Transforming Problems Into Happiness: Episode 1

In this live recording, Sarah Sati offers an introduction to the concepts covered in the text Transforming Problems Into Happiness, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. She then reads the introduction and chapter one of the text before providing practice homework for the week. This episode offers two practice opportunities as well as some brief historical context about Buddhism.

Transcript

Okay.

Hello.

Hello.

Is this thing on?

Looks like a couple people are here already.

Welcome.

I'm going to give us just just like one minute for people who have signed up to join.

And please feel free to introduce yourself in the comments if that feels good for you or where you're from.

I love to see that and otherwise also feel free to stay anonymous.

And then we'll jump right in here in 30 or so seconds.

Hopefully you can hear me okay if you want to give a thumbs up or if you can't.

I haven't actually done a live event on Insight Timer for some time.

So I'm getting back in the hang of things.

I've been sort of on my own student hiatus for the past year or so.

Always important for people.

Okay.

Well,

Let me jump right in.

Hello,

Beautiful humans.

Okay,

Good.

Great.

Thank you so much,

Budil.

I'm Sarah Sati,

And this is episode one of my second book club offering.

If any of you joined for my first book club,

Which you can find on YouTube and also on Insight Timer recordings,

Then you maybe know I basically botched it.

Although what I think I offered was really good and I think it had a lot of value.

It was on Thich Nhat Hanh's book,

The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings.

The process I used and specifically my speed of reading made it really challenging for the listener.

That was my first book club.

This is my second,

And I hope to bring into the second book club a much more clear and well-paced format.

So if you did listen to the first ones,

Thanks for supporting me.

A lot of people did seem to get some benefit from them,

And also I hope to make this one even better.

For this book club,

We're working with the text Transforming Problems into Happiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche holds a very special place in my heart.

I'll talk a little bit more about him as we move forward in this first session,

Which is just our introductory session.

You don't need the book to participate in this book club,

So do not feel like that's mandatory.

I'm going to be reading from the book and offering homework.

It's sufficient to just show up and listen.

A little bit about the book.

This book,

Like many books on Buddhism that we'll find,

It was written as an extrapolation of past texts.

This is actually really common in Buddhism.

You find a newer Buddhist master reiterating for their students the teachings of past masters in more current dialogue.

That's great and wonderful.

I really love that about Buddhism and Buddhist teachings,

But the thing about it is that the teachings as a result of this process remain embedded in the cultural language and traditions in which they were originally offered.

What do I mean by that?

I mean that as a result,

These teachers who are often coming from monastic life,

Much of the time they lack direct experience with the challenges that we face in the modern Western world.

They have a lot of experience with the teachings.

They have a lot of experience with monastic life,

But they don't have a lot of experience being women or men with jobs and householder type situations.

That's really the purpose of our book club.

In this space,

We're removing the teachings in some way from their original cultural context and using a Western voice,

And that's my voice,

And a Western interpretation to position these teachings in the language and circumstances of the modern Western world.

My vision for this book club is to make Buddhist texts accessible and relatable to a Western audience with all of that in mind.

That said,

Let me offer a little more context for the process of book club as I envision it.

That's really what we're doing in this first session.

I'm going to give context on the process,

Context on the book,

Context on the author,

And then I'll dive into our first reading,

Which will be a little shorter than in the following sessions because this is really setting the stage for us.

My intention with book club is to create an opportunity to take a particular text and work with it deeply.

In each session,

I'm going to read one or more chapters depending on their length and after each reading,

I'll synthesize what's been read and then I'll offer practices to solidify the teachings from that week's reading into mind.

These practices are always going to be optional,

Obviously,

But they serve as a foundation and this foundation builds the inner experience that's required for authentic change to take place.

In a culture obsessed with knowing,

We can really find rest in a lineage that takes us beyond what can be known to the experience itself of knowing,

And this is very important.

In Buddhism,

There are three ways to take a teaching,

And you may be familiar with these.

I'll give some history of Buddhism a little bit in this introductory session.

The first way is being told through explanation.

The second way is through a reading transmission.

This is when a Rinpoche,

For instance,

Will just read a text.

They'll usually read it in their own language and a practitioner just listens.

The third is through direct experience on the part of the practitioner.

In this book club,

We're looking to merge all three of these.

We're looking to merge the reading transmission alongside the explanation alongside the direct experience,

And in this way we equip ourselves to learn on the very deepest level.

This is really important because we're learning how to transform our experience of suffering into one of joy.

That's really what we're working on.

That's the topic of all of Buddhism,

Essentially,

And hence the topic for all of the book clubs that I offer,

But you can imagine transforming joy or transforming suffering into joy.

This is no easy task.

If it were,

We would all be happy and peaceful.

We wouldn't even be here today.

To do this,

To approach this task,

We really need a full arsenal.

One way to arm ourselves for a greater chance of success is by gaining experience with the teachings in a really heart-centered way.

