[00:00:00] Ven Drachom: Easy, even possible to get enlightened. Do you know what it takes to become a Buddha? This man tortured me for 19 years. I’m so afraid the day he kill me, I can’t generate love for them. I pray that I receive everyone’s suffering forever, even in hell. Then I give all my happiness to them. If I die this way, I got no regret. As long as someone is a human being, a being ascension with a mind, there definitely potential of suffering. And you wish, you know, I will receive then you from the very depth of your heart. Those suffering come or something like that. Come. Come. And I command you to come.

[00:00:38] Cheryl: I’m really curious. You speak a lot about your teacher.

[00:00:42] Ven Drachom: Yeah.

[00:00:42] Cheryl: I’m curious to understand what did your teacher and your practice teach you that the special forces couldn’t?

[00:00:47] Ven Drachom: Well, you use the metaphor here. The special forces were really physical, able to shoot very straight. You cannot miss. There’s a target. So, obviously one is very mundane in nature, one is about talking about the secrecy of your mind, to know the secrecy of the mind. They are gradually power that bring you up to the particular mind that you see the true nature of your mind. So, I got 32 teacher, but some are very close. So, I got 32 of them. Not saying that you only need to have 32 teacher. Just find one good one in the beginning that you able to understand the nature of the meaning of the what he say. I think it’s very important. I think in Singapore, many people are wanting to do so. A lot of people look around how to but they don’t have a gradual path. So, the teaching that were I receive is like this. It’s called the gradual path to enlightenment. So, it’s called Lamrim common path, uncommon path. These are all the teaching of the Buddha. This is called the turning the wheel of Dharma mudra, turning far lung soaring. So, the teaching of the Buddha, then is sequential. There’s nothing called which one higher, lower. It’s which one comes first, which one comes later. So, like you build this building I’m at right now. You cannot build this level three without building level one or foundation. If you think that you The you want to practice level three without level one and two, you will never get any success because there’s no foundation for you to go. So, when we talk about this system, then the teaching of the Buddha is arranged like that. Level one, two, three, four, five. So, this is the Pali tradition. This is a Sanskrit tradition. I don’t like to use the word Hinayana Mahayana. Make someone this higher than this. No. This come first or everything. Whoever practice Mahayana don’t have the basis of Hinayana practice garbage. You need to have these and these and that. So, what is the practice here? Taking refuge, keeping a five precept, practicing the 10 virtue section and abandon the 10 non-virtue section. Then from here to achieve the fruit of next life, you have a good rebirth rate again. But some people just can’t handle this amount of time to invest to transform their mind. So, I want to list some side I want to become a Arahat Pratyekabuddha. Then they practice the three higher training. They think of the suffering of even a higher realm in samsara by nature. They see the traveling of dependent arising. They meditate on the 51 mental factor. And they realize that the mental factor traveling, the mental factor of the link of craving and grasping being the most important. You know, don’t crave, don’t grasp, you cannot ripen all those imprint and that link that will make you suffer practice the thing. So, by cutting seeing that wisdom realizing correctly, they achieve the fruit of a Arahat Pratyekabuddha. Then basic based on that there’s certain people but at a certain point of their lives then Buddha let’s say they achieve Arahat. Then Buddha knock at the door, “Oi, there’s someone suffering. How?” They oh, really? Then they quite quiet. They come back to practice the So, like that one, two. Then they come to join the Mahayana teaching. The Mahayana teaching got this motivation. May I become a Buddha to free everyone from suffering. So, what I I I achieve enlightenment? How about the rest of other people? I want to free every one single one from suffering. This where they start to think, “Is that even possible or not?” So, the Buddha say, “First must think is it even possible to get enlightened?” So, that’s the real first question. Someone practicing Mahayana Sutrayana Mahayana Vajrayana. Then you will ask those people a teacher want to check the student say, “So, you say you want to become a Buddha. Is it possible? Why possible?” So, they ask, “Why you want to become Buddha. Feel good, no? I like to become Buddha. Everybody puts fruits. Oh, nice flower thing. So, you want to become Buddha? Do you know what it takes to become a Buddha? Why you need Buddha? What you are willing to go through? So, Mahakashyapa hear that want to become a Buddha. The concept of Buddhism you offer everyone, he fainted. He said, “No, this I can’t do.” Kashyapa, you know? You know? Buddha disciple. Maha Jassa, you know? Incredible, you know? Shuku Singo, you know? He said thing he fainted, you know?

[00:04:18] Cheryl: Mhm.

