Good evening, everyone.
Today,I am very glad to
be here, with the  teachers and students of
the Institute for Studies of Buddhism and Religious Theory of Renmin University of China,
to study and discuss
“Tibetan Buddhism and Our Daily Lives”.
Taking this  opportunity,
firstly, I would like to give a brief introduction on
the outlook on  life, in  Tibetan Buddhism.
Actually, the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism
are the same teachings that Shakyamuni Buddha gave in India.
After the Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings
came into Tibet,
gradually, Buddhism became
a holy religion in the Tibetan highlands.
The ideology of Tibetan Buddhism has been integrated
into many fields in Tibet,
such as philosophy, sociology, anthropology,
ethics, religion,
medicine, and life science.
Therefore, in Tibet,
Buddhism has become
an integral part of the lives of Tibetans.
Thus, it has  become
the mainstream thinking of Tibetan culture,
just as it was  during the period between the Western Han Dynasty
and the Qing Dynasty,
the important role of Confucian ideology, in people’s lives.
Some time ago,
we held a seminar, with many students from various famous universities in Tibetan area,
such as
the Southwest University for Nationalities in Sichuan,
Northwest University for Nationalities in Gansu,
Qinghai Normal University,
Sichuan Normal University
and Sichuan University for Nationalities.
Around 350 university students,
and many teachers, attended the seminar.
We spent 7 days
discussing the details
of the Buddhist philosophy, and
all the issues that contemporary people care about.
In the seminar, I found that
many Tibetan students
hold a different
philosophy, of life and values,
from those in Han region.
For example,
regarding the philosophy of life,
99% of Tibetan university students
adhere to the concept that
“wholesome activities bring happiness, unwholesome activities bring sufferings”.
Since they were very young,
they have prayed to Avalokiteshvara,
and have practiced
or learned some Buddhist principles.
When they grew up,
they studied in various colleges and universities.
Still,
whenever they see
a little ant or other living beings,
they naturally
show their compassion.
They are ready to protect the lives of other sentient beings.
So, on the one hand,
they have Right Views on their life philosophy.
Regarding the philosophy of values,
I have noticed that
the purpose of life for most of these students
is not the pursuit of money.
As we all know,
many university students today,
even in their freshman year,
begin to plan their life.
For example,
they are planning how, after graduation,
to buy a house,
to get a car and to get married.
They believe that they are successful
only if they are rich.
And only with wealth,
will life be splendid.
And without wealth,
they will be losers.
Therefore,
they have a very strong attachment to money.
However, even though many Tibetan young people,
due to the same
influence of western economic developments,
have also undergone some changes,
what they desire most
is not money.
What do they long for?
They want to
carry forward
their valuable Tibetan culture.
And,
at the same time,
they are not longing for external material wellbeing.
Instead, they attach
great importance to
the inner values of happiness, compassion , and wisdom,
especially, being content
with less desire.
So,
today I would like to talk briefly  about
how Tibetan Buddhism
is integrated with our spirit and life.
According to my experiences with
the Tibetan intellectuals and university students,
I have found that
they do not
completely entrust their happiness
to material wellbeing.
Instead, quite a lot of them believe that
they should seek happiness within the mind.
This, I think,
for us, is a point worth thinking about.
Next, I would like to talk about
the benefits that Tibetan Buddhism
can bring to human beings.
I would like to
discuss this with you.
What is the fundamental basis of
the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism?
It is actually the doctrine that Shakyamuni Buddha advocates.
That is to say, engaging in wholesome activities,
and refraining from all unwholesome activities.
This doctrine
has been developed and enhanced
into a philosophy
which greatly benefits
the whole of human society.
What are the significant contributions that Tibetan Buddhism has made?
It has become
one of the world's great civilizations.
I remember that, at Harvard University in the US,
Dr. Herbert Benson
once said that
Tibet has a civilization of internal science.
What he said
is Tibetan Buddhism.
Some of you here
may be unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism.
In fact, both the monasteries and
the Buddhist practitioners, in the Han lineage,
as well as many intellectuals, have a high regard for Tibetan Buddhism.
Especially in western countries,
I have been to some of them  in the  past,
many people give up their jobs,
their successful careers,
and go to the Land of Snows,
to study Tibetan Buddhism intensively.
As far as I know,
lots of the intellectuals from Han region
have flocked to the Tibetan area to seek Dharma teachings.
I previously composed a text entitled
“The Sprays of the Wisdom Ocean”.
This text
describes the journey and experiences of
many professors and students
from Tsinghua University, Peking University, and other colleges and universities.
It recounts
the stories of
125 intellectuals studying Buddhism.
I believe that through \ Ntheir experiences and the big change of their belief,
we can see that
there are quite a lot of people who have a strong faith in Tibetan Buddhism,
and, especially, in what Tibetan Buddhism
contributes to human civilization.
