:32,455
And you only find that out

594
00:18:32,455 --> 00:18:33,731
once you start to meditate

595
00:18:33,731 --> 00:18:35,121
and you get into deeper states

596
00:18:35,121 --> 00:18:35,881
of relaxation.

597
00:18:35,881 --> 00:18:36,712
You start to realise,

598
00:18:36,712 --> 00:18:39,474
wow, this is <i>really</i> relaxed

599
00:18:39,474 --> 00:18:40,603
I didn't know it was possible

600
00:18:40,603 --> 00:18:41,626
to get this relaxed.

601
00:18:41,626 --> 00:18:43,418
I had no idea, <i>now</i> I understand

602
00:18:43,418 --> 00:18:45,531
what relaxation is all about.

603
00:18:45,531 --> 00:18:47,616
The deeper your meditation goes,

604
00:18:47,616 --> 00:18:48,403
the more you think,

605
00:18:48,403 --> 00:18:50,822
"whoa, this is really nice!

606
00:18:50,822 --> 00:18:52,764
The body feels so at ease."

607
00:18:52,764 --> 00:18:54,734
The idea here is to start off

608
00:18:54,734 --> 00:18:56,229
that process of relaxation

609
00:18:56,229 --> 00:18:58,096
as soon as possible.

610
00:18:58,096 --> 00:19:00,614
And the sooner you get that done

611
00:19:00,614 --> 00:19:01,722
the more easily

612
00:19:01,722 --> 00:19:04,510
the rest of the meditation flows along.

613
00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:09,051
So, get that depth of relaxation

614
00:19:09,051 --> 00:19:11,048
deeper than you had it before

615
00:19:11,048 --> 00:19:12,576
at the very beginning,

616
00:19:12,576 --> 00:19:14,161
by focusing on the body,

617
00:19:14,161 --> 00:19:15,619
by sending metta to yourself,

618
00:19:15,619 --> 00:19:17,005
having a sense of kindness

619
00:19:17,005 --> 00:19:18,586
and compassion for yourself,

620
00:19:18,586 --> 00:19:19,995
and you start to feel the body

621
00:19:19,995 --> 00:19:21,435
become so easy,

622
00:19:21,435 --> 00:19:23,200
so <i>light</i>.

623
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,248
It becomes so light.

624
00:19:24,248 --> 00:19:26,814
It becomes like a tuft of cotton almost.

625
00:19:26,814 --> 00:19:28,947
It's almost like it starts to disappear.

626
00:19:28,947 --> 00:19:30,042
That's what I was talking about before,

627
00:19:30,042 --> 00:19:31,821
disappearing of the body

628
00:19:31,821 --> 00:19:34,335
which you do by not having any pain,

629
00:19:34,335 --> 00:19:35,980
but it disappears even more

630
00:19:35,980 --> 00:19:38,173
when you feel really at ease

631
00:19:38,173 --> 00:19:39,457
about the body.

632
00:19:40,257 --> 00:19:42,639
You find yourself so light,

633
00:19:42,639 --> 00:19:44,049
so easy,

634
00:19:44,809 --> 00:19:46,036
unless you fall asleep,

635
00:19:46,036 --> 00:19:47,127
in which case you feel heavy,

636
00:19:47,127 --> 00:19:48,262
that's the alternative.

637
00:19:48,262 --> 00:19:49,443
That's okay.

638
00:19:49,443 --> 00:19:50,463
If you fall asleep that's fine.

639
00:19:50,463 --> 00:19:51,671
Please, fall asleep,

640
00:19:51,671 --> 00:19:53,767
falling asleep is not a bad thing.

641
00:19:53,767 --> 00:19:55,180
It is very, very common,

642
00:19:55,180 --> 00:19:56,356
you've in very good company if you

643
00:19:56,356 --> 00:19:58,427
fall asleep. Allow that tiredness

644
00:19:58,427 --> 00:19:59,585
to wear off and then the

645
00:19:59,585 --> 00:20:01,446
lightness of the mind comes afterwards.

646
00:20:01,906 --> 00:20:03,461
So, either you feel very heavy

647
00:20:03,461 --> 00:20:04,948
when you do this and you fall asleep,

648
00:20:04,948 --> 00:20:07,735
or the mind tends to feel light.

649
00:20:07,735 --> 00:20:10,074
It tends to go either one way or the other.

650
00:20:12,134 --> 00:20:13,181
When this happens,

651
00:20:13,181 --> 00:20:16,091
because you are feeling so much at ease,

652
00:20:16,091 --> 00:20:18,148
you are feeling so good about yourself,

653
00:20:18,148 --> 00:20:20,415
so good in the body, good in everything,

654
00:20:20,415 --> 00:20:23,085
mindfulness starts to arise.

655
00:20:24,878 --> 00:20:25,986
What is mindfulness?

656
00:20:25,986 --> 00:20:27,343
Mindfulness is basically

657
00:20:27,343 --> 00:20:29,376
about the ability to stay in the

658
00:20:29,376 --> 00:20:31,820
present moment, to be aware

659
00:20:31,820 --> 00:20:32,640
of what is happening in the

660
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,661
here and now, that is what mindfulness

661
00:20:34,661 --> 00:20:36,570
is about. Mindfulness is not about

662
00:20:36,570 --> 00:20:38,523
fantasizing. If you think about future,

663
00:20:38,523 --> 00:20:39,819
or you think about the past,

664
00:20:39,819 --> 00:20:41,827
or you fantasize about all kind of things,

665
00:20:41,827 --> 00:20:43,232
that's not mindfulness.

666
00:20:43,232 --> 00:20:44,846
Mindfulness is about the ability to

667
00:20:44,846 --> 00:20:46,362
just be here and now.

668
00:20:46,362 --> 00:20:47,892
Be in this present moment.

669
00:20:47,892 --> 00:20:48,967
Be in this room.

670
00:20:48,967 --> 00:20:50,607
Be right here in front of you,

671
00:20:50,607 --> 00:20:52,296
being able to watch the breath,

672
00:20:52,296 --> 00:20:54,298
that is what mindfulness is about.

673
00:20:54,298 --> 00:20:58,078
And mindfulness arises especially

674
00:20:58,078 --> 00:21:00,084
when you feel good.

675
00:21:00,084 --> 00:21:01,072
If you don't feel good

676
00:21:01,072 --> 00:21:02,770
the mind wants to escape,

677
00:21:02,770 --> 00:21:04,688
but if the present moment is the

678
00:21:04,688 --> 00:21:06,016
pleasant moment...

679
00:21:06,016 --> 00:21:07,357
It's an easy one to remember:

680
00:21:07,357 --> 00:21:09,388
present moment is the pleasant moment

681
00:21:09,388 --> 00:21:11,909
then the mindfulness tends to arise

682
00:21:11,909 --> 00:21:14,030
as a consequence.

683
00:21:14,030 --> 00:21:16,619
So this is a very easy path.

684
00:21:16,619 --> 00:21:18,219
All you have to do is relax.

685
00:21:18,219 --> 00:21:21,296
All you have to do is just to feel at ease,

686
00:21:21,296 --> 00:21:23,611
and when you do that in the right way,

687
00:21:23,611 --> 00:21:26,833
then mindfulness comes all by itself.

688
00:21:26,833 --> 00:21:28,274
This is the trick of this path,

689
00:21:28,274 --> 00:21:30,304
this is the trick of this whole practice,

690
00:21:30,304 --> 00:21:32,530
is that you don't actually have to do anything,

691
00:21:32,530 --> 00:21:34,144
you don't have to exert yourself,

692
00:21:34,144 --> 00:21:35,951
you don't have to use a lot of will power,

693
00:21:35,951 --> 00:21:38,276
there's not a lot of stuff that you have to do,

694
00:21:38,276 --> 00:21:39,677
because the whole doing business, actually,

695
00:21:39,677 --> 00:21:41,836
is what tires you out in the first place.

696
00:21:41,836 --> 00:21:44,198
All this doing makes the mind busy

697
00:21:44,198 --> 00:21:45,106
it makes you active,

698
00:21:45,106 --> 00:21:46,456
then when you come back home after

699
00:21:46,456 --> 00:21:48,077
a long day's work, you feel

700
00:21:48,077 --> 00:21:49,810
completely exhausted, that's because

701
00:21:49,810 --> 00:21:52,190
of all the doing that you've been doing.

702
00:21:52,190 --> 00:21:53,645
So this is the natural way

703
00:21:53,645 --> 00:21:55,457
for mindfulness to arise

704
00:21:55,457 --> 00:21:57,891
and when mindfulness arises naturally,

705
00:21:57,891 --> 00:22:00,430
it is <i>easy</i>, it is pleasant, it is happy

706
00:22:00,430 --> 00:22:03,211
and you feel so good about these things.

707
00:22:04,131 --> 00:22:05,931
So this is the way.

708
00:22:05,931 --> 00:22:08,578
And one of the things to avoid here...

709
00:22:09,408 --> 00:22:12,620
this is almost becoming a kind of

710
00:22:12,620 --> 00:22:15,871
taboo word in Buddhism, in meditation,

711
00:22:15,871 --> 00:22:17,861
is the word 'concentration'.

712
00:22:17,861 --> 00:22:20,088
I'm sure you have heard the word 'concentration'

713
00:22:20,088 --> 00:22:20,919
being used.

714
00:22:20,919 --> 00:22:22,694
People say I've got to concentrate,

715
00:22:22,694 --> 00:22:24,236
concentrate on the breath,

716
00:22:24,236 --> 00:22:25,905
concentrate on things,

717
00:22:25,905 --> 00:22:28,975
but be very careful with words like that

718
00:22:28,975 --> 00:22:31,527
because, the word 'concentration'

719
00:22:31,527 --> 00:22:34,054
in the English language, very often

720
00:22:34,054 --> 00:22:35,926
implies a lot of will power.

721
00:22:35,926 --> 00:22:37,567
When you go to work,

722
00:22:38,587 --> 00:22:40,899
or you do whatever in ordinary life,

723
00:22:40,899 --> 00:22:41,852
if you go to work,

724
00:22:41,852 --> 00:22:43,992
your employer expects you to read certain things

725
00:22:43,992 --> 00:22:45,305
and write certain reports

726
00:22:45,305 --> 00:22:46,707
and all these kinds of things,

727
00:22:46,707 --> 00:22:49,194
and because your employer expects that

728
00:22:49,194 --> 00:22:50,381
you have to do it because you

729
00:22:50,381 --> 00:22:52,638
have to earn your salary et cetera, et cetera,

730
00:22:52,638 --> 00:22:54,194
but when you're doing things

731
00:22:54,194 --> 00:22:55,643
that you're not really enjoying

732
00:22:55,643 --> 00:22:56,512
all that much,

733
00:22:56,512 --> 00:22:58,270
maybe it's an incredibly boring report

734
00:22:58,270 --> 00:22:59,694
that you have to read,

735
00:22:59,694 --> 00:23:01,438
you kind of have to force yourself

736
00:23:01,438 --> 00:23:03,566
through it, that is what concentration

737
00:23:03,566 --> 00:23:05,656
usually means. You're forcing attention

738
00:23:05,656 --> 00:23:08,699
on to something which isn't 100% natural.

739
00:23:09,469 --> 00:23:11,762
That is why people who have jobs

740
00:23:11,762 --> 00:23:14,090
that demand a very high degree of

741
00:23:14,090 --> 00:23:17,265
alertness, and awareness and concentration

742
00:23:17,265 --> 00:23:18,928
often feel incredibly tired after

743
00:23:18,928 --> 00:23:20,598
a long day's work.

744
00:23:20,598 --> 00:23:22,463
I think these flight controllers,

745
00:23:22,463 --> 00:23:24,794
you know - what is called? The people

746
00:23:24,794 --> 00:23:28,294
who sit in those tall towers at airports?

747
00:23:28,294 --> 00:23:29,554
Whatever.

748
00:23:29,554 --> 00:23:30,398
Anyway, they sit up there

749
00:23:30,398 --> 00:23:31,820
and they have to watch the screen

750
00:23:31,820 --> 00:23:33,997
to make sure none of the planes collide.

751
00:23:33,997 --> 00:23:36,236
If the the planes collide in midair

752
00:23:36,236 --> 00:23:37,763
you feel a bit bad about it afterwards

753
00:23:37,763 --> 00:23:40,438
So, you really have to focus on this

754
00:23:40,438 --> 00:23:43,629
and this is one of the biggest

755
00:23:43,629 --> 00:23:45,620
stress jobs, because you have to

756
00:23:45,620 --> 00:23:46,651
concentrate so much and people

757
00:23:46,651 --> 00:23:48,529
feel very tired after doing

758
00:23:48,529 --> 00:23:50,141
that kind of job all day.

759
00:23:50,156 --> 00:23:52,379
This is how we all feel to a certain extent,

760
00:23:52,379 --> 00:23:53,856
when you use force

761
00:23:53,856 --> 00:23:56,960
to watch and to be in the present moment.

762
00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,190
So there's an idea of allowing mindfulness

763
00:23:59,190 --> 00:24:01,067
to arise naturally, rather than

764
00:24:01,067 --> 00:24:02,889
to force mindfulness.

765
00:24:02,889 --> 00:24:04,230
If you force mindfulness,

766
00:24:04,230 --> 00:24:05,231
after a while

767
00:24:05,231 --> 00:24:06,403
you're going to feel exhausted

768
00:24:06,403 --> 00:24:08,145
in meditation practice and you're going to

769
00:24:08,145 --> 00:24:09,514
sleep for the rest of the retreat

770
00:24:09,514 --> 00:24:11,807
and it won't be all that interesting for you.

771
00:24:11,807 --> 00:24:13,204
You still may have a good time,

772
00:24:13,204 --> 00:24:15,190
but you lose out on all the good fun

773
00:24:15,190 --> 00:24:16,858
that everyone else has.

774
00:24:16,858 --> 00:24:19,217
So learn natural mindfulness,

775
00:24:19,217 --> 00:24:20,982
<i>that</i> is where it's all at.

776
00:24:20,982 --> 00:24:24,777
That is what we're trying to get to.

777
00:24:25,777 --> 00:24:28,815
Again, when you have no pain in the body

778
00:24:28,815 --> 00:24:31,116
- I'm just recapitulating very briefly -

779
00:24:31,116 --> 00:24:31,899
no pain in the body,

780
00:24:31,899 --> 00:24:34,130
and you are at ease, and you are relaxed

781
00:24:34,130 --> 00:24:37,866
natural mindfulness arises as a consequence,

782
00:24:37,866 --> 00:24:39,797
or rather I should say, it <i>can</i> arise.

783
00:24:39,797 --> 00:24:41,688
It doesn't always arise.

784
00:24:41,688 --> 00:24:44,324
The last reason why it doesn't arise

785
00:24:44,324 --> 00:24:46,688
is because the attitude.

786
00:24:46,689 --> 00:24:48,420
The attitude is probably

787
00:24:48,420 --> 00:24:50,415
the most important thing of all

788
00:24:50,415 --> 00:24:51,924
in meditation practice.

789
00:24:53,804 --> 00:24:55,382
You have to look at the world,

790
00:24:55,382 --> 00:24:57,578
look at the people around you,

791
00:24:57,578 --> 00:25:00,174
feel the situation in the right way.

792
00:25:00,174 --> 00:25:01,796
When you have the right attitude

793
00:25:01,796 --> 00:25:03,217
in this way, that is when meditation

794
00:25:03,217 --> 00:25:05,354
really becomes possible.

795
00:25:05,354 --> 00:25:07,403
It has to be a positive attitude.

796
00:25:07,403 --> 00:25:09,426
You have to have a sense of well wishing

797
00:25:09,426 --> 00:25:11,318
to the people around you.

798
00:25:11,318 --> 00:25:14,109
You have to have a sense of

799
00:25:14,109 --> 00:25:14,839
<i>mettā</i>,

800
00:25:14,839 --> 00:25:15,595
<i>karuṇā</i>,

801
00:25:16,435 --> 00:25:17,545
this means loving-kindness,

802
00:25:17,545 --> 00:25:18,647
compassion

803
00:25:18,647 --> 00:25:20,482
all of these positive qualities,

804
00:25:20,482 --> 00:25:21,993
a sense of friendliness.

805
00:25:21,993 --> 00:25:23,305
When you have all of these

806
00:25:23,305 --> 00:25:24,408
qualities inside of you,

807
00:25:24,408 --> 00:25:25,432
that is when

808
00:25:25,432 --> 00:25:27,096
meditation becomes possible.

809
00:25:27,096 --> 00:25:28,216
If you feel negative,

810
00:25:28,216 --> 00:25:29,914
or you are upset with somebody,

811
00:25:29,914 --> 00:25:31,830
or you're angry about something,

812
00:25:31,830 --> 00:25:34,155
absolutely no way that your meditation

813
00:25:34,155 --> 00:25:35,872
is going to work.

814
00:25:35,872 --> 00:25:37,627
So you get this out of the way first of all,

815
00:25:37,627 --> 00:25:39,184
<i>and then</i> meditation

816
00:25:39,184 --> 00:25:40,218
becomes possible.

817
00:25:40,218 --> 00:25:41,555
If we have the chance,

818
00:25:41,555 --> 00:25:42,819
I don't know if there will be much time

819
00:25:42,819 --> 00:25:44,054
during this retreat,

820
00:25:44,054 --> 00:25:45,943
but this is one of the most important

821
00:25:45,943 --> 00:25:48,609
things in the entire Buddhist path

822
00:25:48,609 --> 00:25:51,306
is learning how to use your mind

823
00:25:51,306 --> 00:25:52,544
in a skilful way,

824
00:25:52,544 --> 00:25:53,773
so that you can

825
00:25:55,343 --> 00:25:57,172
move away from the unskilful.

826
00:25:57,172 --> 00:25:58,906
It takes a lot of training,

827
00:25:58,906 --> 00:26:00,167
it takes years, often, of training for

828
00:26:00,167 --> 00:26:01,078
people to be able to do this.

829
00:26:01,078 --> 00:26:01,818
Isn't this what they call

830
00:26:01,818 --> 00:26:03,557
cognitive behavioural therapy

831
00:26:03,557 --> 00:26:05,723
in psychology?

832
00:26:05,723 --> 00:26:07,364
Basically, it's a similar kind of thing,

833
00:26:07,364 --> 00:26:08,820
but it's more intense

834
00:26:08,820 --> 00:26:10,536
and it's a life long process

835
00:26:10,536 --> 00:26:13,169
to keep on doing these kind of things.

836
00:26:13,169 --> 00:26:15,398
So the idea is to shift your mind,

837
00:26:15,398 --> 00:26:16,933
gradually, more and more away

838
00:26:16,933 --> 00:26:18,177
from the negative things towards

839
00:26:18,177 --> 00:26:19,867
the positive things.

840
00:26:19,867 --> 00:26:21,176
When you have a positive attitude

841
00:26:21,176 --> 00:26:22,548
in meditation,

842
00:26:22,548 --> 00:26:24,783
<i>then</i> it becomes very powerful.

843
00:26:24,783 --> 00:26:26,637
There's a nice sutta which I always

844
00:26:26,637 --> 00:26:28,010
like to quote.

845
00:26:30,170 --> 00:26:32,600
A sutta is the word of the Buddha

846
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:34,522
and one sutta means one

847
00:26:34,522 --> 00:26:37,423
particular instance when he was giving

848
00:26:37,423 --> 00:26:38,735
a talk as one sutta,

849
00:26:38,735 --> 00:26:39,754
is basically what it means.

850
00:26:39,754 --> 00:26:41,156
And in this one sutta,

851
00:26:41,806 --> 00:26:43,686
he talks about what happens

852
00:26:43,686 --> 00:26:45,459
when you are a good person,

853
00:26:45,459 --> 00:26:46,594
when you live a good life,

854
00:26:46,594 --> 00:26:47,438
when you have a good heart,

855
00:26:47,438 --> 00:26:49,735
and you treat people in a kind way

856
00:26:49,735 --> 00:26:51,360
and all of these kind of things.

857
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:53,225
This sutta is <i>Majjhima Nikāya</i> 129,

858
00:26:53,225 --> 00:26:55,337
for those of you who are into this.

859
00:26:55,337 --> 00:26:58,143
It's called The Wise And Foolish People.

860
00:26:59,983 --> 00:27:01,627
So if you're interested in how to be wise,

861
00:27:01,627 --> 00:27:02,790
and how to avoid being a fool

862
00:27:02,790 --> 00:27:04,105
it's a great place to start;

863
00:27:04,105 --> 00:27:06,247
<i>Majjhima</i> 129.

864
00:27:06,807 --> 00:27:07,757
What he says there,

865
00:27:07,757 --> 00:27:11,844
is that the wise person, the wise person

866
00:27:11,844 --> 00:27:13,356
in Buddhism means somebody who

867
00:27:13,356 --> 00:27:14,936
acts well,

868
00:27:14,936 --> 00:27:16,403
acts with kindness

869
00:27:16,403 --> 00:27:18,669
avoids acting in the bad ways,

870
00:27:18,669 --> 00:27:19,813
speaks with kindness,

871
00:27:19,813 --> 00:27:21,643
avoids speaking in the bad way

872
00:27:21,643 --> 00:27:22,862
and crucially,

873
00:27:22,862 --> 00:27:24,242
<i>thinks</i> with kindness,

874
00:27:24,242 --> 00:27:27,662
doesn't think thoughts which are

875
00:27:27,662 --> 00:27:30,123
greedy, or angry, or full of hatred

876
00:27:30,123 --> 00:27:31,303
and this kind of stuff,

877
00:27:31,303 --> 00:27:32,606
thinks positive things as well.

878
00:27:32,606 --> 00:27:34,350
In Buddhism, the idea of morality

879
00:27:34,350 --> 00:27:36,387
is stretched the the absolute limit.

880
00:27:36,387 --> 00:27:39,025
It includes also morality of the mind.

881
00:27:39,025 --> 00:27:40,245
So in Buddhism it's about developing

882
00:27:40,245 --> 00:27:41,663
your whole character.

883
00:27:42,333 --> 00:27:44,659
The word <i>sīla</i>, in the Pāli language

884
00:27:44,659 --> 00:27:47,109
is much broader than the word 'morality'

885
00:27:47,109 --> 00:27:47,709
in English.

