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A NEWSLETTER OF SIDDHARTHA’S INTENT April 2005 IN THIS ISSUE THE WHEEL OF LIFE DALAI LAMA AT CHÖKYI LODRÖ COLLEGE OF DIALECTICS INTERVIEW WITH VENERABLE TENZIN PALMO BRINGING MEDITATION TO THE PATH Gentle Voice : April 2005 The Wheel Of Life by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche The previous issue of the Gentle Voice featured a teaching intention of, ‘This is the politically correct thing to do,’ by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche on the Wheel of Life, a and that’s arrogance, isn’t it? And I guess when you go Buddhist depiction of life painted on the walls of many through that anti-war demonstration, shouting at some of monasteries. Here is the second half of that talk. the scapegoats that we have elected with our own choice, that’s what I call the god realm — self-righteousness, a So we have six realms. Loosely, you can say when the politically correct kind of compassion, a ‘do the right perception comes more from aggression, you experience thing’ attitude. That’s so godly, so very, very arrogant. things in a hellish way. When your perception is filtered And probably, at some time during the day, you go through attachment, grasping or miserliness, you through a nice time and this nice time you don’t want to experience the hungry ghost realm. When your share with others. Maybe that is the hungry ghost realm. perception is filtered through ignorance, then you So when we talk about six realms, actually we are experience the animal realm. When you have a lot of talking about experiences that can come within the pride, you are reborn in the god realm. When you have course of a day. It’s not a different place. jealousy, you are reborn in the asura realm. When you have a lot of passion, you are reborn in the human realm. Now the most important aspect of this wheel of life is this: wherever you are — it doesn’t matter whether you But the word ‘born’ or ‘reborn’ means a lot. It does not are in hell, heaven, the hungry ghost realm or wherever necessarily mean that right now we are all in the human — you are under one law, under one authority, under one realm and we are not in the other five realms. Depending dictator. Who is this? It’s this hideous man; you’re under on what kind of karma we create, we will go to other his claws, under his fangs. Who is this? Time. This realms. If the karma to be reborn or to experience the monster represents time. And what is so bad about it? hell realm is the strongest, then you will, I guess, change Oh, it is, because time means uncertainty, this form and then with another form you will experience impermanence, change. a hellish kind of perception. But according to Mahayana Buddhism the six realms are something that can happen Of course, it has its positives, but usually we don’t realise during the course of a day! them so much. For example, you could be experiencing the god realm, but it’s changeable. If it doesn’t change For instance, when you wake up in the morning you may today, it will change tomorrow. You could be experiencing be quite dull and kind of stupid or still drowsy. Maybe the hell realm — changeable! In this case it’s good news. you are going through the animal realm — a late night Wherever you are, including experiencing the three out or a sleepless or depressed night. Perhaps after you poisons (ignorance, passion and aggression), it is wake up, someone you dislike calls you and your day is impermanent and that’s time.So what is the purpose of our ruined first thing in the morning. Then you really get life? To get out of this wheel of life. Liberation is when angry and that’s the hell realm. In order to get out of that you get out of this existence. hellish situation you watch television. Maybe you happen to watch Baywatch. (I’m talking about a man, by the Q: What is it that is liberated? way, a straight man.) You feel a little turned on with all R: Good question — this pig. So therefore the snake and these sights on Baywatch. And so, maybe at that time, the bird also get liberated. Liberated from what? From you go through the human realm. Once you finish these six perceptions. Working with perception is watching that, you go for a walk and your next-door actually the main path of Buddhism. It’s all to do with neighbour, who is actually quite old and geeky-looking, that. And it’s rightfully so, because it’s all your happens to be walking towards you with a most beautiful perception that’s dictating your life, isn’t it? For instance, girl on his arm. Then you have a little bit of envy or when you love someone it is your perception that is jealousy, ‘My God, of all people — him?’ That’s the dictating your romance, your relationship. If that asura realm. perception gets disturbed even slightly, your outlook towards this person is definitely changed. Maybe After that you go to an anti-war demonstration, but not someone at last tells you that a person you have been necessarily with a good intention. It’s more with the dating for twenty years has a tail growing on a certain Gentle Voice : page 2 Gentle Voice : April 2005 full-moon day. And if you can be convinced of that, then If we talk about hierarchy or if we need to judge the your perception of this person who you have been dating value of these six realms, the Buddhists would say the for twenty years changes. Next time he calls you, you best realm is the human realm. Why is this the best have to think twice! realm? Because you have a choice. Where does this choice come from? The gods don’t have a choice. Why? These perceptions are very roughly divided into six. They’re too happy. When you are too happy you have no That’s all it is. Actually, Buddhists themselves say that choice. You become arrogant. The hell realm: no choice, these are not the only perceptions that we have, but this too painful. The human realm: not too happy and also is the generalisation of the perceptions that we have. not too painful. When you are not so happy and not in so Working with perception is really the fundamental much pain, what does that mean? A step closer to the foundation of the Buddhist path, especially in the normality of mind, remember? When you are really, Vajrayana. For instance, in the Sakyapas’ teachings on really excited and in ecstasy, there is no normality of path and fruit, there is a whole segment called Triple mind. And when you are totally in pain, you don’t Vision and there this is taught so much. experience normality of mind either. So someone in the human realm has the best chance of acquiring that It’s very strange, even some cultures are more animal- normality of mind. And this is why in Buddhist prayers oriented, some are more god-oriented and some are more you will always read: ideally may we get out of this human-oriented. Now, although for the sake of place, but if we can’t do it within this life, may we be communication, we have to divide perceptions into the reborn in the human realm, not the others. The human three lower realms and the three upper realms, we are not realm is preferable to the god realm. necessarily saying that one is better than the other. Buddhists are not judging. Do you know why? Because Q: Mr. Time seems pretty imposing. Is the whole point according to Buddhism, anyone who is in this man’s of this to escape Mr Time, to get out of his grip? clutches is useless, be it in the god realm or the hell R: Yes, that’s liberation. We have to go beyond time. If realm. Hierarchy doesn’t have much importance here. we liberate ourselves from time and space, then that’s it. They are all equally useless, equally unimportant. Then we have done our job. There is no past, there is no present, there is no future. Then there is no Mr Sigmund One can easily say that the war that has been going on in Freud. We can’t brood about our past childhood and all Palestine and Israel shows the asura realm, the demigod of that! realm. And if you see the hunger and starvation of Ethiopia, India or Bangladesh, you can almost say this is (The Gentle Voice would like to thank Tom Pengelly and the hungry ghost realm. And if you see the endless, Claire Blaxell for this transcription. For recordings of insatiable mind that requires all kinds of hideous toys to this teaching phone Anna Vlajkovic on 02 9518 1363 or arouse it, like leather and chains and stuff like that, email [email protected].) I think we are experiencing a bit of the animal realm, don’t you? Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche seals the boundary for the three-year retreat, Vajradhara Gonpa, January 2005 (Photo Ianina Munarski) Gentle Voice : page 3 Gentle Voice : April 2005 Dalai Lama At Chökyi Lodrö College Of Dialectics From Chauntra, India, Noa Jones reports on the Early on the first day, as the air filled with aromatic inauguration of the new Chökyi Lodrö College of smoke and jubilant trumpets sang, His Holiness the Dialectics.