A PhD graduated
from Columbia University,
Dr. Thurman,
previously said that
the greatest gift that Tibetan Buddhism
gives to today’s world is
its unparalleled knowledge of ‘internal science’
and a complete set of methods to transform the human mind into wisdom ,
which stem from this knowledge.
In other words, Tibetan Buddhism brings
true happiness to the whole society of human beings.
For example ,
in the 1970s,
there was a well-known person in the US,
named Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
You may easily find his information on the internet.
Hewasthe first person
to propagate Tibetan Buddhism in the US.
In the US, he founded Naropa University.
In 1993, I visited the university.
Many Americans and Chinese
studied Buddhadharma there.
In addition,
in Europe and the US, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
set up
over 200 meditation centers and Buddhist institutes.
Each of them
has its own way of
life and practices.
People from all walks of life, including some who work for the American president,
and who are more mature elitists, received the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism in the centers,
as did people
such as hippies,
who were drug addicts,
suffering all the time,
also received
the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism there.
Gradually, all around Europe and America,
Tibetan Buddhism was blossoming.
Later, the sixteenth Karmapa was also
invited by Trungpa Rinpoche to propagate Dharma in the West.
Therefore, from a fair
and objective perspective,
Tibetan Buddhism can,
truly, act as
a supreme medicine,
which helps us to maintain a healthy, happy and joyful mind.
This is so important
that many scientists consider it as
the most advanced psychology.
The well-known
American psychologist,
Dr. Daniel Goleman,
also said that
Tibetan Buddhism
has a panoply of inner sciences.
He believed that
the essential part of the Eastern psychologies
is Tibetan Buddhism.
So, as we can see, many people
consider Tibetan Buddhism,
at a secular level ,
as the most advanced
psychological science.
When I was a student,
I was very interested in psychology.
I had read lots of psychology books.
However,
I failed to find an answer from the psychology.
So I specially bought a book
named Science of Life, translated by Guo Moruo.
He spent
15 years
translating it.
It consists of three thick volumes,
discussing
all subjects,
biology, psychology,
botany, and others.
There was no doubt that,  at that time,
my thinking was not mature,
and so,
my view on many things was oversimplified.
When entering  society after my graduation,
I found that it is very different from what I expected.
But I still
believe that
in human society,
the psychology revealed by Tibetan Buddhism is indeed
the most comprehensive and profound.
I strongly believe that it will certainly bring about
genuine benefits to the whole of human society.
There are many Buddhists
around us.
Some of them
may be not sufficiently  devout.
But there are people who study
Buddhism diligently,
and keep
practicing carefully.
By doing so, they can understand the profound meaning of Buddha Dharma,
and can gain
inner happiness and peace,
that are far more valuable than
that which the external material can bring.
I think that  in Tibet,
there are many other profound and mystical areas.
I will say no more on this now.
Actually, if you have the opportunity to visit the Tibetan areas,
to study the generation stage and
the perfection stage of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as its preliminary practices,
you will truly
be benefited.
Especially, you may find someone, or something,
so amazing
that the various stresses in your life
will be  easily overcome, due to practicing.
For example, when one is going to die,
in Tibet, one
may achieve the supreme “rainbow body”.
Some of you
may not have heard about the rainbow body,
yet this phenomenon
has been confirmed.
It may be
beyond your imagination.
For example, in 1955,
in Derge, Ganzi,
there was an old man
who was a devout Buddhist.
He slept only three to four hours every night.
He was poor
and he carved the mantra of Avaloketeshvara, every day.
Later,
in Manigangge, Derge,
when he passed away,
he attained the rainbow body.
At that time, many people
witnessed this personally.
There was another case of the rainbow body,
in 1958,
during the liberation period,
when the Tibetan area underwent enormous changes.
There was a Buddhist master,
Tsewang Rigdzin,
who was in prison at that time.
One day, he was escorted to the site of a mass meeting,
for public criticism.
There were five  people
who escorted him.
Because of his handicap,
he was allowed to ride on a yak.
It was on the way to the site
that an extremely strong and violent whirlwind suddenly happened.
The master started to ascend,
higher and higher.
The wind was so strong that many people could only hear the voice, rather than see by opening their eyes.
Later when they arrived the destination,
they dared not to tell people the truth.
Instead, they lied that the master died and was buried on the road.
Some of the witnesses
are still alive now.
Khenpo Tsultrim Lodoe
from our monastery
purposely went from Sichuan to Qinghai
to interview the witnesses who are alive.
It happened in 1958,
so some of them are very old now.
Khenpo Tsultrim Lodoe interviewed them one by one,
and was told that, at the time it happened, they were all stunned by the phenomenon.
