interview with lama surya das

8/13/2019 Interview With Lama Surya Das

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$oo many Buddhist practitioners unfortunately are !ecomin% corrupted today" I discoura%e my students

followers and friends from !ecomin% sectarian do%matic spiritual materialists or involved in Dharmapolitics" 4ctually it is !ecomin% a drama not Dharma not too different from our worldly society with

politics competition criticism power stru%%les e%otism pride and %reed" $his kind of corruption which isin our own minds must !e dealt with" $his is what we $i!etans call 9turnin% the %od into a demon9 turnin%

sacred spirituality into a worldly commodity or e%o)s domain"

It is 3uite important to maintain purity of heart and a positive outlook keep your vows and commitments at

whatever level you may have undertaken them !e in harmony with all cultivate altruism and lovin%

kindness and continue to practice dili%ently every day every hour one way or another" eco%ni&ewhatever comes as !lessin%s as teachin%s as the %uru)s %ifts or %race and all will !e well" It is not easy to

understand these sorts of thin%s with the intellect !ut a little trust and devotion %o a lon% way to helpin% us

find what we are lookin% for here"

SD: ;an you speak to us a!out %uru yo%a and the importance of findin% a teacher?

HH: I)ll take this opportunity to talk a little a!out the %uru how to approach the %uru and who is the real

%uru" It is not 'ust how a teacher talks and what he or she says" We need to know how to look at the %uru)smind: that is the reali&ation of the mind rather than 'ust of the !ody and speech" $he most important

3ualities are the understandin% of perfect selfless wisdom and unconditional impartial compassion" $hesetwo are very much dependent on each other" Whoever helps us to develop such enli%htened 3ualities is like

a %uru or precious teacher to us" I don)t think we need to !e in a hurry to decide who is our root %uru and

who is not who is 3ualified and authentic or not"


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and if the author holds a 5h"D" has worked with a well+re%arded scholar or has specific 3ualifications" $his

is the Western way of thinkin% of linea%e for passin% down information" What is it a!out authentic linea%e

that is passed on or transmitted?

HH: 4 !lessin%" $he !lessin% is somethin% very mysterious actually" It is not only mysterious it has a lotof su!stance" $here are also years and decades centuries of experience here amidst the !lessin%s and

teachin%" $here)s an un!elieva!le sense of transformation of your mental state li!eratin% your mind andopenin% your heart" How can I express it !ecause it)s like tastin% honey? It)s sweet" But sweet means what?

It)s inexpressi!le" I feel very happy deli%hted delicious !ut I can)t express ituntil you taste it and then

we can share somethin% of the experience to%ether" $his is one aspect of the !lessin% of course which a

!ook cannot %ive you" But this is not the only important aspect" What I care a!out is that the !lessin% is

truly transformin%" .our life transforms into the divine state of mind" =ven thou%h you live the same way

everythin% is differentconcepts precepts everythin% is different" .esterday may!e you were unhappy(perhaps you were stealin% cheatin% drinkin% or simply dissatisfied or depressed" But last ni%ht perhaps !y

%ood karma you have seen the appropriate %uru and have !een inspired to chan%e and today you have

chan%ed" $his is not necessarily overni%ht it may take years or decades !ut time doesn)t matter" It chan%es

everythin% the whole world your whole attitude" .our whole life can !e transformed"

/rom my point of view if there is no %uru there is no way to %et enli%htenment" I)m one hundred percent

sure" .ou have to have a personal transmission from a 3ualified %enuine %uru one who has the linea%e and

is 3ualified to %ive this" If you don)t have the linea%e your practice and path is uncooked unfinished" If youdon)t have a human master who %ave you the linea%e it cannot !e received from a !ook" $he Drukpa

linea%e has speciali&ed in meditation and inner yo%a and is not very much into academic thin%s" $heyfound that too much academic knowled%e distur!s the practice of the truth"

SD: Holiness is this idea somethin% we can understand even if we haven)t experienced it? 1any have

experienced somethin% like this in the presence of a master" 4s you were descri!in% when you are around

His Holiness the Dalai Lama you feel like it)s the real 5otala here is Dewachen the paradisical Buddha+

field everythin% is perfect and !lissful complete at peace and at rest"

Some have had this feelin% in the presence of a %enuine master and then after the master and the studentpart it fades" So how does the student fully receive the !lessin%? How can the !lessin% !e cultivated?

