One of the difficulties we have with Buddhism here in the United States, in my opinion, is language.

As in the case of the lineage of Buddhism that I follow, Vajrayana, its original source is contained in Tibetan texts and transmissions. While there are still limitations and misunderstandings even in Tibetan, the misunderstandings can grow exponentially when the teachings and concepts are translated into another language.

We as practicitioners must be especially careful not to apply “strict” English definitions to critical term translated from Tibetan, Sanskrit, Pali, or other languages. We must take the time to look deeper into what is meant. Why? The translated word can create obstacles, confusion, and resistance to the teachings.

A few examples are helpful. Look at the word “renunciation.” In English, my dictionary says “The act of giving up a right, title, or possession; renouncing.” Further looking at “renouncing.” I find “to declare that one gives up; give up entirely.”

This can be very misleading. Many people ask me about this, especially non-Buddhist practicitioners. They have heard or read that Buddhist renounce the world and everything close to them. Immediately, they find this displeasing and discount Buddhism because of this.

However, the term renunciation is the common translation of two different Tibetan words: (1) nges ‘byung and (2) spang-ba. Most of the time teachers and teachings are referring to nges ‘byung.(pronounce “nejung”) As Khenpo Sonam explained to me, nejung is the mental liberation or transformation to be free from the craving for mundane values including fame, praise, wealth, objects, etc. It is this transformation that results from fully realizing and confirming that these cravings are the source of cyclical existence and suffering. It is not the physical separation from objects, things, and people.

The essence is that I can still live in my house, love my wife and children, and buy CD’s and still practice nejung. Hearing that we must “renounce” the samsaric world is very different when I realize that they are referring to giving up the craving for mundane values and things. I now understand that they are telling me to give up expectation that the world can every provide me with things that will make me happy.

Example 2: A favorite example of mine is the word “love.” As in “I promise to love all sentient beings.” (My wife had a real hard time with this one!-especially being Brasilian).

Most commonly this is the translation of the Tibetan term “byams-pa” or “byams pa chen-po” (Great love). In Tibetan this term means the wish for others to enjoy happiness. In the case of Great love (byampa chenpo) it is the altruistic mental attitude to wish all sentient being to enjoy happiness, to be happy.

So looking at what is meant by the Tibetan term byampa, there are two big confusions that we have here. First, it is possible to “love” all beings because it does not mean that we want to sleep with them. It means that we want them to be happy.

Second, it is not possible to love an object under the Tibetan term byampa. We cannot love a house, a job, a picture, etc. in the Tibetan use of the word. It is absurd to think “I want my house to be happy” or “I want that picture to enjoy happiness.”

I will never forget Khenpo Choga Rinpoche laughing with his entire body when someone in a teaching said that they “loved” their new car.
He said “Reeeaaally? You love your car? You want your car to be happy?” and just start to laugh and laugh.

There are many of these misunderstandings and limitations to translations. I do not feel that there is a simple answer to surmounting the errors. Unfortunately for now, I just need to spend time learning the meaning of teachings, deconstruct the terms translated, and not get stuck on the words being used.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Khenpo Sonam completed teachings on Patrul Rinpoche’s text on the Bodhicharyavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva) last week. His focus on practice and taking the vows of a Bodhisattva were really wonderful. Accepting these vows, we learned, are to be considered very carefully before agreeing to take the vows.

As always, teachers always focus on the importance of listening (learning), contemplating, and meditating on the teachings. Khenpo Sonam emphasized the importance of contemplation one of the evenings.

Listening to the teachings can be likened to being given training on the use and the methods to sharpen our Dharma Sword.

Contemplation is the sharpening of the sword. It is where we attend to the tools we have be given to refine and sharpen them.

Meditation is the time to actually put our Dharma Sword to use to cut through delusion, negative emotions, and obstacles as they arise.

Khenpo Sonam spent time explaining that the contemplation time is critical to sharpen our skills. It is very much like practicing and training time for any endeavor. Then we are fully prepared to put our finely sharpened sword to use whenever a situation arises.

There is no way to go from learning/listening to application. One must train and practice in preparation of the time when we need to use what we have learned.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

"Withdrawing completely from things that excite us,
Our mental disturbances slowly decline.
And ridding our mind of directionless wandering,
Attention in virtue will surely increase.
As wisdom shines clearer, the world comes in focus,
Our confidence grows in Dharma we’ve learned.
Live all alone far away in seclusion
The Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way."

Hmm! So what is this all about? In the second stanza we were told to leave our homes, here in the third, we are advised to live in seclusion. So what gives?

