Tibet in the Modern World

Translator: Mr. Acting President and friends, I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today. And I want to thank the organizers for their work. Many of you have been at the talk last night.

Dalai Lama: Anyway, now today's topic. "Tibet in the Modern World -- A Spiritual Contribution."

Now in this present world, it seems full of crisis. As I mentioned yesterday, as a human being, we need kindness and altruism as an ultimate answer for our problems, for our crisis. Now you see, in this present world, in general, Buddhism is one of the living faiths, particularly in large areas in Asia where local people and countries as a whole are Buddhist. From large parts of Siberia to Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka, there are millions and millions of people who are generally Buddhist followers. Now the essence of Buddhism, I usually say or express in two words -- two sentences...

Translator: If possible, one should help others. And if you're not able to help others, at least, don't harm them.

Dalai Lama: These two sentences are the complete form of Buddhism. Now you see, if possible, you should help others. That is the whole Mahayana teaching in that sense. Now if not, don't harm other people, other beings. Don't harm others. That is the essence of what is usually called the Hinayana teaching, on that basis. Now you see, both teachings are based on kindness, love, compassion.

In Buddhist teachings, there are various methods or techniques to develop kindness, particularly toward one's enemy. And there is very much emphasis on that point. Once you develop fully, true kindness toward your enemy, now that kindness is the qualified kindness.

Our usual feeling of kindness or warm feeling towards a member of our own family -- for example, your own children, your own parent -- that that kind of compassion or love or close feeling is more or less influenced by attachment. Desire. Attachment. That type of compassion is very limited. That could not expand for infinite ways. Also, that kind of compassion and love is not sound.

Translator: If the person who is an object of your compassion does something that is slightly unsuitable, then one's sense of compassion can be suddenly lost, and a completely different attitude replace it.

Dalai Lama: So, you see, that kind of compassion or love is not at all sound or stable. We have to develop kindness in a different way -- on the basis of clear realization of the importance of happiness.

Now my usual method, a simple method, is like this: First imagine you, yourself as a third person. And in front of you, on your right side, you visualize yourself, as a selfish, stupid person. Visualize this side. (gestures to his right)

And on the other side, the left-hand side, you visualize a group of people or animals -- I think the first stage is people -- a group of people. Imagine this side (gestures to his left) people who are really facing problems and need help. Like the boat people. Like that. Imagine, visualize this side.

Now you, yourself, remain as a genuine neutral and look objectively at this, your own selfish, motivated self. (on the right) Strong ego, with strong feeling. Now here are poor people, (on the left) needy people.

Now you judge.

Both are the same human beings. Both have feelings, both want happiness and both do not want suffering -- and both have the equal right to be happy, to get rid of suffering.

Now think whether to join the selfish, one single person's side, or a group who are facing great difficulties?

If you are wise enough, if you're logical, then naturally, you will join the side of the majority. (Nobody wants to become stubborn, foolish and narrow-minded. We do not want to be that kind of person.) We want to be wise, intelligent and reasonable. So, from that viewpoint, if you think properly, naturally our heart will go to the majority.

So, from this sort of practice, daily practice, you could develop the real feeling of kindness toward the majority. Whatever important person you are, you are just one single human being. One single person.

The others, the world of others, is limitless -- limitless beings. So, when judging which is more important, naturally the majority's benefit is much more important than you, a single person, a single being.

So, from that viewpoint, you will gradually realize the importance of other people's benefit, other people's right, other people's welfare. It will help to reduce your own selfish motives, selfish desire. And as time goes, your selfish motives will decrease and true altruism will increase. This sort of technique is mentioned in Buddhist scriptures.

Now in the present world, kindness is necessary. Everybody appreciates kindness. Nobody appreciates hatred. Even an animal, like this dog here, (gestures to a dog on the floor near the stage). If someone beats it, he does not want that. He does not respect beating. But if someone gives nice food to this dog he immediately --

Translator: Tail.

Dalai Lama: Tail. His tail will do like this. (Gestures wagging) He appreciates kindness! Actually, you see, an animal's brain is so poor it cannot make distinction between right and wrong. But by nature's feeling, he appreciates kindness. Human beings, animals, no question, everybody loves kindness and appreciates the value of kindness. So, you see, the necessity of kindness is something. Something. A really big point.

Now in this respect, from Buddhist doctrine and teachings, we can contribute something.

To practice this technique or do this practice of kindness, you do not have to become a Buddhist. Even if you remain a non-believer, you can practice this. As a Christian, as a Muslim, as any follower of any religion, you can develop these things through practice.

Now regarding Buddhism, actually in this world, as I mentioned earlier, there is quite a big area that is a Buddhist country in reality -- not in the system of government or these things -- but in people's deep mind. Still the strong faith is there. So, I'm speaking from that viewpoint.

Now the Buddhism which we practice, we Tibetans practice -- and this may not be nice, it may not be proper, but I say -- is the best. If you investigate, if you research, if you think, then you will see that the Buddhism, which we Tibetans practice is the complete form of Buddhism.

Translator: There are four schools of Buddhist tenets and the first of these four, the Vaibhasika school is divided into 18 sub schools and four of those are the four basic divisions of the school.

In Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka, they take the Theravada school as their basis. The transmissions of the monks and nuns' vows in Tibet come from one of the other main sub schools, that of the Sarvastivada. And the practices of the Thirty-Seven Harmonies of Enlightenment, including the Four Establishments in Mindfulness, are the same among all of us.

