Linda: Motivational Lecture, April 29 AM

Motivational Lecture
Wednesday Morning, April 29
Verse 4 The Way of the Bodhisattva

So hard to find such ease and wealth
Whereby to render meaningful this human birth!
If now I fail to turn to it to my profit,
How could such a chance be mine again?

This is from Chapter 1: The Chapter of Benefits for practicing a path with the spirit of enlightenment. The first part discusses the basics necessary to develop a spirit of enlightenment and the wonder to having developed it. The second part describes these benefits.

We have the basics necessary. We have an excellent body. We have an excellent mind. With these two things, it really is possible to develop the spirit of enlightenment. First, there is a mental concomitance, which is an appreciation of the Revelation, in this case the Greater Vehicle of the Mahayana. And with the light of that appreciation, one will want (act of the will to DO what the mind knows it right and good) to put this knowledge into action.

We have the physical basis to develop this spirit of enlightenment. We have the 8 Freedoms and the 10 Good Fortunes AND we need these 8 freedoms and 10 good fortunes. They allow us to develop the spirit of enlightenment and to engage in the activities and nature of the bodhisattva. We have the “ease” which are the 8 Freedoms (not born in the lower realms of hungry ghosts or hell beings or in realms of gods who are deep in concentration or in pleasure so they do not progress, we are not born in a time of darkness, we are not born in a place remote from the teachings, we are not mentally defective or even physically defective which also has its obstacles, and we do not have wrong views which create an aversion to seeking the path. NOTE: This does not mean that one does not have doubts! It means that the doubts one may have are not of such a firm belief that they are against the basic tenets, especially the idea of rebirth and the idea that one’s actions will have a consequence. It is the possibility (and then certitude) of these two ideas that gives the impetus for spiritual action.

Story: A lay person was speaking with a monk and rejoicing in the freedom that the ordained person had. The monk told him, “You are free to practice, too! You do not need to be ordained to practice the path.” The man then said, “This is true! I have the 8 Freedoms, but I am caught in the 9th Non-freedom, and that Non-freedom is that I am not interested. I keep myself too busy to practice.” The monk then said that this is a problem for monks as well. They can be too busy doing trade for the monastery, etc. SO, even if one has the 8 Freedoms, one must also check that one is not caught in the 9th Non-Freedom state. Conclusion: We have the freedom to practice. If we want to practice, we can.

So, the “ease” mentioned in Verse 4 are the 8 Freedoms and the “wealth” are the 10 Good Fortunes: The 5 internal are being born human, in a place where there is access to teachings, that we have our faculties, that we have not, at least in this life, done any grievous crimes such as matricide/patricide/killing a realized saint/drawing blood from a Buddha/ or creating divisiveness or encouraged others to create divisiveness in a spiritual community, and we listen to the teachings, the inspiration, and the lessons of teachers. The 5 External Good Fortunes are that the Buddha (or any Revealer) has been here, that he taught, that the teachings still exist and are not corrupted, that there are those who practice the teachings and can be our role models, and that there are those in the community who will therefore help and support you. Even though the Buddha is not physically present, this is still considered the Time of the Buddha. We are still within that time frame and there WILL be teachers available. It is true that a given teacher may not be as pristine as their predecessor, that it has weakened, but it is still alive! This includes scriptural teachings and the embodiment of insights from those teachings. There are those who understand both and are still present, who do practice what should be practiced!

Since we have all 18 attributes, we should feel truly happy. It should fill us with joy. And this joy will want to use this opportunity and will want to use it well. It will not want to waste this chance because this kind of life is something very hard to come by. This kind of birth in which all 18 attributes are in place is of a high status! To have had such a rebirth means that one had achieved a special virtue in a previous existence.

