Understanding Karma & Vipaka: Why Seeking Revenge is Pointless

0:00Before we begin, let us take a moment to put our hands together to worship, to supply one the incomparable one, the compassionate one, the Tadagata by chanting Namaskara three times altogether with me. With the blessings of the Buddha, the Mahasangha, how has the weather been treating you?

1:09For some reason for the last two or three days, it has been incredibly sunny. Last week, what we had was rain. It's very interesting, because when it rains, you think we wish you stop raining. When it's sunny, you think, oh, I wish it starts raining. When you get this, you know, you come to realise how untalespied the mind is, no matter what, there's always a void that you're trying to feel. When it's sunny, you think, let it rain. When it rains, you think, let it be sunny. When it's hot, you think that it'd be cold. When it's cold, you think, you know, I wish the sun was out a bit more. And therefore, because of the sudden changes in weather, I think a lot of people have been pretty sick these days. But it's always very interesting. I think I find it all very interesting to see how, you know, how myself and other people

2:11respond, because we're talking about minds. Because in general, all minds work very similar way. And so it's very interesting to see how this mind, as well as minds in general, how they work, how they see things in one way and another person sees it in a completely different way. For example, if I asked you, what do you prefer? The sun, the rain, the storm, whether it's hot, whether it's cold, and we all have our preferences already in your head, you think, you know, what, I wish it rains today. Some of us will think, you know, if it rains during Guru Therav Sermon, then, you know, it'll be power cuts and it's going to be this, that, and you know, you will have your preferences and what we like, not like, and you know, just witnessing it and understanding where it comes from. Why does it feel like, like, why does it feel like so? It's very interesting, very interesting. Now, is it something that we should be ashamed of? Like, oh, no, why do I have preference?

3:12No. Because why? Preferences come due to what? Ignorance and attachment. I was talking with one of our monks just yesterday and something that we were talking about is, you know, some days, you'll feel that, you know, yesterday I wasn't able to practice as much as I wanted to. You know, I wish I would, you know, after, after having norms, you know, I wasn't very focused. I wasn't very aware and therefore, you know, I felt like I wasted my time in one month. I want to have this discussion. I want one very important, one very interesting and important thing that came up is, okay. Okay. Yesterday, I didn't practice as much. Okay. Why should I look back at yesterday? I think, you know, yesterday, if I, you know, yesterday I wasn't that one, such a good day.

4:13I wasn't so productive that day. Well, we can't go back and fix it. So, you know, okay. Well, that doesn't mean we shouldn't think about it. No, no. If when the thought comes up that what happened yesterday, think about it. Because well, that's new knowledge. That's new experience. Then you can realize maybe yesterday, after having norms, I wasn't as productive, I wasn't as aware. So, today, when I have arms or after I have arms, I'll see if I can be more productive. So, using past experiences to change not the future, but change this moment. So, I mean, it's very interesting because, you know, our minds come to think, you know, my yesterday, yesterday wasn't so good. Oh, yesterday was an unlucky day. Oh, yesterday was a bad day. You know, yesterday was raining. Yesterday was this. And we look at yesterday and we sometimes sometimes feel guilty. You know, I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have said that. You know, I was trying to avoid doing this by any way.

5:17And you feel guilty and you feel bad about what had happened. But when you realize, well, no, everything is not something that I can control. I don't control my yesterdays. I don't control my futures. I don't control this present moment. Instead, what? When the causes come together, that is the effect. What will happen? What happened yesterday happened not because of you or me, because of anyone's wanting, because that was what happened when those causes came together. Okay. So, literally at the end of this conversation, I was having this month, basically, we were about saying, okay. And he says, okay. This is, that's all we can say, because the past is a mystery. I'm sorry, the past is history. We can't change it. And the best thing is, it's not my past or your past, it's just the past. And memory that the mind possess.

6:22You know, for example, you know, when we talk about the past, we think about history and we think about the stories that we've heard of of past people and past civilizations, past kings, queens, and then all these empires and all these things. But you have to realize these are things that, they're not things of the past. Rather, these are stories that people have written down and you read and you think it's about the past. I remember, I think, I can't remember who exactly says this, but they say history is always written by the winners. History is always written by the winners, the people who won. So when they write down the history, they leave out certain points or they add extra points. And yet, when we look at these, when we read these stories, we think, wow, this is what's exactly happened in the past. No, it's a story that you're reading now and you feel as though it's in the past. The past thing, part of the history, you know, history in the past, these are some things

7:23that you feel. It's very strange to say, well, past, the past does not exist. It's very strange to say that because we feel that, no, no, if I am here currently, I must have what? A past. No, past is something that you remember at this moment. There is no past here, but when you feel that, no, no, I am here. This entity has been here for a long period of time. Now you have to create that past. You have to create a past where you have been. And not just you, but where your ancestors have been, where the world has been, and then you create this amazing stories of the past. But we don't stop there. Then you take the past and you wait, you create the future. The way things are going now, I can see, I can feel that, you know, this is going to happen,

8:26that's going to happen. And you now project yourself into the future and you say, this is what's going to happen. Or this is what might happen. And at the end of the day, these are both what? Feelings of the mind. That's why the future is a mystery in the past is history. And all we have is this present. That's why it's called a present, the gift. And it's something that we have to realize. And something that we will live with. And it is absolutely amazing to see yourself think. Because you have to realize, I mean, just because we understand, we've come to understand the cause and effect nature of the universe. And just because we understand, there's no past, there's no future. Our minds, when it's not aware, we'll always feel it. I mean, I don't know about you, but for me, when I'm not aware, I feel time.

9:30I feel that, you know, I will be there someday. I have been here sometime. And the moment you come back to your senses, the moment you come back to your awareness, I take great joy in looking back and seeing, oh, wow, look at how the mind is responding. Look at what the mind is trying to do. I take great joy in looking at my own mind, seeing where the traps it takes itself. It's very incredible to see the traps that it sets for itself. The traps that, you know, it's almost as though, you know, there's some points where you think, where you're looking at, you're observing the mind. Well, something's happened and then you go back and you observe it with awareness, with wisdom. And you see that, ah, this is what's happened. Due to ignorance and attachment, what happened? There was one vexation.

10:31Therefore, it falls into this trap. And the best thing is, once you can see it here, you can see it everywhere. You can tell, okay, where things are going, this mind is now what's next. How can I help get rid of that vexation? Not relieve that vexation, but to get rid. And now you're, you're going on this massive journey. I don't know about you, but I take great joy in observing. Observing my own mind. I mean, when I say great joy, there are times where, you know, this mind will feel pressurized. But after I come back to my senses, again, I take great joy. Ah, it felt stressed there. Okay, why did it feel stressed there? Oh, ignorance and attachment. I mean, it's a very, very enjoyable thing. Because you realize it's not your mind.

11:33It's a mind, it's a process. A process that doesn't belong to anyone. The way we think, the way we feel is all, it's all because of the causes. For example, you know, red pen. You can only think of red pen when what? When the red pen comes into your, into your world through your senses. Before use, before we, before I showed you the red pen, where was this red pen? Not in your world. So the feeling that you get red pen, or I like red pens because, you know, it's red and I like color red and all that. All that thought was stemmed from what? The sight. One, it's not that. It's not that I see the red pen rather, no, red pen is seen and then I feel that I'm seeing a red pen.