886
00:27:47,709 --> 00:27:50,205
It basically includes your entire character.

887
00:27:50,205 --> 00:27:51,671
It's development of character,

888
00:27:51,671 --> 00:27:53,058
development of personality

889
00:27:53,058 --> 00:27:54,831
it what it really is about.

890
00:27:55,301 --> 00:27:57,774
So what this sutta, this discourse,

891
00:27:57,774 --> 00:27:59,772
of the Buddha, what he says there

892
00:27:59,772 --> 00:28:01,530
is that, it's like a good person.

893
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,056
In the evening, when they come back home

894
00:28:04,056 --> 00:28:05,226
they might be tired

895
00:28:05,226 --> 00:28:07,578
and they might take a while as they sit down,

896
00:28:07,578 --> 00:28:09,451
or they lie down on their bed

897
00:28:09,451 --> 00:28:10,957
or sit down on a chair, or whatever,

898
00:28:10,957 --> 00:28:12,624
and when they do that,

899
00:28:12,624 --> 00:28:14,219
and when they relax,

900
00:28:14,219 --> 00:28:16,469
all the good actions they have done,

901
00:28:16,469 --> 00:28:17,667
the fact that they have

902
00:28:17,667 --> 00:28:19,493
avoided the bad actions

903
00:28:19,493 --> 00:28:21,444
all that comes back to them.

904
00:28:21,444 --> 00:28:23,105
Because it comes back to them,

905
00:28:23,105 --> 00:28:25,965
they feel a natural sense of happiness,

906
00:28:25,965 --> 00:28:27,533
because a sense of happiness is basically,

907
00:28:27,533 --> 00:28:30,155
well, you know that you're a good person,

908
00:28:30,155 --> 00:28:31,706
you know that you've done the right things.

909
00:28:31,706 --> 00:28:33,333
You have nothing to regret.

910
00:28:33,333 --> 00:28:34,189
You feel a sense of,

911
00:28:34,189 --> 00:28:36,394
"wow, I've done good things."

912
00:28:36,394 --> 00:28:38,269
You feel a sense of joy about that.

913
00:28:38,269 --> 00:28:40,219
It is just a natural consequence

914
00:28:40,219 --> 00:28:41,629
of living a good life.

915
00:28:41,629 --> 00:28:43,863
The more you purify that good life,

916
00:28:43,863 --> 00:28:47,144
the more you feel that natural joy.

917
00:28:47,144 --> 00:28:49,678
The Buddha says it's like a mountain.

918
00:28:50,258 --> 00:28:52,487
In the evening, when you have a mountain

919
00:28:52,487 --> 00:28:55,829
and the sun goes down behind the mountain

920
00:28:55,829 --> 00:29:00,819
then the shadow is cast from that mountain.

921
00:29:00,819 --> 00:29:03,705
The entire earth in front of that mountain,

922
00:29:03,705 --> 00:29:04,982
the ground in front of the mountain

923
00:29:04,982 --> 00:29:07,413
is engulfed, is enveloped

924
00:29:07,413 --> 00:29:09,498
and completely surrounded by the shadow

925
00:29:09,498 --> 00:29:11,008
from the mountain,

926
00:29:11,008 --> 00:29:13,304
completely engulfed in that.

927
00:29:13,304 --> 00:29:14,411
In the same way,

928
00:29:14,411 --> 00:29:15,288
when a good person

929
00:29:15,288 --> 00:29:17,395
comes back a long day's work

930
00:29:17,395 --> 00:29:18,996
you sit down, you rest,

931
00:29:18,996 --> 00:29:20,348
or maybe you meditate a bit

932
00:29:20,348 --> 00:29:23,456
and then the mountain of good actions

933
00:29:23,456 --> 00:29:25,189
come back to you!

934
00:29:25,189 --> 00:29:26,941
Then you feel satisfied,

935
00:29:26,941 --> 00:29:28,891
you feel a sense of joy inside.

936
00:29:28,891 --> 00:29:30,171
You feel gladness

937
00:29:30,171 --> 00:29:31,896
because of that mountain

938
00:29:31,896 --> 00:29:33,344
of good actions is there.

939
00:29:33,344 --> 00:29:35,161
So what we have to do is

940
00:29:35,161 --> 00:29:37,306
build a mountain. That's what each

941
00:29:37,306 --> 00:29:38,789
one of us has to do.

942
00:29:38,789 --> 00:29:40,209
When you build that mountain,

943
00:29:40,209 --> 00:29:42,775
the you have that foundation

944
00:29:42,775 --> 00:29:44,322
of happiness and joy

945
00:29:44,322 --> 00:29:46,052
which also you can bring into your

946
00:29:46,052 --> 00:29:48,194
meditation practice.

947
00:29:48,194 --> 00:29:49,058
So this is what it's about,

948
00:29:49,058 --> 00:29:50,828
we have to build this mountain.

949
00:29:50,828 --> 00:29:53,208
This is what our ordinary life,

950
00:29:53,208 --> 00:29:55,398
if you are interested in Buddhism,

951
00:29:55,398 --> 00:29:57,377
or spiritual practice, or meditation,

952
00:29:57,377 --> 00:29:58,326
or whatever it is,

953
00:29:58,326 --> 00:30:01,123
this is what our whole life is really about.

954
00:30:01,123 --> 00:30:03,071
It's about building up this mountain

955
00:30:03,071 --> 00:30:04,697
of goodness inside of us.

956
00:30:04,697 --> 00:30:05,489
Then you have no choice,

957
00:30:05,489 --> 00:30:07,101
you have to feel happy!

958
00:30:07,101 --> 00:30:08,362
Isn't that great, you have not choice

959
00:30:08,362 --> 00:30:09,856
but to feel happy?

960
00:30:09,856 --> 00:30:11,485
I find that such a wonderful thing.

961
00:30:11,485 --> 00:30:13,127
You can sit back, and sometimes

962
00:30:13,127 --> 00:30:14,283
if you're a bit grumpy you think,

963
00:30:14,283 --> 00:30:15,279
"aw, I don't want to be happy",

964
00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:16,001
but you have no choice,

965
00:30:16,001 --> 00:30:17,604
happiness just comes to you

966
00:30:17,604 --> 00:30:19,802
and you just feel good about yourself.

967
00:30:19,802 --> 00:30:20,692
What a wonderful thing that is,

968
00:30:20,692 --> 00:30:23,098
when you have no choice about the matter,

969
00:30:23,098 --> 00:30:24,554
And it always comes your way.

970
00:30:24,554 --> 00:30:26,501
Then, of course, the spiritual path

971
00:30:26,501 --> 00:30:28,710
really works as a consequence.

972
00:30:28,710 --> 00:30:30,158
So that is one of those

973
00:30:30,158 --> 00:30:31,917
similes that I think are so powerful.

974
00:30:32,657 --> 00:30:34,342
The Buddha is a master

975
00:30:34,342 --> 00:30:35,841
of creating beautiful similes

976
00:30:35,841 --> 00:30:37,641
that are so much to the point

977
00:30:37,641 --> 00:30:41,460
and show you how these things work

978
00:30:41,460 --> 00:30:44,238
in a very beautiful way.

979
00:30:46,130 --> 00:30:48,641
So this is what happens

980
00:30:48,641 --> 00:30:49,987
when you generally speaking

981
00:30:49,987 --> 00:30:51,900
have the right attitude.

982
00:30:51,900 --> 00:30:53,011
We were talking about

983
00:30:53,011 --> 00:30:54,349
the precepts before

984
00:30:54,349 --> 00:30:56,240
and these precepts are very much

985
00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,463
about having right attitude.

986
00:30:58,463 --> 00:31:00,106
I will perhaps very briefly

987
00:31:00,106 --> 00:31:02,011
talk about them.

988
00:31:02,879 --> 00:31:04,284
The first precept is about

989
00:31:04,284 --> 00:31:06,180
not killing any living beings.

990
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:08,207
Okay, so we assume that you're

991
00:31:08,207 --> 00:31:10,237
not killing any human beings.

992
00:31:10,817 --> 00:31:12,050
If you kill human beings, I would

993
00:31:12,050 --> 00:31:14,181
recommend you to stop that very quickly.

994
00:31:14,181 --> 00:31:16,587
That is going to be a big obstacle.

995
00:31:16,587 --> 00:31:20,043
There is another discourse in the suttas,

996
00:31:20,043 --> 00:31:21,813
the word of the Buddha. Actually there

997
00:31:21,813 --> 00:31:23,690
was a man who was killing all these beings.

998
00:31:23,690 --> 00:31:25,559
He was a mass murderer

999
00:31:25,559 --> 00:31:26,615
at the time of the Buddha.

1000
00:31:26,615 --> 00:31:27,372
It's a very famous sutta,

1001
00:31:27,372 --> 00:31:28,303
you may have heard about

1002
00:31:28,303 --> 00:31:29,894
<i>Aṅgulimāla Sutta</i>.

1003
00:31:30,874 --> 00:31:32,336
But he also stopped doing that

1004
00:31:32,336 --> 00:31:33,962
and as a consequence of stopping that

1005
00:31:33,962 --> 00:31:35,871
he actually attained very high

1006
00:31:35,871 --> 00:31:38,788
spiritual states as a consequence.

1007
00:31:38,788 --> 00:31:41,169
So even if you are killing human beings

1008
00:31:41,169 --> 00:31:42,979
there's still hope,

1009
00:31:42,979 --> 00:31:45,740
which is a very positive message.

1010
00:31:45,740 --> 00:31:48,500
But it's not just about avoiding killing.

1011
00:31:49,810 --> 00:31:51,552
So you avoid killing humans,

1012
00:31:51,552 --> 00:31:54,054
you avoid killing animals and even insects,

1013
00:31:54,054 --> 00:31:57,128
but it's about being kind as well.

1014
00:31:57,128 --> 00:31:59,296
This is one of the most fundamental

1015
00:31:59,296 --> 00:32:00,635
and important facts about

1016
00:32:00,635 --> 00:32:02,352
the Buddhist idea of morality.

1017
00:32:02,352 --> 00:32:04,375
It is not just about avoiding doing

1018
00:32:04,375 --> 00:32:05,754
the bad stuff.

1019
00:32:05,754 --> 00:32:08,412
It's actively doing the good things

1020
00:32:08,412 --> 00:32:09,263
as well.

1021
00:32:09,263 --> 00:32:10,702
Being kind.

1022
00:32:10,702 --> 00:32:12,048
Being helpful.

1023
00:32:12,048 --> 00:32:14,309
Being compassionate, to animals

1024
00:32:14,309 --> 00:32:16,776
and human beings wherever you can find.

1025
00:32:16,776 --> 00:32:18,671
This is really what gives power

1026
00:32:18,671 --> 00:32:19,971
to the meditation practice.

1027
00:32:19,971 --> 00:32:21,353
If you don't do the bad stuff, okay,

1028
00:32:21,353 --> 00:32:22,649
you don't feel bad about yourself,

1029
00:32:22,649 --> 00:32:24,265
but, if you do the good stuff you actually

1030
00:32:24,265 --> 00:32:26,901
actively feel good about yourself.

1031
00:32:26,901 --> 00:32:29,138
I have noticed in my own life,

1032
00:32:29,138 --> 00:32:32,092
I try to live up to these things myself.

1033
00:32:32,092 --> 00:32:34,054
I try not to be the ultimate hypocrite

1034
00:32:34,054 --> 00:32:35,175
and sit here and tell you

1035
00:32:35,175 --> 00:32:36,295
to do all these things and

1036
00:32:36,295 --> 00:32:37,321
do nothing myself,

1037
00:32:37,321 --> 00:32:39,022
that would be terrible wouldn't it?

1038
00:32:39,022 --> 00:32:39,858
Of course, you don't know me,

1039
00:32:39,858 --> 00:32:41,426
so maybe I am a hypocrite, but

1040
00:32:41,426 --> 00:32:42,955
from my own perspective

1041
00:32:42,955 --> 00:32:44,489
I don't think I'm a hypocrite.

1042
00:32:45,409 --> 00:32:47,507
I have always found that

1043
00:32:47,507 --> 00:32:49,633
it is very powerful sometimes.

1044
00:32:49,633 --> 00:32:52,364
Sometimes you are in the right mood

1045
00:32:52,364 --> 00:32:53,780
and you just want to be kind,

1046
00:32:53,780 --> 00:32:55,608
and you want to be compassionate.

1047
00:32:55,608 --> 00:32:57,800
Sometimes it's a very powerful force

1048
00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:59,225
inside of you. Other times you don't

1049
00:32:59,225 --> 00:33:00,602
really feel compassionate at all,

1050
00:33:00,602 --> 00:33:02,359
but sometimes you feel very kind.

1051
00:33:02,359 --> 00:33:04,436
And then, sometimes, when you do

1052
00:33:04,436 --> 00:33:06,915
something kind, there's an insect that

1053
00:33:06,915 --> 00:33:08,688
you save or something like that,

1054
00:33:08,688 --> 00:33:09,899
something very, very small,

1055
00:33:09,899 --> 00:33:12,274
but because you are in the right mood,

1056
00:33:12,274 --> 00:33:13,978
and because you are mindful,

1057
00:33:13,978 --> 00:33:15,767
and because you feel it's coming

1058
00:33:15,767 --> 00:33:16,986
naturally from you,

1059
00:33:16,986 --> 00:33:19,253
it often has a very powerful impact

1060
00:33:19,253 --> 00:33:20,805
on your mind.

1061
00:33:20,805 --> 00:33:22,434
It's like you do this little act,

1062
00:33:22,434 --> 00:33:23,853
you think it's nothing and still

1063
00:33:23,853 --> 00:33:25,683
you feel this joy connected with that,

1064
00:33:25,683 --> 00:33:27,983
because it is done at the right time,

1065
00:33:27,983 --> 00:33:29,627
at the right place.

1066
00:33:29,627 --> 00:33:31,104
The right time and the right place

1067
00:33:31,104 --> 00:33:33,235
is always usually...

1068
00:33:33,235 --> 00:33:34,427
you should always do these things,

1069
00:33:34,427 --> 00:33:36,550
of course, but the powerful times

1070
00:33:36,550 --> 00:33:38,482
are when it comes naturally.

1071
00:33:38,482 --> 00:33:41,031
So if you ever feel like being kind,

1072
00:33:41,031 --> 00:33:42,895
if it comes from your heart and you

1073
00:33:42,895 --> 00:33:44,589
want to do something kind,

1074
00:33:44,589 --> 00:33:45,589
do it for goodness sake!

1075
00:33:45,589 --> 00:33:47,124
Don't hold back.

1076
00:33:47,124 --> 00:33:48,662
Don't have some cynical thought,

1077
00:33:48,662 --> 00:33:50,191
"yeah, they don't deserve it or whatever".

1078
00:33:50,191 --> 00:33:52,139
Please don't think like that because

1079
00:33:52,139 --> 00:33:53,348
it's going to destroy

1080
00:33:53,348 --> 00:33:55,851
a wonderful opportunity to do what is right

1081
00:33:55,851 --> 00:33:56,996
and do what is kind.

1082
00:33:56,996 --> 00:33:58,637
Always take the opportunity.

1083
00:33:58,637 --> 00:33:59,912
If other people think

1084
00:33:59,912 --> 00:34:01,510
you are a bit strange, so be it.

1085
00:34:01,510 --> 00:34:03,155
It's their problem,

1086
00:34:03,155 --> 00:34:04,931
you just do what is right.

1087
00:34:04,931 --> 00:34:06,523
And then you find, that when

1088
00:34:06,523 --> 00:34:08,025
you do these things again and again

1089
00:34:08,025 --> 00:34:09,955
there are times when it becomes

1090
00:34:09,955 --> 00:34:11,389
very powerful.

1091
00:34:11,389 --> 00:34:13,138
Because you are mindful,

1092
00:34:13,138 --> 00:34:14,766
you are clearly aware, you're driven

1093
00:34:14,766 --> 00:34:17,099
by a powerful motivation of compassion

1094
00:34:17,099 --> 00:34:17,958
inside of you.

1095
00:34:17,958 --> 00:34:19,370
It makes a very powerful impact

1096
00:34:19,370 --> 00:34:20,362
on the mind.

1097
00:34:20,362 --> 00:34:21,618
You sit down to meditate

1098
00:34:21,618 --> 00:34:23,103
and these things come back to you,

1099
00:34:23,103 --> 00:34:24,155
because they have made a powerful

1100
00:34:24,155 --> 00:34:25,100
impact on the mind.

1101
00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:26,795
And then, that gives rise

1102
00:34:26,795 --> 00:34:28,725
to the ability to meditate because

1103
00:34:28,725 --> 00:34:30,170
you have the joy there.

1104
00:34:30,717 --> 00:34:31,620
This is how it works.

1105
00:34:31,620 --> 00:34:32,918
This is what <i>kamma</i> is all about.

1106
00:34:32,918 --> 00:34:34,868
<i>Kamma</i> is about when your intention

1107
00:34:34,868 --> 00:34:37,199
is pure, when mindfulness is strong,

1108
00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:41,009
then the impact is very great one the mind.

1109
00:34:41,009 --> 00:34:43,013
So when you sit down afterwards,

1110
00:34:43,013 --> 00:34:44,803
it comes back to you very powerfully.

1111
00:34:44,803 --> 00:34:46,639
That's the idea of <i>kamma</i>.

1112
00:34:47,929 --> 00:34:50,156
Powerful presence when you do it,

1113
00:34:50,156 --> 00:34:52,217
gives rise to a powerful result later on.

1114
00:34:52,217 --> 00:34:53,123
You can see it for yourself

1115
00:34:53,123 --> 00:34:54,737
happening in reality, it's very easy,

1116
00:34:54,737 --> 00:34:56,598
very straightforward

1117
00:34:56,598 --> 00:34:58,479
and you see how these things work.

1118
00:34:58,479 --> 00:35:00,439
So be kind.

1119
00:35:00,439 --> 00:35:01,606
On this retreat, if you have

1120
00:35:01,606 --> 00:35:02,702
an opportunity to be kind

1121
00:35:02,702 --> 00:35:03,598
to the people around you,

1122
00:35:03,598 --> 00:35:06,195
take every opportunity, never miss

1123
00:35:06,195 --> 00:35:08,618
an opportunity to be kind in your life,

1124
00:35:08,618 --> 00:35:10,951
here or anywhere else, because it is

1125
00:35:10,951 --> 00:35:12,759
incredibly powerful.

1126
00:35:13,442 --> 00:35:14,981
And then, of course, the second factor

1127
00:35:14,981 --> 00:35:17,293
is about not stealing.

1128
00:35:18,182 --> 00:35:20,644
I'm sure none of you have the intention

1129
00:35:20,644 --> 00:35:22,682
to steal anything on this retreat,

1130
00:35:23,162 --> 00:35:25,978
but the opposite is generosity, right?

1131
00:35:25,978 --> 00:35:28,167
Be sharing, sharing of yourself,

1132
00:35:28,167 --> 00:35:30,142
and being generous.

1133
00:35:30,142 --> 00:35:32,229
One of the incredibly important factors

1134
00:35:32,229 --> 00:35:34,702
on the Buddhist path is generosity.

1135
00:35:35,752 --> 00:35:37,575
It is something the Buddha talks about

1136
00:35:37,575 --> 00:35:38,748
all the time. That's one of

1137
00:35:38,748 --> 00:35:41,031
the foundation stones of the path.

1138
00:35:41,031 --> 00:35:42,001
And generosity can be done

1139
00:35:42,001 --> 00:35:43,781
in some many different ways.

1140
00:35:43,781 --> 00:35:44,974
There's very little distinction

1141
00:35:44,974 --> 00:35:46,425
between kindness and generosity.

1142
00:35:46,425 --> 00:35:48,286
They kind of flow into each other.

1143
00:35:48,286 --> 00:35:49,956
When we talk about generosity,

1144
00:35:49,956 --> 00:35:52,372
we talk usually more about material things

1145
00:35:52,372 --> 00:35:54,957
and kindness is more about helping out

1146
00:35:54,957 --> 00:35:57,027
in a general sense, but they are really

1147
00:35:57,027 --> 00:36:00,572
part of the same... different ends of the

1148
00:36:00,572 --> 00:36:02,443
same spectrum, basically.

1149
00:36:03,113 --> 00:36:04,764
So generosity.

1150
00:36:04,764 --> 00:36:06,826
The third precept is about

1151
00:36:06,826 --> 00:36:09,035
no sexuality on this retreat.

1152
00:36:10,225 --> 00:36:12,746
The idea here is to turn the mind

1153
00:36:12,746 --> 00:36:14,530
in a different direction.

1154
00:36:15,150 --> 00:36:17,645
Usually, in the world we find pleasures

1155
00:36:17,645 --> 00:36:19,758
through the senses, the five sense,

1156
00:36:19,758 --> 00:36:21,626
through the food that we eat,

1157
00:36:21,626 --> 00:36:23,821
through the relationships that we have,

1158
00:36:23,821 --> 00:36:26,313
through music, or whatever it is.

1159
00:36:26,313 --> 00:36:27,965
Here, the idea is instead of finding

1160
00:36:27,965 --> 00:36:29,466
happiness in that realm,

1161
00:36:29,466 --> 00:36:31,095
is to turn the mind

1162
00:36:31,095 --> 00:36:32,116
in a different direction,

1163
00:36:32,116 --> 00:36:33,325
turn it inwards instead,

1164
00:36:33,325 --> 00:36:35,115
and find the happiness and joy

1165
00:36:35,115 --> 00:36:37,060
inside of you instead.

1166
00:36:37,060 --> 00:36:40,527
Now, if we indulge in the five sense

1167
00:36:40,527 --> 00:36:42,376
it is impossible at the same time

1168
00:36:42,376 --> 00:36:44,462
to turn inwards because they are two

1169
00:36:44,462 --> 00:36:46,233
different directions.

1170
00:36:46,733 --> 00:36:48,738
If you find happiness in the five sense

1171
00:36:48,738 --> 00:36:50,776
it means your mind is going out

1172
00:36:50,776 --> 00:36:53,199
into the world, by it's very definition.