One of my teachers tells me and I remind myself of this often,

One of my teachers says,

It's one thing to have accumulated the merit to hear the teachings of the Buddha.

That's one thing,

But it's quite another thing to have the merit to understand those teachings and then apply those teachings in our lives.

This is my hope.

My hope is that we can share our merit together to make sure that these teachings go beyond mere cognition and seep deep into our empty nature.

That said,

To set yourself up for success,

I ask two things.

One,

Give yourself space to pause.

Work with one section of these teachings.

I'll host them every week.

I think we'll only have four sessions.

It's a short book,

But I'll host them every week or if you're watching in the recording,

It's a week between them.

Even still,

Maybe you need longer with one section.

Give yourself that time.

Don't worry to move on right away.

That may work for you,

Giving yourself some time,

Working with one section for a little bit longer than is offered,

Whatever feels best for you.

Conversely,

You could also go through the whole process.

As I said,

I'm recording this and posting it later.

You can come back to the sections that need more work.

I really encourage that.

It is enough to choose one text,

One Buddhist text,

And spend a lifetime studying that.

You don't need 75,

000 teachings.

One teaching has all the teachings in it.

You could go through it 10 times,

15 times,

Again and again and again,

As much as is necessary for you to really get what's being said here.

That's the first key for success.

The second key is to drop all expectations of getting anything out of this book club.

Be here to be here.

Cultivate a curiosity mindset and just remain open to everything.

If I'm really honest in my own journey,

And I'll talk a little bit about myself in a moment,

In my own journey,

It wasn't until I stopped expecting these teachings to do something for me that they actually began to do something for me.

I really give that advice from a practical experiential level as well as an educated level.

Now a bit about the structure for each session so that you feel prepared for what's to come.

At the start of each session,

We'll take a brief moment to come into presence and set a motivation.

We'll get to that a little bit later in this session.

After that,

I'll always recap the previous session before diving into the reading.

Then after the reading,

I'll provide a synopsis and I'll offer this optional homework so that you can integrate the teaching more fully into your life if that feels good for you.

If there's time,

We may have more opportunities to practice together.

This book is very practical and I hope that that's something that happens for us,

That we have time for that.

I never want sessions to go longer than an hour and a half and I'd really like to keep them more in the hour range.

We'll just kind of play it by ear and I'm thinking more to allow things to happen organically as a community.

Hopefully that works out for us.

If you have questions or comments,

Please feel free to message me.

As I said,

I'm going live with these teachings with this book club once a week,

So Tuesdays at 11.

I'm in the Netherlands right now,

But I live all over the world and so I'm operating on European time for this book club.

If you come live,

Please feel free to message me.

Two days before the next session,

Then I will try to integrate any relevant or timely feedback into the following session.

If you're watching this as a recording,

You can also leave a comment or question and I will gladly be replying to all the comments.

Just to briefly recap,

Each session will include a motivation setting,

A review of the previous session,

A reading,

A synopsis,

Practice homework,

And then if we have opportunity to practice,

Practice time.

Show up willing to take more time for practice than you might think you need and just drop your expectations.

Remain curious and open and if you follow those things,

You're going to have a great time.

Okay,

A little bit about me,

Give you some context on me.

My name is Sarah Satti.

I have a master's degree in experimental psychology and I'm a trained researcher and curriculum writer and my area of emphasis is mindfulness and mindfulness-based practices.

I've been in the health and wellness space for the greater part of two decades and I've spent the last 15 years as a practitioner,

Researcher,

Curriculum developer and trauma integration coach in the space of Buddhism and mindfulness.

Currently,

I have a small website called Mindful Island and from here I offer programs and services.

These are all directed at women with a history of trauma.

My offerings are focused on helping women integrate trauma experiences using the teachings of the Buddha and meditative techniques and I mingle these with Western psychological science.

I offer this approach both as a scientist and a researcher as well as a practitioner.

I personally suffered some early tragic life experiences and this kept me locked for most of my life in one mental health diagnosis after another and deep ongoing suffering.

I found that Western psychology alone couldn't help me and I also found across my journey that most of Eastern meditative offerings in the West were insufficient.

I set out on a personal mission to integrate my trauma experiences into my life in a way that was lasting,

Medication-free and absolutely vetted at the highest level by lineage masters from the Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

As a part of my journey,

I offer many events and experiences for free or no cost but there's always the option to donate to me and I just want to let you know that I use those donations for philanthropic experiences.

Right now,

I'm really focused on using my donations from Insight Timer to support clean air efforts for young monastic students in Nepal.

If you know anything about Nepal,

They have some of the worst air quality in the world but they also have some of the highest number of people in training in the Buddhist teachings.