12:33But yeah, we think that, you know, I was always here and I was always here and I'm the one seeing the red pen because I come first. But actually, you know, red pen is seen and then you think that I saw it. See, let's change it. Blue. Before you saw the blue pen, did you see the blue pen? Before you saw the blue pen, did you think about the blue pen? Did you perceive a blue pen? No, it's always what? Causing effect. When the causes arise, there's the effect. Now, that's just the sight. That is just the sight, but the feeling behind it. That is also what? Causing effect. For example, the color blue. Is it a positive or negative feeling? Well, the color blue doesn't have a feeling connected to it.

13:35However, as through your experiences and through your knowledge, you sometimes all start connecting feelings with it. And that's entirely according to your knowledge and your experiences. For example, blue, what sort of feeling comes with blue? Some people actually would say blue to be inspirational. Others would say blue is a very sad sort of color. Whether it's inspirational, whether it's sad is entirely dependent on what? On your knowledge, on your experiences. So, for example, if you watch one film, you say blue is a very sad color. Blue is sadness. You look at another TV show and now you see blue and you think, what? It's very inspirational. And it can fluctuate depending on your knowledge and your experience.

14:37And depending on what knowledge and what experience pops up at that moment, feelings will always differ. For example, red. For example, imagine last night you got to see, you caught your stuff and you saw blue. Now you see the color red, what do you think? Red. It's not a good color because it's very red. It's a red. It's not a good color. Or let's say instead, say last night instead you were wrapping a gift in a red sort of wrapping paper. Now when you see the color red today, what do you think? Oh, red. It's a very positive color. It's a very nice color. And now you view your brain or your mind is connected with what? A positive feeling. Now, is the color, is the red the color responsible?

15:37Is the color red responsible for what you're feeling? No, the color red is innocent. It doesn't have a feeling connected to it. Your mind is what connects it. So your thoughts are not something that you can control. Instead run according to its causes. So coming back to what we, what me and the Sattamanku talking about, well, if yesterday you were, if you were, if you thought that yesterday wasn't such a productive day, yesterday wasn't such a good day, you know, I had, you know, I wasn't very aware yesterday. Well, okay, because that was the result. Okay. Accepted, okay. Yesterday, you know, I got really angry and I actually did I shout at this person? I shouldn't have done that. Okay. Quares came together in such a way that you shouted, okay. You know, I should have done that, you know.

16:38I really, when I went home, I saw this on the kitchen in the fridge. There was this thing and I had to eat it because, you know, like this. And I know, and now looking back, I'm really bad about it. I shouldn't have done that. Again, the first thing you should feel is what? Okay. The causes came together and that's the effect. I mean, when it comes to, when it comes to your mind, you have to first be okay. Understand, it's okay. It's not that, you know, I shouldn't be angry or, you know, I shouldn't feel desire, hatred, delusion. You know, when I saw, when I saw this person, I felt really angry and I wanted to say, and I said something or I wanted to say something, but that's not what I should have done. Again, the first thing you should feel is what? Okay. That's okay because that is the causes. Now, being okay doesn't mean okay.

17:38Let's wash our hands and not think about it again. No, no, we ask ourselves, okay, why did that happen? Why did I feel anger? Why did I feel desire? Why did I feel that I was very important there? Why did I ask you some of the question? Why? Therefore, the causes don't align again. Therefore, the causes don't align again because if it keeps aligning, well, you're going to have to be able to say, it's okay to do everything. But what we can do is change the causes. If you know that the way things are going right now isn't very productive, isn't very helpful, is going against your goal. Goal to be what? Unconditionally happy. Then, well, let's change the causes. Let's see what cause I can change out of this. Now, one of the best ways to change the causes is the one of the most easiest and the least effective is what?

18:46Avoiding. Avoiding is the easiest but the least effective. So, let's say you really like chocolate. So, what can you do? You can avoid it. You can say, I'm not going to eat it. However, by doing that, you are just removing the environment. That itself is ineffective because why when chocolate comes back again, desire will come back up, desire will come back even worse than before. That's why the Buddha says what? Conti paramant, taboor dhika. Conti meaning what? Patience or resisting. But that's not a hidden say, resist, full stop. Be patient, full stop. Without be useless. You know, you want to eat chocolate? Resist. Don't. But the moment chocolate comes again into your life,

19:47you're going to feel desire worse than you started. Because it's Conti or this act of being patient and resisting. Isn't the full answer? Conti paramant, taboor dhika. While you're resisting, fight with it, attack it. Get rid of that attachment by seeing the truth. Then the resisting is useful. That's why avoidance itself is useless. Avoidance itself is useless. However, avoidance plus the practice of the path. Avoidance plus the fighting against your deformance, that is the most effective way. Why is it the most effective way? Because, let's say I like chocolate. Every time I like chocolate, if I eat chocolate, what's going to happen?

20:47Even though I'm practicing. Even though I'm practicing. If I like chocolate and I keep eating it, what the mind will do is the mind will start to... Remember, the mind loves what? The mind loves pleasure. And so it will do whatever it can to grab and hold onto that. So it will trick itself. So for example, let's say you like chocolate and let's say... Let's say because you like chocolate, you eat. But as you're eating, you're also contemplating in some sort of way. What the mind will start to do? The mind will start to make you feel what? Chocolate? Yeah, chocolate is just a taste. I don't think I have a big attached to chocolate. Maybe a smaller attachment but not a big one. Because why the mind cannot let go? The mind does not want to let go.

21:48So he says, you know what? My attachment to chocolate is... I don't think it's a big attachment. So I'm going to keep eating. And the mind starts to normalize it. But when it starts to normalize, the problem with normalizing something, the major problem with normalizing something is when it becomes normal, you no longer feel it. You no longer feel it. And so no matter what happens, it's now normal. You don't feel the vexation and therefore you have no need to get rid of it. You have no need to uproot that attachment. Because why? It's normal. But then when something or someone starts to rip that away from you, now what? Now the fire appears. Now you realize what?

22:48Actually, it wasn't a small attachment. Actually, that was a massive attachment. I'm not going to eat chocolate again. I'm not saying, I'm not going to eat chocolate again. But then the fire will come up. Because why desire will be there? You think, you know, I must have chocolate. I have to have chocolate. This is why self-discipline is essential. Self-discipline is essential. Because why? If someone else was to do it for you, you know, they say, okay, from today onwards, you're not going to eat chocolate. If they do it for you, what will you do? If you don't have self-discipline, what will you do? Find all the clothes. Okay, I can't. So let's say you hold your spouse, the one who says you can't eat chocolate. And therefore you think, okay, so I can't eat chocolate in the house. Therefore, I'm going to have to find a way to get chocolate outside the house.