[00:04:20] Ven Drachom: So, maybe some of us got coming in brain. Then you say I want to become a Buddha. Then this where you where when you start to take the Bodhisattva vow, and then you practice the six perfection. That will bring you a 10 ground Bodhisattva. But that’s still not enough. When we talk about Buddha, we talk about the four body. The wisdom body, and then the form body. And these two form body, Rupakaya and Dharmakaya, can be divided into sub parts.

[00:04:40] Cheryl: I’m curious also in your own personal experience, because you say you know it’s step by step, right? So, how did you kind of as it from a practicing lay Buddhist then, decide to take the next step to become a monastic, and then step by step going forward?

[00:04:55] Ven Drachom: Once you find your teacher, right? And you find a very unmistaken teacher, and you take her take his advice at that. Since you don’t know, you need to hear someone know better than you, all right, you know? If you find a very unmistaken teacher, then it become very easier. You just follow what he tell you to do. Then you just do do the thing.

[00:05:11] Cheryl: So, it’s trust in your teacher.

[00:05:12] Ven Drachom: Yeah, trust in the teacher. Singing of his quality, his kindness. Because of my soldiering background, I decided that we all die one day, one quite clear.

[00:05:19] Cheryl: Mhm.

[00:05:20] Ven Drachom: No one don’t die one. Everybody will die. So, when I die, must have no fear, no regret. Die pretty happy. I done whatever I can. So, I pray. I pray that I receive everyone’s suffering forever, even in hell. Then I give all my happiness to them. Then if I die this way, I got no regret. So, when I suffer, I got no I got no problem in suffering, because I’m taking other people’s one. I truly mean it. Now I take your suffering. So, through the blessing to other thing, you have to from your own side, all right? Say that is this the best I can do right now for others? Then you start to because in the long run it’s very structured. So, he’s able to bring you from beginning knowing that, okay, what are the main thing you need to know that in permanent perfect human rebirth karma suffering a lower realm taking refuge then the three higher training with the 12 link then sequentially bring you even the suffering of thing then you create aversion here in samsara. I always cheat myself. Then this is the real enemy right now because of my open my big fat mouth I always challenge her.

[00:06:13] Cheryl: I’m actually very curious. Just now you said like how do we you were you take on everyone’s suffering. Yeah. How do you do that without getting overwhelmed?

[00:06:22] Ven Drachom: You you have to start with small bit first, all right? This called lojong. It’s one of the main dondar of a bodhisattva practice. To generate bodhicitta there’s two method. The seven point one one effect and another one like that. It’s called object love compassion. As long as someone is a human being, a being, a sentient with a mind, they definitely potential of suffering and you wish, you know, I will receive then you from the very depth of your heart I will take. I will take. And you determine. And then you don’t think anymore already come back. Like you have to be so determined. This is what the great bodhisattva they do.

[00:06:57] Cheryl: And how’s the experience? So, when you take in you feel all of that pain? So, there’s a visualization we do. You

[00:07:02] Ven Drachom: Imagine going inside here you destroy yourself cherishing. So, it’s like if someone kill you because of certain things that my teacher tell me affect me very very much. So, I got 32 teachers. One of the teachers was caught by the Tibet the Chinese in 59. They went to the prison Gulag. They were tortured for 19 years. Our forefather he told Tenzin Gyatso hey, you you want to open up China if you continue doing this all right you’re not going to open up. Do the absolute what you need to do. Those not necessary let go. So, he decided to let go all the prisoner inside the thing. So, my teacher got released. They went to see my my main ordination master he’s on the Dalai Lama. So, he is on the list ask my teacher so what was the the most difficult thing you all experienced you are most fearful of in the prison?” So, they told this one thing maybe some form of torturing technique or whatever. So, among the group they say this, “This man this group of men who tortured me for 19 years, I’m so afraid the day he kill me, I can’t generate love for them.” So, right now someone just scold you a bit, give you a black face, or you cannot take it. So, I take that as a standard I want. She tortured me 19 years. He going to kill me. I’m most afraid I can’t love him. Yeah, I want to bring him to enlightenment. Now, that’s the standard we’re talking about, right? I will do some puja, I will give some food. I want to become quite lower right now. I’m not saying people lower, but for me, right? Don’t go lower, go higher already. I told you double double tall. Come on, I want to do do bigger. No big don’t do. Jumbo lie down. No suffering come or something like that. Come. Come. I command you to come. Those great practitioners do not do puja. You know you do prayer. Oh, I’m so sick or I do prayer or a few signals. Now, you do puja to say, “May I take all your suffering?” Ah, that’s a different right now.