1173
00:36:53,199 --> 00:36:54,926
But mediation is precisely about

1174
00:36:54,926 --> 00:36:56,896
going inside. It's about watching

1175
00:36:56,896 --> 00:36:58,368
the breath, about being still

1176
00:36:58,368 --> 00:36:59,556
in the present moment.

1177
00:36:59,556 --> 00:37:01,793
It's about not being attached to the world.

1178
00:37:01,793 --> 00:37:04,029
So, if you are finding pleasure

1179
00:37:04,029 --> 00:37:06,100
in the five senses, it means that your are

1180
00:37:06,100 --> 00:37:06,992
attached to them.

1181
00:37:06,992 --> 00:37:08,377
Wherever you find pleasure is also

1182
00:37:08,377 --> 00:37:10,040
where you are attached.

1183
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,371
Because you are attached, you can't

1184
00:37:11,371 --> 00:37:12,637
let go, and because you can't let go

1185
00:37:12,637 --> 00:37:15,187
you can't focus inside.

1186
00:37:15,187 --> 00:37:16,932
These are two opposite things.

1187
00:37:16,932 --> 00:37:19,521
It's very important to understand that.

1188
00:37:19,521 --> 00:37:22,178
That you cannot do both at the same time.

1189
00:37:22,178 --> 00:37:23,444
Sometimes people say, "yeah, you know,

1190
00:37:23,444 --> 00:37:25,195
I want to get really deep meditation,

1191
00:37:25,195 --> 00:37:26,815
I want to live a kind of ordinary life

1192
00:37:26,815 --> 00:37:29,291
with my partner and all these kinds

1193
00:37:29,291 --> 00:37:30,747
of things at the same time".

1194
00:37:30,747 --> 00:37:33,179
It cannot be combined at the same time.

1195
00:37:33,179 --> 00:37:35,733
It's impossible to have

1196
00:37:35,733 --> 00:37:38,081
the full benefit of meditation practice

1197
00:37:38,081 --> 00:37:39,144
on the one side,

1198
00:37:39,144 --> 00:37:41,244
and living a completely ordinary life

1199
00:37:41,244 --> 00:37:43,228
at the same time.

1200
00:37:43,228 --> 00:37:46,311
They have to be separated from each other.

1201
00:37:46,311 --> 00:37:49,077
That's why we do this kind of precept

1202
00:37:49,077 --> 00:37:51,393
on retreats like this.

1203
00:37:51,393 --> 00:37:54,412
The fourth one is about silence,

1204
00:37:54,412 --> 00:37:55,834
and silence is a wonderful thing.

1205
00:37:55,834 --> 00:37:57,018
You find that it's so wonderful

1206
00:37:57,018 --> 00:37:58,510
not to have to talk.

1207
00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:01,927
Our society is based on communication,

1208
00:38:01,927 --> 00:38:03,086
you have to talk all the time.

1209
00:38:03,086 --> 00:38:04,157
It's great not to have to talk,

1210
00:38:04,157 --> 00:38:05,450
just to be quiet.

1211
00:38:06,970 --> 00:38:07,651
It's like you go into

1212
00:38:07,651 --> 00:38:09,016
your own little bubble

1213
00:38:09,016 --> 00:38:10,604
and it doesn't really matter,

1214
00:38:10,604 --> 00:38:12,530
everybody else can do their own thing,

1215
00:38:12,530 --> 00:38:13,046
you don't have to

1216
00:38:13,046 --> 00:38:14,593
worry about that any more.

1217
00:38:16,113 --> 00:38:18,132
The precept is actually not to lie,

1218
00:38:18,132 --> 00:38:19,383
but because you are silent

1219
00:38:19,383 --> 00:38:20,568
that's what it becomes.

1220
00:38:20,568 --> 00:38:23,838
That's the positive aspect of that.

1221
00:38:23,838 --> 00:38:25,564
And think of it also... sometimes

1222
00:38:25,564 --> 00:38:27,127
people find it hard to be silent,

1223
00:38:27,127 --> 00:38:28,129
it should be easy enough,

1224
00:38:28,129 --> 00:38:31,035
it's only a day and a half this retreat, but

1225
00:38:31,035 --> 00:38:32,548
sometimes people find it hard

1226
00:38:32,548 --> 00:38:34,118
and find it oppressive.

1227
00:38:34,118 --> 00:38:36,417
If you do find it a little bit oppressive

1228
00:38:36,417 --> 00:38:39,559
think of it as an act of generosity

1229
00:38:39,559 --> 00:38:41,827
to the people around you.

1230
00:38:41,827 --> 00:38:43,492
On a retreat like this,

1231
00:38:43,492 --> 00:38:44,745
there's always some people who

1232
00:38:44,745 --> 00:38:46,287
get nice meditation, so think,

1233
00:38:46,287 --> 00:38:47,548
"okay, I'm going to help you,

1234
00:38:47,548 --> 00:38:48,797
I'm going to do this to help

1235
00:38:48,797 --> 00:38:51,410
everyone here, to encourage you

1236
00:38:51,410 --> 00:38:52,327
and to support you

1237
00:38:52,327 --> 00:38:53,769
in your meditation practice."

1238
00:38:53,769 --> 00:38:56,172
Then you have a positive attitude

1239
00:38:56,172 --> 00:38:57,339
about silence.

1240
00:38:57,339 --> 00:38:58,993
It becomes another positive thing.

1241
00:38:58,993 --> 00:39:00,388
It becomes a gift

1242
00:39:00,388 --> 00:39:01,403
to everyone around you.

1243
00:39:01,403 --> 00:39:02,459
So you're kind of combining

1244
00:39:02,459 --> 00:39:04,571
these precepts a little bit.

1245
00:39:04,571 --> 00:39:05,497
The fifth precept is about

1246
00:39:05,497 --> 00:39:07,193
not using drugs and alcohol.

1247
00:39:07,803 --> 00:39:10,459
Again, meditation practice is about

1248
00:39:10,459 --> 00:39:12,805
clarity, it's about presence of mind

1249
00:39:12,805 --> 00:39:14,555
and drugs and alcohol are about

1250
00:39:14,555 --> 00:39:16,331
the exact opposite of that.

1251
00:39:17,571 --> 00:39:20,271
Not using a high...

1252
00:39:21,017 --> 00:39:23,215
the next one is <i>vikala bhojana</i>,

1253
00:39:23,215 --> 00:39:25,383
I have to get my sequence right here,

1254
00:39:25,383 --> 00:39:26,176
which means not eating

1255
00:39:26,176 --> 00:39:26,880
in the afternoon.

1256
00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:28,425
Again, the idea is to move away

1257
00:39:28,425 --> 00:39:30,354
from too much sensuality.

1258
00:39:30,354 --> 00:39:31,585
It's not a major issue...

1259
00:39:31,585 --> 00:39:32,520
There's going to be some soup,

1260
00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:33,739
is that right, in the evening?

1261
00:39:33,739 --> 00:39:34,539
Okay, you get some soup,

1262
00:39:34,539 --> 00:39:36,009
so that's good,

1263
00:39:36,009 --> 00:39:38,193
that should keep you going.

1264
00:39:39,593 --> 00:39:41,135
Then we have the precept about

1265
00:39:41,135 --> 00:39:43,919
not using any entertainment,

1266
00:39:43,919 --> 00:39:45,741
or adornments of the body,

1267
00:39:45,741 --> 00:39:47,457
which is another very useful one.

1268
00:39:47,457 --> 00:39:49,093
Entertainment is all about going out

1269
00:39:49,093 --> 00:39:50,263
into the world,

1270
00:39:50,263 --> 00:39:52,372
it's about enjoying the senses.

1271
00:39:52,372 --> 00:39:53,964
That's what entertainment is about.

1272
00:39:53,964 --> 00:39:56,721
Again we're trying to withdraw from that.

1273
00:39:56,721 --> 00:39:58,255
And the last precept about

1274
00:39:58,255 --> 00:39:59,872
sleeping on a high or luxurious bed,

1275
00:39:59,872 --> 00:40:01,696
is also, of course, about the same thing.

1276
00:40:01,696 --> 00:40:03,295
It's about not indulging too much,

1277
00:40:03,295 --> 00:40:05,630
but, you know, the beds here are fine.

1278
00:40:07,843 --> 00:40:09,197
Back to the seventh one, again,

1279
00:40:09,197 --> 00:40:11,902
the seventh precept, not adorning yourself.

1280
00:40:11,902 --> 00:40:13,791
This is also one of the nice things

1281
00:40:13,791 --> 00:40:15,855
about going on a retreat,

1282
00:40:15,855 --> 00:40:18,559
just to have simple clothes,

1283
00:40:18,559 --> 00:40:19,523
no make-up,

1284
00:40:19,523 --> 00:40:20,223
no jewellery,

1285
00:40:20,223 --> 00:40:22,488
no trying to impress anybody

1286
00:40:22,488 --> 00:40:23,707
by the way you look,

1287
00:40:23,707 --> 00:40:24,947
or anything like that.

1288
00:40:24,947 --> 00:40:27,184
It's like you can become anonymous.

1289
00:40:27,184 --> 00:40:29,049
You don't have to worry about

1290
00:40:29,049 --> 00:40:30,273
all these things that we're always

1291
00:40:30,273 --> 00:40:31,738
concerned about.

1292
00:40:31,738 --> 00:40:33,441
It makes you self-conscious,

1293
00:40:33,441 --> 00:40:34,531
if you always have to worry about

1294
00:40:34,531 --> 00:40:36,280
what you look like, right?

1295
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:37,345
And here you can let go of that

1296
00:40:37,345 --> 00:40:39,229
self-consciousness completely,

1297
00:40:39,229 --> 00:40:40,349
and you can be

1298
00:40:40,349 --> 00:40:41,449
nobody!

1299
00:40:42,069 --> 00:40:43,327
Isn't that nice to be nobody?

1300
00:40:43,327 --> 00:40:45,613
We always have to try to <i>be</i> somebody.

1301
00:40:45,613 --> 00:40:47,221
We always have to try and live up to

1302
00:40:47,221 --> 00:40:49,707
our own or other people's expectations.

1303
00:40:49,707 --> 00:40:52,239
Always trying to be a certain person.

1304
00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:54,516
Now, one of the things about

1305
00:40:54,516 --> 00:40:56,650
trying always to be somebody,

1306
00:40:56,650 --> 00:40:58,850
is this sense of self that we have

1307
00:40:58,850 --> 00:40:59,905
inside of us

1308
00:40:59,905 --> 00:41:02,517
always needs to be defended.

1309
00:41:02,517 --> 00:41:03,835
If somebody challenges us

1310
00:41:03,835 --> 00:41:06,940
and says, "aw, okay, you are no good.

1311
00:41:06,940 --> 00:41:08,117
What are you doing?

1312
00:41:08,117 --> 00:41:09,379
This isn't good enough".

1313
00:41:09,379 --> 00:41:11,287
Or somebody tells you

1314
00:41:11,287 --> 00:41:12,426
you're not looking your best today,

1315
00:41:12,426 --> 00:41:14,776
or whatever, we feel upset.

1316
00:41:14,776 --> 00:41:15,727
And the reason we feel upset

1317
00:41:15,727 --> 00:41:17,541
is because our sense of self

1318
00:41:17,541 --> 00:41:19,009
is challenged.

1319
00:41:19,009 --> 00:41:20,677
So this sense of self is something

1320
00:41:20,677 --> 00:41:22,698
that always needs to be bolstered,

1321
00:41:22,698 --> 00:41:24,374
always needs to be kept up.

1322
00:41:24,374 --> 00:41:26,744
We need to think, how much of the time

1323
00:41:26,744 --> 00:41:28,385
do we think about ourselves,

1324
00:41:28,385 --> 00:41:29,230
are we concerned about concerned

1325
00:41:29,230 --> 00:41:30,353
about ourselves.

1326
00:41:30,353 --> 00:41:31,916
Stupid little things, right?

1327
00:41:31,916 --> 00:41:33,008
But this is just life,

1328
00:41:33,008 --> 00:41:34,571
everybody is like that.

1329
00:41:34,941 --> 00:41:36,309
Now, for once, you don't have to think

1330
00:41:36,309 --> 00:41:38,109
about yourself any more.

1331
00:41:38,109 --> 00:41:39,327
You can start to let go

1332
00:41:39,327 --> 00:41:40,982
of that sense of who you are,

1333
00:41:40,982 --> 00:41:42,519
your sense of identity.

1334
00:41:42,519 --> 00:41:44,207
How you are, who you are

1335
00:41:44,207 --> 00:41:45,933
compared to other people.

1336
00:41:45,933 --> 00:41:48,341
When you reduce that sense of identity

1337
00:41:48,341 --> 00:41:49,791
what you find is that

1338
00:41:49,791 --> 00:41:51,375
you become more peaceful,

1339
00:41:52,335 --> 00:41:54,294
because you don't have to think about

1340
00:41:54,294 --> 00:41:56,106
all those issues

1341
00:41:56,106 --> 00:41:57,496
concerning yourself any more.

1342
00:41:58,086 --> 00:41:59,561
So reducing your sense of self

1343
00:41:59,561 --> 00:42:00,853
is actually one of the great ways

1344
00:42:00,853 --> 00:42:04,070
of starting to feel peaceful as well.

1345
00:42:04,070 --> 00:42:05,094
This is what you do,

1346
00:42:05,094 --> 00:42:06,227
this is why adornments,

1347
00:42:06,227 --> 00:42:08,414
just wearing ordinary clothes

1348
00:42:08,414 --> 00:42:10,252
and not adorning oneself,

1349
00:42:10,252 --> 00:42:11,877
actually is a great benefit

1350
00:42:11,877 --> 00:42:13,549
and a wonderful thing to do.

1351
00:42:14,326 --> 00:42:15,077
So,

1352
00:42:17,957 --> 00:42:20,717
those are the eight precepts

1353
00:42:20,717 --> 00:42:22,384
and they give you some idea

1354
00:42:22,384 --> 00:42:23,595
what right attitude means

1355
00:42:23,595 --> 00:42:25,399
in meditation practice.

1356
00:42:25,399 --> 00:42:27,441
All this is about right attitude.

1357
00:42:27,981 --> 00:42:29,277
So this is one of the things

1358
00:42:29,277 --> 00:42:31,074
we try to build up.

1359
00:42:31,584 --> 00:42:34,009
Some very general things about

1360
00:42:34,009 --> 00:42:36,290
right attitude that I can maybe add

1361
00:42:36,290 --> 00:42:38,241
to what I've been saying before:

1362
00:42:38,241 --> 00:42:41,428
one of thing things I often remind myself

1363
00:42:41,428 --> 00:42:43,958
when I do my meditation practice

1364
00:42:43,958 --> 00:42:46,767
is that when I meditate,

1365
00:42:46,767 --> 00:42:48,650
that is when I come closest

1366
00:42:48,650 --> 00:42:50,533
to the meaning of life.

1367
00:42:50,533 --> 00:42:51,895
That is where I'm touching

1368
00:42:51,895 --> 00:42:53,643
what life is all about.

1369
00:42:54,283 --> 00:42:56,365
This is quite radical

1370
00:42:56,365 --> 00:42:57,276
because most people think,

1371
00:42:57,276 --> 00:42:58,177
"yeah, I'm going to meditate

1372
00:42:58,177 --> 00:42:59,973
so I can improve my life,

1373
00:42:59,973 --> 00:43:00,902
so the rest of my life

1374
00:43:00,902 --> 00:43:02,793
can become better"

1375
00:43:02,793 --> 00:43:03,980
That's what most people think.

1376
00:43:03,980 --> 00:43:05,669
But, no! It's actually the

1377
00:43:05,669 --> 00:43:07,889
other way round, it's actually

1378
00:43:08,779 --> 00:43:10,211
when you meditate you're getting

1379
00:43:10,211 --> 00:43:12,131
closer to the very essence of the

1380
00:43:12,131 --> 00:43:14,169
purpose of life itself.

1381
00:43:14,554 --> 00:43:15,719
Why is that?

1382
00:43:16,299 --> 00:43:17,148
The reason is, is because

1383
00:43:17,148 --> 00:43:18,979
in meditation practice,

1384
00:43:18,979 --> 00:43:20,317
what you are finding is

1385
00:43:20,317 --> 00:43:22,354
you're finding the sort of happiness

1386
00:43:22,354 --> 00:43:24,586
you're finding the sort of contentment

1387
00:43:24,586 --> 00:43:26,765
you're finding the sort of satisfaction

1388
00:43:26,765 --> 00:43:28,044
that you actually,

1389
00:43:28,044 --> 00:43:29,223
each one of us,

1390
00:43:29,223 --> 00:43:31,562
always is actually searching for.

1391
00:43:32,142 --> 00:43:33,511
If you look inside of yourself,

1392
00:43:33,511 --> 00:43:34,840
look inside of your mind

1393
00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:35,819
you will see that we are often

1394
00:43:35,819 --> 00:43:38,647
run by desires, all kind of things, right?

1395
00:43:38,647 --> 00:43:39,707
From the moment you wake up

1396
00:43:39,707 --> 00:43:40,286
in the morning,

1397
00:43:40,286 --> 00:43:41,172
you have to choose what clothes

1398
00:43:41,172 --> 00:43:42,122
you're going to wear,

1399
00:43:42,122 --> 00:43:43,122
from breakfast...

1400
00:43:43,622 --> 00:43:45,152
Everything is run by

1401
00:43:45,152 --> 00:43:47,642
desires and cravings in our life.

1402
00:43:47,642 --> 00:43:48,963
Those desires and cravings,

1403
00:43:48,963 --> 00:43:50,590
they are pointing towards one thing:

1404
00:43:50,590 --> 00:43:52,864
we want to be satisfied.

1405
00:43:52,864 --> 00:43:54,879
That's why you want to fulfil that craving,

1406
00:43:54,879 --> 00:43:56,533
fulfil that desire.

1407
00:43:56,533 --> 00:43:57,913
Except that it never happens,

1408
00:43:57,913 --> 00:44:00,268
the desire always comes back to us again.

1409
00:44:00,268 --> 00:44:01,198
Then suddenly one day

1410
00:44:01,198 --> 00:44:02,595
you sit down and meditate

1411
00:44:02,595 --> 00:44:03,612
and you find

1412
00:44:03,612 --> 00:44:05,819
that satisfaction in meditation.

1413
00:44:05,819 --> 00:44:07,471
At least a little bit more,

1414
00:44:07,471 --> 00:44:08,429
than you find it by running

1415
00:44:08,429 --> 00:44:09,766
around in the world.

1416
00:44:10,316 --> 00:44:11,332
This is what I mean,

1417
00:44:11,332 --> 00:44:12,632
you're actually touching here

1418
00:44:12,632 --> 00:44:14,491
the meaning of life,

1419
00:44:14,491 --> 00:44:16,835
the purpose of all the running you do

1420
00:44:16,835 --> 00:44:18,156
in the world, you find it,

1421
00:44:18,156 --> 00:44:20,461
you find the result,

1422
00:44:20,461 --> 00:44:22,001
you find what you're searching for

1423
00:44:22,001 --> 00:44:23,772
in the meditation practice,

1424
00:44:23,772 --> 00:44:25,665
rather than by actually getting

1425
00:44:25,665 --> 00:44:27,453
the results in the world around you.

1426
00:44:28,743 --> 00:44:29,861
So <i>here</i> you are touching

1427
00:44:29,861 --> 00:44:30,850
the meaning of life.

1428
00:44:31,250 --> 00:44:32,655
This is what life is all about,

1429
00:44:32,655 --> 00:44:34,510
this is what you really searching for.

1430
00:44:34,510 --> 00:44:35,751
This is what you have.

1431
00:44:35,751 --> 00:44:37,255
Your innermost yearning,

1432
00:44:37,255 --> 00:44:38,405
actually comes...

1433
00:44:41,485 --> 00:44:43,411
that yearning actually gets fulfilled

1434
00:44:43,411 --> 00:44:44,906
finally when you are sitting down

1435
00:44:44,906 --> 00:44:46,467
and doing your meditation practice.

1436
00:44:46,467 --> 00:44:47,955
Or rather it <i>can</i> do.

1437
00:44:47,955 --> 00:44:49,550
Often it doesn't happen,

1438
00:44:49,550 --> 00:44:50,820
but it can happen.

1439
00:44:50,820 --> 00:44:51,648
And when it happens, you think,

1440
00:44:51,648 --> 00:44:54,011
"WOW! This is really it!

1441
00:44:54,011 --> 00:44:56,103
Now I'm coming to what everything

1442
00:44:56,103 --> 00:44:57,412
really is all about."

1443
00:44:57,412 --> 00:44:58,819
And that is very powerful,

1444
00:44:58,819 --> 00:45:00,559
because when you understand that,

1445
00:45:01,769 --> 00:45:02,725
when you understand that

1446
00:45:02,725 --> 00:45:05,082
instead of sitting down and meditating

1447
00:45:05,082 --> 00:45:06,753
and then fantasize about all the things

1448
00:45:06,753 --> 00:45:08,216
you're going to do in the world,

1449
00:45:08,216 --> 00:45:09,803
it's kind of crazy, becuase now

1450
00:45:09,803 --> 00:45:11,280
you've got the meaning of life

1451
00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:13,308
so why are you going to fantasize

1452
00:45:13,308 --> 00:45:14,174
about all those things that

1453
00:45:14,174 --> 00:45:15,030
have got nothing to do

1454
00:45:15,030 --> 00:45:16,365
with the meaning of life.

1455
00:45:16,365 --> 00:45:17,088
In fact, it should be the other

1456
00:45:17,088 --> 00:45:18,179
way round.

1457
00:45:18,179 --> 00:45:19,666
When you're running around in the world

1458
00:45:19,666 --> 00:45:22,006
in daily life, going doing this, doing that

1459
00:45:22,006 --> 00:45:23,167
you should fantasize about meditation

1460
00:45:23,167 --> 00:45:23,947
practice.