But due to specific reasons, they were not allowed to talk about it at that time.
Now, finally
they can honestly tell him the truth.
And in 1988,
there was a Khenpo in Nyalong,
Khenpo ACho,
who also attained the rainbow body.
Some teachers from our monastery also visited there,
and interviewed all the witnesses.
Finally, it was confirmed to be true.
In a secular society,
any unusual thing
can only be reported as true
after it is confirmed by a journalist’s investigation.
But in Tibet,
it is believed that many practitioners
who devote themselves to practicing
in accordance with the doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism,
have manifested various auspicious phenomena
and signs of enlightenment.
Such a phenomenon is quite common,
and people have already become accustomed to it.
In the Han region,
we have Monk Ji Gong,
who is also enlightened,
but people hold different views on his story.
Anyway,
he has become a legend in  history.
In the Tibetan area,
many such cases
can be found,
although
we do not rule out that
there are some people who only pretend to be enlightened,
in order to
gain fame or wealth.
For such purposes,
they commit various
activities that do not comply with Buddhist teachings.
You are likely to find similar cases.
But Buddhism itself
is free from flaws.
As I always say,
It is not a problem of Tibetan Buddhism.
Instead, it is a problem with individuals
who are far away from enlightenment.
Similar problems
exist in other cultures as well.
Today in the Han region,
many monks and masters,
from Han monasteries,
agree
that Tibetan Buddhism
has an extremely  profound and supreme
oral, written, and debating tradition, and a studying , reflecting and practicing culture.
It provides us with a systematic way to study Buddhism.
This Buddhist lineage,
with its complete transmission and long history,
has been perfectly preserved
in the Land of Snows.
Therefore, many people from the Han region,
including university students
and intellectuals,
have been attracted to Tibet.
When we have a Dharma festival,
many people from the Han area come to participate.
The large number of participants
challenges
our management skills.
However,
what intellectual participants look for
is completely different from  what  the ordinary people
and Buddhist disciples look for.
There are two reasons. Firstly, intellectuals
have a stronger academic research ability.
Secondly, they are reluctant
to  simply accept anything with no reason.
Only with solid evidence
and are liable theory,
will they accept what they learned, and
practice it
in their daily life.
I believe that it is a common way,
that most intellectuals act.
This is helpful for us to understand
why so many universities and colleges,
as well as their professor and students,
turn their attention to
the sacred, pure,
and ancient land of Tibetan Plateau.
They did not do this
without reason.
The enigmatic Tibetan Buddhism
is appealing to them.
So, generally speaking, we should
take a reasonable, objective, and
unbiased attitude in pursuing the truth.
Buddhism also requires an open, objective, unbiased mind.
What is Buddhism then?
Buddhism has
compassion and kindness without discrimination.
It  has a great compassionate love
for all, irrespective of boundaries, races,
social classes,
and economic status.
Everyone has the right to
receive the supreme and pure
truth of Buddha as a wish-fulfilling jewel.
Unfortunately,  some people,
due to  a lack of positive merits, faith, wisdom and so on,
may not be willing to accept such truth.
This is the second thing that
I want to talk about.
Next,
I would like to suggest to everyone here today, that,
whether you truly study and practice Tibetan Buddhism, or
merely study it for academic research purpose,
you must
establish a Right View
which may also be called  ‘the view of life’.
It is very important.
This Right View can be established
by learning and understanding the law of karma, or cause-and-effect, in Buddhism.
For example, Buddha’s teaching says “only with both faith and wisdom will we have the foundation for all noble activities”.
What does it mean?
Faith without wisdom is superstition,
it will only increase one’s ignorance.
Similarly, without faith, wisdom alone
will eventually increase wrong views.
Therefore,
only with both faith and wisdom,
can we ensure that our practice is
on track with the authentic truth.
Today, many young people
merely have wisdom
without the support of faith.
It is truly terrible,
as without the guidance of the view of cause and effect,
they cast off the moral discipline of restraint.
Think of those
who, from universities and colleges,
commit suicide,
and those who, after graduation,
chase their personal benefits,
unscrupulously in their efforts, even by harming other people and society.
Not only do they make no positive contributions to society,
but they even cause harm to many people.
Finally, some of them end up in jail for the rest of their life.
Therefore, even if these kinds of people have wisdom,
such as some university students
with a talent for computer science and technology,
even if they are quite talented and intelligent,
without a good moral character,
they may end up in jail.
There is another kind of person who has faith
but lacks the wisdom to distinguish right from wrong. This is only blind faith.
It is a common problem
for both Buddhism and science.
I once read
an article written by a professor from Beijing Normal University,
whose name is Tian Song.
He wrote an article:
“Superstition in Science”.
The article is short
but makes a good point.