23:51Let's say you're not going to go to shops. Okay, but my neighbor is able to go to the shop. I'll give money to the neighbor, neighbor, go to the shop by chocolate, leave it under the doorstep. And tomorrow morning, I'll go and pick it up. And no one will know. You know, the rappers, I'll make sure I don't bring the home bin, I'll put it into a bin, you know, three houses away. So, wife doesn't find out or husband doesn't find out. That's it. Full stop. And no one will know. No one will know. No, no, someone will know. Whether or not, whether or not anyone else knows your mind knows. And therefore the mind will know what? We'll get more and more. We will be, we'll be almost, because the ignorance and attachment becomes more and more stronger. That's why, you know, self-discipline is incredibly important. If, you know, if you think that you have an attachment, and let's say you're trying to avoid it,

24:53the extent of your self-discipline, it will be the extent of your practice. If you can go full on cold turkey, you know, I'm not going to have chocolate again. And every time that vexation comes up, you know, about chocolate, you're fighting it. There'll be a time when you'll be victorious and where you will no longer need to avoid. However, if someone else is doing it for you, I mean, if there is someone else doing it for you, consider yourself the luckiest person in life. Because why? Someone else cares. Someone else cares enough for you to see that you have an attachment and trying to help you get out of it. Understand, you are the most luckiest person in life. That there is someone who cares about your mind more than you do. So why, what are they doing? They say, no, don't have chocolate. Let's try, let's try to not have chocolate. And there and then that person is a teacher.

25:54There and then that person a teacher. A teacher that shows you, okay, you have an attachment, let's avoid. Now it's your duty to do it. To take that and using your self-discipline, to think, okay, I'm going to try to avoid. Like I said, the moment your self-discipline photos, see, all minds have the ability to find loopholes. All minds will always find a way to come out. You know, give your mind a small hole and the mind will always seep through it. If it goes through it once, it will always go through that hole. Your mind is a very, very sly thing. It will find every single loophole that if, see,

26:55if you give your mind the smallest, smallest hole, it will go through it once. When it goes through it once and relieves its vexation, what will it do? It will keep going through it. And that small hole will become bigger and bigger and bigger. And then, you know, there is no point of you saying that I'm avoiding chocolate because you are eating chocolate. Not used to eat it once a week. Now you're eating it every single day, but secretly. So no one else knows. That's why self-discipline is the key, most important thing. Because if you're waiting for someone else to do it, you'll understand it's going to be difficult. I guess that if you give yourself an excuse, you'll mind will keep doing it. So you think, you know, for the last three months, I haven't had chocolate. Tomorrow, you know what? I'm going to have a bit of chocolate. Give yourself an excuse. See what happens next.

27:57Now after, you've waited three months for a bit of chocolate. Now what will you mind say? Actually, you know what? I've waited entire week without chocolate. Maybe you're a bit more and more and more hurt. Then you have chocolate in a week. And then you think, what? You know, I had chocolate about a week ago, and I had chocolate today. Having chocolate tomorrow? That's okay. And now you're giving your mind an excuse. And now, you know, it's now having a party. Why? Everyday what? Chocolate. Everyday chocolate. That's why self-discipline is the key essential thing. If you're going to say, I'm going to avoid, avoid. Let your mind well. Let your mind cry out in pain. Say, I know, I really want to have chocolate. How am I going to survive without chocolate? And while the mind is fighting, be aware and fight against it. Why does this mind enjoy eating chocolate?

28:58Why is there a relaxation for chocolate? Chocolate? The relaxation of chocolate comes from well? The mindfulness feeling that that chocolate was going to give me pleasure, is it so? That that chocolate has the chocolate taste, is it so? And fight against it. And then there'll be a time when you... And then there'll be a time when someone will give you a chocolate. And you're consumed. And when you consume, you realize, well, no, I don't have the same attachment that I have anymore. Instead, chocolate is just chocolate. Not great chocolate or amazing chocolate, chocolate is chocolate. Chocolate, okay. That's why self-discipline is these things. That's why the Buddha says, Kanti Paramataka, Kanti, be patient, resist. No matter how painful it might feel, resist. For example, let's say, you have a great...

29:58You're really angry with a certain person. Resist. Tell yourself, I'm not going to say anything, I'm not going to do anything. And I'm going to try my very best not even think anything that... You see the person. This person has done horrible things to you. They have done deep-gwares things that you can ever imagine to you. They've done everything. They've spread rumors about you. They've stolen from you. They've taken everything away from them. And they're there. And you think, you know what? I'm not going to think even a smallest thing about them. Your mind will come up and say, you know what? That's the person who did this. Then if you are aware of what you do, no. I will not say or do anything. When those thoughts come up, I will fight with it. Hatred comes up and then you think, why am I feeling hatred?

31:00Why am I blaming this person? Why am I blaming person A for all things that they've done? Because what have they done? They haven't done anything. What has happened? Because it came together to for an effect. It's very good. It's a very good interesting thing to think about as well. If you truly understand the theory of Karma Mipaka, you have no need to seek for revenge. If you truly believe or truly understand the concept of Karma Mipaka when you, what you give is what you get, you have no need to seek for revenge. Why? Because you know whatever they've done, they will get back. Whatever is happening to you is what you deserve because of something that you've done.

32:01They are just, I mean the best way to say it, they are just nature's punishes. No, nature has chosen them to act out your punishment. Okay. Why do I blame them? They are innocent in that sort of way. They are just giving your Vipaka. They are just giving your carabac to you. What you've done in the past, giving back to you, but through them, why blame them? If you want to blame someone, blame who, yourself. Why did I do such a thing? Let's say someone has stolen from you. If someone has stolen from you, the first person you should blame is who, yourself. Because why? Why has someone stolen from you? Because what you give is what you get. I have given the same thing. I have stolen something else. So why should I be angry at the thief? I should stop the thief, of course, 100%,

33:01but why should I be angry at him or her? Why should I be angry at them? Instead, I should just be, okay, that's happened because of what I have given in the past. Okay. But you know it's not right, so you will call the police and you try to stop that thief from doing it again, because they have given and therefore they will receive. You don't want that to happen. You definitely know what that to happen. You know, when something bad happens to you, see what you wish for this. Let's say someone has done something very horrible to you. See what you wish for others. See if you wish the same horribleness to the other person. If so, you do not trust what? Carming Parker. You don't understand Carming Parker, what you give us what you get.

34:02Instead, you should be able to have utmost compassion to the other person, because why? They have now given. Therefore, they will receive one day. They will receive one day. They have done something horrible wrong to you, but they will receive it one day. So have utmost compassion. Feel very sorry for the person. Someone has come up to and called you names. You were called names because you have given in the past. I should not be blaming the person and be blaming myself, but you should feel compassion to the other person. Because why? They have given. Therefore, they are going to receive. And don't forget, currently, you living and breathing in the monastery. You guys, I don't know. You are no longer ordinary people. No, your minds are filled with great qualities. Therefore, they are going to receive not just in times one,

35:02but times thousands and thousands. So you should feel utmost compassion. Why feel hatred? Why feel anger? Instead, feel compassion. Because when they receive, they are going to receive it. You know what you felt? They are going to feel something similar. If you remember how horrible you felt when that all happened, they are going to feel the same thing. You know, wish upon them. You know, may you never feel what I felt. That's the one wish that I always make. When something bad happens to me, I always think, may this never be felt by any other mind. Because why? I have no enemies. I have given. Therefore, I have received. Now, if someone else is given, they are going to receive, please. Please, may they not receive. I don't want anyone to go through what I went through.