1461
00:45:24,587 --> 00:45:26,523
That's the way it should really be,

1462
00:45:26,523 --> 00:45:27,596
because you understand

1463
00:45:27,596 --> 00:45:30,530
that everything you do in your ordinary life,

1464
00:45:30,530 --> 00:45:32,547
that if you can think about

1465
00:45:32,547 --> 00:45:33,907
your meditation practice,

1466
00:45:33,907 --> 00:45:34,917
it will give you

1467
00:45:34,917 --> 00:45:37,597
a guide in your ordinary life

1468
00:45:37,597 --> 00:45:38,997
to how you should behave.

1469
00:45:38,997 --> 00:45:40,848
Is this going to lead to an improvement

1470
00:45:40,848 --> 00:45:43,458
in meditation, which is the purpose of life,

1471
00:45:43,458 --> 00:45:44,785
or is it not?

1472
00:45:44,785 --> 00:45:46,338
Is it going to lead me away,

1473
00:45:46,338 --> 00:45:47,792
or lead me in the right direction.

1474
00:45:47,792 --> 00:45:49,467
So please fantasize a bit

1475
00:45:49,467 --> 00:45:51,381
about meditation in ordinary life:

1476
00:45:51,381 --> 00:45:52,900
"ooh, wouldn't it be nice

1477
00:45:52,900 --> 00:45:54,320
if I could now go back and

1478
00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:55,890
be on retreat and just sit peacefully.

1479
00:45:55,890 --> 00:45:58,760
Wow, maybe as soon as I get a chance,

1480
00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:00,485
an opportunity I will do that."

1481
00:46:00,485 --> 00:46:03,220
And then you have this guide,

1482
00:46:03,220 --> 00:46:05,009
to also guide you throughout life

1483
00:46:05,009 --> 00:46:06,289
in a sense.

1484
00:46:06,289 --> 00:46:07,207
So remember that,

1485
00:46:07,207 --> 00:46:07,818
while you're sitting here

1486
00:46:07,818 --> 00:46:09,114
on this retreat.

1487
00:46:09,114 --> 00:46:10,091
This is it!

1488
00:46:10,091 --> 00:46:11,345
You are touching

1489
00:46:11,345 --> 00:46:12,936
the meaning of life itself.

1490
00:46:12,936 --> 00:46:13,395
You're not going to get

1491
00:46:13,395 --> 00:46:15,182
any closer than this probably,

1492
00:46:15,182 --> 00:46:16,752
so this is your opportunity.

1493
00:46:16,752 --> 00:46:19,377
Why waste that opportunity

1494
00:46:19,377 --> 00:46:20,570
by thinking about

1495
00:46:20,570 --> 00:46:22,703
all kind of other stuff instead.

1496
00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:30,535
This is going to be the first talk

1497
00:46:30,535 --> 00:46:33,861
about the theme of this retreat.

1498
00:46:33,861 --> 00:46:37,316
The theme is dependent origination,

1499
00:46:37,316 --> 00:46:41,058
known as <i>paṭiccasamuppāda</i> in the Pāli language.

1500
00:46:43,108 --> 00:46:45,332
What I thought of doing tonight,

1501
00:46:45,332 --> 00:46:48,540
is just to do a general overview.

1502
00:46:48,540 --> 00:46:49,318
Is it loud enough?

1503
00:46:49,318 --> 00:46:50,801
Can everybody hear alright?

1504
00:46:54,111 --> 00:46:56,216
I'll just do a general overview

1505
00:46:56,216 --> 00:46:58,211
of what this teaching is about

1506
00:46:58,211 --> 00:46:59,974
so that we have a kind of a background.

1507
00:46:59,974 --> 00:47:02,079
Then we can draw out the details

1508
00:47:02,079 --> 00:47:04,785
over the few sessions after that.

1509
00:47:05,725 --> 00:47:07,252
So that is going to be the main purpose

1510
00:47:07,252 --> 00:47:08,892
of tonight.

1511
00:47:09,432 --> 00:47:10,931
As I said before,

1512
00:47:10,931 --> 00:47:12,733
if you have any questions this

1513
00:47:12,733 --> 00:47:14,125
please write them down

1514
00:47:14,125 --> 00:47:15,741
and put them in the basket at the back.

1515
00:47:17,051 --> 00:47:18,081
Good.

1516
00:47:18,081 --> 00:47:20,147
So, one of the things about

1517
00:47:20,147 --> 00:47:21,829
dependent arising,

1518
00:47:21,829 --> 00:47:24,263
it is well known,

1519
00:47:24,263 --> 00:47:26,081
everybody thinks it is very profound.

1520
00:47:26,081 --> 00:47:26,622
Everybody says,

1521
00:47:26,622 --> 00:47:28,500
"ooh, this is very profound stuff."

1522
00:47:28,500 --> 00:47:30,734
And, of course, there is a reason for that,

1523
00:47:30,734 --> 00:47:32,867
and the reason for that is that,

1524
00:47:32,867 --> 00:47:34,017
that's what it actually says

1525
00:47:34,017 --> 00:47:35,442
in one of the suttas.

1526
00:47:35,442 --> 00:47:37,222
I don't know if any of you read

1527
00:47:37,222 --> 00:47:38,975
these suttas already.

1528
00:47:38,975 --> 00:47:42,020
If you have, then you may have come across,

1529
00:47:42,020 --> 00:47:44,045
or you probably would have come across,

1530
00:47:45,385 --> 00:47:46,690
the way things start off

1531
00:47:46,690 --> 00:47:49,500
in the sutta called the <i>Mahānidāna Sutta</i>,

1532
00:47:49,500 --> 00:47:51,852
which is <i>The Great Discourse on Causation</i>,

1533
00:47:51,852 --> 00:47:53,432
found in the <i>Dīgha Nikāya</i>.

1534
00:47:54,112 --> 00:47:56,212
In that sutta, it starts off

1535
00:47:56,212 --> 00:47:58,270
with Ven. Ānanda...

1536
00:47:58,270 --> 00:47:59,540
Ven. Ānanda, of course,

1537
00:47:59,540 --> 00:48:01,385
is the Buddha's right-hand man.

1538
00:48:01,385 --> 00:48:02,529
He's always present,

1539
00:48:02,529 --> 00:48:04,596
always hearing the discourses

1540
00:48:04,596 --> 00:48:07,166
and he's the one who eventually

1541
00:48:07,166 --> 00:48:09,098
makes sure those discourses are

1542
00:48:09,098 --> 00:48:10,349
recorded, if you like,

1543
00:48:10,349 --> 00:48:12,443
recorded in memory for posterity.

1544
00:48:13,793 --> 00:48:15,109
He says to the Buddha, he says:

1545
00:48:15,109 --> 00:48:18,062
"It is wonderful and marvellous, Bhante,

1546
00:48:18,062 --> 00:48:20,221
how this dependent arising

1547
00:48:20,221 --> 00:48:23,320
[or if you like, dependent origination]

1548
00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:25,743
is so deep and appears so deep,

1549
00:48:25,743 --> 00:48:27,988
yet to myself it seems

1550
00:48:27,988 --> 00:48:31,198
as clear as clear can be.”

1551
00:48:31,198 --> 00:48:32,950
And then the Buddha says:

1552
00:48:32,950 --> 00:48:34,798
“Do not say so, Ānanda!

1553
00:48:34,798 --> 00:48:36,517
Do not say so, Ānanda!

1554
00:48:36,517 --> 00:48:39,153
This dependent origination, Ānanda,

1555
00:48:39,153 --> 00:48:41,853
is deep and it appears deep.

1556
00:48:41,853 --> 00:48:43,598
Because of not understanding and

1557
00:48:43,598 --> 00:48:46,889
not penetrating this teaching, Ānanda,

1558
00:48:46,889 --> 00:48:48,540
this generation has become

1559
00:48:48,540 --> 00:48:50,533
like a tangled skein,

1560
00:48:50,533 --> 00:48:52,808
like a knotted ball of thread,

1561
00:48:52,808 --> 00:48:56,891
like matted rushes and reeds,

1562
00:48:56,891 --> 00:48:58,773
and this generation

1563
00:48:58,773 --> 00:49:01,906
does not pass beyond <i>saṃsāra</i>

1564
00:49:01,906 --> 00:49:03,741
with its plane of misery,

1565
00:49:03,741 --> 00:49:05,381
unfortunate destinations,

1566
00:49:05,381 --> 00:49:07,458
and its lower realms."

1567
00:49:08,952 --> 00:49:11,076
So this is where it comes from,

1568
00:49:11,076 --> 00:49:11,850
when everybody says,

1569
00:49:11,850 --> 00:49:14,160
"aw, this dependent origination is so deep".

1570
00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:15,063
This is actually the

1571
00:49:15,063 --> 00:49:17,202
canonical reference to that.

1572
00:49:17,872 --> 00:49:20,435
It's quite interesting because Ven. Ānanda,

1573
00:49:20,435 --> 00:49:23,441
of course, he knew almost all the suttas,

1574
00:49:23,441 --> 00:49:26,718
all the discourses of the Buddha by heart.

1575
00:49:26,718 --> 00:49:28,053
He was also well known for

1576
00:49:28,053 --> 00:49:30,200
having become a stream enterer.

1577
00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:31,801
A stream enterer is somebody who has

1578
00:49:31,801 --> 00:49:34,431
penetrated and understood the teaching

1579
00:49:34,431 --> 00:49:35,621
on their own.

1580
00:49:35,621 --> 00:49:38,520
He was a stream enterer fairly early on

1581
00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:39,575
and here is one the Buddha's

1582
00:49:39,575 --> 00:49:40,575
chief disciples

1583
00:49:41,025 --> 00:49:41,914
saying

1584
00:49:42,434 --> 00:49:44,784
this is really deep, but I understand it,

1585
00:49:44,784 --> 00:49:45,915
and the Buddha says,

1586
00:49:45,915 --> 00:49:47,980
be careful what you say,

1587
00:49:47,980 --> 00:49:49,590
don't be so quick,

1588
00:49:49,590 --> 00:49:51,089
because this really is profound

1589
00:49:51,089 --> 00:49:53,541
and it because of not understanding <i>this</i>

1590
00:49:53,541 --> 00:49:56,987
that people are stuck in <i>saṃsāra</i>.

1591
00:49:57,927 --> 00:49:59,766
That is fascinating. It makes us wonder,

1592
00:49:59,766 --> 00:50:00,470
"well, what is the chance

1593
00:50:00,470 --> 00:50:02,464
of <i>me</i> understanding this if Ven. Ānanda

1594
00:50:02,464 --> 00:50:04,672
couldn't understand it, what is <i>my</i> hope?!

1595
00:50:05,882 --> 00:50:07,351
That's a fair question actually.

1596
00:50:07,351 --> 00:50:08,671
It is a fair question,

1597
00:50:08,671 --> 00:50:10,697
but remember the idea

1598
00:50:10,697 --> 00:50:13,143
with a retreat like this is not to grasp

1599
00:50:13,143 --> 00:50:15,841
these things absolutely fully,

1600
00:50:15,841 --> 00:50:18,175
in their full depth and all their details.

1601
00:50:18,175 --> 00:50:20,858
The idea is to get enough understanding

1602
00:50:20,858 --> 00:50:23,759
that you are moving in the right direction.

1603
00:50:23,759 --> 00:50:26,299
This is the whole gist, the whole purpose

1604
00:50:26,299 --> 00:50:28,339
of the Dhamma, is always to move

1605
00:50:28,339 --> 00:50:30,130
in the right direction.

1606
00:50:30,130 --> 00:50:31,672
As you keep moving in the right direction,

1607
00:50:31,672 --> 00:50:32,974
doing some meditation,

1608
00:50:32,974 --> 00:50:34,599
doing some practice,

1609
00:50:34,599 --> 00:50:36,028
understanding what the teachings

1610
00:50:36,028 --> 00:50:37,082
are about,

1611
00:50:37,082 --> 00:50:40,359
all of these things come together,

1612
00:50:40,359 --> 00:50:42,484
and one day, who knows, one day

1613
00:50:42,484 --> 00:50:43,247
you might also,

1614
00:50:43,247 --> 00:50:45,027
each one of us might also

1615
00:50:45,027 --> 00:50:46,647
understand the full

1616
00:50:46,647 --> 00:50:48,619
profundity of these teachings.

1617
00:50:48,619 --> 00:50:50,826
The reason why they are so profound

1618
00:50:50,826 --> 00:50:52,757
is basically, just what it says

1619
00:50:52,757 --> 00:50:53,862
at the end there:

1620
00:50:53,862 --> 00:50:55,585
it is because of this that people

1621
00:50:55,585 --> 00:50:58,304
don't make an end of <i>saṃsāra</i>.

1622
00:50:58,304 --> 00:50:59,851
What that means is that

1623
00:50:59,851 --> 00:51:01,469
if you are an <i>ariya</i>,

1624
00:51:01,469 --> 00:51:02,908
if you are a noble person,

1625
00:51:02,908 --> 00:51:04,574
who has penetrated and understood

1626
00:51:04,574 --> 00:51:06,662
these teachings through your own insight,

1627
00:51:06,662 --> 00:51:08,296
through your own understanding,

1628
00:51:08,296 --> 00:51:09,759
<i>that</i> is when you have that

1629
00:51:09,759 --> 00:51:11,037
full penetration.

1630
00:51:11,037 --> 00:51:12,692
So Ven. Ānanda, my guess is that

1631
00:51:12,692 --> 00:51:15,416
at this point he hadn't yet

1632
00:51:15,416 --> 00:51:16,600
become a stream enterer,

1633
00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:18,276
maybe it was later on,

1634
00:51:18,276 --> 00:51:20,631
or, the alternative is that

1635
00:51:20,631 --> 00:51:22,209
he was a stream enterer,

1636
00:51:22,209 --> 00:51:25,253
but even as a stream enterer you understand

1637
00:51:25,253 --> 00:51:27,625
the general principle for how it works,

1638
00:51:27,625 --> 00:51:28,938
but you make not be clear

1639
00:51:28,938 --> 00:51:30,851
about all the details.

1640
00:51:30,851 --> 00:51:33,224
This is one of the things that is so

1641
00:51:33,224 --> 00:51:34,845
fascinating about this teaching,

1642
00:51:34,845 --> 00:51:36,479
is all the <i>details</i>,

1643
00:51:36,479 --> 00:51:38,078
all the things that actually

1644
00:51:38,078 --> 00:51:39,183
come out of it once you

1645
00:51:39,183 --> 00:51:40,618
start to investigate.

1646
00:51:41,018 --> 00:51:44,376
There are so many aspects to this teaching.

1647
00:51:44,376 --> 00:51:45,694
To give you some examples

1648
00:51:45,694 --> 00:51:47,724
of the aspects that I'm thinking of,

1649
00:51:48,134 --> 00:51:49,414
this teaching,

1650
00:51:49,954 --> 00:51:51,980
contrary to what some people say,

1651
00:51:51,980 --> 00:51:54,657
it includes the law of <i>kamma</i>.

1652
00:51:54,657 --> 00:51:56,154
The law of <i>kamma</i> is very central to

1653
00:51:56,154 --> 00:51:58,127
this particular teaching.

1654
00:51:58,127 --> 00:52:00,741
It explains <i>kamma</i> in a very beautiful

1655
00:52:00,741 --> 00:52:02,715
and very meaningful way.

1656
00:52:02,715 --> 00:52:03,430
That's one of the things

1657
00:52:03,430 --> 00:52:05,492
I want to draw out of this teaching,

1658
00:52:05,492 --> 00:52:06,746
especially if you look at

1659
00:52:06,746 --> 00:52:08,873
the first three factors

1660
00:52:08,873 --> 00:52:10,367
of the dependent arising.

1661
00:52:10,367 --> 00:52:12,145
The first three factors are from...

1662
00:52:12,145 --> 00:52:13,998
I'll go through the factors latter on,

1663
00:52:13,998 --> 00:52:16,175
but from ignorance,

1664
00:52:17,805 --> 00:52:19,451
<i>saṅkhāra</i>, like activities,

1665
00:52:19,451 --> 00:52:20,454
and consciousness.

1666
00:52:20,454 --> 00:52:23,259
That is all really about <i>kamma</i>

1667
00:52:23,259 --> 00:52:25,241
and how <i>kamma</i> works.

1668
00:52:25,241 --> 00:52:26,726
It's very interesting to understand

1669
00:52:26,726 --> 00:52:28,160
how <i>kamma</i> works because

1670
00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:30,214
it's something which is very practical,

1671
00:52:30,214 --> 00:52:32,680
something we can use in our own lives.

1672
00:52:32,680 --> 00:52:34,164
So it brings out <i>kamma</i>

1673
00:52:34,164 --> 00:52:36,173
in a very detailed way.

1674
00:52:36,933 --> 00:52:38,117
This is one of the things

1675
00:52:38,117 --> 00:52:40,119
that makes in so interesting.

1676
00:52:40,119 --> 00:52:41,336
The second thing, which of course,

1677
00:52:41,336 --> 00:52:42,506
makes in very interesting,

1678
00:52:42,506 --> 00:52:46,083
is that it shows us how this <i>saṃsāra</i>,

1679
00:52:46,083 --> 00:52:49,602
how the process of continuous existence,

1680
00:52:49,602 --> 00:52:54,048
how it is sustained without a self in it.

1681
00:52:54,048 --> 00:52:55,196
This is one of the key things

1682
00:52:55,196 --> 00:52:57,008
about dependent arising,

1683
00:52:57,008 --> 00:52:59,003
it shows us how this is possible

1684
00:52:59,003 --> 00:53:02,206
that you can go on, and go on, and go on

1685
00:53:02,206 --> 00:53:04,402
keep on going, but there's no self in there

1686
00:53:04,402 --> 00:53:05,833
there's no substance,

1687
00:53:05,833 --> 00:53:07,502
there's no essence to it

1688
00:53:07,502 --> 00:53:09,272
which is always present.

1689
00:53:10,062 --> 00:53:11,231
This is one of the things that

1690
00:53:11,231 --> 00:53:12,874
makes people stop.

1691
00:53:13,894 --> 00:53:16,282
One of the classic counter arguments

1692
00:53:16,282 --> 00:53:18,021
against the Buddha's teaching,

1693
00:53:18,021 --> 00:53:20,910
against rebirth, is the idea that

1694
00:53:20,910 --> 00:53:22,364
if there was rebirth

1695
00:53:22,364 --> 00:53:24,181
there must be a self in there,

1696
00:53:24,181 --> 00:53:24,913
"and you guys,

1697
00:53:24,913 --> 00:53:25,987
you say you don't believe in a self

1698
00:53:25,987 --> 00:53:30,077
so you're contradicting yourself."

1699
00:53:30,077 --> 00:53:32,914
But actually, no, the point of the Buddha

1700
00:53:32,914 --> 00:53:35,502
is <i>precisely</i> that such a thing as rebirth

1701
00:53:35,502 --> 00:53:38,334
can exist without a self.

1702
00:53:38,334 --> 00:53:39,735
This is one of the things that precisely

1703
00:53:39,735 --> 00:53:41,507
makes it so profound.

1704
00:53:41,507 --> 00:53:45,320
This is found in the third and the fourth

1705
00:53:45,320 --> 00:53:47,594
factor of dependent arising:

1706
00:53:47,594 --> 00:53:49,599
consciousness and

1707
00:53:49,599 --> 00:53:51,798
conditions, what is some times called

1708
00:53:51,798 --> 00:53:53,698
name-and-form. We will discuss that term

1709
00:53:53,698 --> 00:53:55,048
later on, what it actually means.

1710
00:53:55,048 --> 00:53:58,803
But that kind of nexus between those two,

1711
00:53:58,803 --> 00:54:01,207
because they mutually condition each other,

1712
00:54:01,207 --> 00:54:04,728
shows you how this thing sustains itself

1713
00:54:04,728 --> 00:54:06,682
without a self in there.

1714
00:54:06,682 --> 00:54:08,640
In fact, the whole dependent arising,

1715
00:54:08,640 --> 00:54:10,827
the whole chain of factors,

1716
00:54:10,827 --> 00:54:13,051
is also an example of that.

1717
00:54:13,051 --> 00:54:16,438
So these are two very important things,

1718
00:54:16,438 --> 00:54:18,461
crucial aspects of Buddhism which are

1719
00:54:18,461 --> 00:54:22,014
explained in detail in dependent arising.

1720
00:54:22,014 --> 00:54:23,550
But the most important thing,

1721
00:54:23,550 --> 00:54:25,458
and what makes dependent arising

1722
00:54:25,458 --> 00:54:26,851
so interesting,

1723
00:54:26,851 --> 00:54:29,471
is that the overall structure

1724
00:54:29,471 --> 00:54:30,581
shows you...

1725
00:54:30,581 --> 00:54:31,516
the first factor of

1726
00:54:31,516 --> 00:54:32,786
dependent arising as I said before

1727
00:54:32,786 --> 00:54:34,276
is ignorance,

1728
00:54:34,276 --> 00:54:37,712
the last one of the 12 factors is suffering.

1729
00:54:39,302 --> 00:54:40,360
What that does

1730
00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:41,965
- I'll talk more about that in a second -

1731
00:54:41,965 --> 00:54:45,344
it shows us how suffering arises

1732
00:54:45,344 --> 00:54:47,294
out of lack of understanding,

1733
00:54:47,294 --> 00:54:48,470
out of ignorance.

1734
00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:52,108
This is probably the main purpose

1735
00:54:52,108 --> 00:54:53,859
of dependent arising

1736
00:54:53,859 --> 00:54:55,020
and why it is so powerful

1737
00:54:55,020 --> 00:54:56,438
because it shows us that,

1738
00:54:56,438 --> 00:54:57,522
if you don't understand things

1739
00:54:57,522 --> 00:54:58,286
in the right way,

1740
00:54:58,286 --> 00:55:00,107
you're going to suffer.

1741
00:55:00,107 --> 00:55:02,230
So you want to try to understand things

1742
00:55:02,230 --> 00:55:02,967
in the right way.

1743
00:55:02,967 --> 00:55:06,136
If you don't you have a serious problem.