Nepalese people die at a rate of seven years earlier than the rest of the global population due to pollution and these young children that are often taken from their families or given really from their families to monastic life at an early age,

As early as six or seven years old,

They are training in these absolutely beautiful practices but their air quality is tragic and so it is my mission to help support clean air efforts in these places in these monastic schools for young children and if you donate to me now or in some other way,

I want you to know please find value in this offering and know that your money is going to support an absolutely wonderful cause.

Okay,

As for book club,

I offer this book club to you out of my sincere desire to share teachings that have profoundly impacted my own life.

I'm a humble student just like you and I'm walking a path that's rocky and I'm often stumbling along that path blindly.

It's my sincere desire that this book club brings some benefit to the world and that rather than sitting here as someone who knows more than you,

I sit here as someone just like you and together we can change the world through our own inner transformation.

Okay,

So now to contextualize,

The author of the book will be reading a true master.

I'll hold the book up again for those of you who have just joined Lama Zopa Rinpoche,

Maybe you've heard of him.

He worked tirelessly across his lifetime to end suffering in the world and I feel very grateful to share this book of his.

He's written many books and this one is just one of his golden treasures.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche who you may already have heard of was a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher.

I'm a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner so most of what you hear from me will come from that lineage or that area of the world just so you know.

He was renowned for his deep wisdom and his compassionate approach in teaching.

He was born in Nepal in Tami,

Nepal in 1946 and he was recognized as the reincarnation of Laudolama and in recognized reincarnates if you're not familiar are referred to as Tolkus in the Tibetan tradition.

Once recognized what happens is young people typically go through a really rigorous training process to help them realize their past birth wisdom and for Lama Zopa Rinpoche this was exactly what happened.

This recognition of him as a Tolku set him on a path of rigorous monastic training and study under some of the most esteemed masters of Tibetan Buddhism.

He's not only well trained he's well taught.

Rinpoche is the co-founder of an organization you may have heard of called the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.

So this is FPMT and you can Google this and find out more information.

It's an amazing organization.

This is an international organization dedicated to transmission of Mahayana Buddhism through teaching meditation and community service.

I'll talk a little bit about Mahayana Buddhism in a moment.

Sadly Lama Zopa Rinpoche passed away on April 13th,

2023.

His teachings however they continue to inspire and guide practitioners around the world and I believe that will be the case for us.

In Lama Zopa's book that I'll be reading from,

Once again,

Transforming Problems into Happiness,

The reader finds a guide to viewing and handling life's challenges from a Buddhist perspective.

Lama Zopa integrates the principles of Lojong and the structured approach of Lamrim.

I'm going to define these concepts for you.

And in this way he creates a holistic framework for spiritual development.

As I said,

I'm going to define these terms for you,

Lojong and Lamrim.

These are our Tibetan Buddhist terms.

I have a little drink of tea.

I think having an understanding of these terms will just give you a better context for understanding how to apply this book in your life.

The first important term for this text is Lojong,

Which translates as mind training and is a practice or is a grouping of practices that originated in Tibet.

Lojong emphasizes transforming adverse conditions and cultivating a compassionate,

Altruistic attitude,

The attitude or mind of bodhicitta.

These practices from the Lojong space are meant to provide practical methods for developing bodhicitta,

As I said,

Which is the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings and in this way for transforming difficulties into opportunities for spiritual growth.

Not a small task.

For those who are really interested,

There are two key texts that discuss Lojong and those are the Seven Points of Mind Training by Geshe Chekowa and the Eight Verses of Mind Training by Langri Thangpa.

Again,

If you watch this again or listen to it again and you're interested to go deeper,

You can always look those up.

The second term,

Lamrim,

Which I feel is important to give context to,

Is also a Tibetan term and it's literally defined as stages on the path.

Lamrim is a structured and comprehensive presentation of the Buddhist path to enlightenment.

It outlines progressive stages that a practitioner has to follow,

So it's very clear,

Stages that a practitioner has to follow in order to attain Buddhahood.

Based on the teachings,

All of Lamrim are based on the teachings of the historical teachings of the Buddha.

There are also a couple key texts that address Lamrim for anyone interested.

Those include Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.

These are more ancient texts.

And Tsongkhapa's Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment,

Also called Lamrim Chenmo.

These are Tibetan terms.

If you're not familiar,

Just let it come in and let it go out.

No problem.

Lamrim and Lojong are essentially what the text by Lama Zopa Rinpoche is dealing with in the Mahayana teachings,

The Mahayana tradition in the system of Buddhism.

This book club isn't meant to be a deep dive into the history of Buddhism.

Essentially,

It's enough to know a little bit about it,

Though,

And I'm just going to give you some context on that.

There are three jhanas in Buddhism that you have likely heard of,

Or at least you've heard of one or two of them.

These are considered branches or vehicles of the teachings.

They're often referred to as the lesser,

Common,

And greater vehicles.

Jhana meaning vehicle.

These phrases aren't meant.

.

.