36:06I don't want any mind to go through what this mind went through. May that mind be free from that. In other words, you are wishing them for what? May they attain what? In the body. If you truly understand the theory of karma, you have the need to seek for revenge. Someone shouted, you have no need to shout at them back. Because you understand. They have given. They have received. I have given. I have received. They have given. So they are going to receive. I have given. So I have received. Okay. Why should I do extra? Why do I want more? Why do I want more in the future? I want to stop here. Please, no. I don't want this to happen again. But it's very difficult. Because why? When someone hits you, the feeling that you get is what? I must hurt them back.

37:06I must do something back. I must seek revenge. You know, an eye for an eye. It makes a whole world go blind. You do something to me. I do something to you. You do something to me. I do something to you. And it's not what you're never going to end. It's always going to cycle. Now, this is why we have to understand how karma works. What you are receiving today is what you have given. If there is, for example, if you have a problem with karma, If there is a, for example, you know, living life, I know that there always be people who don't really match your thinking patterns. There'll be people who don't match your personality and therefore there always be rifts in different and different relationships, different conflicts and others. But you have to remember, why is it there?

38:10Why do you feel this that this is, you know, that is one person who's always saying something that hurts me? Why is it? Remember, instead of thinking it's because he or she did it. Think, no, because this mind has one day given the same thing. Therefore I'm receiving. I remember, long ago, I remember having a very good conversation with one of the monks and I remember telling him, it's unfair isn't it? It's incredibly unfair. Last life, I have done something and so why do I have to get it now in this life? I mean, that's happened last life, it's unfair. So last life, I scolded someone and therefore this life I'm getting scolded, that's unfair. If I had known, I wouldn't have done it.

39:11If I had known, I wouldn't have done it, you know, that's how it is. And I remember my teacher saying, well, that's because you think what? That person's different, this person's different. You have seen two different people here. No, there's no people here. What is it? It's a mind. A mental energy that's just flowing. Although you see two lives, no, this is the mind, a mind, a chain of minds arising and passing. You can't control that mind. Neither can you control this mind. You can't control what you have given and you can't control what you have received. So what you do now will affect the mind in the future. Okay. And that mind will think unfair because you know, actually, you know, in that mind was just that mind and this mind is a different mind. It's not unfair because why? Energy has no fair unfair.

40:13Energy will always do what? Energy will always feel the void, the void and necessity. Energy doesn't need, doesn't want to do anything. What does light energy want to do? Ask. Light energy, what do you want to do? My job is to illuminate the world. That's my, my, my want. No, light energy has no need. When light energy, when you turn the light on, light energy will go or be emitted and it will be absorbed and reflected and etc. etc. It has no wanting or need. Same as karma in Parker. I mean, the way people describe karma feels very, they almost personify karma. They say, you know, bad karma is always coming back to me. You know, it's almost as though it's against me. No, karma doesn't choose. It's not something that can think and say, you know, what today, you know, he's been having a very good time. So let's, let's put a bad karma in his line now.

41:16You know, he's been having a really, really bad time. You know, he's, you know, we had a few of the compassion. Let's put us in a good Viparka now. It's not that it's been, it's not that it's a thing that decides rather it's in something that entirely works on what? Your environment. It's entirely something that works according to your environment at this moment. You can't choose what karma comes to you. You can't choose what's on what's coming up because there's nothing. There's no coming up. You know how like, you know, in TV shows, you have like up next with karma, there is no up next. What is it at this moment? What's the environment? That's the effect. At next moment, what's the environment? That's the effect. One of, I was able to talk to one very small person the other day and she was telling me, you know, if Devadatta was the enemy of the Buddha, why did Devadatta ordain?

42:20You know, if Devadatta and the Buddha, if it's conflict between them, why did the Buddha let Devadatta ordain? Because the Buddha was able to see, Devadatta has lots of bad karma that he can take effect. However, when he became into the environment of the Mahasanga, the amount of bad reparkas that can come to him would reduce. Therefore out of great compassion, the Buddha allowed Devadatta into the sasana. Although very well knowing that when Devadatta goes to the sasana, he will cause a schism, he will cause a break in the sasana. He knew that. He knew that if he's in the sasana, he will have less bad reparkas and more good reparkas therefore let him inside. Because why? When you are in this environment, the amount of bad reparkas that can be drawn reduces. For example, you know, how often do you get shouted at living in the monastery?

43:30If you are living in the monastery, which one do you get shouted at more? Outside. You know, let's say being shoved, someone is pushing you. Where do you get shoved more inside or outside the monastery? You are more likely to get inside the monastery. The majority of us living in the monastery for most of our days and some of us living our entire lives. And the number of times we will be out and about and in a car will be very less. Therefore, the probability of us being in car crash would also be what? Less. So, you know, the environment is what causes the viparka to come. And that's a very interesting point that Guru Therara had told several monks is that your environment is what draws the viparka. And small changes in your environment can cause massive changes in your viparka.

44:33Because in our entire Sunsara, we have done lots of things. I mean, we have no idea what we have done. We have viparka for a lot of our things. 101 different things that can happen at a single moment. We all have that. However, you can change what viparka comes with very small things. For example, let's say, if we took the car as an example, there is an abundance of carmen that will end it you having a car crash, 100%. But that can only be drawn in that environment. That's why putting it on a seatbelt is able to cut away at lots of viparkas. Is able to cut away at a lot of those viparkas. It's not that I will get in the car crash and then be safe.

45:36No, no, no. It will stop all these majority of these viparkas. That's why the environment is different. If we took the example, let's say you are out in the Sun and you say you are helping out with the gardening and what not. You are out in the Sun. It's incredibly hot. There are lots of viparkas for you to have a heat stroke and what not. Just by putting on a sun hat or being in the shade, can completely remove the environment for viparkas to come. That's why whenever people are doing construction, we encourage them to put on safety. Why? Because that removes the environment for viparkas to come. Because the environment is what draws that viparka. The environment is what draws the viparka.

46:38It's what draws the effect of the karma that you've done. So let's say you are helping out the construction of the new damoh. If you wear barefoot, you will be the environment is perfect for something to stick into your foot. And if let's say you are wearing slippers, those viparkas are now what? Completely avoided. I mean, it's very interesting because it almost means if you wear barefoot, you will get something stuck in your foot. But if you are going to slip it, sometimes you look at the slipper and you see that nothing is stuck there. And so you may even believe, well that means there is nothing on the floor. No, no, the viparkas in there. The environment is in there. Change the environment and put the foot down and you will get something stuck in your foot. This is why you have to understand the environment around you.

47:40You have to adapt to the environment around you and be aware. It's like I'm back to where we were, we were talking about. If you truly understand karma viparka, you have no need to seek revenge, you have no need to do anything. All you want to do is change the environment. Your association is one of the key environments. If you associate very wholesome people, you will get, you will get majority of your thoughts, your words, your actions, as well as the majority of the things that happened to you will always be what? Wholesome. And that environment is able to draw more wholesome things because why you are surrounded by wholesome people. But the moment you surround yourself with people who have very negative mindsets, whether you like it or not, your mindset will also become negative and now we will be able to pull more of your negative viparkas.

48:47You are able to pull on lots of your negative viparkas and all the negative viparkas will be able to, you know, can change you completely. That's why, you know, you have to be aware of your environment. You have to be very aware of what is in your environment, who is in your environment, who is your closest associations, who is it that you are associating? These are something that we have to be very aware of. There is something that you and I and every single person in this monastery have to be very aware of what is the viparka I am drawing. Now some of you may be thinking, well, to be able to have good association, that means I must also need to have what? Good viparka, right? You are correct. However, you do have that viparka.