And the Great Vehicle spread to Korea, Japan, China and so forth. For instance, in Japan most groups recite the sutra of the White Lotus as well as the Heart Sutra. These are sutras of the Great Vehicle. In these texts of the Great Vehicle are explained the mode of procedure of the Bodhisattvas, this being the Five Paths and Ten Grounds. And all of these are practised in complete form in Tibet also. And then there is the teaching of the secret mantra or Tantra teaching, which is divided into four Tantric sects -- those of Action, Performance, Yoga, Highest Yoga Tantra. In Japan, it seems that the first three -- Action, Performance and Yoga are practised.

Dalai Lama: Now in detail, this time I'm hoping and I'm looking forward to research in more depth about these things. I'm just hoping.

Translator: And these are also practised in complete form in Tibet. And then in Tibet also, there are many presentations of procedures of Highest Yoga Tantra, too.

Dalai Lama: From that viewpoint, the Buddhism, which we practice is the complete form of Buddhism, so I should say the richest Buddhism. So, this is the general situation.

Translator: Then what is the contribution that Tibet can make to the modern world in this context of having the complete form of Buddhist teaching?

In terms of behaviour, it is the forms of discipline as I explained earlier. Then in terms of Buddhist science or view: In the Buddhist way, the main creator of pleasure or pain is one's own internal mind. Since this is the basis of the view, in Buddhism, the presentation of the mind is given in tremendous detail. There are some differences with regard to this in terms of the presentation of the mind in the Treasury of Knowledge, and in the Compendium of Knowledge. I will speak here of the Compendium of Knowledge.

Consciousness is divided into two types -- Main Minds and Mental Factors. That which merely knows the general entity of the object is called a Main Mind; and that which understands a particular feature of the object is called a Mental Factor.

Among the Main Minds, there are those that depend on the sense powers through which they understand visible forms, sounds, odours, tastes and objects of touch -- these being the five sense consciousnesses mainly directed to external objects. And then there's also the mental consciousnesses; and within the mental consciousness itself, when one considers the teaching set forth in Tantra, there are many levels of grossness and subtleties. It is in terms of these various levels of grossness and subtlety of the mind that Death, the Intermediate State Between Lives, and Rebirth itself are explained.

Every day, even though we don't pass into the subtlest levels of consciousness, we do pass into coarser versions of those deeper levels. There's one level in deep sleep; one level in sleep while we're dreaming; and one level while we're awake. Thus, there are three levels of consciousness in the deep sleep, dreaming and waking life that are explained.

When one is able to practice well with these three levels of consciousness in the deep sleep, dreaming and waking state -- then, it's possible to extend one's control over the process of Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth.

The manifestation of the most subtle mind is called the State of Death. There are eight levels in the process of death, which are related with the dissolving of the Four Elements and the consciousnesses. A very quick version of these occurs when we go to sleep; but if one doesn't have experience with practice of these, it is extremely difficult to identify them because they're so short and not very manifest.

One of the practices is to learn how to recognize dreams as dreams; and then once one has done that, to learn how to recognize that one is falling to sleep. When one is able to identify dreams as dreams, then through the power of one's practice, it's possible to rise up again in a dream-body, which separates from a coarse body.

Then there are also cases of persons who, due to training in this sort of thing in former lifetimes, are able to do it without any training in this lifetime -- a subtler dream-body separating from the coarse body.

There are many explanations in the Buddhist teachings about conscious, semiconscious states, and states of deep unconsciousness. For instance, nowadays in the West, people are researching this a great deal in their psychological studies. I think we could say that this would be one contribution.

Another is the internal structure of the body itself. The running or fluctuation of consciousness depends upon internal, subtle elements. Depending on inner "airs" out of which it runs -- which according to one system of tantra, there are five major winds or inner energies, and each wind (or inner energy) has its own particular functioning, has its own focus and to know about this. One needs to know about the presentation of the internal channels.

There are three main channels: the Central channel, and one to the Right of it, and one to the Left of it. And then, there are channel centres at important places in the body also. Just as in deity yoga, one purposely meditates on oneself as a deity, and one's surroundings as the surroundings of a deity, a mandala and so forth (though that is not the case) because one is seeking a specific feat -- and in effect, it indeed comes from it.

Just so, one meditates on these three channels along the channel wheels and so forth, putting emphasis on particular ones at particular times, in order to bring about certain effects -- and indeed, these effects can be brought about. When one controls these inner "airs" or energies, one can control the inner elements.

There are some yogis nowadays that are engaged in such practices and are doing experiments such as -- in a cool place like Ladakh, at night time -- of putting a large sheet or piece of cloth in cold water and putting on the sheet and then drying it, and doing this five or six times over one night. Just the internal heat -- drying it. It is through the power of holding the internal wind that the practice of the internal heat is explained.

The second hand is moving quickly, right? (Laughter)

Then also there is an explanation in some tantras of Four Subtle Essential Drops -- these being the essence of the fluid in the body. There being one between the eyebrows, which is the Drop of the Wakeful State; there being one in the throat, which is the Drop of the Dreaming State; one at the heart, which is the Drop of the Deep Sleep State, and in the naval region, which is the Drop of Bliss. And by way of these four drops, one can explain the process of Death, the Intermediate State and Rebirth also.

And also, there are beneficial techniques for those who are suffering from disorders of the internal winds -- for instance, persons who are depressed and so forth -- that are based on these Four Drops. Also, there is benefit that can come from chronic stomach ailments through practices that are related with the Four Drops.

Thus, I think we can call these Buddhist sciences. Some people say that Buddhism is not a religion but is a system of psychology.