[00:08:44] Cheryl: And it’s very interesting because it’s very counterintuitive as well. Most people see suffering, they run away. What more taking and welcoming and embracing other people’s uh

[00:08:52] Ven Drachom: Ah, this is a different. The bodhisattva are like firemen, you know? When fire come, everybody run out. But the firemen go in.

[00:08:57] Cheryl: That’s true.

[00:08:58] Ven Drachom: Let’s go back. I already decided watching rule for high do zhong sheng. Then run with the For the very first time when you practice, all right? There’s something inside there that suddenly become awaken, alive, all right? For the very first time, there’s the freshness in your thought. Wow.

[00:09:17] Cheryl: Can you tell us more about that first time?

[00:09:19] Ven Drachom: Buddha taught two category of dharma. So, one of the dharma is parable. So, in one of the life, all right? The Buddha was a was a crow. So, there was a big big big big big fire, you know? So, everybody was running out. The animal running out. But the crow was running in, you know? Flying in. Then they all tell him, “Why are you going in when everybody is going out?” He say, “I got a jar of water in my beak. I want to put out the fire to feed one from suffering. Wow. Now, this is our determination unit. So, when you meet the un-mistaken teacher, they got this our quality, you’re going to follow suit. You will meet a teacher tonsure pastor, you also become tonsure pastor, lah. No pain, no gain, no do, no get. Something cannot become nothing and nothing cannot become something, it’s quite clear, cause and effect. So, we all wish for money to come. You never give how you’re going to receive.

[00:10:01] Cheryl: So,

[00:10:02] Ven Drachom: Mhm.

[00:10:02] Cheryl: For someone living a normal life today, right? Average person, how can they start becoming a spiritual warrior in their own way? Okay, good. In their own way, when you say the first rule to become even learn to take the thing is first not to anything that harm your own mind. Because in the longer term, if you do not live a ethical life, all right? You will not be able to do whatever. You will be not be supported by ethics. Ethics is like the ground for everything to grow. So, for a spiritual warrior, so beginning, first keep the five precept, do the 10 virtuous section. At a certain point of time, then think, whatever I do, try to have the concept of sharing. I try to share 50/50. In a certain point, I love to share everything with other people. I got no problem. Then slowly, slowly, slowly, think more, analyze a little bit more. Is this the best I can do for others? Pause for a while. When you eat food, let’s say I [snorts] go to a nice place eat food, because I’m vegan. I don’t eat onion, garlic. I don’t take dinner. Means I go overseas, all right? It’s a little bit tricky, but I say it’s my choice, all right? Because when I know why monks don’t eat after dinner, because the chewing of the food, the sound, make all those hungry ghosts celebrate and they suffer. I don’t want them to suffer. No one need to suffer because I need to live. Then we can speak less, all right? Will be much useful. Because you will think more. Because by thinking correctly, what can I do for others? Then they will say, “Mhm, maybe I try to do this. At least I don’t harm them verbally.” So, the the five precept and the 10 virtuous section sort of got you already. Even we do this very well, then we say warrior. So, the very first time, you are first level warriors, warrior against your gross habit. Mhm. You haven’t touched the inner one, huh? The self-cherishing, self-grasping, huh? Mhm.

[00:11:34] Ven Drachom: Still the gross one still. Can do that, then slowly go in. First you have to pray to find your teacher. Your teacher that is a warrior one, then you can become warrior. If your teacher not warrior, cannot become warrior. Sorry.

[00:11:44] Cheryl: Mhm.

[00:11:44] Ven Drachom: You see, huh? A bunch of lion led by a goat, no, can only become goat. Clear? A bunch of goat led by lion, all the goat behave like lion. Clear?

[00:11:53] Cheryl: Yes. And you’re saying that um to find a teacher, prayers and aspirations would be enough?

[00:12:00] Ven Drachom: Yeah. You pray. You pray to find your teacher, you will come. You pray, “May I find a teacher I can communicate, got all these requirement, can lead me completely to full enlightenment.” And it might come immediately. Don’t come all like 10 years later or what. It will come immediately tomorrow.

[00:12:12] Cheryl: Wow.

[00:12:13] Ven Drachom: You must think like that. Then the thing will come. Because this is the aspiration, and these are the cause and effect. Without create cause, you don’t get the effect, what?

[00:12:19] Cheryl: Mhm.

[00:12:19] Ven Drachom: Many people did not know that this simple cause and You stand at McDonald’s where the people give food, they say “Good morning, sir. Good morning, sir.” Then you must say “I want one whatever meal.” Then the thing come, right, no?

[00:12:27] Cheryl: Right.

[00:12:28] Ven Drachom: Cause and effect. Come on.

[00:12:29] Cheryl: It makes

[00:12:30] Ven Drachom: Yeah, later we’ll go lunch or we’ll sit there. The people look at us.

[00:12:35] Cheryl: No cause.

[00:12:36] Ven Drachom: No, you you have to do something, right, no? So finding a teacher become very important. We don’t have a lot of time left. Whatever the time left in your life, make it as you useful as yourself. If a thought make you become negative, not so good, let go of it. Remember the rubber band. Couple of breath. Take three deep breath. You should be quite good. Three deep breath able to make it. Get a big hot water, drink, then you feel pretty good again. I think that would be quite useful. To become a warrior. So when you warrior, when you come out here, the first thing is you go you must draw for a soldier. Especially for every Monday we go to the range and shoot. The first thing we do is to make sure you check our gun or weapon or what. So when you come to in relation to this or that, every morning we wake up with the motivation, “May whoever see me never ever suffer. May I bring them to enlightenment.” You tell like that. It’s like drawing a weapon, really.

[00:13:17] Cheryl: Mhm.

[00:13:17] Ven Drachom: Then you go out. I will take everyone’s suffering forever. Because this strength of ascertainment must be so powerful, you can overcome every adverse negative thought people say one. Like some people do most irritating thing to you. You say regarding irritating you do I will forever love you. Decided already. So you come from a point of ascertainment rather than kind of what the guy decide then you try to know what I mean. Sifu tell me cannot. Must love the person. Then you’re struggling you become negatively affected already. But now you come from the point of ascertainment I already decided you come

[00:13:46] Cheryl: Mhm.

[00:13:47] Ven Drachom: You come from the point I really know what to do already. That’s different. So you’re creating rather than reacting. So Dharma is a lot of creation, creating fresh fresh fresh fresh. Reacting means the thing will happen now. Sifu say some prayer for you. Sifu say don’t worry you will be okay. Also depend how much you can receive now. Whether you got how much of the comic connection you have with the teacher. If the teacher you got faith then quite easy. It will definitely work. The radio station always broadcast one. It’s just that when you go out on a boat whoever never tune in it’s not you know you do your job already correct? You go and do a bit of editing you do all the thing. Then what happen next? If you broadcast out people never tune in it’s not your fault what? It’s the person never tune in what? Then they tune in then they get the whatever they can understand. Whoever see me today all right never go lower realm. I pray this way.

[00:14:28] Cheryl: Oh.

[00:14:29] Ven Drachom: Whoever is here never go lower realm. Cannot go lower realm. Cannot forever. Cannot go. If you ever think that you’re going you think of me I will go for on your behalf. This is my promise.

[00:14:38] Cheryl: Thank you so much Pen Cin Drashom.

[00:14:40] Ven Drachom: Yeah thank you.

[00:14:40] Cheryl: For your wisdom.

[00:14:41] Ven Drachom: You will probably likely whatever you do if you say take out your homework then we will know where are you already. It’s a very structured one. You never do that trading means you don’t have that thing. If you have that means you’re going to have that thing. Every effect come from a proper cause. Then if you don’t have the particular proper cause all right so the cause is like listening to the unmistakable. So you work hard. You are young. Young all right? The most 30 maybe 20 plus. So relatively young so you will continue for the next 30 years. Next time you come up here you talk all right? After 30 years I remember when we say I come on live up. I’m not afraid anymore. I have no more fear because I got love. You replace all the fear with love. Understand or not? Whoever make you irritated, love them even deeper. You melt them through your power of your love. You throw them in your your lake of compassion. Let them drown there and they bliss out.

[00:15:36] Cheryl: I had a lot of takeaways speaking to Venerable Tenzin Drakpa and the main one is regarding how we hold the precepts as a practicing Buddhist and yet he was tasked to kill the terrorist. What shocked me about the way he holds his precepts is about looking at the bigger picture. What is the purpose? What is the objective? What from my conversation with him was that he was very brave. Whether it’s something difficult, whether it’s something unpleasant, he always had that let’s go, let’s go kind of attitude and that really reminds me to be brave whenever I have defilements that sometimes scare me, sometimes terrify me, such as loneliness, such as insecurities. And and I think I will be taking that from this conversation. So, what about you? What will you be taking away from this conversation? Let us know in the comments below and see you in the next episode. Bye-bye.