49:48You do have that viparka. Something in this in this infelong journey in Sansari, you know, you have the viparka, you have the viparka to have good association. But that sometimes might mean that you have to make a sacrifice and you have to stop doing something that you like. For example, it's not easy to associate people not like you. It's not easy to associate people who are not like you. Because if you ask yourself, why do you associate them? It's because 99% of the time they have very similar attributes to yourself. Like we talked about a couple of weeks back, if the people around you, if the people around you always talk bad about other people, understand you also talk bad about people. That's why you are your characteristics match.

50:49And therefore you are both the same. It'll be hilarious if you can say everyone around me tells me bad things but I only say good things. That's not possible. People everyone tells me bad about other people and I tell good about people. Because those don't match. Therefore you will be repelled. No, think about it. You've probably associated people like that. There'll be people that don't match your characteristics. They don't match your... I want to say, I'm going to use the word vibe, but they don't match that. And therefore it's almost like, because they are not consciously. No, it's that they don't match. Therefore they are repelled. You cannot associate. That's why it's very difficult to associate people who, let's say, if you are not as wholesome as them. If you're not someone who practices the path as much as them, it's very difficult to be

51:54with. Because why they don't match. And because they don't match, you feel yourself being repelled. However, if you want to determine, you can fight with that repelling force. And by fighting with that repelling force, you are now stealing their associations. Therefore you slowly change. And that repelling force will do what? Slowly, slowly reduce. And in one moment, now your characteristics will be similar. Now the vibe is very similar. And therefore what you now can associate them. See, really understand. Really understand this. Your association and your environment is key. For example, if you are someone who feels as though you spend way too much time, they spend, if you know, you spend way too much time on your phone.

52:56Or you spend way too much time, let's say you spend way too much time on your phone. Understand. Because that's in your environment. There are, there are, you know, something that's always in your environment. Number one, number two, the people that you associate are also people who spend a lot of time on devices. Therefore, you automatically need to be hooked on as well. But to associate the extraordinary people is difficult. If I were to give you an example, let's say, you know, let's say, you're someone who does not enjoy going to the value malua and meditating. You're someone who almost would rather do say other things than that. Then you know that there's another person or group of people who also do, who also

53:59go to the value malua and enjoy going to the value malua and meditate. If you have to associate them, is it going to be easy? No, because what they're going to say, you know, you know, just go to the value malua. And automatically inside, you have that resistance and you think, ah, I can go, but I think after I can also be doing this matrix activity instead, so I'm going to do that. And there is that repelling force. There's this other thing I have to do and therefore you rather do this and therefore that's the repelling force. But to be able to say against your, against what you want, you say, okay, how long are we going for? And they say, we're going to go for two hours. You don't want to matter. You think two hours is two hours at home, way too long. I can spend about half an hour. But instead you think, what, let's just try. And you go for half an hour and you think, you know, it's too much now and now you think,

54:59you know, I'm going to go and now yes, that's that repelling force, but now you can come back the next day. You know, they say, you come, you know, we're going to go to the value malua again for two hours and you think, you know what, I went, yes, day four, half an hour. And they are going to go for 40 minutes and slowly that repelling force will reduce and reduce and reduce and reduce until the point where now you, you know, your soci who not person is now very easy because why they say, let's go and you'll be like, okay, that's fine by me. Or let's say you are a person, or let's say you want to associate a person who, let's say they are very, very good and very, yes, let's say they're very good at talking about the Niyaya, about the core doctrine and they're very good at reminding people of the doctrine. And that's how you want to associate that.

56:01At first, is it going to be easy? No, it's not because they're going to start, you know, every now and then, for example, I was talking to one of our monks and they had a very similar experience where they had or they were associating another monk and the monk had asked, can you give me a bottle of water? There were three or four bottles of water and they were like, which one do you want? And the monk says, there is no one there, you know, it's a collection of different causes so you can give me whatever you want. And this monk was thinking, you think, you could just ask me to give me what you want, why do you have to say about this one thing? Now, if I mean, that is, that is, that is, that is, that person is trying to remind you to contemplate, but you may feel that resistance, that repelling force. However, the monk decided, you know, what, no, no, I'm going to still, you know, he

57:02gives the bottle of water and decides, you know, I'm going to start, I'm going to try to associate and similar thing happened. They were doing, they were sweeping an area and he asked for a broom, there were several brooms then, so he said, up here, which one? And so the monks and again, you know, there is no one there, it's just a collection, so it's going to give me a one you want. And again, he gave it the one. And I got to the point where he realized what he had to do to associate this person and therefore when he wants asked, when he asked that monk for certain thing and he asked, which one do you want? He went and said, what, there is no one there, it's a collection of causes. And now, what? Now the characteristics match. Now they can associate each other easily. There's a thing, it's difficult first. You know, you look at the stars and you think they're too high up, no, you can't get to the stars.

58:04Slowly and slowly. Do what you can now. That's why to be able to associate good there, to be able to associate, you know, all these great people, we can. First of all, we have to change our characteristics so we can what? Not be repelled but be attracted. We have to change our characteristics. That's why our environment. And let's say you were able to associate good there. Now what sort of Viparkas would you be able to draw? You would draw what Viparkas, you know, the best Viparkas you possibly can. So will they be the best? Who knows? Maybe you know, you'll be able to associate, you know, maybe one of the youngest monks. And they are able to draw the best Viparks for you.

59:05Who knows? Because the environment will always determine what Viparkas you can draw. That's why it's essential for you to realize who you are associating. It's essential for you to change your associations, to see, to help you go forward, not to pull yourself back. If you're not aware of this, 99% of the time you are associating people who are pulling you back. If you're aware of this, you are associating people that are pushing you or who are pulling you forwards. So be aware. Be aware. You know, these are small things. These are small things that we have to do to change. These are small, I mean, these are things that I try to do in my life. This is why I really do enjoy it, enjoy talking to all of you because this is me telling

1:00:08you what I've learned. This is me telling you what I have experienced and how I have what I am trying to do. Because, you know, if this is a journey that we are all taking at different stages, we are all taking these steps. And it's a very beautiful thing to see. It's a very beautiful thing to see. You know, we're all doing what we can to go forward. And each and every one of us are helping each other keep going forwards one step at a time. Each and every one of us helping each other. And that is the best part. That is the best part. So, like I was saying, you know, be aware. So your association is essential.

1:01:08Your environment is essential. Say, for example, let's say, see if you are able to truly associate, to truly associate, to have to be able to draw your Vipaka from your teachers. What I mean is, if your teacher, if your teacher is someone, see, now this is, this is in my experience as well. If a teacher is pulling you or trying to, like for example, the example we gave earlier, is let's say you like chocolate and your teacher says, you know, let's avoid having chocolate, no more chocolate from today forth. See if you can allow your teacher to do that, to challenge you. See if you can allow your teacher to challenge you. See if your teacher is open, you know, your teacher can challenge you and say, you know,

1:02:09from today forth, no more chocolate. Let's see if you can go without chocolate. How long have you been there? For two months. Three months. Forever. See if you can allow your teacher to challenge you because what will happen is, if you, if your teacher can challenge you, you're able to now slowly. Remember, your environment, now your teacher is able to alter your environment. So for example, a very good thing is, I remember longer, one of my teachers gave me the advice of, you know, can you offer a glass of water every day before you got a bed? No. And that time I was like a glass of water, really, every day is that possible. I mean, that's going to be times that I'm going to forget. It's going to be difficult, you know, one day's Tuesdays, I probably can Wednesdays, maybe Thursdays, sure, but when it came to Saturdays, Sundays, maybe not.