1744
00:55:07,276 --> 00:55:11,121
Now, before I go into more detail

1745
00:55:11,121 --> 00:55:12,337
about these things,

1746
00:55:13,057 --> 00:55:15,437
I thought that the mistakes that people

1747
00:55:15,437 --> 00:55:17,351
sometimes do about dependent arising,

1748
00:55:17,351 --> 00:55:20,190
they think it's a very profound teaching

1749
00:55:20,190 --> 00:55:21,804
and people sometimes ask:

1750
00:55:21,804 --> 00:55:25,615
what is Buddhism? Should it be considered a

1751
00:55:25,615 --> 00:55:26,615
philosophy?

1752
00:55:27,045 --> 00:55:28,462
Is it a religion?

1753
00:55:28,802 --> 00:55:29,567
What is it?

1754
00:55:29,567 --> 00:55:31,687
How do we make sense of Buddhism?

1755
00:55:31,687 --> 00:55:33,050
What kind of teaching is it?

1756
00:55:34,760 --> 00:55:36,332
Of course, you can say it's just a

1757
00:55:36,332 --> 00:55:37,551
wisdom teaching, but that doesn't

1758
00:55:37,551 --> 00:55:39,318
really say very much.

1759
00:55:39,318 --> 00:55:41,524
So the first question I want to ask:

1760
00:55:41,524 --> 00:55:42,849
well, if it is so profound,

1761
00:55:42,849 --> 00:55:45,127
could it then be said to be a philosophy?

1762
00:55:45,127 --> 00:55:47,207
Is that an appropriate way

1763
00:55:47,207 --> 00:55:49,043
of regarding Buddhism?

1764
00:55:49,043 --> 00:55:50,883
Is it a philosophy or not?

1765
00:55:52,023 --> 00:55:53,238
The answer to that,

1766
00:55:53,238 --> 00:55:54,377
is a philosophy or not,

1767
00:55:54,377 --> 00:55:57,552
is that the early teachings of the Buddha,

1768
00:55:57,552 --> 00:55:59,990
the teachings that we talking about here,

1769
00:55:59,990 --> 00:56:02,181
the ones that are found in the four <i>nikāyas</i>

1770
00:56:02,181 --> 00:56:04,045
and not the later teachings,

1771
00:56:04,565 --> 00:56:05,709
as far as I can see,

1772
00:56:05,709 --> 00:56:07,903
they are <i>not</i> a philosophy.

1773
00:56:07,903 --> 00:56:09,307
The philosophy of Buddhism

1774
00:56:09,307 --> 00:56:11,180
is something that arises later on.

1775
00:56:11,180 --> 00:56:13,507
That is what the <i>Abhidhamma</i> is all about,

1776
00:56:13,507 --> 00:56:15,213
that is really philosophy.

1777
00:56:16,873 --> 00:56:19,458
You may have heard about very famous

1778
00:56:19,458 --> 00:56:21,687
simile of the Buddha, the Buddha is

1779
00:56:21,687 --> 00:56:23,991
in the place called the Gosinga Wood

1780
00:56:23,991 --> 00:56:26,151
and he takes a handful of leaves

1781
00:56:26,151 --> 00:56:27,883
and he says, "these handfuls of leaves

1782
00:56:27,883 --> 00:56:29,360
I have in my hand, compared to

1783
00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:31,782
all the handfuls of leaves in the forest,

1784
00:56:31,782 --> 00:56:33,511
which is more?"

1785
00:56:34,651 --> 00:56:35,655
So the monks obviously say,

1786
00:56:35,655 --> 00:56:37,706
"the handful of leaves in your hand are few

1787
00:56:37,706 --> 00:56:40,381
and ones in the forest are great

1788
00:56:40,381 --> 00:56:41,809
in comparison."

1789
00:56:41,809 --> 00:56:42,886
And then the Buddha says,

1790
00:56:42,886 --> 00:56:44,992
"what I have taught you

1791
00:56:44,992 --> 00:56:48,242
is comparable to the leaves in my hand,

1792
00:56:48,242 --> 00:56:50,177
but what I know is comparable

1793
00:56:50,177 --> 00:56:51,619
to all the leaves in the forest."

1794
00:56:52,329 --> 00:56:53,824
So what is going on here?

1795
00:56:53,824 --> 00:56:55,144
What about the rest of the stuff?

1796
00:56:55,144 --> 00:56:56,138
Wouldn't you guys be interested

1797
00:56:56,138 --> 00:56:57,746
in hearing about the rest of the stuff?

1798
00:56:57,746 --> 00:56:59,053
If the Buddha has all this knowledge,

1799
00:56:59,053 --> 00:56:59,996
it would be interesting

1800
00:56:59,996 --> 00:57:01,661
to hear about all the other stuff.

1801
00:57:01,661 --> 00:57:02,529
Why does he only teach us

1802
00:57:02,529 --> 00:57:03,571
these little few things?

1803
00:57:04,501 --> 00:57:05,488
And the point here,

1804
00:57:05,488 --> 00:57:07,315
remember that the purpose of the Buddha,

1805
00:57:07,315 --> 00:57:10,230
he is a compassionate teacher

1806
00:57:10,230 --> 00:57:12,159
he has understood the one thing

1807
00:57:12,159 --> 00:57:14,078
everybody in the whole world

1808
00:57:14,078 --> 00:57:15,740
wants to know about.

1809
00:57:15,740 --> 00:57:16,578
He has understood about

1810
00:57:16,578 --> 00:57:18,260
happiness and suffering to the core.

1811
00:57:18,860 --> 00:57:19,877
Look in your heart,

1812
00:57:19,877 --> 00:57:21,023
what is it that you want?

1813
00:57:21,023 --> 00:57:22,966
What is it that you yearn for?

1814
00:57:23,916 --> 00:57:27,084
We are always trying to move towards

1815
00:57:27,084 --> 00:57:30,056
more contentment, more satisfaction,

1816
00:57:30,056 --> 00:57:32,071
more pleasure, more happiness,

1817
00:57:32,071 --> 00:57:34,323
less depression, less sorrow,

1818
00:57:34,323 --> 00:57:35,706
less pain.

1819
00:57:35,706 --> 00:57:37,083
Everybody wants that.

1820
00:57:37,083 --> 00:57:38,225
I've never met anybody who

1821
00:57:38,225 --> 00:57:39,413
wants more depression.

1822
00:57:39,413 --> 00:57:41,419
Unless they are really messed up

1823
00:57:41,419 --> 00:57:43,711
psychologically, possibly, but then

1824
00:57:43,711 --> 00:57:45,251
they have other problems.

1825
00:57:45,251 --> 00:57:47,199
The point is we all want to move there.

1826
00:57:47,199 --> 00:57:48,827
And the Buddha knows, "I have the answer."

1827
00:57:48,827 --> 00:57:52,740
So then he decides to teach

1828
00:57:52,740 --> 00:57:54,143
out of compassion,

1829
00:57:54,143 --> 00:57:56,554
to help people overcome their problems,

1830
00:57:56,554 --> 00:57:58,527
and give rise to the highest happiness.

1831
00:57:58,527 --> 00:58:00,524
That is what <i>nibbāna</i> is all about.

1832
00:58:00,524 --> 00:58:02,529
So it's pragmatic!

1833
00:58:02,529 --> 00:58:04,624
The teaching is <i>purely pragmatic</i>.

1834
00:58:04,624 --> 00:58:06,810
It has a very clear purpose, and

1835
00:58:06,810 --> 00:58:08,793
you don't want to distract that teaching

1836
00:58:08,793 --> 00:58:10,597
with things that have nothing to do

1837
00:58:10,597 --> 00:58:12,789
with that pragmatic goal, which is to

1838
00:58:12,789 --> 00:58:15,208
alleviate suffering in all beings.

1839
00:58:15,648 --> 00:58:18,602
This is why the Buddha doesn't philosophise.

1840
00:58:18,602 --> 00:58:19,565
What is philosophy?

1841
00:58:19,565 --> 00:58:23,099
Philosophy is about Plato,

1842
00:58:23,099 --> 00:58:24,569
and Aristotle,

1843
00:58:24,569 --> 00:58:26,301
and Socrates,

1844
00:58:26,301 --> 00:58:28,309
and we find people in the present day.

1845
00:58:28,309 --> 00:58:30,037
We find it not only in the West, of course,

1846
00:58:30,037 --> 00:58:31,733
you find it also everywhere.

1847
00:58:31,733 --> 00:58:32,713
This is what the later

1848
00:58:32,713 --> 00:58:34,163
<i>Abhidhamma</i> people did also.

1849
00:58:34,163 --> 00:58:36,456
It's philosophising, it's creating,

1850
00:58:36,456 --> 00:58:38,992
it's speculating about the world.

1851
00:58:38,992 --> 00:58:40,568
It's based a little bit on fact,

1852
00:58:40,568 --> 00:58:41,754
because you have a little bit

1853
00:58:41,754 --> 00:58:43,749
of science and put these kind of things,

1854
00:58:43,749 --> 00:58:45,278
but a lot of philosophy is

1855
00:58:45,278 --> 00:58:47,468
thinking out systems,

1856
00:58:47,468 --> 00:58:49,378
castles in the air

1857
00:58:49,378 --> 00:58:50,518
that are built up,

1858
00:58:50,518 --> 00:58:52,738
often with no foundations,

1859
00:58:52,738 --> 00:58:53,594
a little bit of foundations,

1860
00:58:53,594 --> 00:58:54,588
but not much.

1861
00:58:54,588 --> 00:58:57,251
This is what philosophy is all about.

1862
00:58:57,251 --> 00:58:58,671
And the Buddha, I think he knew...

1863
00:58:58,671 --> 00:58:59,840
I'm not saying the Buddha

1864
00:58:59,840 --> 00:59:01,333
would have built up anything

1865
00:59:01,333 --> 00:59:03,460
without foundation, on the contrary,

1866
00:59:03,460 --> 00:59:05,368
he probably would have good reasons

1867
00:59:05,368 --> 00:59:07,548
for saying what he would have said

1868
00:59:07,548 --> 00:59:10,079
if he had said so, but he didn't.

1869
00:59:10,789 --> 00:59:13,183
Even though he knew what he was talking

1870
00:59:13,183 --> 00:59:16,021
about, he knew that it would detract

1871
00:59:16,021 --> 00:59:18,173
from the actual practice,

1872
00:59:18,173 --> 00:59:20,438
because, once you start to present

1873
00:59:20,438 --> 00:59:21,903
a philosophical system

1874
00:59:21,903 --> 00:59:23,647
a system which explains everything

1875
00:59:23,647 --> 00:59:24,700
in the world,

1876
00:59:24,700 --> 00:59:26,203
that's very fascinating, right?

1877
00:59:26,203 --> 00:59:27,633
I just said before,

1878
00:59:27,633 --> 00:59:29,322
who of you wouldn't be interested

1879
00:59:29,322 --> 00:59:30,688
in hearing about all the other leaves,

1880
00:59:30,688 --> 00:59:31,651
Everybody went,

1881
00:59:31,651 --> 00:59:33,302
"yeah, that would be exciting"

1882
00:59:33,302 --> 00:59:34,670
I think the same,

1883
00:59:34,670 --> 00:59:36,083
it would be exciting for me, too.

1884
00:59:36,083 --> 00:59:37,423
This is the problem,

1885
00:59:37,423 --> 00:59:38,880
you get sidetracked.

1886
00:59:38,880 --> 00:59:40,269
You start to philosophise.

1887
00:59:40,269 --> 00:59:41,179
The Buddha would've probably

1888
00:59:41,179 --> 00:59:43,468
had to spend the rest of his life

1889
00:59:43,468 --> 00:59:46,078
answering critics, saying,

1890
00:59:46,078 --> 00:59:47,362
"well, you know, this doesn't make any sense",

1891
00:59:47,362 --> 00:59:48,581
"well, actually it does make sense"

1892
00:59:48,581 --> 00:59:48,978
"oh, no"

1893
00:59:48,978 --> 00:59:50,021
and then back and forth,

1894
00:59:50,021 --> 00:59:51,232
back and forth.

1895
00:59:51,232 --> 00:59:53,433
So you focus on the essentials.

1896
00:59:53,433 --> 00:59:56,118
I think this is a very important point.

1897
00:59:56,708 --> 00:59:58,477
This should remind us that

1898
00:59:58,477 --> 01:00:00,420
we should really try to be

1899
01:00:00,420 --> 01:00:04,121
in a similar kind of mindset,

1900
01:00:04,121 --> 01:00:06,643
where we don't philosophise too much.

1901
01:00:06,643 --> 01:00:09,376
It means that dependent arising itself,

1902
01:00:09,376 --> 01:00:10,736
origination itself,

1903
01:00:10,736 --> 01:00:12,901
is not really a philosophy.

1904
01:00:13,361 --> 01:00:14,459
The primary purpose of

1905
01:00:14,459 --> 01:00:16,850
dependent origination is pragmatic.

1906
01:00:16,850 --> 01:00:18,788
It is to show us that there is a problem,

1907
01:00:18,788 --> 01:00:20,824
that there is a solution to that problem,

1908
01:00:20,824 --> 01:00:23,270
and how to apply ourselves.

1909
01:00:23,270 --> 01:00:24,390
Of course, it also gives

1910
01:00:24,390 --> 01:00:25,398
a little bit more than that,

1911
01:00:25,398 --> 01:00:27,080
it gives a little bit of understanding

1912
01:00:27,080 --> 01:00:28,612
for how it all works,

1913
01:00:28,612 --> 01:00:30,144
which sometimes gives rise

1914
01:00:30,144 --> 01:00:31,560
to confidence and faith because

1915
01:00:31,560 --> 01:00:33,999
you feel that there is a system

1916
01:00:33,999 --> 01:00:35,471
which is complete.

1917
01:00:35,471 --> 01:00:38,228
But, essentially, it is a pragmatic thing.

1918
01:00:38,228 --> 01:00:40,729
It is about release from suffering

1919
01:00:40,729 --> 01:00:42,461
and a movement towards happiness,

1920
01:00:42,461 --> 01:00:44,202
and getting out of <i>saṃsāra</i>.

1921
01:00:44,202 --> 01:00:46,323
This is the purpose of this.

1922
01:00:46,893 --> 01:00:49,052
So the Buddha didn't philosophise.

1923
01:00:49,842 --> 01:00:52,596
This is the thing about the <i>Abhidhamma</i>,

1924
01:00:52,596 --> 01:00:54,181
I don't know what kind of ideas

1925
01:00:54,181 --> 01:00:55,801
you have about the <i>Abhidhamma</i>,

1926
01:00:55,801 --> 01:00:58,237
but as far as I am concerned,

1927
01:00:58,237 --> 01:01:00,761
and I read Pāli,

1928
01:01:00,761 --> 01:01:02,672
I have read parts of the <i>Abhidhamma</i>

1929
01:01:02,672 --> 01:01:03,352
not the whole thing

1930
01:01:03,352 --> 01:01:04,594
because I find it too boring,

1931
01:01:04,594 --> 01:01:07,221
to be perfectly honest with you,

1932
01:01:07,221 --> 01:01:08,616
and I've also read the suttas,

1933
01:01:08,616 --> 01:01:10,429
pretty much everything in Pāli, and

1934
01:01:10,429 --> 01:01:13,206
in English and in other languages as well,

1935
01:01:13,206 --> 01:01:15,674
and it is very clear to me,

1936
01:01:15,674 --> 01:01:17,515
that the <i>Abhidhamma</i> is later

1937
01:01:17,515 --> 01:01:18,314
than the suttas.

1938
01:01:18,314 --> 01:01:20,680
It arose over a long period of time,

1939
01:01:20,680 --> 01:01:22,136
because this is a very complex

1940
01:01:22,136 --> 01:01:24,020
type of literature.

1941
01:01:24,020 --> 01:01:25,031
It started arising

1942
01:01:25,031 --> 01:01:26,931
probably fairly soon after the Buddha

1943
01:01:26,931 --> 01:01:28,466
and went on being developed

1944
01:01:28,466 --> 01:01:29,765
for many centuries,

1945
01:01:29,765 --> 01:01:30,802
perhaps millennia

1946
01:01:30,802 --> 01:01:32,744
after the Buddha passed away.

1947
01:01:34,724 --> 01:01:35,989
I'm not going to go into that now,

1948
01:01:35,989 --> 01:01:36,616
if you are interested

1949
01:01:36,616 --> 01:01:37,908
you can ask in the Q&A,

1950
01:01:37,908 --> 01:01:39,767
but there are many, many good reasons why

1951
01:01:39,767 --> 01:01:40,816
the <i>Abhidhamma</i> is not

1952
01:01:40,816 --> 01:01:42,135
the word of the Buddha.

1953
01:01:42,135 --> 01:01:43,675
But the <i>Abhidhamma</i> is precisely

1954
01:01:43,675 --> 01:01:45,489
a philosophical system.

1955
01:01:46,349 --> 01:01:46,855
Why?

1956
01:01:46,855 --> 01:01:49,321
Because it is about creating

1957
01:01:49,321 --> 01:01:51,637
a system which explains the world

1958
01:01:51,637 --> 01:01:52,595
completely.

1959
01:01:52,935 --> 01:01:54,089
So you have this division of

1960
01:01:54,089 --> 01:01:56,952
mind-moments, or mind-states

1961
01:01:58,062 --> 01:02:01,223
96 <i>cittas</i>, or something like that,

1962
01:02:01,223 --> 01:02:03,043
and then you have the various

1963
01:02:03,043 --> 01:02:05,231
types of mind-factors

1964
01:02:05,231 --> 01:02:06,590
called the <i>cetasikas</i>,

1965
01:02:06,590 --> 01:02:09,096
which are 70 or whatever it is,

1966
01:02:09,096 --> 01:02:12,014
I'm not even sure how many there are,

1967
01:02:12,014 --> 01:02:13,029
maybe it's only 40.

1968
01:02:13,029 --> 01:02:13,802
Shows you how much

1969
01:02:13,802 --> 01:02:15,382
I know about the <i>Abhidhamma</i>.

1970
01:02:15,382 --> 01:02:16,847
And then you have

1971
01:02:16,847 --> 01:02:19,001
the factors of materiality,

1972
01:02:19,001 --> 01:02:20,256
the physical world.

1973
01:02:20,256 --> 01:02:21,516
There's 28, or something,

1974
01:02:21,516 --> 01:02:23,358
or 20 something. 24 perhaps.

1975
01:02:26,138 --> 01:02:27,940
First of all, it's divided up

1976
01:02:27,940 --> 01:02:29,984
into all the elements of reality,

1977
01:02:29,984 --> 01:02:31,612
and then you have all these books

1978
01:02:31,612 --> 01:02:33,859
that show how these things fit together.

1979
01:02:33,859 --> 01:02:35,742
There is a book called the <i>Paṭṭhāna</i>,

1980
01:02:35,742 --> 01:02:38,642
which is a book, basically, translated

1981
01:02:38,642 --> 01:02:41,310
into English as 'conditional relations'.

1982
01:02:41,310 --> 01:02:42,853
What that book does,

1983
01:02:42,853 --> 01:02:45,217
it shows you that all of these categories

1984
01:02:45,217 --> 01:02:46,682
I just talked about before,

1985
01:02:46,682 --> 01:02:48,886
how they are related to each other

1986
01:02:48,886 --> 01:02:51,801
through various causes.

1987
01:02:51,801 --> 01:02:54,169
24 causes are enumerated

1988
01:02:54,169 --> 01:02:55,307
in the Pāli.

1989
01:02:55,307 --> 01:02:57,746
And the book, the <i>Paṭṭhāna</i>, is so long

1990
01:02:57,746 --> 01:02:59,587
because there are so intricacies,

1991
01:02:59,587 --> 01:03:00,551
so many ways these things

1992
01:03:00,551 --> 01:03:02,537
can relate to each other,

1993
01:03:02,537 --> 01:03:03,572
it is so long that if you wrote out

1994
01:03:03,572 --> 01:03:04,638
the whole thing

1995
01:03:04,638 --> 01:03:06,089
- somebody apparently calculated this -

1996
01:03:06,089 --> 01:03:07,633
if you wrote out the whole thing,

1997
01:03:07,633 --> 01:03:10,514
the book would be so long

1998
01:03:10,514 --> 01:03:11,403
that it would stretch

1999
01:03:11,403 --> 01:03:12,699
from Sydney to Melbourne,

2000
01:03:12,699 --> 01:03:13,724
or something like that.

2001
01:03:13,724 --> 01:03:14,782
That's how big it is.

2002
01:03:15,532 --> 01:03:17,625
So this is thought out

2003
01:03:17,625 --> 01:03:18,745
by the human mind.

2004
01:03:18,745 --> 01:03:20,720
This is what they call philosophy.

2005
01:03:20,720 --> 01:03:21,659
And this is what happened

2006
01:03:21,659 --> 01:03:22,894
later in Buddhism.

2007
01:03:22,894 --> 01:03:24,408
Of course, the sad thing is that

2008
01:03:24,408 --> 01:03:27,167
if you travel around the Buddhist world,

2009
01:03:27,167 --> 01:03:28,683
you find that a lot of people,

2010
01:03:28,683 --> 01:03:30,258
that's what their interested in.

2011
01:03:30,828 --> 01:03:32,741
It's exactly why the Buddha didn't teach it.

2012
01:03:32,741 --> 01:03:34,165
He saw the attraction in that,

2013
01:03:34,165 --> 01:03:35,262
the danger in that,

2014
01:03:35,262 --> 01:03:37,217
creating philosophical systems,

2015
01:03:37,217 --> 01:03:38,600
building them up,

2016
01:03:38,600 --> 01:03:40,142
and it's never finished.

2017
01:03:40,142 --> 01:03:41,375
This is the other problem,

2018
01:03:41,375 --> 01:03:43,708
there's always some hole in the system.

2019
01:03:43,708 --> 01:03:44,193
Somebody says,

2020
01:03:44,193 --> 01:03:45,553
"oh, what about this?

2021
01:03:45,553 --> 01:03:46,647
You haven't thought about

2022
01:03:46,647 --> 01:03:47,432
this problem over here."

2023
01:03:47,432 --> 01:03:48,865
And then you have to write a new

2024
01:03:48,865 --> 01:03:51,574
sub-commentary to fill in that little gap.