In the article, it says that faith is a state of our mind,
and not necessarily equal to superstition,
only because of people’s religious activities such as burning incense and prostrating to Buddhas.
In fact, each specific form of such activities
has its own theoretical ground and
religious meaning.
Whether chanting Amitabha and sutras,
wearing a monk’s robe, or any other religious activities,
each has its profound and secret meaning.
Therefore, it should not be simply considered as superstition,
before you have fully understood its true meaning,
no matter whether you are a scientist or a government official.
The article gives an example of blind faith.
It says that a certain government official knows nothing about fertilizers.
But in an attempt to promote fertilizers, he said that  it is scientific to do so.
Based on nothing but his imagination,
he lied to his people.
This is definitely “a superstition of science.”
We can find more cases
in our daily life.
Any type of blind faith, without wisdom,
should be abandoned.
Instead, we should develop an irrefutable Right View.
Having a Right  View
is extremely important for each of us.
In Buddhist history,
there is a great master,
Aryadeva.
He wrote a famous book
called “Four Hundred Verses”,
which I believe many of you, from the religious institute,
have already read.
One of the key points made in his book is that
even at the expense of violating his precepts,
one should strive to protect his Right View,
as the effect of such a violation
may be able to overcome by your confession.
What is more important
is one’s view.
One’s view should never go astray.
Otherwise,
if one’s mind is filled with
wrong views,
then the Right View
cannot be recovered.
In turn, one will no longer believe in a future life and will lose one’s awe of the law of karma,
and then be possible for one to do all kinds of evil deeds.
Hence we must establish a Right View.
As long as
our Right View is growing stronger,
once it is established,
then in our mind,
the mental afflictions, such as desire, hatred, arrogance,
jealousy, anxiety, and so on
will gradually diminish.
Just as when the sun rises,
it dispels the darkness.
Therefore, it is essential
for us to establish a Right View.
Of course, in order to establish the Right  View,
on one hand, we need
the guidance of qualified teachers.
This is very important.
On the other hand, our studying and practicing
is crucial too.
I remember that  there is a story about
a person who eliminated his wrong view
by visualizing the majestic and solemn-looking Buddha.
It says that in the time of Shakyamuni Buddha,
who is not the  Shakyamuni Buddha in the current Kalpa,
there was a bhikshu named Samadhi Self-Mastery,
and a prince named Gold Banner,
in one country.
The prince was very arrogant
and
respected no-one.
He also had
a Wrong View.
One day, the bhikshu suggested
to him that he visit and worship a Buddha stupa in a monastery.
In the monastery,
the prince saw the solemn Buddha statue.
At seeing it,
he felt extremely joyous.
He told the bhikshu:
“I saw the Buddha statue in the stupa today.
If just a statue of Buddha looks so perfect and beautiful,
imagine how the true body of Buddha would look.”
Hearing this, the bhikshu
suggested that he chant “Namo Buddhaya”.
The prince did as suggested.
That night,
Buddha appeared in his dream and blessed him.
When he woke up,
all his Wrong Views and arrogance
disappeared.
For this reason,
he never generated a wrong view for many eons of his future lives,
and was reborn in the higher realms.
Therefore,
even one occasional cause-and-condition
may fundamentally change the destiny of certain people.
It really depends.
For example, you may meet a Dharma teacher and receive a teaching from him.
Then you
would have something new, to pursue, in your life.
Or, you may meet
an excellent teacher
and receive a good education from him.
Then your life
would be changed.
When I was in Fudan University, I met some foreign students
from Africa and the US.
They told me that the reason they come to China
is not for knowledge,
that they can learn elsewhere,
but for
the Eastern culture,
and especially for the theories of its religion.
Among those,
they would like to learn the theory of Buddhism,
including the Zen Buddhist lineage,
and others.
I completely agree with them.
If they can establish
their faith in Buddhism in their life,
they will develop
a new view on human society.
So, it is very important for each of us
to establish a Right  View.
In the Tibetan area,
many great masters and scholars
often cite
a verse
from the well-known
Indian litterateur and Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna.
I believe everyone here has heard about Nagarjuna.
In today’s language,
he can be regarded as both a litterateur and a Buddhist philosopher.
He used to say that
“Whoever possesses the Right  View of this world
will not fall into the unfortunate realms for thousands of eons.”
This verse illustrates
the importance of having the Right  View.
Now, many people do not
have the Right  View.
They have no idea about
the law of karma.
This is terrible.
Due to
the influence of the theory of Evolution
and other non-Buddhist philosophies,
people believe that
they come to the world for no reason,
and whatever they do
has no consequences.
Such views will eventually
destroy human beings.
Kindness is
an essential part
of the Right View.
We always ask whether a person has the Right  View.
If he has the Right  View,
then from the Buddhist point of view,
he will, for millions of eons,
not fall into the  unfortunate realms.
