0:00:02.092,0:00:04.806 (Half-Bell) 0:00:06.737,0:00:11.889 (Bell) 0:00:34.136,0:00:56.019 (FRENCH) 0:02:28.591,0:02:32.998 (Sr Pine) Our friend has found [br]Thay's teaching on death very comforting. 0:02:35.745,0:02:40.543 About 18 years ago he went on a[br]retreat in the Tibetan tradition 0:02:41.179,0:02:45.586 that also had the theme of "Death". 0:02:45.674,0:02:50.925 The teacher spoke in a lot of detail on [br]how to transfer consciousness 0:02:51.189,0:02:56.494 at the point of death,[br]but also on what happens after death. 0:02:56.723,0:03:01.675 The teacher spoke on some detail[br]about the different hells that exist, 0:03:02.005,0:03:04.552 those that are cooler and hotter, 0:03:04.682,0:03:08.709 and certain images that are present[br]in those hells. 0:03:08.945,0:03:13.661 One of the images was that of[br]a hungry ghost, 0:03:13.788,0:03:16.529 that we may in such a hell be born[br] 0:03:16.726,0:03:20.085 as someone who has a throat[br]that is too small 0:03:20.297,0:03:24.580 and that we are very hungry[br]but we somehow cannot receive the food 0:03:24.852,0:03:27.734 to go into our body and nourish us. 0:03:28.274,0:03:31.934 There were also some other images[br]that he mentioned. 0:03:32.167,0:03:34.944 Our friend's question is[br] 0:03:35.227,0:03:41.010 are these images offered to help us...[br] 0:03:44.438,0:03:48.903 [searching into her notes] 0:03:51.763,0:03:54.946 wake up,[br][laughter] 0:03:56.568,0:03:59.551 as some kind of tool to help us live 0:03:59.700,0:04:03.071 more meaningfully[br]and appropriately in this life, 0:04:03.244,0:04:05.420 more beautifully in this life, 0:04:05.629,0:04:10.343 or do these images actually[br]speak of a true reality. 0:04:11.220,0:04:15.894 In connection to that can we speak[br] 0:04:16.082,0:04:19.406 of hells that are present on earth[br]at this very moment, 0:04:19.603,0:04:22.929 are these metaphors for experiences[br]that we have during life, 0:04:22.929,0:04:29.015 or are they only something for after death. 0:04:29.066,0:04:32.248 There were a few more questions [br]but I wonder if that is enough... 0:04:32.460,0:04:35.336 [LAUGHTER] 0:04:37.565,0:04:40.230 This is a question about the connection 0:04:40.469,0:04:47.939 between sleep without dream [br]and stored conciousness. 0:04:50.766,0:04:54.590 According to the form of the question 0:04:56.412,0:05:01.462 we know that the one[br]who asked the question 0:05:01.757,0:05:05.657 he already has the answer.[br][LAUGHTER] 0:05:12.452,0:05:16.852 The way he asked the question[br]shows that he already has the answer. 0:05:16.852,0:05:20.567 Don't you agree? 0:05:23.227,0:05:27.785 But that is also a chance for us 0:05:27.785,0:05:38.426 to look and to see that the teaching[br]of the Buddha can help many people. 0:05:39.010,0:05:46.498 Not only the people who have[br]high intellectual capacity, 0:05:47.389,0:05:53.370 but also the people who do not have[br]good education. 0:05:53.911,0:05:57.403 The teaching of the Buddha[br]helps everyone. 0:05:57.944,0:06:09.555 There is the kind of Buddhism[br]for the vast majority, 0:06:10.088,0:06:16.633 there is a deep Buddhism for[br]only a minority. 0:06:17.219,0:06:25.135 These teachings may "contradict"[br]each other as far as form is concerned. 0:06:26.623,0:06:29.897 That is why it is said, 0:06:30.039,0:06:44.215 in Buddhism there are[br]84000 Dharma doors, 0:06:44.873,0:06:50.072 and many kinds of teachings,[br]and many kinds of practices. 0:06:51.845,0:06:56.427 There are those[br]who are afraid of punishment. 0:06:57.694,0:07:05.104 If they are afraid of retribution, 0:07:05.728,0:07:08.878 they behave better, 0:07:08.892,0:07:14.480 because they are afraid of retribution. 0:07:14.657,0:07:17.922 That is why to talk to them of hell, 0:07:18.007,0:07:22.999 hot, cool, cold hell and so on, 0:07:22.999,0:07:28.217 that may happen,[br]as a kind of "threat" . 