Farmer Sangay: What does it mean by enlightenment? And can it be achieved by any ordinary people like myself, like, who lives every day as a farmer. Or many people who are ordinary common man, do you think there’s a potential for these people to be enlightened as well, la?
Kalu Rinpoche: I, I think everybody has a potential to be, meaning of, you know, to reach the enlightenment. And I think the perception of the enlightenment has to bring little bit more closer to our life, that is very important.
Because when we think about the meaning of enlightenment, we imagine a Buddha, you know, like a yellow bowl on his crown and radiance and lighting everywhere and speaking multiple language, in a multiple realms at the, simultaneously, at the same time. That’s what we imagine the meaning of enlightenment, in a traditional way of belief of enlightenment, it says, you know, it takes three lifetimes, you know?
But, like an example, the old origin of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage goes all the way back to the Milarepa, you know? So he achieved enlightenment in a single lifetime, you know? So, I think it really depends on how you reflect to the meaning of life itself, because enlightenment is not an object. It’s not an idea, and how you reflect the meaning of renunciation and how you reflect the, you know, you know, the meaning of the time, the meaning of life, the meaning of suffering, and how you reflect, and how you react, and how you overcome makes the difference, you know? Your final destination.
Because thinking only that “everything is suffering”, everybody can think like that, no? Everybody, even a business man have to, business man and woman, have to think that time is precious, you know? “Time is precious”, everybody has that concept.
Farmer Sangay: Is enlightenment an elimination of suffering, la?
Kalu Rinpoche: Yes yes. Elimination of all the suffering, and then, even the subtle level of ignorance, abandoning that, you know? So as we progress over the time, you know, the very existence of the ignorance, the very existence of the attachment, reduces over the time, you know?
But when you reach to the level of Bodhisattva, then the level of ignorance is still there, but not to the point that where it can change your destiny or your future. But when you become enlightenment, even to the slightest level of ignorance, slightest level of negativity is completely distinguished, then you become enlightened – awakened one.
H.E. Kalu Rinpoche live with local youth and other individuals co-creating a public spiritual space.
H.E Kalu Rinpoche – Farmer Sangay Q&A Dharma Event (31’ 28”)
To be continued …
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