In Western culture,

We're always thinking in terms of value judgment,

But these terms,

Lesser,

Common,

And greater,

Are not meant to imply that one type of teaching or path is better than another.

Rather,

They all work together in this really unified way to offer a practitioner a very complete picture of mind transformation.

This begins with the lesser vehicle,

Which you may have heard of as the Theravada tradition or the Hinayana.

In this vehicle,

In this first vehicle of the Buddhist teachings,

The individual and the enlightenment of the individual is what's being dealt with.

Then you have the Mahayana teachings,

And this expands.

It actually includes the Hinayana teachings inside of it.

Now we're expanding a little bit for a practitioner to deal with all sentient beings and helping all beings attain enlightenment.

Lastly,

You can imagine things scale out,

And we have the Vajrayana teachings.

You have inside of the Vajrayana teachings,

The Hinayana teachings,

You have the Mahayana teachings,

And then you have this overarching Vajrayana teachings.

These emphasize emptiness,

And these teachings really emphasize attaining realization in a single lifetime.

A lofty goal.

But I digress.

This is a discussion perhaps saved for another time if we want to go into the history of Buddhism.

For now,

I think we have more than enough to get us started with this current book club.

Again,

I'll just hold the book up,

Transforming Problems into Happiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Again,

If questions arise,

Feel free to put them in the comments.

I'll try to answer them or contact me in some way.

As soon as this teaching is over,

I'll go through,

I'll edit the recording,

I'll post it for people to listen to again or for people who weren't able to make it.

Okay.

Let's pause for a moment though.

Take a little break from all this knowledge and take some time to turn inward towards experience.

We'll set our motivation for today's reading together.

However you are is totally perfect.

If you want to straighten your spine a little,

That's great.

But otherwise,

Just focus on relaxing your body as much as possible.

That's the key point to a meditation posture.

Being able to soften and relax.

Becoming receptive.

Let your mind open.

Whatever that means to you.

Open your ears.

Let's work on becoming quiet from the outside in.

If it feels good here,

You can take a few deep breaths,

Deeper than normal.

Maybe extending the exhalation,

Focusing more on the exhalation.

Simply allowing yourself to settle into whatever experiences are happening for you.

In,

On,

And around your body.

As you begin to settle,

I want you to take a moment to reflect on your intention for participating in this book club.

What do you hope to gain?

And in what way do you wish to grow from your participation?

And then silently set a positive intention for our time together.

Focus on the qualities of openness,

Curiosity,

And this desire to transform your understanding and your experience of happiness.

And now if you would like with me,

We'll set our motivation as a group.

To do this,

Simply repeat these words after me.

May my mind be clear enough to use these teachings.

May my mind be clear enough to use these teachings.

For the benefit of myself and others.

For the benefit of myself and others.

On the path to realization.

On the path to realization.

May all sentient beings benefit from my knowledge.

May all sentient beings benefit from my knowledge.

And may the world thrive in peace and joy.

May the world thrive in peace and joy.

If your eyes were closed,

You can open them and just take a moment to look around where you are.

And then settle into yourself because we are finally ready with this introduction to begin today's reading.

Today I'm going to read a little bit shorter than the rest of the sessions because we had this introductory process I felt was important.

I'm going to be reading,

Although I've talked already about the author,

I'll read the about the author section so you don't miss any part of the book.

And then I'll read the introduction and chapter one.

Excuse me.

I do want to say I just returned from Nepal a few weeks ago.

I was on a three-week retreat with one of my teachers in Kathmandu and I got pneumonia when I came back.

So I actually wondered if I had to cancel this session and I'm so grateful that I didn't.

I spent 10 days in bed.

Very,

The sickest I've ever been in my life.

But my voice is still recovering so I'm going to do my best today and I just wanted you to have that context.

So let's begin.

Transforming Problems into Happiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Let's just start with about the author.

It's very short.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is one of the most internationally renowned masters of Tibetan Buddhism.

Working and teaching ceaselessly on almost every continent.

He's the spiritual director or he was before he passed away and co-founder of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.

This is FPMT and most great cities in the world have a dedicated FPMT program or organization.

This is an international network of Buddhist projects including Buddhist monasteries in six countries and meditation centers in over 30.

Health and nutrition clinics,

Clinics specializing in the treatment of leprosy and polio as well as hospices,

Schools,

Publishing activities and prison outreach projects worldwide are included in the FPMT programs.

Lama Zopa is the author of numerous books including The Six Perfections,

Bodhichitta,

The Four Noble Truths,

Transforming Problems into Happiness,

Which is the book we're working with,

How to Enjoy Death,

Ultimate Healing,

The Door to Satisfaction,

How to Be Happy,

Wholesome Fear,

Wisdom Energy and Dear Lama Zopa and these are all from Western publications.

So again not necessary to have the book for our purposes but if you're interested in his other readings.

Now I'll read the foreword.