0:07:28.417,0:07:33.657 "If you behave like that, [br]you suffer like so." 0:07:33.813,0:07:37.171 In many Temples we see drawings of hell, 0:07:37.477,0:07:39.507 as a kind of warning: 0:07:39.626,0:07:41.627 "If you don't practice the five precepts, 0:07:41.633,0:07:45.126 you will suffer like that, 0:07:45.419,0:07:48.419 you will be boiled in [br]hot oil or something like that. 0:07:51.315,0:07:56.716 "If you lie, when you go to the hell,[br]they will take your tongue 0:07:56.716,0:07:58.851 and cut it your tongue" 0:07:58.851,0:08:00.398 (audience laughs) 0:08:02.021,0:08:06.341 That may help many people also, 0:08:06.496,0:08:09.827 but it does not help some other people. 0:08:09.949,0:08:14.408 That is popular Buddhism. 0:08:14.498,0:08:24.855 We know that the vast majority[br]believes in rebirth, in reincarnation, 0:08:25.045,0:08:29.150 but their belief comes from 0:08:29.329,0:08:34.630 their wrong view in a self,[br]that there is a self, there is a soul, 0:08:35.900,0:08:38.166 that is distinct from the body, 0:08:38.232,0:08:41.806 and when the body is gone, 0:08:41.956,0:08:44.820 the soul always survives, 0:08:45.005,0:08:49.423 seeks to penetrate another body,[br]and continue. 0:08:49.423,0:08:59.555 That is a kind of belief on rebirth,[br]and that is a teaching on rebirth, 0:08:59.555,0:09:06.859 but it is not truly the deep teaching[br]of the Buddha, 0:09:06.970,0:09:11.412 because it is based on the[br]wrong view of the self. 0:09:11.412,0:09:15.530 Anything, any teaching that goes against 0:09:15.704,0:09:23.835 the insight of impermanence,[br]no self, and Nirvana cannot 0:09:24.071,0:09:28.558 be described as the deepest teachings. 0:09:28.799,0:09:34.996 Whether you are thinking of[br]cause and effect, rebirth, retribution; 0:09:39.276,0:09:46.950 if your teaching, if your practice does[br]not reflect the insight of impermanence, 0:09:47.024,0:09:53.234 no-self, and Nirvana, that is not truly[br]the teaching of the Buddha. 0:09:54.409,0:09:59.804 So there are many things that have 0:09:59.971,0:10:06.270 come from the teachings of[br]the Vedas, the Upanishads. 0:10:07.071,0:10:11.623 We know that before the Buddha[br]there was already the belief, 0:10:12.023,0:10:21.647 in reincarnation, and in retribution;[br]that is not invented by the Buddha. 0:10:21.872,0:10:31.040 The teaching of retribution, reincarnation[br]existed before the coming of the Buddha. 0:10:31.973,0:10:40.021 But these teachings are based upon the[br]existence of a self. 0:10:40.021,0:10:45.994 The Buddha although he teaches[br]the continuation, life after life, 0:10:46.223,0:10:52.467 his teaching is based[br]on the insight of no self, 0:10:52.467,0:10:59.579 impermanence, and finally, nirvana,[br]no birth and no death. 0:11:03.421,0:11:09.377 That kind of belief, [br]which is not purely Buddhist, 0:11:09.377,0:11:11.284 can also help. 0:11:15.287,0:11:20.442 There are those who believe that[br]the pureland of Amitabha Buddha 0:11:20.567,0:11:26.554 is not here,[br]but in the direction of the west, 0:11:26.707,0:11:32.517 and you get there only after you die. 0:11:32.608,0:11:40.242 There are those who also have[br]a better, a different view, 0:11:40.427,0:11:44.924 We know that the true pure land[br]is in the here and the now, 0:11:45.212,0:11:49.952 and there is no time[br]to be in the west, or in the east. 0:11:50.260,0:11:52.679 When your mind is pure, 0:11:52.922,0:11:57.655 then the land is pure also,[br]at the same time. 0:11:57.954,0:12:04.563 That goes more in the direction[br]of right view. 0:12:05.088,0:12:10.498 The spirit of Buddhism[br]is that of tolerance. 0:12:11.021,0:12:16.390 There are those who cannot[br]understand deep Buddhism. 