1:03:11And you know, you come up with excuses and I remember, I remember coming into my teacher and saying, I will try. I'll try. Now what I allowed my teacher to do is what? To change my environment. So only to change my environment. And therefore now I'm able to draw what? Now the environment is slightly different. Now my slightly different environment is able to draw different sort of departures. And then after I'll get my teacher to game up to me, I said, okay, let's challenge you your father. And I remember he gave me a task, try to associate this person. And I was like, that person really me assosing that person, I'm not going to be easy, I'm not easy, he's not someone that I like to associate.

1:04:13I'm going to try to associate them, try to associate and see and to pick up their good qualities. They're good qualities. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to see more good qualities in other people than him. No, no, try. So what did I do? I tried. Was it easy? It wasn't. But slowly my environment kept changing. I allowed my teacher, I gave my teacher what? Full, full ability to change my environment. Because why once changing your environment, you're able to change the departures that you're drawing. Now each and every time your teacher is able to change your environment, your teacher is able to change the vipaka that you're drawing, your teacher is able to change the mindset that you have. See, something that I have learned is to take every event, every moment as a teaching that a person comes up to you to teach you something.

1:05:16A person will talk to you and you'll learn something. Learn, learn and improve. Some people come up to you and will actually give you a lesson and say, you know what, do this do that and you'll be okay. Some people come up to you and they'll just give you random information. And that's also a lesson. A lesson of what? Sometimes the lesson is when they are saying something, just listen. That's your lesson. For example, let's say someone's acting very, very silly. Right? Let's say someone decides to act like a cat. Right? What do you have to do? That's a lesson. What do you do? Watch. Learn, observe. I mean, this is the thing.

1:06:17This is why you enjoy, absolutely enjoy what? Enjoy observing. Coming back to where we started, enjoy observing your mind. See how your mind reacts. When you, because it's always a lesson, someone comes up to you and tells you what, it's a lesson. Learn. You feel angry. Why did you feel angry? I felt angry because I thought they were going to say this. I thought they were going to say that, but instead they said this and now I'm angry. Understand and learn. Every moment is a lesson. Every single moment is a lesson. Every time someone comes up and talks to you is a lesson. Everything that happens around you is a lesson. Because like we talked about in the previous time, that take everything in a positive way. Take everything in a positive way. Everything is happening for the better. To teach you a lesson. That's your teacher tells you to avoid something. To not do something. Take that even though you may love that thing. Take that as a lesson. Learn.

1:07:18Because sometimes your teacher will know something that you don't. Sometimes your teacher will know something that you don't. And you just have to realise, okay, I will learn that lesson. I will see what I have to learn and they'll tell you. They might tell you something. Very out of the blue. Let's say your teacher tells you, okay, from today forth until I tell you to, you can now go to the value model. You cannot meditate. If your teacher says, sir, what should you say? Okay. There's a lesson to be learned. What the lesson is? Maybe I don't know. Let's learn. You should be able to give your environment away to your teacher. Let your teacher change your environment. Let your teacher alter your environment for you to be able to go forward. Now there's a good question. How do I trust that my teacher will get me to where I want to be?

1:08:21I'll entirely according to what. Entirely according to what? You're a Parker. If you have a doubt that your teacher is not the best teacher, what should you do? If you do one thing or one thing only, what? Do as much merit as possible. Because why? Your teacher will change or your teacher will change. Meaning either your teacher's mindset will change or the actual person himself will also change. Because why? Understand. Caramel and Parker. What you give is what you get. You will always get what you deserve. Not what you desire. You will always get what you deserve. Not what you desire. So be someone who is deserving of a great person as a teacher. How?

1:09:21By doing as many merit or as things as possible. Doing as many merit or as things as possible. Helping one another. Doing what we can for each other. Finding every opportunity, every small look and cranny in our lives to help another person. See at the end of your day, you should be able to be proud and say, you know what? Today I've done this and this and this and this and I've done all these merit or as activities. You should be able to be proud and you should be able to say with utmost joy that this is what I have done. I have done all of these things and made by the power of all these merits. May I attain the supreme, the supreme, the supreme and the supreme. That's it. Next day, the same thing. You should be able to feel your days. Feel every moment with whatever you can to do as many merit or as things as possible. If anyone comes up to you and says, you know, what is the point of doing merits?

1:10:24Understand that association is the worst association you possibly have. If anyone comes up to you and says, you know, you're doing so many different merits, what's the point? Oh, if someone ever comes up to you and says, you know, you've done so many merits, stop doing merits. You know, stop. You've done enough. Understand that association is your poison. Understand that association is your poison. If someone ever comes up to you and says, you know, you shouldn't enjoy doing merit or as activities. Don't enjoy doing merit or as activities. You know, you should see it to be, you know, some, you know, looks like a burden that you have to do. Understand that association is poison. Because that association is the one association that will pull you down as far as you possibly

1:11:25can. That's why ladies and gentlemen, your association is central. You should be able to do as many merit or as deeds. Look at the people you associate. See how many merits and see how merit or as they are and see if you can absorb their good qualities. That's why I feel your days with as much merit or as things as possible. Because why? It only wants you, once your merits will start to come and come to play. Come into fruition and will give you the opportunities that you need to go forward on this path. The Buddha himself says what? Don't fear merits. Merits are another way or another is equal to what?

1:12:27Happiness. Now, what happiness is it? Is it pleasure or happiness? It's happiness. Happiness and pleasure both. That's why you should feel every single moment. That's why I take great joy in hearing different people's merit or as activities. For example, I got to hear that I believe was yesterday. Yesterday, some of our 13 or all of our 13 minds gave an extravagant malmura pink color. Right? Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, but I got to hear everything about it. And those give me great joy. I wasn't there, of course, but yeah, I can rejoice and think, look how much, you know, how every mind is helping each other to do what they can. I got told that the 13 minds did it all by themselves.

1:13:29No help whatsoever. I was told. And it is something that every time you hear that, you should feel incredibly happy. That's why there is no one. That's why if anyone comes up to you and says, what's the point of merits? Avoid all costs. Try to help that mindset. If that mindset is not changing, avoid all costs because that is venom. That is poison. Merits are essential. That's why I grew there every single day. At least at one point in his silence. We'll always talk about merits. Why? Because he's always showing you that this is what's important. The dharma and merits. Two things that you have to fuel your lives with.

1:14:31Fill every nook and cranny with these. Fill every nook and cranny with these. Sorry. I mean, these are small things that we can do to change ourselves to progress. So, to almost give a quick recap, we talked about how discipline, self-discipline is important. How self-discipline is one of the most important things. Kandiparamantapuradika. Kandiparamantapuradika means what? This, you know, patience and resistance or resisting, but with self-discipline. I mean, it's self done. I mean, self, I mean, it's done through this mind. I mean, the monastery is very good at creating a system. I mean, don't do these sort of things. However, if your mind has the need to do it, you'll find every loophole.