This is a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

I believe that the purpose of our lives is to achieve happiness.

But happiness is of two kinds.

One that derives from physical comfort and the other which essentially flows from our minds and our thoughts.

Of these two,

The happiness that derives from the mind is the more important.

If our mind is calm and happy,

We can put up with physical discomfort.

But sensual pleasure alone will never set the mind at ease.

When our minds are restless and disturbed,

No matter how much luxury or physical comfort we may enjoy,

These things alone will not make us happy.

The importance of our mental experience gives rise to the question,

Can we train the mind?

The Buddha explained many methods and paths by which we can purify our minds and achieve the fully awakened state of Buddhahood.

Among these,

There is a special instruction called mind training.

This is Lojong which I defined.

This instruction outlines the very heart of the Buddhist practice,

Cultivation of the awakened mind.

These simple but far-reaching techniques for training the mind,

Particularly those that deal with concern for others and turning adversity to advantage,

Have virtually become part of the Tibetan character.

It is this latter technique that Zopa Rinpoche particularly deals with in this book.

It is this pattern of thought,

Transforming problems into happiness,

That has enabled the Tibetan people to maintain their dignity and spirit in the face of great difficulties.

Indeed,

I found this advice of great practical benefit in my own life.

Zopa Rinpoche has immersed himself in both the study and practice of the mind training tradition,

And in his travels around the world,

He is constantly meeting people who wish for happiness,

But instead are beset by problems.

He draws on a wealth of experience.

Here he has taken as the primary focus of his advice a short text by the great scholar and remarkable yogi,

Dodropchen Jigme Thempa Nyime.

So the source of the teaching is impeccable.

What remains is for readers to put what they read into practice.

I have no doubt that those who do over a period of time notice a change in their mental attitudes and responses to people and events.

Their minds will become more disciplined and positive and I am sure they will find their own sense of happiness grow as they contribute to the greater happiness of others.

I offer my prayers that readers of this new edition who make this their goal will be blessed with success.

The Dalai Lama.

So we are embarking on a really big journey,

My friends,

Because we are not doing maybe the greatest task of all time.

We are transforming our minds.

As the Dalai Lama points out in this introduction,

He specifically addresses how this has become a part of the Tibetan character and this is what separates these teachings in Tibetan in Tibet,

In Nepal,

In these places in the world from these teachings in the West.

Because we have not put these teachings deeply into our character.

We are consumed by problems.

The stress of making enough money,

Of affording our living situation,

Taking care of our friends and family,

Dealing with child care issues,

Dealing with professional issues,

Friendship issues,

Relationship issues.

We are working in the West with an outdated model of reality and that's a little bit deep for what we're dealing with here,

But I'll probably come and go from this topic.

Tibetan Buddhism offers and specifically in the Mahayana teachings and Lojong teachings offers a model of reality that leads to lasting joy and happiness.

But because we weren't brought up with this model,

We have to go in and do a lot more work than someone coming from Tibetan culture.

And that is the reason for this book club which I talked about earlier.

Okay,

Chapter one.

The purpose of life.

You have this precious human body in order to serve other living beings.

This precious human body.

The purpose of having this precious human body is not simply to achieve happiness for oneself,

But to eliminate the suffering of all other beings and to bring them happiness as well.

This is the purpose of each of our lives.

This human body is precious because with it you have the capacity and opportunity to pursue spiritual development in order to serve other living beings.

Everyone wants happiness.

No one wants suffering.

The happiness we need is not just ordinary fleeting happiness.

What we really need is ultimate happiness.

The unsurpassed unshakable happiness of enlightenment.

When people go shopping,

For example,

They want things that are the best that will last the longest.

In the same way everyone wants the longest lasting highest happiness.

According to their understanding of what level of happiness is achievable,

Everyone attempts to obtain whatever is in their view the highest happiness.

The Buddha's teachings called the Dharma tell us the highest happiness achievable is enlightenment.

The only reason anyone would not want to achieve enlightenment is that they lack Dharma wisdom.

Lacking Dharma wisdom means simply being unaware that there exists a happiness higher than ordinary happiness.

Anyone who has encountered the Dharma and studied it sincerely knows that one can be liberated from the bondage of suffering and can experience peerless happiness.

That one can put an end to all obscurations and that one can attain all the realizations of a Buddha.

Of course,

A person who knows these things can be achieved wants to achieve them.

With such an understanding,

It becomes clear that the greatest benefit anyone can offer living beings is to lead them to the enlightened state.

In order to reach this,

You have to follow a path that actually leads to enlightenment.

Therefore,

You have to know all the various methods without the slightest mistake.

In order to do this,

You must first achieve enlightenment yourself.

By achieving enlightenment,

You achieve the state of omniscient mind of a Buddha.

To be most effective in revealing the path to others,

You need to be able to see fully and exactly every single characteristic of their minds.

As living beings have various characteristics and levels of intelligence,

A variety of methods are needed to guide them.