0:12:16.602,0:12:24.997 We have to allow them to embrace[br]a form of Buddhism that is more diluted, 0:12:26.803,0:12:32.107 like medicine with some sugar in it. 0:12:32.312,0:12:35.119 They help. 0:12:35.263,0:12:40.629 So we are not criticizing them because[br]their teaching, their belief, 0:12:40.951,0:12:47.001 does not go perfectly with[br]the Ultimate Truth. 0:12:47.786,0:12:52.001 Because we have compassion, 0:12:52.134,0:12:57.790 because we have understanding,[br]then compassion is possible. 0:12:57.790,0:13:06.334 The real true Buddhist is always tolerant,[br]not a fanatic. 0:13:06.616,0:13:10.106 If you are skillful,[br]you can lead them slowly, 0:13:10.201,0:13:14.038 so that they gradually[br]abandon their wrong view, 0:13:14.247,0:13:21.256 and get a better and better view[br]all the time. 0:13:21.513,0:13:26.245 That may apply to all of us. 0:13:26.524,0:13:30.833 In the beginning we have had an idea[br]about the Three Jewels, 0:13:30.930,0:13:33.647 Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. 0:13:34.123,0:13:35.888 After ten years of practice, 0:13:36.035,0:13:37.894 you have a better view of 0:13:37.898,0:13:39.550 Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, 0:13:39.680,0:13:42.974 and after fifty years,[br]we have a deeper understanding of 0:13:43.073,0:13:45.756 Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, 0:13:45.889,0:13:50.826 so according to that[br]we learn the lesson of tolerance. 0:13:51.060,0:13:58.657 We should not think that our view[br]is the best. 0:13:58.874,0:14:05.860 We are making progress, 0:14:05.973,0:14:08.920 we are ready to abandon our[br]present view, 0:14:09.044,0:14:11.916 in order to get a better view. 0:14:11.955,0:14:16.676 That is the practice of[br]non-attachment to view. 0:14:16.918,0:14:20.714 In Buddhism if you have that insight, 0:14:20.917,0:14:25.913 you will be very tolerant and [br]you accept other forms of Buddhism 0:14:26.283,0:14:28.377 You don't criticize. 0:14:29.291,0:14:34.386 Only you can help people to have,[br]a better view and a better practice. 0:14:34.649,0:14:41.866 That is why there should not be,[br]conflict and war between Buddhist schools. 0:14:42.906,0:14:44.870 There has been the reality. 0:14:45.015,0:14:46.722 There are so many schools in Buddhism, 0:14:46.894,0:14:52.298 but they never organized any holy war,[br]in order to fight each other. 0:14:53.019,0:14:57.842 We should be able to keep[br]that tradition of tolerance. 0:14:58.224,0:15:01.409 Tolerance, not because you are forced[br]to be tolerant, 0:15:01.703,0:15:06.737 but because you have Right View,[br]that is why your heart is open, 0:15:07.293,0:15:09.883 that is why you can tolerate those,[br] 0:15:10.029,0:15:14.612 who do not have[br]the same kind of view as yours. 0:15:14.969,0:15:18.908 You should try with loving speech,[br]and deep listening, 0:15:19.063,0:15:22.876 to help him or her to abandon their view, 0:15:23.018,0:15:31.485 that may still have fanaticism[br]or things like that in it. 0:15:36.599,0:15:40.659 Here we learn that the present moment 0:15:42.859,0:15:48.631 is not something[br]that can exist independently, 0:15:48.773,0:15:52.956 from the past or the future. 0:15:53.059,0:15:57.664 You cannot cut and separate, 0:15:57.871,0:16:00.407 the past, present and future. 0:16:00.602,0:16:03.785 The three times, past, present and future, 0:16:03.916,0:16:05.621 they inter-are. 0:16:06.258,0:16:10.985 In any one of them, you see the other two. 0:16:11.245,0:16:13.934 That is why if you touch[br]the present moment deeply, 0:16:14.084,0:16:18.184 you touch the past,[br]and you touch the future. 0:16:21.334,0:16:30.929 The past is still available,[br]and the future is only available. 0:16:30.929,0:16:34.238 That is the insight you get, 0:16:34.472,0:16:37.904 when you meditate on the nature,[br]of the inter-being of time. 0:16:44.254,0:16:47.250 (Half-Bell) 0:16:49.071,0:16:54.147 (Bell)