2025
01:03:51,574 --> 01:03:52,622
Then somebody finds a hole

2026
01:03:52,622 --> 01:03:54,476
in the sub-commentary and the more

2027
01:03:54,476 --> 01:03:55,587
literature you have,

2028
01:03:55,587 --> 01:03:57,270
the more holes there's going to be.

2029
01:03:57,270 --> 01:03:58,745
So for every book you add,

2030
01:03:58,745 --> 01:04:00,170
there going to be another whole.

2031
01:04:00,850 --> 01:04:01,980
And it keeps on going like that

2032
01:04:01,980 --> 01:04:02,812
and there's no end.

2033
01:04:02,812 --> 01:04:04,933
This is the problem with philosophy,

2034
01:04:04,933 --> 01:04:06,416
it never, never stops.

2035
01:04:06,876 --> 01:04:08,997
So the Buddha, very, very wisely,

2036
01:04:08,997 --> 01:04:10,705
skipped that whole area.

2037
01:04:12,395 --> 01:04:14,198
So dependent origination

2038
01:04:14,198 --> 01:04:15,740
is <i>not</i> philosophy.

2039
01:04:15,740 --> 01:04:17,699
It's pragmatic, it's practical,

2040
01:04:17,699 --> 01:04:20,281
it's to be used in a practical way.

2041
01:04:20,281 --> 01:04:21,746
So please keep that in mind.

2042
01:04:21,746 --> 01:04:23,165
It's so easy to get sidetracked

2043
01:04:23,165 --> 01:04:25,143
with philosophising.

2044
01:04:26,463 --> 01:04:27,991
So what is Buddhism?

2045
01:04:27,991 --> 01:04:29,578
Maybe just very briefly: what it is,

2046
01:04:29,578 --> 01:04:31,311
because I think it is interesting

2047
01:04:31,311 --> 01:04:33,829
just as a point of general interest.

2048
01:04:33,829 --> 01:04:35,610
Is it a religion?

2049
01:04:37,160 --> 01:04:37,738
Is it a religion?

2050
01:04:37,738 --> 01:04:38,462
People say,

2051
01:04:38,462 --> 01:04:39,567
"aah, yeah, maybe,

2052
01:04:39,567 --> 01:04:40,964
maybe not it's a religion."

2053
01:04:40,964 --> 01:04:42,944
I think it's a fascinating question.

2054
01:04:42,944 --> 01:04:44,750
Personally, I think it's fascinating,

2055
01:04:44,750 --> 01:04:46,327
whether it's a religion or not.

2056
01:04:46,327 --> 01:04:47,997
Obviously, the answer is,

2057
01:04:47,997 --> 01:04:48,969
it all depends on how

2058
01:04:48,969 --> 01:04:50,797
you define the word 'religion'.

2059
01:04:51,667 --> 01:04:53,158
I looked up the Oxford Dictionary,

2060
01:04:53,158 --> 01:04:54,099
very recently,

2061
01:04:54,099 --> 01:04:56,566
at how that defines 'religion',

2062
01:04:57,056 --> 01:04:59,613
and it says any kind of system

2063
01:04:59,613 --> 01:05:00,374
where there is some kind of

2064
01:05:00,374 --> 01:05:03,671
supernatural agency is a religion.

2065
01:05:04,471 --> 01:05:06,482
From that point of view,

2066
01:05:06,482 --> 01:05:08,366
is Buddhism a religion?

2067
01:05:08,366 --> 01:05:11,217
I would say no, it is not, because, certainly

2068
01:05:11,217 --> 01:05:13,539
from an internal point of view of Buddhism

2069
01:05:13,539 --> 01:05:14,982
everything is part of nature.

2070
01:05:14,982 --> 01:05:16,694
Nothing is supernatural,

2071
01:05:16,694 --> 01:05:18,811
Nothing is outside of nature.

2072
01:05:18,811 --> 01:05:20,278
If you go to ordinary religions,

2073
01:05:20,278 --> 01:05:23,066
like, Christianity or Islam, of course,

2074
01:05:23,066 --> 01:05:24,834
the idea is that God stands outside

2075
01:05:24,834 --> 01:05:25,814
of nature.

2076
01:05:26,354 --> 01:05:28,485
That's why he can break all the laws of nature.

2077
01:05:28,485 --> 01:05:29,613
He doesn't have to care about

2078
01:05:29,613 --> 01:05:30,869
gravity or whatever.

2079
01:05:31,599 --> 01:05:32,888
He can just do whatever he wants.

2080
01:05:32,888 --> 01:05:34,661
Quantum mechanics, no problem,

2081
01:05:34,661 --> 01:05:38,626
he can do what he likes with the world.

2082
01:05:38,626 --> 01:05:39,843
He is supernatural.

2083
01:05:39,843 --> 01:05:41,373
But from a Buddhist point of view,

2084
01:05:41,373 --> 01:05:43,252
everything is part of nature.

2085
01:05:43,252 --> 01:05:44,407
So in that way,

2086
01:05:44,407 --> 01:05:46,424
Buddhism is not, really, supernatural.

2087
01:05:46,424 --> 01:05:49,534
But, if you're not a Buddhist and you say,

2088
01:05:49,534 --> 01:05:51,056
"aww, you guys believe in all kind

2089
01:05:51,056 --> 01:05:53,563
of weird stuff, you believe in devas,

2090
01:05:53,563 --> 01:05:55,046
okay; supernatural."

2091
01:05:55,046 --> 01:05:57,001
So from an external point of view,

2092
01:05:57,001 --> 01:05:58,313
maybe Buddhism <i>is</i> a religion,

2093
01:05:58,313 --> 01:05:59,408
because other people might think

2094
01:05:59,408 --> 01:06:02,234
that we believe in supernatural stuff.

2095
01:06:02,234 --> 01:06:05,094
So it depends on the angle you take.

2096
01:06:07,714 --> 01:06:10,619
I must admit, I prefer to be very careful

2097
01:06:10,619 --> 01:06:12,408
when using labels like 'religion'

2098
01:06:12,408 --> 01:06:13,857
on Buddhism, because the word

2099
01:06:13,857 --> 01:06:16,437
'religion' has so much baggage,

2100
01:06:16,437 --> 01:06:18,527
and a lot of that baggage does not

2101
01:06:18,527 --> 01:06:19,962
apply to Buddhism.

2102
01:06:19,962 --> 01:06:22,363
So we are taking on this baggage

2103
01:06:22,363 --> 01:06:24,210
by calling ourself a religion;

2104
01:06:24,210 --> 01:06:26,256
I'm not sure that is very suitable,

2105
01:06:26,256 --> 01:06:27,217
or very useful.

2106
01:06:27,217 --> 01:06:28,440
Sometimes it's better to say,

2107
01:06:28,440 --> 01:06:30,102
"yeah, I'm not sure we're a religion,

2108
01:06:30,102 --> 01:06:31,467
maybe we're something else."

2109
01:06:31,467 --> 01:06:33,731
So what is that something else?

2110
01:06:33,731 --> 01:06:35,844
I would say that something else is that,

2111
01:06:35,844 --> 01:06:37,839
Buddhism is essentially...

2112
01:06:37,839 --> 01:06:39,059
this is maybe something I need to

2113
01:06:39,059 --> 01:06:40,430
reflect a bit more about, but

2114
01:06:40,430 --> 01:06:42,563
it's really a type of psychology.

2115
01:06:42,563 --> 01:06:44,269
That's what I'd call Buddhism.

2116
01:06:44,269 --> 01:06:45,831
All of Buddhism is about

2117
01:06:45,831 --> 01:06:47,517
how to use the mind well,

2118
01:06:47,517 --> 01:06:50,077
how to move from suffering

2119
01:06:50,077 --> 01:06:51,252
to more happiness,

2120
01:06:51,252 --> 01:06:53,713
how to eventually end all suffering.

2121
01:06:53,713 --> 01:06:55,650
It's all really mental stuff.

2122
01:06:55,650 --> 01:06:57,365
It's all about developing the mind,

2123
01:06:57,365 --> 01:06:58,778
doing something with the mind.

2124
01:06:58,778 --> 01:07:00,373
It's a kind of psychology.

2125
01:07:00,373 --> 01:07:02,350
Maybe not anything like

2126
01:07:02,350 --> 01:07:04,209
anything we have in the world

2127
01:07:06,729 --> 01:07:07,892
apart from Buddhism,

2128
01:07:07,892 --> 01:07:10,379
it's different obviously, but it really is,

2129
01:07:10,379 --> 01:07:11,798
I think, at the end of the day,

2130
01:07:11,798 --> 01:07:13,593
possibly a type of psychology.

2131
01:07:13,593 --> 01:07:14,603
Although, I must admit,

2132
01:07:14,603 --> 01:07:15,774
I haven't really

2133
01:07:16,344 --> 01:07:17,704
thought about that carefully enough

2134
01:07:17,704 --> 01:07:21,049
to really make an absolute statement

2135
01:07:21,049 --> 01:07:22,103
about that.

2136
01:07:23,223 --> 01:07:26,757
Anyway, Buddhism is a psychology,

2137
01:07:26,757 --> 01:07:28,320
and, of course, that includes then

2138
01:07:28,320 --> 01:07:29,746
dependent origination.

2139
01:07:31,178 --> 01:07:33,907
So where does this fit in to this picture

2140
01:07:33,907 --> 01:07:35,047
of psychology?

2141
01:07:35,787 --> 01:07:37,582
What is it all about?

2142
01:07:39,112 --> 01:07:41,524
Dependent arising, the first thing,

2143
01:07:41,524 --> 01:07:43,688
of course, to understand about it,

2144
01:07:43,688 --> 01:07:45,865
is that it is an important teaching

2145
01:07:45,865 --> 01:07:47,609
of the Buddha.

2146
01:07:47,609 --> 01:07:48,401
How do you know

2147
01:07:48,401 --> 01:07:50,350
it's an important teaching of the Buddha?

2148
01:07:50,350 --> 01:07:52,293
Well, usually, you know because

2149
01:07:52,293 --> 01:07:53,942
somebody else says so.

2150
01:07:53,942 --> 01:07:54,913
That's how people often know

2151
01:07:54,913 --> 01:07:56,209
it is an important teaching,

2152
01:07:56,209 --> 01:07:57,574
"this is important because they say

2153
01:07:57,574 --> 01:07:58,756
it's an important teaching."

2154
01:07:58,756 --> 01:08:00,852
But is there any objective way

2155
01:08:00,852 --> 01:08:02,355
of deciding this, apart from just

2156
01:08:02,355 --> 01:08:03,767
listening to people like me

2157
01:08:03,767 --> 01:08:05,160
saying it is important?

2158
01:08:06,170 --> 01:08:08,252
The objective way of deciding

2159
01:08:08,252 --> 01:08:10,201
whether a teaching is important

2160
01:08:10,201 --> 01:08:12,853
in Buddhism or not, is to see how often

2161
01:08:12,853 --> 01:08:14,981
did the Buddha talk about this.

2162
01:08:14,981 --> 01:08:16,636
How many different audiences?

2163
01:08:16,636 --> 01:08:18,167
How many different places

2164
01:08:18,167 --> 01:08:20,200
did he give this particular teaching?

2165
01:08:20,200 --> 01:08:21,702
And dependent arising is one

2166
01:08:21,702 --> 01:08:23,104
of those teachings that you see

2167
01:08:23,104 --> 01:08:24,817
<i>throughout</i> the suttas.

2168
01:08:24,817 --> 01:08:26,773
You see it in all the four <i>nikāyas</i>.

2169
01:08:26,773 --> 01:08:28,555
You see it in the <i>Majjhima Nikāya</i>.

2170
01:08:28,555 --> 01:08:29,932
You see it in the <i>Dīgha Nikāya</i>.

2171
01:08:29,932 --> 01:08:32,395
You see it in the <i>Aṅguttara</i>, in the <i>Saṃyutta</i>.

2172
01:08:32,395 --> 01:08:33,774
In the <i>Saṃyutta Nikāya</i>,

2173
01:08:33,774 --> 01:08:35,497
there is a whole section <i>just</i> about

2174
01:08:35,497 --> 01:08:37,304
dependent origination.

2175
01:08:37,304 --> 01:08:39,667
This is how you make a decision

2176
01:08:39,667 --> 01:08:41,779
about whether a sutta is important

2177
01:08:41,779 --> 01:08:42,513
or not.

2178
01:08:43,633 --> 01:08:45,625
This is actually a very useful tool,

2179
01:08:45,625 --> 01:08:46,743
because sometimes people say,

2180
01:08:46,743 --> 01:08:48,098
"ah, this is really important."

2181
01:08:48,098 --> 01:08:50,050
But why is it important?

2182
01:08:50,050 --> 01:08:51,859
"I don't know, it just is important."

2183
01:08:51,859 --> 01:08:53,281
There should be some objective

2184
01:08:53,281 --> 01:08:55,488
criteria for deciding these things.

2185
01:08:55,488 --> 01:08:56,629
So dependent arising is

2186
01:08:56,629 --> 01:08:58,096
one of those things.

2187
01:08:58,920 --> 01:09:00,572
The second question is then:

2188
01:09:00,572 --> 01:09:02,328
how does it fit in with

2189
01:09:02,328 --> 01:09:04,660
the rest of the teachings?

2190
01:09:04,660 --> 01:09:05,974
Because we need to sort of

2191
01:09:05,974 --> 01:09:08,219
tie it together with everything else.

2192
01:09:08,219 --> 01:09:09,680
One of the wonderful things

2193
01:09:09,680 --> 01:09:12,810
about the Buddhist teaching, is that

2194
01:09:12,810 --> 01:09:15,381
it all fits together into this one picture.

2195
01:09:16,341 --> 01:09:17,732
It's basically one picture,

2196
01:09:17,732 --> 01:09:19,162
then you take out a little piece here

2197
01:09:19,162 --> 01:09:19,962
a little piece there,

2198
01:09:19,962 --> 01:09:21,506
it's almost like a jigsaw.

2199
01:09:21,506 --> 01:09:22,435
It's not really like a jigsaw.

2200
01:09:22,435 --> 01:09:25,341
A jigsaw is a very imperfect simile,

2201
01:09:25,341 --> 01:09:27,638
or metaphor, because really, often,

2202
01:09:27,638 --> 01:09:29,319
the different pieces they overlap,

2203
01:09:29,319 --> 01:09:31,064
or one fits into another one

2204
01:09:31,064 --> 01:09:33,877
and it's not really quite like a jigsaw,

2205
01:09:33,877 --> 01:09:36,981
but still, it is an overall picture.

2206
01:09:36,981 --> 01:09:39,613
And it is the picture that you realise

2207
01:09:39,613 --> 01:09:41,622
when you awaken to the Dhamma.

2208
01:09:41,622 --> 01:09:43,466
When you, one day, become a stream enterer

2209
01:09:43,466 --> 01:09:45,169
and you get a flash of insight,

2210
01:09:45,169 --> 01:09:46,136
BANG!

2211
01:09:46,136 --> 01:09:47,564
What is it that you see?

2212
01:09:47,564 --> 01:09:48,106
What you see is:

2213
01:09:48,106 --> 01:09:49,041
the <i>Dīgha Nikāya</i>, the <i>Majjhima Nikāya</i>

2214
01:09:49,041 --> 01:09:50,662
the <i>Saṃyutta Nikāya</i>, the <i>Aṅguttara Nikāya</i>.

2215
01:09:50,662 --> 01:09:51,779
All in one!

2216
01:09:51,779 --> 01:09:53,109
That's what you see!

2217
01:09:53,109 --> 01:09:53,993
<i>Whoa</i>!

2218
01:09:53,993 --> 01:09:55,124
You're head is going to explode!

2219
01:09:55,124 --> 01:09:56,948
Imagine seeing all that is one moment.

2220
01:09:56,948 --> 01:09:58,523
But the point, of course, is that

2221
01:09:58,523 --> 01:10:01,116
the insight is quite simple,

2222
01:10:01,116 --> 01:10:03,737
but when you draw out all the implications

2223
01:10:03,737 --> 01:10:05,632
of that one single insight,

2224
01:10:05,632 --> 01:10:08,308
you end up with an enormous thing.

2225
01:10:08,798 --> 01:10:10,472
That is what is so amazing.

2226
01:10:14,332 --> 01:10:17,295
So dependent origination is part of that.

2227
01:10:17,295 --> 01:10:19,134
It is part of that big picture,

2228
01:10:19,134 --> 01:10:20,407
but it is only one little thing.

2229
01:10:20,407 --> 01:10:22,129
So where does it fit in?

2230
01:10:23,109 --> 01:10:25,295
One easy way of understanding

2231
01:10:25,295 --> 01:10:27,332
where it fits in is to look at

2232
01:10:27,332 --> 01:10:28,922
the Four Noble Truths.

2233
01:10:29,953 --> 01:10:30,726
Noble Truth number one,

2234
01:10:30,726 --> 01:10:32,095
is the truth of suffering.

2235
01:10:33,425 --> 01:10:35,406
Usually, most people shake their head,

2236
01:10:35,406 --> 01:10:37,282
"okay, I'm not a Buddhist, I don't suffer."

2237
01:10:37,282 --> 01:10:38,513
That is number one.

2238
01:10:40,363 --> 01:10:42,574
Anyway, once you get passed the first one,

2239
01:10:42,574 --> 01:10:44,288
you say, "okay, yeah, life is a bit

2240
01:10:44,288 --> 01:10:46,726
unsatisfactory sometimes, okay, fair enough."

2241
01:10:46,726 --> 01:10:48,883
Once you get passed the first one,

2242
01:10:48,883 --> 01:10:51,398
the Second Noble Truth:

2243
01:10:51,398 --> 01:10:53,501
the cause of suffering.

2244
01:10:53,501 --> 01:10:56,214
The cause of suffering is <i>taṇhā</i>, craving,

2245
01:10:56,214 --> 01:10:59,268
according to the Second Noble Truth.

2246
01:10:59,268 --> 01:11:01,217
Now, in some suttas,

2247
01:11:03,307 --> 01:11:04,977
that fact that

2248
01:11:04,977 --> 01:11:06,883
<i>taṇhā</i> leads to suffering

2249
01:11:06,883 --> 01:11:08,440
is expanded out,

2250
01:11:08,440 --> 01:11:09,507
and it is expanded out

2251
01:11:09,507 --> 01:11:12,095
into dependent origination.

2252
01:11:12,095 --> 01:11:14,182
Dependent origination is what shows you

2253
01:11:14,182 --> 01:11:15,544
that suffering arises.

2254
01:11:15,544 --> 01:11:18,005
It's an alternative way of understanding

2255
01:11:18,005 --> 01:11:19,882
the Second Noble Truth.

2256
01:11:19,882 --> 01:11:22,671
So dependent origination fits,

2257
01:11:22,671 --> 01:11:24,006
<i>bang</i> in there.

2258
01:11:24,758 --> 01:11:27,503
It is basically another way of speaking

2259
01:11:27,503 --> 01:11:29,724
about the Second Noble Truth,

2260
01:11:29,724 --> 01:11:31,312
dependent origination.

2261
01:11:31,312 --> 01:11:33,243
That's already quite interesting

2262
01:11:33,243 --> 01:11:35,333
because normally you look at

2263
01:11:35,333 --> 01:11:36,730
the Second Noble Truth,

2264
01:11:36,730 --> 01:11:39,498
craving gives rise to suffering.

2265
01:11:39,998 --> 01:11:41,901
Okay, fine,

2266
01:11:41,901 --> 01:11:43,558
first of all maybe it's a little bit

2267
01:11:43,558 --> 01:11:46,092
hard to understand why that is the case,

2268
01:11:46,092 --> 01:11:48,458
so one thing that dependent origination

2269
01:11:48,458 --> 01:11:51,110
does, it spells out exactly why it is

2270
01:11:51,110 --> 01:11:53,841
that craving gives rise to suffering.

2271
01:11:53,841 --> 01:11:56,317
It puts in all the little pieces in between

2272
01:11:56,317 --> 01:11:58,155
to show you how this conditionality

2273
01:11:58,155 --> 01:11:59,016
actually works.

2274
01:11:59,876 --> 01:12:00,598
That's the first thing that's

2275
01:12:00,598 --> 01:12:01,549
interesting about it.

2276
01:12:01,549 --> 01:12:02,800
The second thing is,

2277
01:12:02,800 --> 01:12:07,485
okay, if craving is the cause of suffering

2278
01:12:07,485 --> 01:12:08,310
the Third Noble Truth says that

2279
01:12:08,310 --> 01:12:10,061
when you remove that craving

2280
01:12:10,061 --> 01:12:11,269
suffering ends.

2281
01:12:12,239 --> 01:12:16,384
But, how do you get rid of craving?

2282
01:12:16,384 --> 01:12:17,710
If craving is the cause of suffering,

2283
01:12:17,710 --> 01:12:18,679
you want to get rid of craving.

2284
01:12:18,679 --> 01:12:20,451
It's not very obvious, right?

2285
01:12:20,451 --> 01:12:22,118
Everybody has desires,

2286
01:12:22,118 --> 01:12:23,887
everybody has cravings in their life.

2287
01:12:23,887 --> 01:12:25,341
How do you get rid of that?

2288
01:12:25,341 --> 01:12:26,699
And this is the other thing that

2289
01:12:26,699 --> 01:12:28,934
dependent arising, dependent origination

2290
01:12:28,934 --> 01:12:29,753
shows you.

2291
01:12:29,753 --> 01:12:31,230
It shows you all the links,

2292
01:12:31,230 --> 01:12:33,732
all the causes that eventually

2293
01:12:33,732 --> 01:12:35,235
give rise to craving.

2294
01:12:35,235 --> 01:12:36,625
So it shows you have craving

2295
01:12:36,625 --> 01:12:37,954
can be removed.

2296
01:12:37,954 --> 01:12:39,553
And, of course, what it does,

2297
01:12:40,313 --> 01:12:42,419
it takes it all back down to ignorance

2298
01:12:42,419 --> 01:12:43,818
I was talking about before,

2299
01:12:43,818 --> 01:12:45,530
which is the first factor of

2300
01:12:45,530 --> 01:12:47,415
dependent arising.

2301
01:12:47,415 --> 01:12:48,693
So if you remove ignorance,

2302
01:12:48,693 --> 01:12:49,893
then everything else

2303
01:12:49,893 --> 01:12:52,253
starts to disappear.