Only the omniscient mind of a Buddha knows every single characteristic and level of intelligence of living beings and all the methods needed to liberate them.

Mahayana Thought Transformation In order to achieve omniscient mind,

You need to follow the path to omniscient mind.

You need to practice the entire graduated path to enlightenment,

What is called in Tibetan the Lam Rim.

This graduated path contains the essence of the entire Dharma,

Of all the Buddhist teachings.

It is said that we are in the Quarreling Age,

An extremely difficult time on this Earth when violence and greed are everywhere and there are many obstacles to practicing Dharma.

Even having encountered the Dharma,

You will still find it extremely difficult to continue and succeed in your practice.

Inner and outer obstacles will pour down like rain.

In order to succeed in listening to,

Reflecting on and meditating on the graduated path to enlightenment for the benefit and happiness of all sentient beings,

You must learn to practice Mahayana Thought Transformation and this is what this book will teach you.

In Mahayana Thought Transformation,

Also called Mind Training or Lojong,

You use whatever problems you experience to generate the realizations along the path to enlightenment within your mind.

Instead of disturbing you,

Problems can actually help you develop your mind and even further your progress on the path to enlightenment.

Without practicing Thought Transformation,

You will be unable to complete your Dharma practice,

Your inner mental development.

This is why I thought to explain to you a short text by Dodrop Chen Rinpoche,

Instructions on Turning Happiness and Suffering into the Path of Enlightenment.

There are various Lamrim meditations that can be applied when you have problems.

Dodrop Chen Rinpoche's text is based on two famous texts by early Indian masters,

The Precious Garland by Nagarjuna and Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by Shantideva.

Dodrop Chen Rinpoche,

Jigme Thempa Nyingme,

A highly attained Lama of the Nyingme School of Tibetan Buddhism,

Whose holy mind had reached very high realizations of Tantra,

Was also learned in the teachings of the great Glogic school founder,

Lama Tsongkhapa.

Jigme Thempa Nyingme's teaching does not contain anything that is not also contained in such well-known texts as the Seven Point Mind Training by Geshe Chekwa and the Eight Verses by Langri Thempa,

Or in the various other teachings on Thought Transformation.

But the way he relates the practice of Lamrim to the experience of problems and obstacles,

That's what's different.

With regard to this particular practice of Thought Transformation,

There are two aspects.

One is using suffering in the path to enlightenment,

And the other is using happiness in the path to enlightenment.

Here,

I will be talking about how to use suffering or problems in the path to enlightenment and unsurpassed happiness.

Okay,

A short reading.

That was Chapter 1.

I wanted to just include these two or these three short readings because they lay a foundation.

They give us context for what's to come.

They give a little bit of background,

But the next chapters are going to start to work with more clearly the actual practices that are needed.

So let me just give a little synopsis of this first chapter.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is introducing the fundamental idea that problems and challenges are inherent in life.

Okay,

I'm just going to say that again.

Problems and challenges,

They are just normal.

They're just part of the life experience.

What it is about them that makes them so hard for us,

However,

Is our perception and our response to them.

So these things,

Our perception and our response to these problems in our lives,

These inherently existing problems can be transformed into opportunities for personal and spiritual growth.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche emphasizes the importance of developing a compassionate and wise mindset,

And then using the principles of Lojong and Lamrim to guide us.

By shifting our perspective and practicing patience and compassion,

We can learn to see problems as stepping stones to greater happiness and enlightenment.

Now,

I don't want to ruin what's to come.

It gets really exciting.

But I do want to say I hope you're hearing what I'm putting out there right now,

What Lama Zopa Rinpoche is saying.

What we are saying is that problems are good.

You actually want them.

You want problems because when you have problems,

You have a tool,

A resource to transform those problems into spiritual awakening.

So somebody who has a very perfect life and so this is for any of you that feel envious sometimes of a person you may know or think you know who appears to have a perfect life.

Somebody who has a perfect life,

Well,

Oops,

Bummer for them because they are missing what those of us who have a less than perfect life have the opportunity for,

Which is full spiritual awakening through the vehicle of our problems and challenges.

So this is really exciting.

This is why I chose this book because I find that these teachings are some of the most beautiful teachings necessary in the modern Western world,

A world in which we are often taught that our problems are just that,

Problems,

And that we have to get over them in order for our lives to be good.

This is a totally new perspective.

In this perspective,

We are saying our problems are the best thing we could have and we want those problems because we can use them for our own transformation.

So there is no healing here.

You don't need to heal from your problems when you look at the world,

When you approach your worldview from this perspective.

There is no getting rid of your problems.

Instead,

We say,

Thank you,

Problems.

Oh my goodness,

Thank you so much,

Problems.

Thank you so much,

Challenges.

And in that way,

We are able to reframe the perspective of how our challenges impact us in our lives.