If, in this life,
he establishes the Right  View,
he will not commit evil deeds in this life.
So I really hope that everyone
will  establish
a Right View on their philosophy of life.
This is quite important.
Next, I would like to
talk about the Right View on the law of Cause and Effect.
In fact, it can
stand up to scientific examination.
As everyone knows,
most of the scientific views
are conclusions from
the test results provided by scientific instruments and the sensations perceived by human’s sense organs.
Therefore,
if we rely too much on science,
it does not necessarily have a positive effect
on people’s  understanding of certain problems.
Then,
what is the greatness of Buddhism?
It represents the primordial union of compassion and wisdom.
It makes
Buddhism unique,
on both sides of compassion
and wisdom.
In my view,
Buddha’s great compassion
is not only for human beings,
but also for all the sentient beings.
This theory of a universal compassion
can only be found in Buddhism, not other religions.
Why?
All Buddhists know that,
just as each human being treasures his or her own life,
so do all other sentient beings.
They have the same right to life as we do.
At first, it may be not easy
for some of you to accept this idea.
But as long as your study is deep,
you will, inside, understand its profound meaning.
Next,
what is  ‘Buddhist wisdom’?
It refers to the overcoming of attachment.
All the suffering of the human beings today
stem from
their strong attachment to a specific person or thing.
The teachings of Tibetan Buddhism focus on
the three principal aspects of the path,
among which
one is renunciation,
another is bodhicitta.
I think whoever has studied Buddhism
should have heard about bodhicitta.
The last one of the three is
the Wisdom of Selflessness.
Why  do we
need renunciation?
We strongly cling to
objects in this world.
To be liberated from such clinging and attachment,
we need to renounce
Without renouncing from the world,
we are not able to be released from our grasping mind.
The reason we need bodhicitta is
that many of the sufferings that we experience stem from our selfish attitude.
As we know, the cause of suffering
is in nature,
our ego-clinging.
If we do not cling to  this “self”,
and generate a complete, universal, love towards others,
there will be no suffering at all.
In addition, what we cling to has no inherent existence.
So, if, in one’s mind,
one generates renunciation, bodhicitta, and wisdom,
in a Buddhist context,
he is enlightened,
or from the worldly point of view,
he is completely free from any suffering.
It is the ultimate state of realization.
You may well say so.
Last but not least, I would like to let you know that
the truth disclosed by Buddhism can be proven  by scientific means.
Long ago in Tibet,
there was a well-known scholar
named Gedun Chophel.
He once said that
whether
in  finding the origin of things and events,
the path of practice,
or the noble qualities of fruition,
Buddhism
will never be embarrassed by science;
instead,
it can serve as a solid foundation for science.
Both the law of cause and effect,
and the theories on life and the universe in Buddhism,
can be confirmed
in every area of science.
The famous German
philosopher,  Friedrich Nietzsche, also said that
Buddhism is
the only religion that can truly prove its validity by realization.
The Buddhist teachings can be proven  by practice and realization,
not just dogmas as we may think.
Each of Buddha’s teachings
has been established to be true.
Likewise, the modern Chinese scientist,
Dr. Shen  Jiazhen,
also said :
“I am both a scientist and a Buddhist.
I am interested in science
as well as in Buddhism.”
In his view,
science and Buddhism
are not in conflict with  each other.
If we take the theories of many scientists
and theorists
into account, together,
we will find they actually do not conflict with Buddhism.
Many truths revealed by Buddhism
have not been completely proven by science,
but in the end
they  will.
Nowadays, some people
reject Buddhism,
or even
despise Buddhism.
I think that  they should feel ashamed of themselves,
as it actually demonstrates their ignorance,
which is totally unnecessary.
If you
can’t accept Buddhism,
you definitely have the freedom not to believe in it,
which was also true in Shakyamuni Buddha’s time.
If you think
that Buddhism’s view is unreasonable,
you are always welcome
to debate intensely with the Buddhists.
It is a unique tradition of our Tibetan Buddhism,
to practice debating and to train the skills in debating halls.
The central purpose of the debate
is to defeat misconceptions,
and to clear away objections to the Right View
during the debate.
Therefore, I often think that
both universities and colleges in the Han region,
and their philosophy departments,
should consider adopting
the specific mode of Tibetan debate.
In the debate,
students may express their arguments upon a question straightforward.
Then after the debate,,
they can
gain a true understanding of the question and generate
a very pure wisdom.
So, I believe
that  everyone should establish the Right View on the law of cause and effect.
This is fundamental.
Such Right View can stand up to
any close examination by modern civilization.
Finally, I would like to
talk about the
many disasters that recently occurred around the world,
particularly the earthquake in Japan.
Then, in the face of disasters,
as intellectuals ,
how should we deal with them?
First, we should be well prepared.
