Recap
We have been working through this text Wheel of Sharp Weapons – or more literally, Weapon Wheel of Blades – which is a Mahayana text of the lojong genre. “Lojong” is usually translated as mind training, but actually it means a cleansing of our attitudes, changing our attitudes from negative ones to positive ones. This was written, according to the Tibetan tradition, by Dharmarakshita who was one of the teachers of Atisha, who was one of the great Indian masters that brought Buddhism to Tibet the second time after it had declined. But according to modern scholarship, Dharmarakshita couldn’t possibly be the author of this text because he was a Hinayana teacher of Atisha. But the Tibetan custom is that usually they liked to increase the validity and respect of a text by saying that it came from India, and so they’ve ascribed it to Dharmarakshita. If one looks at the language of the text, though, it is clear that it wasn’t translated from Sanskrit; it was written in Tibetan. But it is probably the earliest of the Tibetan texts of this genre of lojong.
I think it might be nice to review what has been going on in this text. The cleansing of attitudes – lojong – is a type of practice within Mahayana which is aimed at helping us to reach enlightenment. It deals particularly with changing negative circumstances into positive ones. In other words, it deals with, when we’re facing difficult situations, changing our attitudes from being very negative, and depressed, and just thinking about ourselves, to thinking in much more positive ways and particularly thinking in terms of others – others who have similar types of problems, for example. One of the major practices which is within the scope of this type of training is called tonglen in Tibetan, which is giving and taking literally. This means to take on the problems of others and to give them happiness. In other words, when we are suffering from some type of problem, then instead of just thinking in terms of “me” – “Poor me, I’m the only one who has this problem” – and getting very depressed about it, we broaden our scope and think in terms of everybody who has this problem. For instance, if we think of a problem that all the people in this city have, then we have that problem but so does everybody in the city. It’s our problem. Or a problem that all Germans have, or a problem that all humanity has – and so, since we are, for instance, a Berliner, or we are a German, or we are a human being, then that problem, which faces everybody in that group, is our problem.
It’s very appropriate for us to think of dealing with that problem in a general way that covers everybody, and to give the solution to that problem not just to ourselves but to everybody who is suffering from that problem. When we think in that larger scope about the problems, then, on the one hand, it gives us more courage; on the other hand, it broadens our scope so that we don’t think so small in terms of “poor me.” It makes us not feel so alone in this problem, and it helps very much in terms of opening up our minds. If we think in terms of the bodhisattva path, then of course we want to be able to help everybody, and so we don’t think just in terms of our problems; we think of everybody’s problems. I’m speaking of this case in which we ourselves have that same problem, which is the way that it’s presented in this text; but sometimes it’s dealing with problems that we ourselves don’t have but somebody else has.
Let’s say they’ve lost their job; we haven’t lost our job, but they’ve lost their job, so we think in terms of that suffering that they have. We could lose our job, so it’s something that we could relate to. One important aspect of this practice is to overcome and smash the selfish “me” inside of us that says, “I don’t want to deal with anybody else’s problems,” “That’s their problem, that’s not my problem,” “I don’t want to get my hands dirty,” “I don’t want to get involved,” “I don’t have time,” “I don’t have energy,” “I don’t have the interest.” We want to smash that, and that’s going to be a theme in the second part of the text: to smash that ego grasping, that grasping for a solid me that puts up the barriers, that puts up the walls to helping anybody or getting involved with anybody else.
These are the main points that this text discusses. The approach that it takes is the approach of karma and speaking in terms of negative actions that we’ve been doing; and, in the first part of the text, pointing out the results that come from that. In other words, if we’re experiencing suffering now, we think of the karmic cause for that. We think, first of all, to stop repeating that karmic cause so that we don’t continue to bring that problem on ourselves. That that problem is the weapon wheel of blades, the wheel of sharp weapons. “Wheel of sharp weapons” was how I translated it more than thirty years ago, when I first translated this text; but actually, more accurately, the weapon that we’re talking about is the one that the ninjas use: the star weapon. It looks like a gear; it’s a wheel a central part, and then knife blades coming out of it, going all the way around. The image here is that it’s like a boomerang; it comes back to us. With these negative karmic actions, we are throwing this ninja star of karma, which then comes back and hits us. We want to stop throwing that, which means stop doing the karmic act that causes the suffering that we experience. That’s the first step; and then the second step is to think of everybody who suffers from the same problem, and take on that suffering from them as well, in this tonglen practice. This is the first half of the text.
The second half of this text talks about smashing this selfish “me” inside that doesn’t want to deal with all of these problems of others. The second half of the text is speaking again in terms of negative things – the suffering that we experience; seeing that it comes from grasping for this solid “me” and being selfish; and smashing it. The figure that is invoked or called upon in this text is Yamantaka. Yamantaka is a Buddha figure – a form of a Buddha – which is the forceful or wrathful aspect of Manjushri. Manjushri is the embodiment of the wisdom or clarity of mind of all the Buddhas, so this is referring to the understanding of voidness, and karma, and the understanding of everything. Yamantaka is the forceful form of that; when we are particularly dull, particularly closed-minded and so on, you need this very strong figure (that one usually imagines oneself as, in tantra practice) to get yourself in the frame of mind that says, “I’m going to smash this:” stop acting so stupid, stop acting so negatively. In a very forceful way, we stop ourselves. This image is called upon in the text. This is probably another reason why it probably was written in Tibet rather than in India.
Review
We are at present up to verse 42, but I thought it might be a nice idea to read the verses that we have covered so far, so that you get an idea of how the text has been flowing.
Weapon Wheel of Blades, A Mahayana Cleansing of Attitudes by Dharmarakshita:
I make prostration to the Three Rare Supreme Gems. “The Throwing Star Weapon Striking the Vital Point of the Foe.”
The foe is our grasping for this selfish “me.”
I make prostration to forceful Yamantaka.
(1) In the case of peacocks strutting in jungles of poisonous plants, although medicine gardens have been finely decked out, the masses of peacocks don’t find (them) enjoyable. Rather, peacocks thrive on the nutriment of poisonous plants. Similarly,
(2) In the case of brave (bodhisattvas) engaging themselves in the jungles of recurring samsara, although glorious gardens of delights and pleasures have been decked out, the brave ones are never attracted. Rather, the brave-hearted thrive in the jungles of suffering.
This is referring to the fact that as a bodhisattva, one thrives – like peacocks grow – on situations where there is a lot of suffering, because one practices this tonglen practice and tries to help others and take on their problems. Bodhisattvas prefer that than living in pleasure gardens where everything is nice and comfortable, because in such a situation you don’t really grow, and you don’t really help anybody. The analogy here is with the peacock.
(3) Thus, it’s the case that, despite our gladly taking on delights and pleasures, we bring sufferings (onto ourselves) through the power of our cowardice. But those brave hearted ones take sufferings on gladly and always are blissful through the power of their bravery.
We take on pleasures – that’s something that we want to take on, but we just bring suffering to ourselves, whereas the bodhisattvas take on sufferings. Because of their bravery, they’re always blissful. We are very cowardly so, as a result, we have suffering.
(4) Now here, longing desire is like the poisonous plant jungles. Brave ones, like peacocks, can take it under their control, whereas to the lives of cowards, it would be deadly, similar to the case of crows. How could those with selfish desires take this poison under their control?
(5) And if they similarly tried to apply (this method) to the other disturbing emotions, it would take the life of their liberation, (also) similar to the case of crows.
That’s referring to the type of suffering situations that we take on from others and the environment and dealing with it ourselves; or the types of problems that come, for instance, from longing desire. But to deal with that – to take it on, to be in a situation where everybody is filled with this type of longing desire – would be very difficult unless we’re really a bodhisattva and we really know how to handle that. Similarly, trying to apply this to other disturbing emotions – like being in a situation of war where everybody is either very angry or very frightened – would be extremely difficult. We have to start with situations that aren’t so strongly, overly emotionally packed but are a little bit easier to handle and work ourselves up to being in situations where the emotions are out of control.
(6) Thus, it’s the case that brave hearted (bodhisattvas), like peacocks, transform into a nutriment the disturbing emotions – which are like the jungles of poison – and (thereby) engage themselves in the jungles of recurring samsara. In having gladly taken it on themselves, they’re able to destroy this poison.
Bodhisattvas are able to transform these situations in which there is so much desire, there is so much anger, there is so much fear. They engage themselves in these type of situations and, by doing that, they’re able to destroy this poison, at least in themselves. It’s not really possible to destroy it in somebody else; a Buddha can’t do that. But, in dealing with it in yourself, you’re able to overcome it by not being frightened of it, by taking it on, engaging with it, and overcoming it; dealing with it and applying the opponents. Because of course when you take in these problems, you have to apply the opponent. You just don’t take it in and then let it destroy you; you take it in and you can dissolve the disturbance of the problem in the deepest nature of the mind in terms of the understanding of voidness, the mind’s natural state of calmness, and so on. There are many levels in which this can be done.
(7) So now, while we’re circling (in samara) without control, we must cast away our selfish desires, our desires for pleasures, our delights – these messengers of the demon of grasping at a “true self” – and gladly take on, for the purposes of others, what’s difficult to do.
As I was saying, we need to overcome this wish that from this grasping at a self: “I want pleasures for myself,” “I want delights,” and all these selfish things. We need to cast that away and gladly take on what’s difficult to do: dealing with the sufferings and problems of others.
(8) We must pile on top of (this) “true self” that has desires for pleasures the sufferings appropriate to each of the nine kinds of beings, due to the push from their karmic impulses and their habituation to disturbing emotions.
(9) At times if we’ve come under the enthrallment of our selfish desires, we must turn from them and give our own pleasures and happiness to wandering beings; just as, at times, if wrongs befall us from our circle, we need to compose our hearts with a sense of contentment, feeling, “(This is) in return for having been distracted about my ‘true self.’”
When we have desires for pleasure, and happiness, and this sort of things, rather than think just in terms of “me” – “May I have this” – we think, “May everybody have this.” When we have suffering and things coming on to ourselves like that, we need to compose our hearts. This means to gain a certain sense of mental serenity by thinking, “Well, this is the result of having been distracted about myself,” as it says, which means to turn away away from thinking of others and just thinking selfishly of me. That’s why all the sufferings have come about.
Now starts a whole long list of verses in which we think in terms of the suffering that we experience. This is the negative karma coming back on us, and the texts gives the cause for it. Then we think to take on ourselves the problems of others. So, the structure of the verses from now on will be the same.
(10) At times when unbearable sicknesses befall our bodies, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having inflicted harms to the bodies of wandering beings. Now, let’s take on ourselves (all their) sicknesses, barring none.
(11) At times when sufferings befall our minds, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having deeply disturbed the mind-streams of others. Now, let’s take on ourselves (all their) sufferings, barring none.
(12) When we ourselves are tormented by terrible hunger and thirst, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having taxed, plundered, stolen, and acted miserly (toward others). Now, let’s take on ourselves (all their) hunger and thirst, barring none.
(13) At times when, powerless, we’re enslaved by others and are maltreated, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having been hostile toward the lowly and exploited them as servants. Now, let’s use our bodies and lives for the service of others.
(14) When only nasty words befall our ears, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from our misdeeds of speech, such as slander and the like. Now, let’s discredit all faults in our speech.
(15) When we’re born in lands that are completely impure, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having always been habituated to (seeing) appearances as impure. Now, let’s habituate ourselves to (seeing) appearances exclusively as pure.
(16) At times when we’re parted from helpful and loving friends, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having lured away to ourselves those in the circles of others. Now, let’s never cause (anyone) to withdraw from the circles of others.
(17) When all hallowed ones are displeased with us, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having forsaken the hallowed ones and entrusted ourselves to bad circles. Now, let’s rid ourselves of bad friends.
(18) At times when others (falsely) accuse us of the wrongs of having done or of having not done something, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from ourselves having denigrated the hallowed ones. Now, let’s not denigrate others (falsely) for having done or for having not done something.
(19) At times when our material goods of necessity fall apart, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having considered of no value the necessities of others. Now, let’s help them acquire their necessities of life.
(20) At times when our minds are unclear and our hearts are unhappy, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having caused other people to build up negative force. Now, let’s give up (providing) conditions for others’ negative karmic force.
(21) At times when we’re frustrated from the depths of our minds that our works are never accomplished, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having caused interference to the hallowed ones’ deeds. Now, let’s rid ourselves of all our interference-making.
(22) At times when no matter how we’ve acted, it never pleases our gurus, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having acted two-facedly regarding the hallowed Dharma. Now, let’s minimize being two-faced regarding the Dharma.
(23) At times when people find fault with everything (we do), this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having belittled moral self-dignity and care for how our actions reflect on others. Now, let’s be shy with respect to uncivilized (behavior).
(24) At times when, as soon as we gather a circle, disagreements (arise), this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having peddled all around our bad ugly characters. Now, let’s act kindly toward anyone at all as our human characters.
(25) At times when all who are close rise up as our enemies, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having harbored inside us bad thoughts (about others). Now, let’s continually minimize our pretense and cunning.
(26) At times when we’re sick with consumption, tumors, or dropsy, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having had no morals and having commandeered religious offerings without caring. Now, let’s give up confiscating monastic property and the like.
(27) At times when, all of a sudden, infectious diseases strike our bodies, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having committed actions causing our spiritual bonds to decline. Now, let’s rid ourselves of destructive actions.
(28) At times when our intelligence becomes murky regarding everything knowable, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having made Dharma matters into things that are fit to be left to the side. Now, let’s habituate ourselves to discriminating awareness, such as from listening (to teachings) and the like.
(29) At times when sleep overwhelms us while practicing the Dharma, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having accumulated (acts of) defilement toward the hallowed Dharma. Now, for the sake of the Dharma, let’s practice what’s hard.
(30) At times when our mental wandering is great, delighting in disturbing emotions, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from not having meditated on impermanence and the drawbacks of samsara. Now, let’s maximize disgust with recurring samsara.
(31) At times when no matter how we do things, they go astray, never working out, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having made light of karma and behavioral cause and effect. Now, let’s make effort to build up positive karmic force.
(32) At times when the measure of our having performed rituals is that things work out contrary (to what we had wished), this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having placed our hopes and reliance on the side of black (magic). Now, let’s turn away from the side of black (magic).
(33) At times when our requests to the Three Precious Gems do not reach fulfillment, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from not having had confidence in the Buddhas. Now, let’s entrust ourselves exclusively to the Precious Gems.
(34) At times when superstition, strokes, and possession by harmful spirits befall us, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having built up negative force with respect to the tantric deities and mantras. Now, let’s destroy all our bad understandings.
(35) At times when we have to wander about, like people not under their own control, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having kicked out gurus and others from where they are staying. Now, let’s never expel (anyone) from any place.
(36) At times when unwished for things happen, like frost, hail, and the like, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from not having safeguarded properly the morality of our spiritual bonds. Now, let’s keep our spiritual bonds clean and so forth.
(37) At times when our desires are huge, but we’re poor in our wealth, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from not having made donations or offerings to the Supreme Gems. Now, let’s make efforts regarding offerings and donations.
(38) At times when our faces and bodies are ugly, and our circle insults us, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having made ugly images and disturbed (others) with our anger. Now, let’s make (beautiful images of) deities and be long-suffering in temperament.
(39) At times when, no matter how we try, attachment and anger upset us, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having stubbornly harbored unseemly bad streams of (self-centered) thought. Now, let’s pull out from the root (concepts of) a “true self” and a “true you.”
(40) At times when no matter what we practice, it does not reach its aim, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having held a bad outlook inside. Now, no matter what we’re doing, let’s make it something for the purposes of others.
(41) At times when, although we’ve performed constructive actions, our own mind-streams are untamed, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from having gladly taken on grand ambitions for this life. Now, let’s hold tightly onto the wish for liberation.
That’s as far as we’ve gone in the text. It really covers so many different aspects of negative karma that we build up, and negative actions that we could be engaging with. What I think is very helpful here is that it approaches it from the point of view of suffering that we experience. We all experience problems and, when we experience problems, often we don’t have any idea what to do about it – how to deal with it, how to handle it. This text gives us very good guidelines for this. First of all, think of what the karmic cause for it could be. The karmic cause of course is not always so obvious; but usually it’s going to be something similar to what we experience, but that we ourselves have done to somebody else. In other words, we’ve caused the problem to somebody else. It’s like throwing the ninja star: that problem that we give to others comes back to us, and we experience the same problem. This is the image that is being used here; and so, we need to stop throwing this ninja star. That’s the first step. Then the second step is to think of everybody else who is experiencing these problems – whether we’ve caused it to them, or others have caused it to them; it doesn’t matter – and take it on ourselves in the sense of taking it away from them. We wish that they be free from this problem and deal with it as we would deal with our own problem, which would be to think in terms of bodhichitta; think in terms of voidness; think in terms of the nature of the mind: it’s just like waves on the surface of the ocean and doesn’t disturb the depth of the ocean.
There are so many ways that we can in a sense quiet down that suffering. Then, particularly when we deal with quieting it into the deepest nature of the mind, what we are left with after we’ve quieted it down is the natural joy of the mind. It’s with this natural joy of the mind that we can give that to others. Otherwise, it’s just a little bit too schizophrenic to think, “I take on all this cancer that everybody has, and now I give them joy and happiness” – to actually feel that is rather farfetched unless we use some sort of method like dissolving into the clear deepest nature of the mind and settling in that.
Karmic Causes of Regretting Constructive Behavior and Being Fickle
Let’s go on from here to verse 42. What I’ve been doing is reading the poetical version and then reading the literal one, and we discuss the literal one. The poetical version is:
When after we do any virtuous action, we feel deep regret or we doubt it’s effect, this is the wheel of sharp weapons returning full circle upon us from wrongs we have done. Till now we’ve been fickle and, stirred by base motives, have courted just those who have power or wealth. Hereafter let’s act with complete self-awareness, exerting great care in the way we make friends.
The literal translation is:
At times when, no sooner do we plan (to do something), we reconsider and regret it, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from running after those in lofty positions as our new friends, without caring how this reflects on our old ones. Now, let’s take care about how and with whom we make friends.
The problem that we experience is that we start to plan something, and we get all involved in it; then no sooner do we make these plans that we look back at it, and we examine it and say, “No, no, that was no good.” We regret it, and we don’t carry it out. Then we go to another plan. We involve ourselves so much with that and then think again, “No, that’s not good,” and we regret that. And we go to another one, and another one, and another one, and we never accomplish anything – studying this, or studying that, or any other plans.
Where is this coming from? This is coming from “running after those in high position as our new friends, without caring how this reflects on our old ones.” In other words, we have old friends, and we don’t really take care of those friendships. Rather, we’re always looking for new friendships, or new partners to have an intimate relationship with, or new excitement with another person, or we’re bored with the old friend. It’s like making plans: getting into a friendship and then ignoring the other person, and saying, “No, I want another one” – and another one, and another one. We’re constantly running after new relationships – particularly new friendships, it says here, with people in high positions – but it could be with anyone who is more attractive and in a better position than the last one. “This one wasn’t good enough; I’ll find another partner,” “I’ll find another friend.” “That one is a little bit boring; I’ve gotten tired of that,” and so get another one – another friend, another thing.
It’s just the same as seeking one project after another after another, just because we’re bore, and not taking care of the previous one that we’ve involved ourselves with. “Now, let’s take care in how and with whom we make friends” – so really care about it, care about the consequences. If we’re going to develop a friendship with somebody, don’t have it just short-term, just for the little excitement and pleasure that we have because it’s new, and then ignore it, and go to somebody else, and somebody else, and somebody else. Also, choose carefully the people that we make friends with – as it says, “how and with whom we make friends” – because for most of us, if we’re a little bit weak, we are influenced very much by the friends and the company that we keep. If we’re strong, we can influence them – that is true; but this is talking about not ignoring more sincere, long-term friendships, when we have those. You have a long-term, really good friend, yet we don’t want to spend time with them, and we don’t even call them or anything like that because we take them for granted and think that they’ll always be there. Meanwhile, I’m going around searching for more excitement with other people. It doesn’t mean that we don’t make new friends because, obviously, if we’re going to try to help everybody as a bodhisattva, we need to extend our friendships, and the people that we know, and the people that we’re involved with more, and more, and more – but not at the expense of our old friends.
We need to be responsible in terms of our commitments to people, to projects, to certain types of positive actions. Now, of course, we have to examine very well beforehand. Shantideva says this very clearly: before doing something positive, examine yourself, “Can I really see this through to the end?” If you can’t, it’s better not to start it than to start it and drop it after a little while. That’s very relevant to many situations that we get into. Somebody asks us to do something for them, and we say, “Yes, yes, I’ll do it,” but actually we really don’t have time, and we don’t do it. That’s a good example of what this is talking about. In that type of situation, sometimes it’s not so easy because very often we don’t want to disappoint somebody by saying no. How do you handle that? You can offer to do something smaller: “I don’t have time or the ability to help you with the whole thing, but I can start you or indicate the direction.” In other words, be perfectly honest. Or you could say, “I’ll try to find time, but I can’t promise you anything, so don’t count on me.” That also is a possibility of how to handle that. If the possibility is not there, then you say, “No, I’m sorry, I don’t know how to help you. I’m not able to help you with this.” If you know somebody else who can, you can recommend whom to go to.
I get asked questions from my website – people send me emails – and sometimes I have to say, “I don’t know. Why don’t you look it up in Google, why don’t you look it up in this or that.” Somebody asked me something just the other day: they were doing research about something, and they wanted to know some bibliographic information about some historical figure. They asked what I can recommend that would speak more specifically about this one point that they couldn’t find out. I don’t know, so I gave them the link to the online Harvard library catalogue and said, “I typed it into the catalogue. There are 84 items that concern this person – look it up and see if you can find it in your library.” You just indicate ways to help others in those situations, if you have some idea. If you have no idea, you say, “I have no idea.”
It’s much more difficult when you have a friend who asks you do something. Then you have to prioritize. You have to make priorities of which is more important. Let me give an example. In order to get the new version of my website up, I have to look at every single article in my website on the new server, in the new system, and make sure that all the formatting is correct. Well, it’s 700 articles in English and 180 in German – that’s not a small task. But it’s important, and I need to get it done. Well, I have a nephew, and his son is studying in China on some exchange program at the moment, and he is going on a trip. He has three weeks’ holiday and asked me, “Where should I go?” I suggested a trip for him to take – one that I had taken in China – and, well, then you have to give him all the information, all the places, and how to do it. He’s only 20 years old, and he is interested in the historical background of these places. I have lots of material that I’ve written on central Asian and Chinese history. That was my field, I studied that a lot. So, I spent many hours today putting together material for him and sending it to him so he could have some background to appreciate these places he’ll go to. That took a lot of time out of my work but, to me, that was far more important – especially since he is my family, and he is actually interested in what I’m interested in, and starting at the proper age. He started studying Chinese at 18, like I did. So, you make priorities and, if I offer to help him, then I see that through and help him, and not just say, “I’m too busy” or “A new friend has come, and I want to be with this new person.” It’s really talking about commitment to people, commitment to positive projects.
Why don’t we have one minute of thinking about this, and then we can end the class.
The verse then is:
At times when, no sooner do we plan (to do something), we reconsider and regret it, this is the sharp weapon of negative karma circling back on us from running after those in lofty positions as our new friends, without caring how this reflects on our old ones. Now, let’s take care about how and with whom we make friends.
We think of that in terms of our own behavior and then think in terms of everybody who has this problem, and give to everybody: we think, “May everybody have care and responsibility in their friendships and their positive projects and so on.”
Dedication
Let’s end with the dedication. We think Whatever understanding, whatever positive force has come from this, may it go deeper and deeper, and act as a cause for reaching enlightenment for everybody for the benefit of us all.