I will recall teachings on this stanza. The essence of this stanza, like the previous stanza, is rather harsh. Togmay Songpo tells us that it is best if we live in seclusion – away from society and other people. First, I want to mention why this would be advised.

The initial stages of the practice of a bodhisattva are mixed with many opportunities to break our vows. As Khenpo Sonam taught it is the vow of the Bodhisattva to refrain from negative thinking. As stated in the first line of this stanza, when we withdraw completely from those things that “excite us” our negative thoughts naturally decline. It is through avoidance of the triggers that we can attain some stability in our thinking swiftly. Otherwise, we are faced with a much more challenging task.

Browsing through fashion magazines, for many, will give rise to many unproductive emotions. For some, it may give rise to desire. For others, it may be jealousy. Still others, it may be anger.

My teachers have taught me that there are 84,000 afflictive emotions. However, they can all be bundled into 5 primary negative emotions:

(1) Desire/Attachment
(2) Hatred/Anger
(3) Jealousy
(4) Pride
(5) Ignorance/Wrong Thinking

As a Bodhisattva, we vow to never allow these negative emotions to rise in our minds.

Initially, we must exert much effort to even lessen the arising of these emotions. We must catch them arising and apply methods to rid them from our mind. The most basic method is to change our focus. Change the channel.

When we see the disgusting on TV, we change the station. Turn on a nice comedy sitcom. It is at this level that Gyalse Togme tells us to live in seclusion.

For many of us, it is not realistic for us to abandon our homes, leave our friends and family, and live in seclusion. At least not without, causing much hardship and difficulties for others.

Lama Osel, told me that it is not so very important that you physically go into seclusion if you can put your mind into seclusion. Physically going into seclusion is support for our minds and thinking. However, it is not mandatory or necessary.

In the second section, we are advised to not have our mind (and thinking) wandering directionless. The result is attention on virtue will increase. To focus on the practices and teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha keeps my thinking from wandering without direction.

As we avoid harmful thoughts and increase our meritous thinking, wisdom shines within us and the truth of the world comes in focus. We begin to see the world as it truly is…with wisdom.

While is not possible for me to go into physical seclusion, it is possible for me to place my mind into seclusion. To go on retreat from the those things which give rise to negative emotions/ negative thinking.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Khenpo Sonam is here giving teachings on Patrul Rinpoche’s Chod Jug Gom Rim, a step by step manual on practice for the Way of the Bodhisattva.

Tuesday evening Khenpo Sonam told us the story of a Tibetan logger and his son. It seems that every morning, Tashi use to go up in the local mountain and cut down some trees and bring them back home. Unfortunately, one day he carelessly got in the way of a falling tree. The tree hit him and he died up in the forest.

Tsering, his son, depended on his father and was very concerned when he failed to return that afternoon. He went up in the mountain to look for his father only to find him dead under a tree. Tsering was very sad, but he was also very angry. He became very very angry at the tree.

The anger grew to becoming angry at all the trees. So from then on, whenever and wherever, he saw a tree he would become very angry. You can imagine that he spend a large portion of his life being angry.

Like Tsering, we all have things that give rise to anger and negative thinking. Whether these things are people, situations, or trees; they are all just as ridiculous.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Wow!

So I finally got it today. I was listening to Diane Rhems program on the recap of the news for the last week. As I was listening to the recap and comments by the news correspondences, I think I finally asked the right question:

Why are we so focused on what is going on in Iraq?

Okay so the US wiped out their government. The US wiped out their infrastructure. The US opened up the country to civil conflict. This is a problem. But why are we here in the United States so focused on this conflict.

The world population is at about 6.58 billion. Iraq represents some
0.395% (about 26 million) of the world population. It’s a significant population but not worth some 80% of the news media and US government’s attention. What’s going on with the balance of the
99.605% of the world population. Are they doing okay?

So here it where it comes down. We focus on the “issue of the week.” Sometimes it is issue of the day. In this case, maybe it should be called issue of the year or maybe issue of this presidency. It the long run this is just a blip in the world history as well as the history of the US.

I realize that there are US troops in Iraq. I realize that it is going to be very difficult to figure out how our government is going to get out of there….especially because I am sure that the planners cannot figure out what we are doing there now. Afterall, the US government took out their government. Now the country is going through the process to work through internal issues between various groups who want to protect there own interests.

I do not think that the United States can solve their problems. Maybe we can keep the hostility down. Maybe not.

So I think that I will stop listening to reports of this matter. It is a waste of my time to think any further on this matter. There are far greater issues for me to be focus. That will include all 6.58 billion human beings and countless numbers of animals and other beings in this Universe.

Bottom line for me is choose what I pay attention to and not permit the story of the day to control my thinking and focus.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff