GOM: a course in meditation torrent

by Gehlek Rimpoche

based on Tsongkhapa's Lamrim Chenmo and Lamrim Chungba
given in weekly Thursday classes
in the Jewel Heart Center, New York City 2004

We are all running, all the time, physically, mentally and emo-
tionally. That is the life we are in. That is our reality. Buddha's idea
of liberation is based on these four. It tells you how people get
into it and how they can get out of it. In the Lankavatara sutra
Buddha says,

Why are people running around and suffer so much? Because
they don't get emptiness straight, the nature of reality, what is
really going on. They don't get the meaning of peace, [Skt.
nirvana] straight. That's why they are circling, life after life.

That is very important. Life after life, we're continuously doing the
same thing. We may think, "Well, I am okay, I am not doing any-
thing terrible and miserable". In one way it is true. We are greater
than many others. But on the other hand, we are not liberated, we
are not free. That much we know.

For me the goal of spiritual practice, spiritual work, is that first
we have to liberate ourselves, then help liberate others. Liberate
from what? From running around. The fear combined with confu-
sion is traditionally called ignorance [Tib. marigpa], which might not be
exactly ignorance as we understand it. This one beats us so badly. It
takes shelter in one of the emotions -- it can be hatred or obsession.
We are running around within that.