I do not mean that
human-kind will be facing devastating disasters
which will ruin everything.
This is a kind of intimidation
which Buddhism never advocates.
None of the studies of Buddhist cosmology,
anthropology, or sociology,
can conclude that
a  devastating disaster will come, as some people have predicted.
Instead, the increasingly  negative karma
people undertake today
will,
from a Buddhist point of view,
significantly increase the chance of various natural
and man-made disasters.
When a disaster occurs,
we may make  ourselves prepared through the education we get in the world in normal times.
For example, during the recent earthquake in Japan,
I found that the Japanese people
behaved themselves
with great composure.
They coped with terror
in a serious way.
This is mostly because of the education and training
that they received in normal times.
After the earthquake hit Yushu, I also went there.
I found that
people there
have had an understanding of  the law of karma,  impermanence,
and the sufferings of samsara, since they were very young,
which makes them strong enough to face the disaster.
At that time, many psychologists
and experts from different countries joined the rescue efforts in Yushu.
All of them were impressed
by the people’s great courage.
Nobody committed suicide,
nobody was overwhelmed by grief.
Even if those people lost all of their family,
or were left with only one or two family members,
it did not take away their courage to survive.
I believe
that  it is the result of their faith in the Tibetan Buddhism,
as well as their systematic study of life and death, and practice based on their understanding  of it.
Anyway,
though the fictional scenes of doomsday, as
shown in the movie 2012,
may not necessarily happen,
one detail of its plot
looks very creative.
Although we understand that
real life is not like the movies,
the screenwriter of 2012
chose the Tibetan Plateau as the place in which to build the Noah's Ark.
Perhaps in its own way,
the movie intends to suggest something to the people around the world.
Today, with various
mental sufferings in people’s mind and
natural disasters
happening on our planet,
the wise are
trying to find a way out.
They will find that Tibetan Buddhism
has its unique wisdom and altruistic philosophy
which will finally reveal all its glory.
I would like to
end my speech
here today.
There will be time for questions at the end of my talk.
I'd be glad to answer any questions.
Okay?
I am training to be a teacher in the School of Journalism.
I have two questions.
The first one is that,
last year,
there was a controversial incident.
A student named Liu Zhiyu from Peking university
received an offer
from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
with a full scholarship.
But he decided to become a monk at Longquan Temple.
This attracted the attention of our society.
People think that
the behavior of such a talented university student, who
rejected a promising and bright future,
and who chose to be a monk,
was considered
a tremendous waste of the social resources,
and that he had totally ignored
his responsibility to his parents and teachers.
However, others believed that being a Dharma teacher
is also a valid career choice.
Today we have two Dharma teachers here.
I want to take this opportunity to ask Khenpo,
since you have been a monastic for over 20 years,
what exactly is this career?
What are your personal feelings about it?
My second question is that,
you have talked a lot, today,
about the Buddhist law of cause and effect .
However, as ordinary people,
we are not able to see our past and future life,
nor can we see the hell.
Many people only believe in
what they have seen.
So,
how can we know it truly exists?
How can we find the answer
through studying, and reflecting on, Dharma teachings,
as, even this way, we are still unable to directly experience
the heaven or the hell?
So, my question is how we can establish
a genuine faith in the law of cause and effect.
To your first question:
a talented student from Peking university became a monk at Longquan temple,
which drew
the attention of society.
But think about Shakyamuni Buddha
who was a prince before he became a monk.
A prince or a university student
becomes a monk,
neither, I think,
is a big deal.
In Chinese history, the Emperor Shunzhi
also chose to become a monk.
So I think, generally speaking,
being a monastic is simply a personal choice.
But it is common that when someone, particularly an intellectual,
has studied and learned about Buddhism to a certain level,
he may seek a new way of life.
Of course, some of them may finally think what he chose
is a mistake,
which is also normal.
Take my own case for example. When I decided to be a monk,
many of my classmates thought that
I was the most unsuccessful
among all the people in our class.
Even some of them
cried over my decision.
Twenty years later,
when we met  together,
I found, at that time,
that those who chose to be laypeople
had each gone through ups and downs of life.
My monastic life, on the contrary,
is pretty simple and peaceful.
At that moment, they came to
understand my choice.
Therefore, I think that, from the secular point of view,
it is difficult for people to accept the choice to be a monastic,
while from the Buddhist perspective,
it is quite normal.
For example, the venerable Atisha
used to be the prince of a kingdom in history,
which is now in Bangladesh.
His country had one hundred thousand village-households and
lots of people lived there.
But triggered by the virtues of his past life,
he eventually gave up his throne and became a monk.
It looks to me
a very good choice, to be a monk.
Various people,
including university students, may become monks.
In our institute,
many university students and teachers come to us and become monastics.