1:15:35So, I always have to be able to have that self-discipline to be able to stop yourself. I mean, who knows your mind better than yourself? Who knows you better than yourself? You know, unfortunately, there is no one that can read minds. No one can read your mind saying that, ah, I think you should be doing this and this and this and this. If we had someone who could read minds, well, that's how to teach us. If the teacher great, but unfortunately, there is no one that can read our minds. Therefore, we can only help ourselves. That's why you are the only person that can help your own self, your own salvation, no one else can. Your salvation can only come from you, because only you know your mind. You can do something secret. You know, behind closed doors, you know, you can do whatever you want, but understand you can't trick your own mind.

1:16:40Your mind will always see it, and although no one else will know about it, your mind knows. And your mind will be the one that suffers. So, to the outside world, you know, you are a perfect person with no flow, you are always happy and what not. Behind the closed doors, you know, you are sad, you are upset and all this stuff. And you know, you do all these things behind closed doors. And if that is so, understand, you know, your mind knows. Is that trying to eat without telling your tongue? Can you eat without telling your tongue? No. The only way you can try to do that is to put food in your nose and see if you can get into your stomach. Is that going to work? You can't eat without telling you or without touching your tongue.

1:17:41Same thing here. You can't do anything without mind knowing. You can't think anything without the mind knowing. So every thought, word, and action, your mind knows. Therefore, your mind cannot hide from itself. Therefore, you are the only person that can help you 100%. And that's why, and again, we talked about this last time as well. You should be able to live or you should be able to live in a glass house. Metaphorically, of course, live in a glass house where everything that you do and say is open. That you're not hiding. That anyone can see. That your teachers can see very blatantly that you are this sort of person. That you're not hiding anything. That this is exactly who you are. Therefore, the teacher can pick it up and show you this is a problem.

1:18:41Let's get rid of it. Thanks to our ego, thanks to the attachment that creates this massive ego. We think, no, no, I have to hide. I have to show everyone that I am either perfect or close to perfect. That there's no problems. I am having a happy life. Everything is good and gold and everything is happy and all this stuff. But inside it's rotting. Being living in an open glass house where your teachers can see. But to be able to make those wars glass, you need to be able to have incredible amount of self-discipline. To be able to live in an in a glass house, you must have incredible amount of self-discipline. That's why it's very easy to close it away and say, oh, no, nothing is wrong.

1:19:41I am happy. Everyone's happy. There's nothing wrong. But when you open the cupboard, you know how sometimes when you ask children to tidy up a place, what they do is they take everything they store it somewhere. I remember, I remember it was my little sister. Whenever we told her to clean the place, what she does is she takes everything and stuffs in a cupboard and closes the cupboard and somehow keeps the door closed. And all Alma has to do is just go and tap on the cupboard and the cupboard opens and everything falls out. And we realized she hasn't done any cleaning. She says, yeah, I mean, that's what we do. We hide everything in that closet. We keep that closet closed. All problems are hidden. Now, should all problems be hidden? The more you hide, the more your teacher has to go seek. And the more your teacher has to go seek, the less time and less effort they have to heal.

1:20:49So be open. Show your teacher who you truly are. And let your teacher start picking away at all of your small nitty-gritty parts. Your small departments, your big departments, small departments and let them clean you. And not just them though. Remember, who can see you better than anyone else? Remember the glass? The glass can reflect light. There'd be some places where there's glass. And so your teacher can't see in the through the glass. But who can see everything? In crystal clear 4K, 8K, I don't know what K there is. The biggest K possible. Who can see it all? Yourself. You are the person that can help you. Either see it and solve it yourself or see and tell your teacher. I have this. Teacher, I think I'm very comfortable in this place here.

1:21:52Test me. I remember once, I think, a good old girl was telling us. Long, long ago. You know, there should be a time where you can go to a teacher and ask you to teach a teacher where do you want me to sleep today? If you say, you know, sleep on the concrete floor, I'll try. If they say, try to sleep on that grass over there, try. To be able to give away all your comfort zones, to show that, you know, I feel very comfortable in my bed right now. Test me. I feel very comfortable doing this responsibility right now. Test me. Because once you make comfort zone, and once you live in breathing and comfort zone, when your teacher pulls you away from it, sometimes it will feel as though they're ripping a piece of your soul.

1:22:53What do you do then? You apply the bomb of what the dam... to heal it. This is why I don't know how I could do this without a teacher. This is why I truly believe that the Noble Association is essential. That Caliandamitras are essential. Noble associations are essential. And you know, the Monashita does it very best to give everyone that. If you ask yourself, why do we do this? The Monashita does it very best to give everyone that. If you ask yourself, why do we do these doctrine discussions? These nia is... It's because, well, there's many reasons. I don't know all the reasons. Of course, I never know all the reasons. But when you think about it, it's because, you know, if I want to test what I know,

1:23:56or if I want to do, check if I know what I know is correct. Once I tell all of you, what will you do? If you see a mistake, what will you do? Fix it. If I see a mistake and you are... you are fixed it. And so we are all helping one another. All helping one another to improve one another, to see if we have holes in our understand, to push us up. But if I was a thing that I was the all knowing one, that I knew the government better than everyone else here, and I just did the work just preached. Will I ever know that I don't understand something? Will I ever know that I have a hole in my knowledge? Will I ever know that there's a problem in my understanding? This is why these doctrine discussions are essential. That's why the Noble Association is essential. This is why I don't know how you can do this without Noble Association. Without associating extraordinary people like you guys.

1:24:57I don't know. I'm still to learn if it's possible. For me currently, it seems next to impossible. That's why Noble Association. That's why every single day, wish and pray that may I be able to stay in this Noble Association. May I be able to have this Noble Association, and may I be able to attain this Supreme Listen in part? This is what I was able to see somewhere, our young Noble Heartians. Something that they do every single day is before they go to bed, they offer a glass of water, and some herb, herb medicines and whatnot. And every single day they worship and say, may all beings, may all beings be able to stay in this association of the Mahasanga, and may they attain this Supreme Listen in part, fast and easy every single day.

1:26:00That's thanks to who, thanks to their teachers, thanks to their association, they are able to do such a thing. It's a blessing, absolute blessing. And I am very honored to be part of that blessing, to have that blessing and to be part of that blessing. And so should you. Do we have any messages? So, before we do conclude, before we conclude today, a message that I do want to give all of you, though it's not a message about what's coming up or not, is something that I really want, if you can, if you can all do this, is something that Guru Tehran has told in His hand before.