2304
01:12:52,253 --> 01:12:53,497
Craving, and then

2305
01:12:53,497 --> 01:12:56,824
eventually also suffering itself.

2306
01:12:57,574 --> 01:12:59,103
So it fills in the gaps.

2307
01:12:59,103 --> 01:13:00,759
It makes it clear what is going on.

2308
01:13:00,759 --> 01:13:02,746
This is the power of dependent origination

2309
01:13:02,746 --> 01:13:04,146
in this case.

2310
01:13:04,146 --> 01:13:05,805
The second thing that is fascinating

2311
01:13:05,805 --> 01:13:08,045
about this, and often you will hear

2312
01:13:08,045 --> 01:13:09,860
people argue about whether

2313
01:13:09,860 --> 01:13:12,400
dependent origination includes

2314
01:13:12,400 --> 01:13:14,211
things like rebirth.

2315
01:13:14,211 --> 01:13:15,384
Is it about rebirth?

2316
01:13:15,384 --> 01:13:16,730
Is it about one life?

2317
01:13:16,730 --> 01:13:18,956
Is it about what happens in one moment?

2318
01:13:18,956 --> 01:13:20,222
People have all these different theories

2319
01:13:20,222 --> 01:13:21,686
about dependent origination.

2320
01:13:21,686 --> 01:13:23,816
I don't know about you here,

2321
01:13:23,816 --> 01:13:25,805
I'm not sure what you think.

2322
01:13:25,805 --> 01:13:27,381
I'm not going to ask you.

2323
01:13:28,431 --> 01:13:30,538
I, personally, don't have any doubt

2324
01:13:30,538 --> 01:13:32,402
that it refers to rebirth.

2325
01:13:32,402 --> 01:13:34,899
The rebirth process is part and parcel

2326
01:13:34,899 --> 01:13:36,578
of dependent origination,

2327
01:13:36,578 --> 01:13:37,898
and you can actually see that

2328
01:13:37,898 --> 01:13:40,002
if you consider the Second Noble Truth,

2329
01:13:40,002 --> 01:13:43,049
or at least one hint is found right there

2330
01:13:43,049 --> 01:13:44,718
because, the Second Noble Truth says

2331
01:13:44,718 --> 01:13:48,079
it is the craving that leasts to rebirth,

2332
01:13:48,079 --> 01:13:50,369
which is the source of suffering.

2333
01:13:50,369 --> 01:13:52,074
It's not just any old craving,

2334
01:13:52,074 --> 01:13:55,200
it's specifically called <i>ponobhavika</i>

2335
01:13:55,200 --> 01:13:58,402
<i>Pono</i> is from <i>puna</i> which means 'again'.

2336
01:13:58,402 --> 01:14:00,317
<i>Bhavika</i> means existence.

2337
01:14:00,317 --> 01:14:02,438
So the craving that has to do with

2338
01:14:02,438 --> 01:14:03,984
re-existence.

2339
01:14:04,374 --> 01:14:06,089
So because dependent origination

2340
01:14:06,089 --> 01:14:08,230
is just an expansion of that

2341
01:14:08,230 --> 01:14:09,908
Second Noble Truth,

2342
01:14:09,908 --> 01:14:11,380
dependent origination, too,

2343
01:14:11,380 --> 01:14:13,858
has to do with rebirth

2344
01:14:13,858 --> 01:14:15,683
and re-existence in the future.

2345
01:14:15,683 --> 01:14:17,467
It becomes very clear once you whack it

2346
01:14:17,467 --> 01:14:20,449
into that formula and they obviously

2347
01:14:20,449 --> 01:14:21,797
have to equate with each other,

2348
01:14:21,797 --> 01:14:23,009
it's the same thing,

2349
01:14:23,009 --> 01:14:24,877
so it deals with rebirth.

2350
01:14:24,877 --> 01:14:26,973
That's one thing I've been saying before,

2351
01:14:26,973 --> 01:14:28,483
I talked about the various

2352
01:14:29,563 --> 01:14:32,498
things that dependent origination points to

2353
01:14:32,498 --> 01:14:33,941
such as <i>kamma</i> et cetera,

2354
01:14:33,941 --> 01:14:35,685
of course, rebirth and <i>kamma</i>

2355
01:14:35,685 --> 01:14:37,875
are here closely connected to each other.

2356
01:14:39,605 --> 01:14:41,794
So this is where it is then,

2357
01:14:41,794 --> 01:14:43,708
it is part of the Second Noble Truth,

2358
01:14:43,708 --> 01:14:44,987
and straight away you see some

2359
01:14:44,987 --> 01:14:46,401
interesting things coming out,

2360
01:14:46,401 --> 01:14:47,755
just by considering that.

2361
01:14:48,401 --> 01:14:49,672
Third Noble Truth.

2362
01:14:49,672 --> 01:14:50,926
The Third Noble Truth is about

2363
01:14:50,926 --> 01:14:53,067
the ending of suffering.

2364
01:14:53,067 --> 01:14:54,709
It's great that there is a Third Noble Truth.

2365
01:14:54,709 --> 01:14:56,438
Without that it wouldn't be so great,

2366
01:14:56,438 --> 01:14:58,625
just the cause of suffering and suffering.

2367
01:14:58,625 --> 01:14:59,537
So the third one is like,

2368
01:14:59,537 --> 01:15:00,808
WOW!

2369
01:15:01,268 --> 01:15:03,326
This is the power of the Buddha's teaching

2370
01:15:03,326 --> 01:15:04,704
that we have the Third Noble Truth

2371
01:15:04,704 --> 01:15:05,632
and the fourth on, of course,

2372
01:15:05,632 --> 01:15:07,147
which is the path.

2373
01:15:07,147 --> 01:15:08,330
Now the third one

2374
01:15:08,850 --> 01:15:12,389
shows us that the cessation of suffering

2375
01:15:12,389 --> 01:15:15,568
comes from the cessation of craving.

2376
01:15:15,568 --> 01:15:18,666
Again, the sequence of dependent arising,

2377
01:15:18,666 --> 01:15:20,090
it has a forward order

2378
01:15:20,090 --> 01:15:22,239
and it has a reverse order.

2379
01:15:22,239 --> 01:15:24,591
And here it operates in the reverse order.

2380
01:15:24,591 --> 01:15:25,386
It shows you that

2381
01:15:25,386 --> 01:15:27,346
when you eliminate <i>avijjā</i>,

2382
01:15:27,346 --> 01:15:29,199
ignorance, at the bottom

2383
01:15:29,199 --> 01:15:30,930
all the factors get eliminated

2384
01:15:30,930 --> 01:15:32,474
until you eliminate craving

2385
01:15:32,474 --> 01:15:34,088
and then it fills in the gap

2386
01:15:34,088 --> 01:15:36,264
between craving and <i>dukkha</i>.

2387
01:15:36,264 --> 01:15:37,896
All of those factors get eliminated

2388
01:15:37,896 --> 01:15:40,040
and eventually suffering itself

2389
01:15:40,040 --> 01:15:41,346
gets eliminated.

2390
01:15:41,346 --> 01:15:42,917
There are two ways that

2391
01:15:42,917 --> 01:15:44,598
dependent arising works:

2392
01:15:44,598 --> 01:15:45,712
in the forward order,

2393
01:15:45,712 --> 01:15:47,933
which shows you how suffering arises

2394
01:15:47,933 --> 01:15:49,244
and the reverse order,

2395
01:15:49,244 --> 01:15:51,054
which shows how suffering ends

2396
01:15:51,054 --> 01:15:52,620
as a consequence of all the other

2397
01:15:52,620 --> 01:15:54,228
factors ending.

2398
01:15:55,238 --> 01:15:58,537
Second Noble Truth and Third Noble Truth.

2399
01:15:59,477 --> 01:16:01,578
I hope I'm making sense to you.

2400
01:16:01,578 --> 01:16:03,263
I'm not sure how much you

2401
01:16:03,263 --> 01:16:04,256
know about these things,

2402
01:16:04,256 --> 01:16:05,287
or how much you don't.

2403
01:16:05,287 --> 01:16:06,736
I apologise if I go too fast;

2404
01:16:06,736 --> 01:16:08,577
just let me know later on,

2405
01:16:08,577 --> 01:16:10,300
write a little complaint or whatever

2406
01:16:10,300 --> 01:16:12,230
and I'll try to go more slowly.

2407
01:16:12,970 --> 01:16:14,740
Sometimes it's hard because you have

2408
01:16:14,740 --> 01:16:16,697
people at different stages,

2409
01:16:16,697 --> 01:16:18,563
different understandings.

2410
01:16:19,390 --> 01:16:22,645
So this is, then, where... now you can see

2411
01:16:22,645 --> 01:16:25,366
why it is very much a psychology.

2412
01:16:25,366 --> 01:16:28,255
It's all to do with craving, desires,

2413
01:16:28,255 --> 01:16:30,399
how that causes suffering in the end

2414
01:16:30,399 --> 01:16:31,948
and about how it's ignorance,

2415
01:16:31,948 --> 01:16:33,779
which is another mental thing,

2416
01:16:33,779 --> 01:16:35,560
at the very beginning

2417
01:16:35,560 --> 01:16:37,371
which causes this whole thing.

2418
01:16:37,371 --> 01:16:40,302
It all revolves around things in our minds

2419
01:16:40,302 --> 01:16:44,133
and the why our psyches actually work.

2420
01:16:49,008 --> 01:16:52,567
Very briefly, perhaps, ignorance itself

2421
01:16:52,567 --> 01:16:53,851
even though we have this whole chain

2422
01:16:53,851 --> 01:16:54,984
of things starting with

2423
01:16:54,984 --> 01:16:57,069
ignorance, what about ignorance itself?

2424
01:16:57,859 --> 01:16:59,160
Where does that come from?

2425
01:16:59,160 --> 01:17:01,076
Can we say anything about ignorance?

2426
01:17:01,586 --> 01:17:03,364
The Buddhist idea is that ignorance

2427
01:17:03,364 --> 01:17:04,687
has always been there.

2428
01:17:04,687 --> 01:17:06,853
There is not first cause of ignorance.

2429
01:17:08,033 --> 01:17:09,954
I'll talk more about this later on

2430
01:17:09,954 --> 01:17:11,069
but this is one of those things

2431
01:17:11,069 --> 01:17:12,879
that always has existed

2432
01:17:14,389 --> 01:17:16,699
You cannot find the first cause of it.

2433
01:17:16,699 --> 01:17:18,434
Not really always has existed,

2434
01:17:18,434 --> 01:17:20,258
but you cannot find the first cause.

2435
01:17:21,808 --> 01:17:23,453
But, that does not mean

2436
01:17:23,453 --> 01:17:24,381
it cannot be eliminated.

2437
01:17:24,381 --> 01:17:26,277
It can still be eliminated, even though

2438
01:17:26,277 --> 01:17:28,826
there is no first cause to it.

2439
01:17:29,326 --> 01:17:30,897
So that is how it fits into

2440
01:17:30,897 --> 01:17:33,277
this big jigsaw puzzle.

2441
01:17:33,277 --> 01:17:34,509
It's directly there.

2442
01:17:34,509 --> 01:17:35,735
Part and parcel of the

2443
01:17:35,735 --> 01:17:38,245
second and the third Noble Truths.

2444
01:17:38,245 --> 01:17:41,496
And this becomes the importance of

2445
01:17:41,496 --> 01:17:43,890
dependent origination.

2446
01:17:43,890 --> 01:17:44,890
So now,

2447
01:17:45,640 --> 01:17:47,937
I thought of maybe talking,

2448
01:17:47,937 --> 01:17:50,701
very briefly today, just about

2449
01:17:50,701 --> 01:17:53,198
the various links of dependent origination,

2450
01:17:53,198 --> 01:17:55,109
starting from the beginning and show

2451
01:17:55,109 --> 01:17:55,936
just very briefly

2452
01:17:55,936 --> 01:17:58,117
how the whole system works.

2453
01:17:58,117 --> 01:17:59,765
Once we have this overview,

2454
01:17:59,765 --> 01:18:01,694
then we can start to focus in

2455
01:18:01,694 --> 01:18:04,888
on the details maybe tomorrow morning.

2456
01:18:04,888 --> 01:18:06,722
So let's have a look at the overview

2457
01:18:06,722 --> 01:18:09,042
of this whole sequence.

2458
01:18:09,042 --> 01:18:12,429
As I said, it begins with <i>avijjā</i>,

2459
01:18:12,429 --> 01:18:14,253
usually translated as ignorance;

2460
01:18:14,253 --> 01:18:15,805
not a good translation perhaps,

2461
01:18:15,805 --> 01:18:17,158
- I'll talk more about that tomorrow -

2462
01:18:17,158 --> 01:18:19,281
and it ends up with <i>dukkha</i>.

2463
01:18:20,131 --> 01:18:22,017
In between, you have ten other

2464
01:18:22,017 --> 01:18:23,411
factors in between.

2465
01:18:23,411 --> 01:18:26,058
There's 12 links in dependent arising,

2466
01:18:26,058 --> 01:18:28,417
and they are linked,

2467
01:18:28,417 --> 01:18:30,458
there's like a pair-wise linkage.

2468
01:18:31,048 --> 01:18:32,346
Each one of these factors is linked

2469
01:18:32,346 --> 01:18:34,284
to the one which comes after it,

2470
01:18:34,284 --> 01:18:35,974
and it's a causal linkage:

2471
01:18:35,974 --> 01:18:37,888
one thing leading to the next one,

2472
01:18:37,888 --> 01:18:39,747
leading to the next one.

2473
01:18:39,747 --> 01:18:41,206
So the first thing to understand is

2474
01:18:41,206 --> 01:18:46,338
this idea of causality that actually drives

2475
01:18:46,338 --> 01:18:49,469
this thing called dependent origination.

2476
01:18:50,689 --> 01:18:53,035
We start off with <i>avijjā</i>

2477
01:18:53,035 --> 01:18:55,834
and the point here is that once you have <i>avijjā</i>

2478
01:18:55,834 --> 01:18:57,831
the second factor comes into effect

2479
01:18:57,831 --> 01:18:59,891
then third factor all the way to the

2480
01:18:59,891 --> 01:19:02,110
twelfth factor which is called <i>dukkha</i>

2481
01:19:02,110 --> 01:19:03,737
which is suffering.

2482
01:19:04,687 --> 01:19:06,356
The kind of causality you are talking

2483
01:19:06,356 --> 01:19:08,723
about here, and this is spoken about

2484
01:19:08,723 --> 01:19:12,089
in brief also in the suttas themselves,

2485
01:19:12,089 --> 01:19:14,488
It is a type of causality you can call

2486
01:19:14,488 --> 01:19:16,692
sufficient causality.

2487
01:19:16,692 --> 01:19:18,588
Sufficient causality means that

2488
01:19:18,588 --> 01:19:22,638
when the factor preceding another one exists,

2489
01:19:22,638 --> 01:19:24,219
the factor that comes after

2490
01:19:24,219 --> 01:19:26,501
must also exist as a consequence.

2491
01:19:26,501 --> 01:19:28,228
That's what it means to be sufficient.

2492
01:19:28,228 --> 01:19:30,306
In other words, ignorance is sufficient

2493
01:19:30,306 --> 01:19:33,069
for the next factor to exist.

2494
01:19:34,009 --> 01:19:36,069
And then, the next factor is sufficient for the

2495
01:19:36,069 --> 01:19:38,783
third factor to exist, and so on

2496
01:19:38,783 --> 01:19:40,802
all the way to the last factor.

2497
01:19:40,802 --> 01:19:43,944
Each one is sufficient for the following one,

2498
01:19:43,944 --> 01:19:45,685
and what that means is that

2499
01:19:45,685 --> 01:19:47,811
if you have ignorance,

2500
01:19:47,811 --> 01:19:49,329
you have no choice,

2501
01:19:49,329 --> 01:19:50,888
you have to suffer.

2502
01:19:50,888 --> 01:19:53,516
From ignorance comes suffering.

2503
01:19:54,746 --> 01:19:56,083
What is that stupid English saying?

2504
01:19:56,083 --> 01:19:57,420
Ignorance is bliss.

2505
01:19:57,420 --> 01:19:59,116
It's completely wrong!

2506
01:19:59,116 --> 01:20:00,110
It's a mistake.

2507
01:20:00,720 --> 01:20:02,768
It's got it completely the wrong way round,

2508
01:20:02,768 --> 01:20:04,395
ignorance is not bliss.

2509
01:20:04,395 --> 01:20:05,788
If it is bliss, it's a very kind of

2510
01:20:05,788 --> 01:20:07,876
shallow form of stupid, silly bliss.

2511
01:20:07,876 --> 01:20:11,954
The real problem is ignorance <i>must</i>

2512
01:20:11,954 --> 01:20:13,649
cause suffering. That's what we mean

2513
01:20:13,649 --> 01:20:16,136
by sufficient conditions,

2514
01:20:16,136 --> 01:20:18,334
one <i>must</i> lead to the next one,

2515
01:20:18,334 --> 01:20:19,363
one after the other.

2516
01:20:19,363 --> 01:20:21,986
If you have ignorance, you have to suffer.

2517
01:20:21,986 --> 01:20:22,805
It's interesting, right?

2518
01:20:22,805 --> 01:20:24,507
It means that there is only

2519
01:20:24,507 --> 01:20:26,248
one solution to this whole thing.

2520
01:20:27,583 --> 01:20:28,745
But there is the other side,

2521
01:20:28,745 --> 01:20:30,144
which I mentioned just before,

2522
01:20:30,144 --> 01:20:31,421
and that side is that

2523
01:20:32,031 --> 01:20:34,933
once you take away the ignorance

2524
01:20:34,933 --> 01:20:36,625
once you give rise to knowledge

2525
01:20:36,625 --> 01:20:38,428
and understanding instead,

2526
01:20:38,428 --> 01:20:40,966
the second factor also disappears,

2527
01:20:40,966 --> 01:20:43,373
also ceases as a consequence.

2528
01:20:43,373 --> 01:20:45,191
This is another type of conditionality.

2529
01:20:45,191 --> 01:20:46,638
Both types of conditionality

2530
01:20:46,638 --> 01:20:48,052
apply at the same time.

2531
01:20:48,052 --> 01:20:50,514
This is called necessary conditionality.

2532
01:20:50,514 --> 01:20:51,531
Sufficient conditionality

2533
01:20:51,531 --> 01:20:53,491
and necessary conditionality.

2534
01:20:53,491 --> 01:20:55,248
Necessary conditionality means that

2535
01:20:55,248 --> 01:20:57,874
the preceding factor is necessary

2536
01:20:57,874 --> 01:21:00,674
for the subsequent factor to arise.

2537
01:21:01,334 --> 01:21:03,251
So if you take away <i>avijjā</i>,

2538
01:21:03,251 --> 01:21:04,759
if you take away ignorance,

2539
01:21:04,759 --> 01:21:05,508
the second factor,

2540
01:21:05,508 --> 01:21:07,953
which is called <i>saṅkhāra</i> in Pāli,

2541
01:21:08,853 --> 01:21:09,988
cannot exist any more,

2542
01:21:09,988 --> 01:21:12,278
it must disappear as a consequence.

2543
01:21:12,278 --> 01:21:15,094
This is called necessary conditionality.

2544
01:21:15,094 --> 01:21:17,687
Take away the necessary cause,

2545
01:21:17,687 --> 01:21:19,565
and the subsequence effect

2546
01:21:19,565 --> 01:21:22,299
also has to disappear.

2547
01:21:22,299 --> 01:21:26,056
This is in brief what all of dependent arising

2548
01:21:26,056 --> 01:21:27,358
really is about.

2549
01:21:27,358 --> 01:21:30,107
It's about this interplay of these two causes:

2550
01:21:30,107 --> 01:21:31,240
sufficient causality

2551
01:21:31,240 --> 01:21:32,957
and necessary causality.

2552
01:21:32,957 --> 01:21:35,307
When you understand those two causes,

2553
01:21:35,307 --> 01:21:36,634
it's fairly straightforward.

2554
01:21:36,634 --> 01:21:38,233
When you understand what's going on

2555
01:21:38,233 --> 01:21:39,741
you can understand how the whole thing

2556
01:21:39,741 --> 01:21:41,307
comes into being and also

2557
01:21:41,307 --> 01:21:43,325
how the whole thing ceases

2558
01:21:43,325 --> 01:21:45,423
as a consequence.

2559
01:21:47,033 --> 01:21:48,545
So that is in brief what it is,

2560
01:21:48,545 --> 01:21:51,158
and it's not just dependent arising

2561
01:21:51,158 --> 01:21:52,572
which works like that.

2562
01:21:52,572 --> 01:21:53,844
There are many things in life

2563
01:21:53,844 --> 01:21:54,876
which work on the basis of

2564
01:21:54,876 --> 01:21:58,756
necessary and sufficient conditionality.

2565
01:21:59,536 --> 01:22:02,261
In Buddhism, as well, there are other sets.

2566
01:22:02,261 --> 01:22:04,915
I have included some of those other sets

2567
01:22:04,915 --> 01:22:06,022
in here as well.

2568
01:22:06,022 --> 01:22:08,229
They're not called dependent origination

2569
01:22:08,229 --> 01:22:10,397
because they're not the same set of 12 factors,

2570
01:22:10,397 --> 01:22:12,540
but the same type of causality

2571
01:22:12,540 --> 01:22:13,819
is sometimes relevant

2572
01:22:13,819 --> 01:22:15,141
for those sets as well.

2573
01:22:15,651 --> 01:22:16,795
Sometimes there are other types of

2574
01:22:16,795 --> 01:22:18,987
conditionality, which are more loose.

2575
01:22:18,987 --> 01:22:20,977
If you do this, then usually you get that.

2576
01:22:20,977 --> 01:22:22,488
Which is not as strict.

2577
01:22:22,488 --> 01:22:24,670
Dependent arising is a very strict kind of

2578
01:22:24,670 --> 01:22:25,670
conditionality.

2579
01:22:26,350 --> 01:22:27,243
Very, very strict.