But I always request them to observe monastic life properly, before becoming a monk or nun,
as it is not good to become a monastic and then to regret it.
So, try to think about it very carefully before making your choice.
It is necessary.
To your second question,
how to understand things such as heaven and hell.
I agree it is not an easy thing to establish this kind of understanding or view.
Not only things like heaven and hell,
but the solar system, the Galaxy,
black holes,
and other profound astrological fields,
are also beyond
what our naked eyes can perceive.
However, those phenomena, or mysteries of the universe that are invisible to our naked eyes,
can be revealed to us by scientists
and astronomers,
through their discoveries and theories.
In the same way, the truths in Buddhism
are supported by the teachings and achievements of Buddha,
since the ability of our naked eyes is very limited.
I learned that, when Dr. Hawking
visited Tsinghua and Peking Universities, he gave his lectures.
However, his theories are
so profound and complex,
that many students felt sleepy during his speech.
He was very disappointed.
In his discoveries,
the universe is not merely three-dimensional space.
Instead,
it is made up of eleven dimensions,
which means that
there are many other dimensions which we can’t  detect directly
by our eyes and ears.
But they do exist.
So,
Thomas Edison, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, and other prominent scientists
also agreed on
the existence of heaven and hell.
这一点从他们的传记当中
也可以看得出来 We can find it
in their biographies.
所以我觉得
虽然我们眼睛看不到 Therefore,
what we can’t detect directly ,
with our eyes,
does not necessarily lack existence.
As it says in the Buddhist logic masterpiece,
the Pramānavārttikakārika,
what our naked eyes fail to perceive does not necessarily lack existence.
We can establish its existence through inferential reasoning.
This is particularly true in the case of some subtle and profound areas.
So, it is necessary for us to
explore them deeply.
Dear khenpo,
I am a first year student in the Department of Finance.
I have a question
about the concept of
“renunciation” emphasized in Buddhism.
When Shakyamuni Buddha
became a monk,
he was already over thirty years old.
By that time, he had already experienced many things in life,
and was therefore able to gain renunciation.
As for you and our teacher,
both of you became monks when you were still very young.
May I ask
what made you make this decision.
Thank you !
Well,
Shakyamuni Buddha manifested himself
as a prince, initially enjoying life in the palace.
Then, when traveling outside the palace,
he encountered the old, the sick, and the dead.
Accordingly, he generated renunciation in his mind,
and became a monk,
and eventually obtained enlightenment, becoming a Buddha.
This version
is based on the common view of Exoteric Buddhism.
However, the uncommon Mahayana and Vajrayana schools
have their own versions.
According to their views, when Shakyamuni Buddha
was on the bodhisattva path,
for millions of eons,
he had been a monastic and practiced Buddha Dharma.
His last reincarnation in the samsara
was just his manifestation to show  sentient beings how to become a Buddha.
Therefore, as you can see, Shakyamuni Buddha reached his enlightenment
through his own efforts, in countless previous lives.
Regarding the biography of Shakyamuni Buddha,
the Vaibhashika and Sautrantika schools in the Hinayana,
and the Yogacara,
Madhyamaka, and Vajrayana schools in the Mahayana
all have their distinct views.
Regarding the life of
Shakymuni Buddha,
recently, I have been translating
a text on the history of Tibetan Buddhism.
At its beginning, there is an introduction about the whole process and experiences
of Buddha’s enlightenment after he became a monk.
You  will be able to read it when the translation is complete.
As for your teacher and me,
your teacher will give his own answer.
My personal reason
for becoming a monk, as I just said,
was because, at that moment, I was particularly interested in
the dialectical thinking,
and psychology,
and yearned to understand the truth of life.
I felt that
if I had to lead a life
of going to work in the morning and coming home in the evening, getting married and having children,
as all other people do,
every day,
routinely,
then when I was over fifty years old,
looking back on my life,
it was
just so-so.
But if I were a monk,
though simple and peaceful,
I would be happy.
In addition,
I would have many opportunities to study,
and there would not be much stress.
This is what I thought when I first became a monk.
Now looking back,
I consider myself so naive at that moment,
with such an easy
and simple life,
as well as my easy access to
Buddha Dharma.
So.
But later on,
when I understood more about Buddhism,
I realized that being a monastic
should not only be for sake of one’s own happiness;
instead, it should be for benefit of all sentient beings
and for propagating Buddha Dharma.
When I realized this,
it was years  after I first became a monk.
I am a visiting scholar
at Renmin University.
I am very interested in religions
and have read some books about them.
I would like to ask:
Do you treat Buddhism as an
intellectual enquiry
or only as philosophical research,
or do you treat it the traditional way,
that is, that the practice of mind-training is essential?
This is my first question.
Another question is related to
the ancient Chinese literature which I am studying .
