So now we are going to focus on the Kyepusumgye lamrim.
So keep in mind, there will be some time, this won’t be like a regular online teaching, okay? So I just want to remind everybody that there will be some numbers like this, this, this, this, that, make a note.
And if you think you’re very smart, then keep in your mind. If you think that I maybe my brain is not UpToDate, then try to make a note. Because I will question you. It may be not now, maybe later, maybe the next session. So that’s that.
So just make sure that whenever I chant this, this is what Taranatha said, number one, number two, number three, number four. Due to number one, there is number two. Due to number two, there’s number three. So it will keep on coming back and forth. Like, what is the cause of the anger? The cause of the anger is aggression. What is the cause of aggression? The cause of aggression is incontent. What is the cause of incontent? The cause of incontent is not recognizing the ego and the illusion as it is, therefore, there’s incontent or ignorance. The incontent, and then therefore, there’s aggression, then there’s anger, then there’s such behavior and impact in our life or to others due to anger, right?
So, we should not view the anger as the absolute problem. We should view where the anger come from. And then we when we reach to the conclusion, it comes from the state of the aggression. Once we concluded that, then we will go to the next, where is the incontent? And what is the meaning of incontent? Not recognizing the illusion as it is due to the ignorance state.
So you have to remember, when I say ignorant, it has nothing to do with your degree. It has absolutely nothing to do with how smart you are, how tricky you are, how successful you are, and how rich you are or poor you are. It really doesn’t count any of that. Because in our life, when we say, ‘Oh, you’re a very stupid person, or ignorant person’, in life. But in Buddhism, we don’t say that you’re ignorant person. We view the state of the ignorant beyond the human identity.
In our society, we judge on other people based on what they have achieved in life. So if they have achieved less, then we say, ‘You’re ignorant, you’re stupid, you’re nobody’, right? And if you have achieved or succeed something, we say, ‘You’re smart, intelligent, you’re brave, you’re courageous’ or something. We complement them.
But in Buddhist approach, ignorant is not based on the social status, it is not based on the human identity. We view the state of the ignorant separate from all of these, more or less the cause of all the negativities, let’s put it like this. We view it more differently, we view it more beyond that.
So you should not say, ‘Oh, you’re not doing well with your practice, and therefore, you’re ignorant’, and then kind of switching off your mind. You should not do that, that is not healthy.
Because ignorant will be there for a very long time, no matter what you say to yourself, ignorant will be there. So don’t judge yourself too harsh, because eventually, that doesn’t help anybody. It doesn’t help yourself. It’s good to admit yourself, in your practice, not in front of people, in you practice, which kind of brings more genuine humbleness in your heart, and a genuine and clear mindset towards the Dharma in one’s own life as well. So you confess in a state of when you’re practicing, but you don’t have to confess to other people that you have a state of ignorance.
We view the state of the ignorant as, as a separate thing, which is more beyond than the human identity or the social status. So that’s something you have to keep in mind. So if just because you could not memorize some Buddhist text, you should not call yourself ignorant. You should not tell other people that other person is ignorant. That is shaming, public shaming. From the human point ,that is wrong. From the Buddhist point, that is wrong. So we cannot shame anybody who know less than you. So anybody who knows much more than you, then you still, “That’s good”. You praise them. What’s wrong with that? If there’s anybody who knows less than you, you should not criticize them, you say, ‘Oh, okay’ as a friendly reminder, then you can help them in a more family approach.
So that’s just a small tip that I want to give it to you.
Kalu Rinpoche
Teaching on Stages in the Path of Illusion, Lesson 1, Part 8
7th Aug. 2021
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