2580
01:22:27,243 --> 01:22:29,114
If you have that, that must follow.

2581
01:22:29,114 --> 01:22:31,333
Haven't got that, that will not follow.

2582
01:22:32,563 --> 01:22:34,868
So that is the overview.

2583
01:22:34,868 --> 01:22:36,241
You get the idea of how

2584
01:22:36,241 --> 01:22:37,690
this process works.

2585
01:22:38,250 --> 01:22:41,967
Let us briefly have a look at

2586
01:22:41,967 --> 01:22:44,009
the various factors in this chain,

2587
01:22:44,009 --> 01:22:48,020
and see roughly how it works out.

2588
01:22:49,720 --> 01:22:53,747
The first factor is called <i>avijjā</i> in Pāli.

2589
01:22:55,097 --> 01:22:57,940
As I said, often translated as ignorance.

2590
01:22:57,940 --> 01:22:59,399
It basically means that you

2591
01:22:59,399 --> 01:23:02,736
don't understand reality as it actually is.

2592
01:23:02,736 --> 01:23:04,407
Reality is one way,

2593
01:23:04,407 --> 01:23:05,566
the world works in one way;

2594
01:23:05,566 --> 01:23:06,885
you think it's different.

2595
01:23:07,425 --> 01:23:09,045
Of course, what the Buddha is saying

2596
01:23:09,045 --> 01:23:10,573
is that we are all like that.

2597
01:23:10,573 --> 01:23:11,788
We all have this <i>avijjā</i>.

2598
01:23:11,788 --> 01:23:15,136
We all have this blockage inside ourselves,

2599
01:23:15,136 --> 01:23:16,855
that make us not see reality

2600
01:23:16,855 --> 01:23:18,662
as it actually is.

2601
01:23:18,662 --> 01:23:19,728
What that means is that

2602
01:23:19,728 --> 01:23:21,739
we are running around like blind people.

2603
01:23:21,739 --> 01:23:22,962
We are in the dark.

2604
01:23:22,962 --> 01:23:25,192
We think that we are pursuing happiness,

2605
01:23:25,192 --> 01:23:26,730
but actually, we're usually pursuing

2606
01:23:26,730 --> 01:23:28,453
suffering instead.

2607
01:23:28,453 --> 01:23:30,403
We have got no idea what we're doing.

2608
01:23:30,403 --> 01:23:32,836
This is basically what ignorance means.

2609
01:23:32,836 --> 01:23:34,995
Because we don't know what we're doing,

2610
01:23:34,995 --> 01:23:36,899
it means that we start doing

2611
01:23:36,899 --> 01:23:37,915
all kind of stuff which leads

2612
01:23:37,915 --> 01:23:39,387
in the wrong direction

2613
01:23:39,387 --> 01:23:42,728
this is <i>saṅkhāra</i>. <i>Saṅkhāra</i> is often

2614
01:23:42,728 --> 01:23:44,491
translated with this terrible translation...

2615
01:23:44,491 --> 01:23:45,968
this is my opinion, right,

2616
01:23:45,968 --> 01:23:47,533
I apologise for anybody who

2617
01:23:47,533 --> 01:23:49,078
likes this translation.

2618
01:23:50,758 --> 01:23:52,027
The usual translation is,

2619
01:23:52,027 --> 01:23:54,258
'volitional formations'.

2620
01:23:54,258 --> 01:23:56,586
At least it leaves me stone cold

2621
01:23:56,586 --> 01:23:57,944
when I hear 'volitional formations'.

2622
01:23:57,944 --> 01:23:59,719
It doesn't do anything for me at all.

2623
01:23:59,719 --> 01:24:01,677
I feel like I could be on Mars

2624
01:24:01,677 --> 01:24:03,993
when I hear that translation.

2625
01:24:04,593 --> 01:24:06,651
Some people maybe it means something to,

2626
01:24:06,651 --> 01:24:09,573
but I find it doesn't really grab you,

2627
01:24:09,573 --> 01:24:11,860
grab your heart when you hear that.

2628
01:24:11,860 --> 01:24:13,385
Basically, what it means is the

2629
01:24:13,385 --> 01:24:15,773
activities of body, speech and mind.

2630
01:24:15,773 --> 01:24:17,934
The things that we do, especially

2631
01:24:17,934 --> 01:24:20,604
intentional things that we do.

2632
01:24:20,604 --> 01:24:22,698
So <i>saṅkhāra</i> can be translated...

2633
01:24:22,698 --> 01:24:24,014
I'll talk about it tomorrow

2634
01:24:24,014 --> 01:24:25,454
what a proper translation is,

2635
01:24:25,454 --> 01:24:26,755
but I will leave it for now.

2636
01:24:26,755 --> 01:24:29,222
So because we don't understand,

2637
01:24:29,222 --> 01:24:31,224
we do all these kinds of things, right?

2638
01:24:31,224 --> 01:24:32,804
And all this doing that we do,

2639
01:24:32,804 --> 01:24:35,704
from not understanding, has consequences.

2640
01:24:35,704 --> 01:24:37,664
One of the consequences it has...

2641
01:24:38,524 --> 01:24:41,455
Because all the doing is based on craving,

2642
01:24:41,455 --> 01:24:43,634
it's about propelling us into the future.

2643
01:24:44,964 --> 01:24:46,435
One of the things it leads to,

2644
01:24:46,435 --> 01:24:47,717
is it always leads to rebirth.

2645
01:24:47,717 --> 01:24:48,927
Quite literally,

2646
01:24:48,927 --> 01:24:50,707
always propelling ourselves,

2647
01:24:50,707 --> 01:24:53,826
projecting ourselves into the future.

2648
01:24:53,826 --> 01:24:55,275
The <i>saṅkhāras</i> are always about

2649
01:24:55,275 --> 01:24:57,134
what we want, not about now,

2650
01:24:57,134 --> 01:24:58,540
it's about the future.

2651
01:24:58,540 --> 01:25:00,817
From this, we get the idea of <i>viññāṇa</i>.

2652
01:25:00,817 --> 01:25:03,002
<i>Viññāṇa</i>, which is consciousness,

2653
01:25:03,002 --> 01:25:06,050
then gets established as a consequence of that.

2654
01:25:06,050 --> 01:25:07,134
I'll take much more in detail

2655
01:25:07,134 --> 01:25:08,103
about this tomorrow.

2656
01:25:08,103 --> 01:25:11,908
This is just very kind of rudimentary.

2657
01:25:12,988 --> 01:25:15,811
Because <i>viññāṇa</i> is then established,

2658
01:25:15,811 --> 01:25:17,085
in this case we're talking about

2659
01:25:17,085 --> 01:25:20,100
established in a new life in particular,

2660
01:25:20,840 --> 01:25:22,773
in that new life,

2661
01:25:22,773 --> 01:25:25,438
depending on where that life is

2662
01:25:25,438 --> 01:25:27,344
you'll have certain experiences, right?

2663
01:25:27,344 --> 01:25:30,304
If you get reborn as a deva, a god,

2664
01:25:30,304 --> 01:25:32,390
wow, you have these wonderful experiences,

2665
01:25:32,390 --> 01:25:34,041
so much happiness, right?

2666
01:25:34,041 --> 01:25:35,778
If you get reborn as a kangaroo,

2667
01:25:35,778 --> 01:25:37,013
it's not so great.

2668
01:25:37,013 --> 01:25:38,398
Maybe you think kangaroos are cute,

2669
01:25:38,398 --> 01:25:39,484
but actually,

2670
01:25:39,484 --> 01:25:41,118
kangaroo life is pretty miserable.

2671
01:25:41,118 --> 01:25:43,398
I live in the middle of the bush,

2672
01:25:43,398 --> 01:25:44,473
I see what they are like.

2673
01:25:44,473 --> 01:25:46,367
They are greedy, they are angry,

2674
01:25:46,367 --> 01:25:47,708
they fight over food.

2675
01:25:47,708 --> 01:25:49,644
The reality of kangaroo life is pretty,

2676
01:25:49,644 --> 01:25:50,654
pretty bad.

2677
01:25:50,654 --> 01:25:52,733
So when you see a cute animal,

2678
01:25:52,733 --> 01:25:53,900
what you see on the surface

2679
01:25:53,900 --> 01:25:55,163
is only one thing.

2680
01:25:55,163 --> 01:25:56,204
But if could be worse, you could be

2681
01:25:56,204 --> 01:25:57,804
reborn as an insect.

2682
01:25:57,804 --> 01:25:58,773
Imagine that!

2683
01:25:58,773 --> 01:26:02,506
Whoa! You get reborn as a mosquito,

2684
01:26:02,506 --> 01:26:04,309
you're flying around, find this big

2685
01:26:04,309 --> 01:26:06,077
lump of flesh in front of you and then,

2686
01:26:06,077 --> 01:26:08,844
smack! You get swatted because of that.

2687
01:26:08,844 --> 01:26:09,951
All you're doing is trying to get

2688
01:26:09,951 --> 01:26:11,082
some nice food, right?

2689
01:26:11,082 --> 01:26:12,801
You're just doing what everybody

2690
01:26:12,801 --> 01:26:15,689
wants to do, and then that's it,

2691
01:26:15,689 --> 01:26:17,350
end of story.

2692
01:26:17,960 --> 01:26:19,092
So the point is that,

2693
01:26:19,652 --> 01:26:21,686
once you establish consciousness

2694
01:26:21,686 --> 01:26:24,734
in a certain place, your experience

2695
01:26:24,734 --> 01:26:27,362
of the world is set within certain limits.

2696
01:26:27,932 --> 01:26:29,371
That is what <i>nāmarūpa</i> is,

2697
01:26:29,371 --> 01:26:30,663
called 'name-and-form',

2698
01:26:30,663 --> 01:26:32,979
also called 'mentality-materiality'.

2699
01:26:32,979 --> 01:26:34,968
It's all our experiences, basically,

2700
01:26:34,968 --> 01:26:36,998
and they are set within certain limits.

2701
01:26:37,468 --> 01:26:40,358
Because we have name-and-form,

2702
01:26:40,358 --> 01:26:41,674
we have the sense basis.

2703
01:26:41,674 --> 01:26:43,623
You see things, you hear,

2704
01:26:43,623 --> 01:26:44,954
you taste, you touch things

2705
01:26:44,954 --> 01:26:47,235
and through that, through the sense

2706
01:26:47,235 --> 01:26:49,177
is how we contact the world.

2707
01:26:50,567 --> 01:26:51,854
All our contact through the world

2708
01:26:51,854 --> 01:26:53,168
is through our sense.

2709
01:26:53,168 --> 01:26:54,872
I see all of your, you seem me,

2710
01:26:54,872 --> 01:26:55,976
we see each other,

2711
01:26:55,976 --> 01:26:56,980
we hear the sounds,

2712
01:26:56,980 --> 01:26:58,326
everything is through the sense.

2713
01:26:58,326 --> 01:27:01,373
It's called contact in the technical term.

2714
01:27:01,373 --> 01:27:03,245
<i>Phassa</i> in Pāli.

2715
01:27:04,175 --> 01:27:06,165
The previous term I forgot to say in Pāli,

2716
01:27:06,165 --> 01:27:07,345
I don't know if you're interested,

2717
01:27:07,345 --> 01:27:10,384
it's called <i>saḷāyatana</i>, the six sense bases.

2718
01:27:10,384 --> 01:27:13,247
<i>Phassa</i>, contact in the world.

2719
01:27:13,247 --> 01:27:15,575
<i>Phassa</i> leads to <i>vedanā</i>.

2720
01:27:15,575 --> 01:27:17,711
<i>Vedanā</i> means the feeling tone

2721
01:27:17,711 --> 01:27:19,514
of experience.

2722
01:27:19,514 --> 01:27:20,748
Is it happy?

2723
01:27:20,748 --> 01:27:21,828
Is it suffering?

2724
01:27:21,828 --> 01:27:22,990
Is it neutral?

2725
01:27:22,990 --> 01:27:24,436
It leads to much more.

2726
01:27:24,436 --> 01:27:26,480
Contact also leads to all kind of things.

2727
01:27:27,390 --> 01:27:28,390
We see forms,

2728
01:27:29,260 --> 01:27:30,988
we have volition, will,

2729
01:27:30,988 --> 01:27:33,593
drives in us, will in us,

2730
01:27:33,593 --> 01:27:34,736
it leads to many other things as well,

2731
01:27:34,736 --> 01:27:36,949
but it's interesting, the Buddha here,

2732
01:27:36,949 --> 01:27:38,894
picks out <i>vedanā</i>,

2733
01:27:38,894 --> 01:27:41,790
this idea of the feeling tone of experience.

2734
01:27:41,790 --> 01:27:43,686
He picks that out specifically

2735
01:27:43,686 --> 01:27:45,295
because it is much more important

2736
01:27:45,295 --> 01:27:46,697
than the other ones.

2737
01:27:46,697 --> 01:27:47,805
Why is it so important?

2738
01:27:47,805 --> 01:27:49,217
Because, it is <i>vedanā</i>

2739
01:27:49,217 --> 01:27:50,718
which tends to drive us.

2740
01:27:51,778 --> 01:27:55,227
<i>Vedanā</i> decides if you like it or not.

2741
01:27:55,227 --> 01:27:56,118
If you don't like it,

2742
01:27:56,118 --> 01:27:57,569
you will want to get rid of it.

2743
01:27:57,569 --> 01:27:59,335
If you like it, you will crave for it.

2744
01:28:00,565 --> 01:28:02,577
So <i>vedanā</i> makes us act.

2745
01:28:02,577 --> 01:28:04,451
The feeling tone makes us act,

2746
01:28:04,451 --> 01:28:05,508
through craving.

2747
01:28:05,508 --> 01:28:07,299
So you crave and then you act

2748
01:28:07,299 --> 01:28:09,628
and part of that action is <i>upādāna</i>.

2749
01:28:09,628 --> 01:28:12,989
<i>Upādāna</i> is how we react to craving.

2750
01:28:12,989 --> 01:28:15,060
What do we do with craving in the world?

2751
01:28:15,600 --> 01:28:16,618
We do things.

2752
01:28:16,618 --> 01:28:17,468
We take up things.

2753
01:28:17,468 --> 01:28:18,552
We start things.

2754
01:28:20,042 --> 01:28:21,945
Almost all the things we do

2755
01:28:21,945 --> 01:28:23,520
are, big picture things,

2756
01:28:23,520 --> 01:28:25,118
come from this idea of <i>upādāna</i>.

2757
01:28:25,118 --> 01:28:27,551
Taking things up, almost in a

2758
01:28:27,551 --> 01:28:28,638
literal sense.

2759
01:28:28,638 --> 01:28:32,805
You take up having a job,

2760
01:28:32,805 --> 01:28:33,850
or you take up hobbies,

2761
01:28:33,850 --> 01:28:34,896
or you take up Buddhism,

2762
01:28:34,896 --> 01:28:36,368
you take up meditation.

2763
01:28:36,368 --> 01:28:37,495
You do things.

2764
01:28:37,495 --> 01:28:38,499
And then because we take up

2765
01:28:38,499 --> 01:28:40,437
all these things we live in a certain way.

2766
01:28:40,437 --> 01:28:42,466
It's called <i>bhava</i>, existence.

2767
01:28:42,466 --> 01:28:44,645
So we live in a certain way,

2768
01:28:45,495 --> 01:28:48,382
our mind is kind of set in a certain way.

2769
01:28:48,382 --> 01:28:49,480
This is very similar to what we were

2770
01:28:49,480 --> 01:28:51,142
talking about at the beginning

2771
01:28:51,142 --> 01:28:53,319
of consciousness being established.

2772
01:28:53,319 --> 01:28:56,118
We're established, through the way we exist,

2773
01:28:56,118 --> 01:28:57,610
and because of that establishment

2774
01:28:57,610 --> 01:29:00,916
we are reborn in accordance with that

2775
01:29:00,916 --> 01:29:02,843
establishment later on.

2776
01:29:02,843 --> 01:29:04,444
Because you are reborn,

2777
01:29:04,444 --> 01:29:05,643
you must die, right?

2778
01:29:05,643 --> 01:29:07,354
With birth comes all the problems.

2779
01:29:07,354 --> 01:29:09,960
With birth comes human life

2780
01:29:09,960 --> 01:29:11,071
and once you have human life

2781
01:29:11,071 --> 01:29:13,228
you have to have human experiences.

2782
01:29:14,588 --> 01:29:16,422
I don't know what you human experience is,

2783
01:29:16,422 --> 01:29:18,216
but it's a bit of everything, right?

2784
01:29:18,216 --> 01:29:19,693
Sometimes you are happy,

2785
01:29:19,693 --> 01:29:20,686
and everything is great.

2786
01:29:20,686 --> 01:29:22,674
Sometimes it's absolute misery.

2787
01:29:22,674 --> 01:29:24,263
You go through divorce,

2788
01:29:24,263 --> 01:29:25,645
you get fired from your job,

2789
01:29:25,645 --> 01:29:28,082
your closest family members

2790
01:29:28,082 --> 01:29:29,670
and your friends, they die,

2791
01:29:29,670 --> 01:29:30,806
or you get really sick yourself,

2792
01:29:30,806 --> 01:29:31,825
or whatever.

2793
01:29:31,825 --> 01:29:33,887
Life goes through all these ups and downs

2794
01:29:33,887 --> 01:29:34,876
all the time, there are

2795
01:29:34,876 --> 01:29:36,452
so many problems there.

2796
01:29:37,462 --> 01:29:38,990
I think it is very important

2797
01:29:38,990 --> 01:29:41,313
to be realistic about that.

2798
01:29:41,313 --> 01:29:42,593
Sometimes you hear people say,

2799
01:29:42,593 --> 01:29:44,232
"aww, yeah, in my life I won't have

2800
01:29:44,232 --> 01:29:45,397
any suffering."

2801
01:29:45,397 --> 01:29:48,360
It's a very shallow, to say the least,

2802
01:29:48,360 --> 01:29:50,555
shallow outlook.

2803
01:29:50,555 --> 01:29:51,168
You haven't really looked

2804
01:29:51,168 --> 01:29:52,617
very carefully if you think

2805
01:29:52,617 --> 01:29:53,826
you have no suffering.

2806
01:29:53,826 --> 01:29:54,736
You really haven't.

2807
01:29:54,736 --> 01:29:56,756
You, kind of say "aww, don't want to see,

2808
01:29:56,756 --> 01:29:57,285
don't want to see."

2809
01:29:57,285 --> 01:29:59,241
That is basically what you're saying there.

2810
01:29:59,791 --> 01:30:00,936
I'm a monk, you could

2811
01:30:00,936 --> 01:30:03,131
argue that my life is probably quite easy.

2812
01:30:03,131 --> 01:30:04,832
Ajahn Brahma is probably

2813
01:30:04,832 --> 01:30:07,210
the most happy person I can imagine.

2814
01:30:07,210 --> 01:30:09,495
He always is very light hearted,

2815
01:30:09,495 --> 01:30:12,414
he always jokes, he always messes around,

2816
01:30:12,414 --> 01:30:14,183
but when he talks about suffering,

2817
01:30:14,183 --> 01:30:15,465
he says, "life is suffering!

2818
01:30:15,465 --> 01:30:16,775
Life is really <i>dukkha</i>.

2819
01:30:16,775 --> 01:30:17,820
It's really, really bad."

2820
01:30:17,820 --> 01:30:19,232
He's the happiest person,

2821
01:30:19,232 --> 01:30:20,180
so if he says it's suffering,

2822
01:30:20,180 --> 01:30:22,678
okay, I'll believe it.

2823
01:30:22,678 --> 01:30:24,585
I can feel it myself anyway.

2824
01:30:25,245 --> 01:30:27,413
So no problems there.

2825
01:30:27,413 --> 01:30:31,494
Okay, so that is dependent arising in brief,

2826
01:30:33,124 --> 01:30:34,522
just to give you an overview.

2827
01:30:34,522 --> 01:30:37,303
Those are the 12 links.

2828
01:30:37,303 --> 01:30:38,823
All the terms and how they all

2829
01:30:38,823 --> 01:30:40,400
connect together.

2830
01:30:40,400 --> 01:30:41,008
And then, of course,

2831
01:30:41,008 --> 01:30:42,760
the cessation mode as well.

2832
01:30:42,760 --> 01:30:44,493
So that you have the opposite happening

2833
01:30:44,493 --> 01:30:46,436
when it ceases at the beginning,

2834
01:30:46,436 --> 01:30:49,282
each one of these links will cease,

2835
01:30:49,282 --> 01:30:52,247
until you get to the last one eventually.

2836
01:30:53,747 --> 01:30:58,609
So, I think I will probably stop there

2837
01:30:58,609 --> 01:31:01,774
because I don't want to go into any more

2838
01:31:01,774 --> 01:31:04,664
details about things at this particular point.

2839
01:31:04,664 --> 01:31:06,921
It's probably lots and lots of information

2840
01:31:06,921 --> 01:31:08,857
for you anyway, maybe way too much.

2841
01:31:08,857 --> 01:31:09,972
I've always been a bit worried about these

2842
01:31:09,972 --> 01:31:11,292
one hour talks.

2843
01:31:12,552 --> 01:31:14,798
You can say <i>a lot</i> in an hour,

2844
01:31:14,798 --> 01:31:16,351
so that's part of the problem.

2845
01:31:16,351 --> 01:31:18,504
Anyway, for tonight,

2846
01:31:19,874 --> 01:31:21,533
have a nice, good night's sleep

2847
01:31:21,533 --> 01:31:23,032
remember that meditation

2848
01:31:23,032 --> 01:31:25,144
and going on retreats is about enjoying

2849
01:31:25,144 --> 01:31:27,027
yourself, having a good time.

2850
01:31:27,027 --> 01:31:29,894
Meditate until you feel that you are tired,

2851
01:31:29,894 --> 01:31:32,085
have a really good night's rest,

2852
01:31:32,085 --> 01:31:34,109
sleep as much as you like,

2853
01:31:34,109 --> 01:31:35,287
you feel is necessary,

2854
01:31:35,287 --> 01:31:37,610
and tomorrow you'll be clear and ready

2855
01:31:37,610 --> 01:31:38,579
for another day.