Chandraketti (an earlier teacher) defined ordinary beings as those who have not yet entered the paths of spiritual practice. It can also mean those who have not attained the fruit of that practice, but in general it means those who have not yet started a practice. **** Our first wish should be a constant wish to be free from the cyclic condition, to be free from the possibility of rebirth in a lower state. Now, an ordinary being is one who practiced and enjoyed ethical discipline (do the right things and do not do harmful things). This is the absolute minimum to enjoy rebirth in a human or celestial realm. One will not enjoy a positive rebirth if one does not practice ethical discipline. Ethical discipline is not the only cause of rebirth in a human or celestial state, but it is the prerequisite – it is essential! Ethical discipline is difficult, therefore achieving a positive rebirth is difficult! Look at ourselves and others. Those who are interested in doing good are fewer than those who want to do negative things. It takes effort to have ethical discipline. It does not come naturally to do positive things. It is easy and automatic to do negative things! Because virtue is rare, good rebirth is rare. Ethical discipline means practicing the 6 Perfections: generosity, patience, moral attitude, ?, concentration, developing understanding. Practice generosity and don’t worry about daily living. Be ethical. Ask for the ability to have ceaseless, stainless prayers so that one can continue to have the circumstances to continue to practice a spiritual life in future rebirths.

If you want to know what your past life was like, look at your life now! (It was good – you have the 18 Positive Attributes). If you want to know what your next life will be, look at your mind. Create the right causes now in order to create the kind of life you want later.

*** Even if rebirth in a human or celestial state is rare, it will not be rare for us!! We want to go from one good birth to another so that we are never without the opportunity to achieve what we want. SO USE THIS TIME WELL!!!! Having the human state is difficult, don’t waste the opportunity. Again, reflect on the number of animals that fill our world and the number of people who are not in a position to know and have what we have.

Story: There is a turtle living on the bottom of the ocean. Floating on the surface of the ocean, tossed by wind and wave, is a golden yoke. What’s more, the turtle is blind and only comes to the surface once every hundred years. The random chance of birth in a human or celestial realm is the chance of the turtle putting its head through the golden yoke.
Ocean = worldly existence – all space and all time
Turtle = us
On the Ocean floor = mostly our bad rebirths, one’s in which the 18 Attributes are not
present.
Golden Yoke = a valid spiritual path. The gold is heavy, so it is only on the surface occasionally. This adds to the miracle of putting one’s head through the yoke.
Every 100 years = the chance to even come to the surface, to be born human – but not
necessarily with the 18 Attributes.
The Golden Yoke is the one entrance – it is the entrance through the teachings. One must
take refuge in the Teacher, in the teachings, and in spiritual company (the 3 Jewels).
Blind: The possibility that, even if one has access to the yoke, that one will not put one’s
head in, will not be interested.

Attaining a rebirth in a human or celestial realm is like that turtle putting its head through the yoke. The Buddha said that those who go from a bad to good rebirth or good to good rebirth is like the number of dust motes on your thumbnail. And the number of good to bad or bad to bad rebirths is as many as all the particles in the entire world.

This is overwhelming. “This is terrifying!!” But you can do something about it!” You can die joyfully and with ease. If you train yourself in kindheartedness, a positive rebirth is guaranteed! Train the mind and pray to be reborn in a positive state.

Story: A mother and daughter were in a coracle, trying to cross the Brahmaputra River. The boat capsized, and the only thought of the mother was that the wish that her daughter survive. And the only thought of the daughter was the wish that the mother survive. They both drowned, but a clairvoyant lama said that because they both died thinking of the other, that they both had a good rebirth. Mothers have compassion for their children. And children have some compassion for their parents. It might be mixed with clinging attachment and other complications, but the compassion is real, it is virtuous, it is benevolence, it is altruistic. And with this kind of compassion, one will not have a bad rebirth.

Points to Contemplate is the preciousness of one’s present situation: the causes of it, what it is compared to others in this world, the analogy with the turtle, the numerical analogy with dust, and to take joy in this knowledge. Do not waste this opportunity. Do something worthwhile. Engage in transcending yourself.