HH: $hat 3uestion will !e very easily answered" $he master)s role is %ivin% teachin%" $he student)s role isnot only 'ust to experience it and say 94hhh %reat I am very happy* $hat was very nice"9 $hat)s not all

that we want" $he %ood feelin% is a !lessin% !ut that has to !e utili&ed practiced inte%rated into oneself"

.ou have to practice continuously" /or that to happen in that respect the %uru has to %ive instruction

that)s the real thin% the linea%e" $his is like a doctor who has an understandin% of the patient and knows

what the patient needs" $he patient knows the doctor is %ood( so now is the time to take the treatment andapply the remedy in the ri%ht se3uence so the intended results can !e achieved"

SD: $hen the patient must %o home and keep takin% the medicine"

HH: >eep takin% the medicine and not 'ust say 9I have the medicine9 or 9I had a %ood chat with the doctor

and I feel very %ood a!out him"9 If you don)t take the medicine and it lies on your ta!le and is then

for%otten it doesn)t help" So the patient and doctor the student and teacher !oth have to respond and

interact with each other interact and work to%ether" $hat)s the linea%e transmission" $his is the result ofripenin% karma not mere accident" .ou have to seek and pursue that"

SD: 2ften you talk a!out appreciation( what does it really mean to appreciate everythin%?

HH: 0o matter whether you are Buddhist or not a spiritual practitioner or not appreciation is very

important" 4ppreciation is a %reat thin%( you really need to have it" $his is what I think from the heart"

4ppreciate appreciate appreciate" $here is no real reason why you should not !e happy unless may!e

there)s too much complainin% and not enou%h appreciation" I don)t use the word %ratitude here !ecause for

%ratitude it seems most often we think we need some!ody else there" In our Buddhist attitude we don)t


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have any!ody there to thank as if a!ove us or responsi!le" We shouldn)t !e stuck with that dualistic

outlook"

Whatever I have achieved or %ood thin%s I have received I offer to my %uru" $his is my routine anyway

my ritual" I %ive it to my %uru from my depth of heart" 4nd this is not only %ivin% this is really %ivin% withappreciation for what he has !een %ivin% me" So this is my personal experience or the way I practice"

SD: What can you say to us a!out attachment? $he Western mind always says 9$ell us how"9 What is the

practical advice?

HH: /rom the time you take refu%e you are not supposed to !e attached" $hat)s the reason the efu%e has

to !e %iven !y a very skillful master" 0ot 'ust sayin% Buddha is %reat you)ve taken refu%e so you will !e

taken care of !y the Buddha" $his is important !ecause if attachment %oes up all the way to enli%htenmentthen you can)t %et the connection with the true nature" 4ctually attachment pushes you away from the true

nature" =ven thou%h you practice %enuinely dili%ently it always keeps you away !ecause you have

attachmentin $i!etan shenpa"

2kay Surya you)re a very %ood friend of mine" Do I have an attachment to you? 2f course I do" =ven

Sakyamuni liked his close disciples and said he was sad when his foremost disciples Sariputra and

1aud%alyana died" 2f course it)s natural" $hat)s not exactly the issue we are talkin% a!out" We are talkin%

a!out whether or not Sakyamuni !elieved they were really existin% and were 9his"9 $hese are the points tothink a!out not whether you have attachment or not" What is the 1iddle Way? How much is too much

and what are the effects of those attachments cravin%s and clin%in%s?

SD: Is that how it is for you? .ou can feel attachment without chakpa d&inpa shenpa 6dualistic reactivity7

without attachment?

HH: 2h yes" 2ne hundred per cent" I do have a stron% attachment I dosuch as to my !eloved parents

who still care very much for me and help me too!ut it is empty !liss attachment not !urdensome heavy

stuckness" =verythin% is !lissfully empty 'ust in arisin% at all" $hat)s how I see it" $hat)s how it is tau%ht"

SD: .our Holiness please speak a!out the essence of retreat and any closin% thou%hts"

HH: $he essence of retreat is to develop yourself and your way of life really develop your happiness"

Develop and improve your understandin% so that when you come out you)re very happy" $hat happiness

can !e shared with may!e not all sentient !ein%s !ut a %ood num!er" 1any people you)ve met and who

you will meet will !e deli%hted to see you and will !e !enefited and even !lessed !y your happiness"

Drolma Lha+kan% 6$ara $emple7 at D&o%chen 2sel Lin%

.ou are not %ainin% anythin% externally( you are losin% somethin%" We have too much already too much

e%o too many concepts and material thin%s so may!e you lose somethin%" $hat could !e of !enefitthatkind of !enefit is more than enou%h" $he essence of retreat is that you can !e satisfied and fulfilled 'ust !y

!ein% yourself alone thinkin% a!out the true nature of thin%s universal reality %ainin% wisdom throu%hinsi%ht into that"

We don)t need to overcomplicate thin%s with all sorts of namtoks wanderin% discursive thou%hts

superstitions dou!ts and over+thinkin% everythin%" Be stron% and strai%htforward within have stron%

intention and develop firm faith devotion and inner conviction" What you decide to do you can do( 'ust

keep practicin% and learnin%" $he most important thin% in life is to !e happy and not to harm others and

moreover if you can %enuinely help others that is excellent"

interview with lama surya das

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