I used to read a saying
“understand your mind and see your nature”.
But I don’t know
what it really means.
I am wondering
if there is a clear explanation of this in Tibetan Buddhism.
Thank you.
Good questions.
Buddhism is not only
about intellectual enquiry.
What is more important,
is putting it into practice – training your mind.
If one gradually cultivates one’s mind,
then when one reaches a certain level,
whether one  is a monastic or a layperson,
an intellectual or an ordinary person,
one will experience, physically and mentally,
something transcendental.
This will definitely happen.
For so many years,
not only have I been reading and studying Dharma,
which I enjoy very much,
but also
I aspire very much to putting them into practice, so as to truly realize their meaning.
Therefore,
whether it is about bodhicitta, renunciation,
or the wisdom of selflessness,
it is necessary to have systematic study and practice.
This is vital.
Today many people are practicing.
So am I. Although my practice is not that good,
I do spend a lot of time on practicing.
Otherwise, having a mere literal understanding
without any realization,
would only result in
rhetorical, bubble-like speeches.
For this reason,
practice and realization
are vital.
This is not just relevant for
Dharma teachers,
it applies to all Dharma practitioners.
As the Flower Adornment Sutra says,
just as a thirsty man near a river
who, due to his fear of drowning, chooses not to drink the water,
so can’t quench his thirst.
In the same way, a person who has just listened to the Dharma
but doesn’t practice it ,
will not gain any benefit from it.
This is for your first question.
Your second question is
about the saying “understanding your mind and see your nature” in Han Buddhist tradition.
Actually, in Tibetan Buddhism,
it refers to a similar experience of practice and realization.
This experience
can be obtained through analytical meditation based on the teachings of the Middle Way.
This style of meditation is
a sort of a thinking-oriented approach,
and relies heavily on analysis and cognitive reappraisal
to experience it.
The better way to acquire this experience is
through the practice of tantric paths.
Take the path of Great Perfection, for example.
Its practicing may bring about a stable experience of the union of clear light and emptiness,
which may also be called a state of non-duality of clear light and emptiness, non-duality of emptiness and appearances,
or an indestructible natural state, and so on.
So do other tantric practices such as Kalachakra and
Yamantaka may bring.
For all these practice paths,
it takes time for us
to understand their profound meaning.
I am a law student.
I have a question.
In the field of legal studies,
we have a concept called “laws of nature”.
Recently, I have been
studying Buddhism
and found that the law of cause and effect in Buddhism,
in the context of religious studies,
is also a kind of law of nature.
The secular laws are various rules governing people’s
behavior and conduct.
Both of them are some kind of rules.
I am wondering if there is
any relationship between them.
Now we are working on
a research project,
“Law and Religion”.
To put it simply,
I am wondering
what is the relationship between Buddhism and the secular law, if any.
Well, actually
I often think about this as well.
From my point of view, these two
have interplayed with each other.
I have good reasons in saying this.
Some people, today, question
Buddha’s  great compassion,
asking: If Buddha is compassionate, why he does not
liberate all the people and, why,
instead, does he watch helplessly as they go to hell?
But actually the hell
is not created by Buddha.
The rules in the Buddhist community
are similar to the secular laws in a way.
A secular law without sanctions
is toothless to wrong-doers.
For the same reason, Buddha established the precepts, the code of conduct in the Buddhist community.
The Five Precepts
are actually the best guide for moral conduct for all people.
Today, many people, including some government officials,
keep committing various evil actions such as killing, stealing, sex, and lying, which is totally against the Five Precepts.
In the Buddhist community,
the Five Precepts set out the benchmark for people’s daily conduct.
In addition, there are much higher standards of moral conduct
applicable to monks,
which, reviewed in the context of secular society,
turn out to be the highest ethical standards for people’s conduct,
if any person is able to comply with them.
So, some Buddhist teachings,
such as those in the Code for Monarchs,
are closely interlinked with the secular legal discourse.
Of course, it does not rule out the very occasional conflicts between them,
in the matter of the concrete operation and practice.
May I know
how to put Buddhist teachings into practice?
Merely reading Buddhist scriptures
limits my understanding to a literal level.
So, I want to know
how I can put them into practice.
When it comes to practice,
the teachings in some Buddhist texts say that
one has to gradually think over the teachings one has received.
For example,
after we receive the teaching that everything is impermanent,
we should
think about it, over and over, by ourselves.
Or, we can integrate the teaching into our daily activities.
This is called practice of meditation.
Meditation can be divided into analytic meditation and abiding meditation.
Analytic meditation refers to integrating the teachings we have received into our daily life
through thinking over and over about the teachings.
and familiarizing ourselves with them.
Abiding meditation means to
going into solitude and sitting ourselves down there, settling our mind on the meaning of the teachings.
Thank you.