And that is what we are going to be doing in this book club series using this book,

Transforming Problems into Happiness.

Okay.

We're like right at perfect time.

So I'm so excited.

I know many people join a little bit late just to remind you that I will be immediately processing this recording and posting it for people to listen to on Insight Timer and the other platforms that I exist on.

So if you missed the beginning,

You can come back.

A lot of foundation setting for what's to come for our next sessions.

I want to offer a little bit of homework right now.

And actually,

Since we have a few minutes,

I think it's a benefit to just practice briefly together.

Nothing special is required for this practice.

So however you are is perfect.

You're lying down.

Good.

You're standing up.

Whatever.

You're seated.

Okay.

Awesome.

You're good.

You're good exactly as you are.

Just however you are in this perfect way that you are,

Try to relax a little bit.

Relaxation in meditation speech has a totally different definition than relaxation in the modern Western world.

When I say relax,

I don't mean like get comfy and go to sleep.

I mean drop defensiveness.

That's what relaxation means in this context.

It means to drop the defenses that you have built up that may be blocking your mind from absorbing what is coming up for you,

From experiencing what is coming up for you.

So relax in that way.

Relax in such a way that you drop your defenses and you be here fully for whatever you are experiencing right now.

It's the good,

The bad,

And the ugly in here.

Maybe there's a pain,

An itch,

An ache.

Maybe something feels good,

Wonderful,

Great.

Maybe everything is numb.

Just show up for it all.

And in this relaxed way,

Take a moment here to reflect on your current definition of happiness.

This may show up as images or feelings or words.

It's okay.

Everybody has sort of a different personality of inner experience.

So however it shows up for you is fine,

But you're really just asking yourself,

What is my current definition of happiness?

And then I want you to consider for a moment,

Using this definition that you've come up with in your mind,

Try to be clear on it.

How might this definition that you have about happiness be limited?

How may it be focused on temporary states?

How may this definition you have of happiness be flawed?

Anything may come up.

Feelings,

Sensations,

Thoughts,

Emotions,

Maybe even numbness.

Like,

I don't know.

Everything is welcome.

Everything is allowed.

You just relax back and let experience be exactly as it is.

Asking yourself,

Based on your own definition of happiness,

How may this definition be flawed?

And then you can sit with the idea that there is another definition of happiness out there in the world.

And this other definition of happiness leads to a lasting experience.

The highest,

Best happiness you could ever get your hands on.

When I say that to you,

When I say there is another way to define happiness that leads to this highest,

Best happiness in the world,

How do you feel?

What experience comes up?

This is the homework for this week.

Just keep sitting or standing or lying down or whatever you're doing.

Just listen.

This week,

I really want you to think about your current definition of happiness.

I want you to write it down,

And I want you to write down all the ways it might be flawed.

This is a new way we're working with reality,

And it's a special way in which we are not afraid to be wrong,

To be stupid,

To not know,

To be ignorant.

We are not afraid of those qualities in ourselves.

So you're going to look right at it.

This is how I define happiness.

And be as vapid or deep as you actually are.

Don't hide from yourself here,

Because there's no hiding anyways.

You look in and you say,

How am I defining happiness?

And then you're going to write down,

How is my definition flawed?

How is it actually leading to suffering?

And then,

I want you to write down some thoughts on what a new definition of happiness may be that aligns more with the teachings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche that we're working with.

A definition that offers a more lasting and profound sense of joy and peace.

So however you are is perfect right now.

I'm just talking through the homework.

You're just sitting,

Standing,

Walking,

Lying,

Receiving,

Observing anything you find coming up inside of awareness,

Inside of experience.

Everything is welcome here.

If your eyes have been closed,

You can open them.

Maybe take a few deep breaths and move around a little bit.

We've been here almost an hour together.

For those of you who have been here from the start.

Maybe take a look around the room you're in and express some gratitude for how this room supported your practice today.

Okay.

So let's wrap it up.

This is the homework.

The homework is to ask yourself how you define happiness.

So what it is that you define happiness as and get as raw and real with yourself as possible.

Don't be afraid.

It's not like I can even see you and it's not like I can force you to share or something.

So don't be afraid to be your least desirable self.

That's a good benefit.

It's of the best benefit to just be real with yourself,

No matter how you show up.

So defining happiness and how might that definition be flawed?

How might it actually be leading to temporary happiness and more long-term suffering and then beginning to write down some notes,

Maybe even a definition or two of happiness in a way that could lead to lasting joy.

Okay.

Should I put that in the notes or in the comments so that you can see that here?

I guess I'll just do that.

So this is part one.

Define happiness as you currently experience it and then also add to that what's lacking or flawed in this definition.

And then part two is come up with some thoughts or notes on a new definition of happiness that is more in line with this idea of lasting happiness as Lama Zopa Rinpoche is describing.

Okay.

So that's the homework for this week.

And then next week,

It's at the same time,

11 a.

