37 Bodhisattva practice Teaching

9th Feb 2009

I am in a hotel room together with all the other Rinpoches, having a good rest. I am thinking about the subject of tonight's Dharma teaching of the 37 practices of the Bodhisattvas which HH Karmapa has given. It is really exciting to me as this is the same subject I had taught in many centres in USA. People receive teachings mainly in two ways; one is just listening because the teaching is nice to listen to or just to gather general knowledge and another is listening to the teaching and then putting the teaching into practice. The latter should be our main target and making sure the practitioner proceeds on the path without any hindrance is the main purpose of teaching. Unlike during Buddha's time or the times of the great masters of India, even though teachers today are very good like the great Indian masters, the level of the listener or practitioner's standard is very low and so a lot of skills are needed to guide the practitioner on the right path.

HH Karma gave the teaching of the 37 practices of the Bodhisattvas in a very brief fashion but it really touched the hearts of people. When he described Bodhichitta, it really feels as if it is a Bodhisattva who is genuinely performing that practice giving us the right methods for us to apply.

I was just wondering how nice it would be if such an important teaching can last slightly longer so that HH will be able to teach in detail. I know that is not easy for the organizer to plan according to our desire because there are so many things they need to handle within a short time. Just to have such a programme alone is in fact a very great achievement.

Today, people everywhere feel insecure and frustrated with many type of problems but when they try to find a solution to overcome these, the measures they undertake contribute more problems. If we try to find happiness through pursuit of worldly objects, it is hard to find lasting happiness. In fact, every worldly desire has an addictive nature. Once you give in to the desire, you feel good at the beginning, but eventually you get addicted and then you do not feel any great happiness but feel very miserable if you do not indulge in your desires or lose your desired object. So nothing is perfect in this world as long as our thoughts and actions are led by defilements and ignorance. Therefore we need to find a way to overcome and break through this chain that ties us all the way since beginningless time. So if we really wish to find a solution for the problem, then we should just study Buddha's teachings and contemplate on it and find our true self. From there you will start to understand and then cut through the attachment to self and phenomena.

The teachings of 37 practices of the Bodhisattvas began at 6 pm and there were great number of people attending, which was quite unexpected. There were more than 1000 people I think and everyone was very anxious to listen to HH teach. His teaching was really very clear and effective and his English has improved a lot compared to a few years before.

The teachings were translated into Cantonese and Mandarin. A lady called Helen translated his teaching into Cantonese and Lama Tashi translated his teaching into Mandarin. They were excellent in their work of translation. From what I see, Helen's way of speaking seems very powerful and full of confidence. I think everyone who understood Cantonese enjoyed listening to her translation.

At the end, there was a question and answer session and it some people in the audience asked very good questions which HH answered in a short and sweet manner. Everybody felt joyful and I can see from the faces of people that they really enjoy being close with HH who even answered their questions.

Overall, the teaching programme was excellent and everybody was joyful and gained a better understanding towards Dharma, particularly how to follow the profound path of Bodhichitta.