And you have to understand that it’s not a practice that you should apply before or after. It’s a practice you must apply right away. When somebody praises you, then you say to yourself, when your pride kicks in, then you look at the pride “Ah, this is a pride, this is nothing really important, this is simply an illusion, haha” then you laugh little bit, inside. Of course you don’t laugh outside, otherwise you will be perceived like a madman.
And then you dissolve that. You dissolve the very illusion of the pride, such expectation of yourself. And then when you do that again, again, again, again, again, then such criticism towards you can be seen just echo of the sound.
And there was also a time that I was walking in a street, few years ago, and then some group of people, they mistook me as a tourist guide who stole their wallet, phone, they thought it was me. And then of course they beat me up in a street and even in that very moment, and after that, I never felt any anger to them. Instead I even offer them money, I said “if you need any money, if you need financial support, you let me know, I’m happy to help, but please don’t do that to other people”, I even offer my advice to them. I said “you don’t do that”.
It was at least 7 people who really kicked me in the street, in a night time, because I was simply walking and they thought I was an Asian tourist guide who stole their phone and wallet. So, and then they realized after that it was actually not the tourist guide, then they realized who I am, and I said “Well, that was your mistake, you didn’t do it intentionally, but please do not do to other people. Investigate. If you do this to other people, then you will be in much more worse trouble. For me, you have done it. Of course you hurt my face, you almost broken my teeth, but it’s okay. But if your family members are stuck here, then I can offer you help”, then they said “No, no, no, no, we don’t need your help, we are so sorry”, and they are more afraid that I will press the charges. Then I said “No. No, no, no. I will not press the charges, don’t worry”, then I left.
So it’s like that. So that kind of thing happened. But then, in that very moment, I did not, the anger did not raise in the mind. Not during that time. Not after. And not even now, after many years. So that’s something you have to, if you can practice in a comfortable, not just doing some kind of a Shine practice, but, like example, examining the very definition of the pride.
Like an example, like when you have a very strong sensation to a beautiful figure. Like an example, you see a beautiful object, and then your mind is saying “wow look at this beautiful object, and I really want that”. In that very moment, you tell yourself, “everything is impermanence, if you put this object upside down, open that up, it doesn’t look the same anymore, it doesn’t please your mind anymore”, then you say “See? That is an illusion”.
Like an example, this is called San Pellegrino, some kind of a well known sparkling water. Then we say, “Ah, look at this San Pellegrino, made by gold and silver”, but then if you put this brand upside down, and mix all the letters together, then of course it is no longer the San Pellegrino. Then your mind is no longer attracted. You try to apply to this kind of method, and then when the anger arises, and then you can gently overcome. And then once you overcome that very sensation of anger, again and again, when you overcome that, and then when there’s an actual physical challenges with other people, then you can actually overcome at that stage also. That’s the worst scenario, but you can also overcome in that stage.
So that’s that.
Kalu Rinpoche
FB Livestream – 23 August 2020 (43′ 13”)
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