M.

On Tuesday,

Central European time.

Like I said,

I'm in the Netherlands this month,

But it's my last month in the Netherlands.

So I'm excited for that because it's July and raining and cold.

So I'm looking forward to some warm weather.

I'm going to head over to California for a little while.

So hopefully I'll do a few things from there and then I'll be on California time.

Then I'll go back to the Caribbean.

I'll be on Caribbean time,

Just all over the world.

So I hope to connect with you.

I hope to see you next week.

I just want to thank you for joining today.

Christine,

Thank you so much for your donation.

I want to remind anybody that feels to donate now or in the future.

I'm really focused on a new philanthropic project where I am giving all of 100% of the proceeds.

I'm not keeping any for myself.

100% of my donations go towards helping clean air initiatives with young monastic students in the Nepal area.

So it's really a beautiful cause and these young men and women are just working hard to be the next Buddhas in the world.

They're bringing big things and they're amazing young people.

So being able to help them breathe cleaner air is a deep heartfelt mission of mine.

So thank you and thank you again for being here.

I'm excited to go through this process.

Next week we'll dive into chapters two and three and see where we get.

DM,

I am going to be in the Northern California area.

Yes,

Angel,

I did say,

Yeah,

Please feel free to,

If you have some comments right now or if you need to log off,

Go ahead.

I'm happy to take questions or comments now.

Angel,

I said your definition of happiness is probably causing your suffering.

That's actually what I'm saying.

I'm just going to be bold here and I'm going to say probably if you are from the West,

You define happiness in a way that actually leads to suffering.

That's a big topic,

So we're going to kind of unpack that as we go throughout this book club and beyond.

I'm going to talk more about this,

But something that's really important for me to share is that when we look at these wisdom traditions,

They are housed inside of the character of how these teachings have been absorbed over time.

A Tibetan,

For instance,

Is working with a different conceptual framework of how the world operates.

What do I mean by that?

I mean they have different definitions of concepts,

Concepts like happiness,

Joy,

Peace,

Contentment,

Suffering,

Relaxation.

They have different definitions of those concepts than people in the West do.

We are working with a model of reality in the West and,

Of course,

These are sweeping generalizations,

So you have to take that into account.

We are working with a model of reality in the West that is flawed,

To say the least,

And is actually perpetuating suffering.

What we're looking to do as we study and learn from the Buddhist teachings is we are looking to transform our conceptual framework for how we view reality.

We're looking to understand reality on a different level.

Most of us are understanding material reality and are caught up in material reality.

Again,

I'll get deeper into this as we go,

But we are looking to understand reality exactly as it is.

This is an entirely new way of looking at experience.

It includes redefining many of the concepts that we have been living our lives on,

Like love,

Compassion,

These kinds of things.

We don't just redefine them conceptually and then move along.

We're like,

Okay,

I've got a new definition of love.

I'm all good here,

Because that's not enough.

Our old definition is so deep.

It's living as an imprint in our energetic,

Subtle body.

We have to go into our subtle body,

And we have to work to first shake up the muddy water and bring our old concepts up to the surface.

We have to see clearly how they actually lead to our suffering,

And then we have to replace them with new concepts.

That's some of the work that we're going to be doing together in this book club.

Ella,

The name of the book is Transforming Problems into Happiness,

And it's by Lama Zopa Rinpoche,

Just an absolute beautiful genius in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

He passed away April 2023,

But his legacy is definitely living on.

Right now,

There's the process in Kathmandu of building a stupa in his recognition to wish for him to take a swift rebirth and come back to this planet in a new form.

I am sure that is happening.

May we all wish for that.

Okay,

Beautiful people.

Thank you so much for this time.

I hope to see you next time.

If there are no more comments or questions,

Again,

My name is Sara Sati,

And I will be posting this session on all the platforms you can find me on,

Including Insight Timer,

Hopefully by the end of today,

If not by tomorrow.

If you missed the beginning,

I hope you have an opportunity to go back and listen.

A lot of foundation laying as we move forward.

Thank you so much for sharing your time with me.

I feel so grateful.

Reviews

Thank you so much for sharing 💟
Sometimes I think happiness is in things/attachment
This causes suffering when it becomes too many things and it becomes overwhelming, burdensome, the upkeep is tiresome, cluttered
Lasting happiness maybe generously and joyfully letting these things go, so they may benefit others, and maybe I have more time and space to practice

I am finding this Bookclub analysis so interesting and enriching. Thank you so much Sarah for sharing the insights you have gleaned from this book. And thank you for speaking at a pace that is not too fast and for repeating key pieces of information several times. This is so crucial for my enjoyment, as there is no 'rewind' on IT and I find I can't keep up when teachers speak too fast. Adept pauses are crucial to allow the important new information to be processed by the (sometimes resistant) grey matter of my brain! I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Thank you again. Namaste xx