1:27:04But I want to tell those who listen to these hands as well. Is that... Whenever you do something, try to teach what you do, or why you do what you do to another. If it's in the monastery, if it's outside the monastery, outside the monastery, but try to teach what you do, or why you do what you do to another. I mean one thing that Guru Tehran had requested a few weeks ago was to explain to other people the concept of being the part that, and why being the part that happens, and what you should do when you do this. But I want to take it one step further, and not just pin the part, but anything that you do. Whether it's simple thing, as I got friend and glass of water to say the Buddha,

1:28:04I want you to go and tell others what you think when you do it, or why you do it. Because remember, everything that happens is according to our views. And so, for example, my views and your views, although we're two different minds here, some views will be similar, some views will be different. But if we're able to share views, we're able to improve ourselves, and improve the people around you, and also get more people to do these sort of things. So, for example, I was reminding this because, so those who may know, I am someone who don't, I'm not someone who likes going through the dump other. But I've got to meet a monk who told me, he had dumped the book in his hand,

1:29:08and would continue to read it. Every single day, every single time I see him, he has the book open, and he's reading through. So I asked him, he came and told me, I've been out there, you know what I do? I'm just reading this book. But I said, it's a dump other, right? He's like, stanzas and these other things. He said, well, this is stuff that the Buddha said, right? Sometimes I, he told me, sometimes he takes great joy in trying to connect, connect stanzas together. Because, you know, what the Buddha says wasn't just out the blue, there are reasons for what he said, and he tries to connect them, tries to put them into a timeline, trying to see the hidden meaning behind it. And I asked him, so how many of these stanzas have he memorized? I was just a few. So what are you doing? I'm just reading. And that gave me a view to do what?

1:30:09Yeah, I mean, it's a book, isn't it? Now, what's this book? Why do I have to see it as something else? No, it's a book. It's not a burden, it's a book. Why not just read it? Every now and then, just take it up and read it. Just like, you know, when we're younger, we went to Ori books, novels, we went Harry Potter, we went this book and that book and all these books. You know, why not pick up the dumb, but then just read it? Why do we have to see it as something else? It's like, okay, it's a view. Something like, let's try that, let's do that. And so, you know, that triggered me to think, well, you know, like that, there are so many things that we do that if other people knew, their mind said, we also change. Again, just tell them, you know, every day I offer a glass of water. I offer a glass of water with this intention in mind, with this. And so, people who don't do it, will not do it.

1:31:10Like, I've told you before that there are several monks that I know that every single day, and I kid you not every single day, before they go to bed, they do something called, they call it the Watevantana. Where they go from wherever they are, they go to the valley one, stay there for like two minutes, worship the Buddha there, go the way to the shrine, stay there for about two minutes, worship, and then go all the way to the pagoda, and stay there for a bit, and then worship, and then go to bed. Every single day, and they call it the Watevantana. And so, when they taught them, one of them said, you know, if I don't know, I do this, come join me, and I remember thinking, what, I have to go all the way there, then here, then there. That's a long, long place to walk, and you know, right now it's 10, 30 in the night,

1:32:12you know, I had to go to sleep, I had to wake up at 4 in the morning. But what did they give? They gave a view. These views, these views will always help us to do more. And because of that view, now I give you a view. Now before you leave the monastery, now take a moment to worship the pagoda, and the shrine, and you know, have those things and make your own, like I said, make every moment as meritory as possible. Fill them with merits. See what more merits you can do. Make your lives busy with merits. Busy yourself with merits. If the teacher says otherwise, because one day your teacher will come and say, let's stop doing this and do this more. Okay, until then, let me do this. That's why, do what you think is right.

1:33:14Do what you think is right. Until, until told otherwise. Until told otherwise. That's something that took me a while to learn. What was it? Being scolded and being told off isn't a bad thing. Being told not to do something? Not a bad thing. Let me do something until I'm told, let's stop doing this and do this now. Okay. But always do what's good and what's right, of course. Not anything else, but do what's good and what you think is good and what you think is right. Until told otherwise. And yeah, life is, let people change. Let yourself change. Let us all attain the supreme listening body. Let's take a few moments, transfer and medics and include today's. Let's take a moment to transfer and medics we required. By making offerings to the infinite virtues of the nirvachpur which em, chanting periods, listen Dharma and engaging in various merit words today.

1:34:16So first and foremost, let's remind ourselves how very fortunate we are to be in and see look with these teachings. And with immense gratitude, let's try and put immense big tributions, oparsas, oparsas, who since time immoral have protected and beset this applied teaching of the Buddha, and pass it down through generation of the normal lineage in the form of the Chippitaka which is thankfully available to us today to study to understand the Khamberendama. Let's also take a moment to all the members of the Mahasanga Presence of the world, including all the sheepers of all the chapters who have dedicated their lives to the nirvachparth and committing themselves the vantiment of all sentient beings. Let's not forget among them will be the monks and nuns, resident local temples and nunneries who have always been by our side to thicken them, and come in our shine. Let's also take a moment to transform the Guru's time Nancy, as well as other monks who have resident monastery, as well as other karakas and karakas attached to the monastery. Let's also take a moment to transform the man's personal gratitude, let's make great efforts to sustain the Mahasanga.

1:35:16This includes everyone of you who have been made up of the instruction, who have helped the nirvachparth, made by the power of the man's, if any of them have been born in the birth of the plants, may they redeem themselves and born in the discipline, made by the power of the man's, may they have the same fundamental as deeds. Through the man's, the four-nobo eight-foot path, in supreme bliss of Nibbana, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Let's also take a moment to transform the man's, to our mother's father's, husband's wife's, brother's sister's son's, daughter's grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and their sons, and their sons, and their daughters, our elders, friends and acquaintances, our employees and our employees, and all of them, to help the supporters, the sister's, and the form, by the power of the man's, may they be healed and in physical mental ailments, may they have become any obstacles in the spiritual progress, may they have the same fundamental as deeds. Through the man's, the four-nobo eight-foot path, and their ten supreme bliss of Nibbana, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Let's also take a moment to transform the man's, to their was-brutman's, raised demons. Primarily, the sacra, their was-neemons, and cousins, and their daughters, who are committed to protecting the people, and for full the sum of the sarsana. Let's not forget, among them, will be our grand-dates, who will keep a watchful eye of us and keep us out of harm's way,

1:36:18may they have the power of the man's, may they prosper, and if I am bound with them, may they abstain from the man's, to his deeds. For full the man's, to his deeds, the was-brutman's, no-nobo eight-foot path, and ten supreme bliss of Nibbana, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Let's also take a moment to transform the man's, and to ancestors, who have predecesed us, to over the offensive families of us, in this long journey in Sansara. Let's take a moment to transform the man's, and then let's also take a moment to transform the man's, to over the members of the armed forces, to the police force, who sacrificed their lives to protect, to protect the peace and harmony of our nation. May all those lives in the world be the fend of her, who enjoys the man's, who are quite today. Let's also take a moment to transform the man's, to over the lost life, not to calamity, such as the tsunami, it's earthquake, not to end pandemics. Reminding ourselves among them will be those who have been fans of the family to us in this long journey in Sansara. May be the pardomites. If any of them have been born in the wereful planes, may they redeem themselves in born and discipline. May be the pardomites, may they abstain from the man's, to his deeds. For full the man's, to his deeds, for full the nobo eight-foot path, and ten supreme bliss of Nibbana, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. And finally, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over,

1:37:47it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over. Trans-haddith, plesix, devils.

1:39:17Niva. Raghagini Niva. DeShagini Niva. Mohagini Niva. Niva. Niva. Sappal. Habib. Niva. Sappal. Habib. Niva. Sappal. Habib. Niva. Sappal. Habib. Niva. Sappal. Habib. Niva. Sappal. Habib. You will see all the details of the world. People will be happy. You will see the world.