Michael Roach where did he come from. Geshe Michael Roach is a contemporary teacher of Buddhism
The Age of Aquarius, whatever one may say, leaves its mark on the consciousness and minds of contemporaries. Many have turned to religion, someone is studying various moments of spiritual truths in different interpretations, yoga, meditative practices and other pleasures of the soul and spirit are flourishing.
Against the backdrop of general mobilization and the desire for self-improvement, the printing industry flourishes with lavish laurel, releasing valuable and not very advice on how to become happy, rich and successful. And perhaps only a few authors deserve unequivocal praise in relation to their work.
Such is the book "Diamond Cutter" by Geshe Michael Roach. The author has invested his entire conscious life in a simple and accessible description of his path to the top of world achievements. His book is pure and transparent, no vague allegories, no Aesopian language.
Here we see how a global idea can transform both our thinking and the whole world around us. It makes no sense to retell the author's biography, because it is all set out in his book. The whole feature and at the same time the crystal truthfulness of the work lies in the fact that the author was the first to be able to reunite the concept of spirituality and material security. That is, the idea as such is not new, but he presented it in the most accessible way. And it's not that for a long time he worked as a diamond cutter.
This is where a certain similarity with the author's style of thinking and his fundamental life credo lies. Diamond drilling involves not just processing precious minerals, not just turning them into diamonds. And this term has become commonplace and tells us that any seemingly simple thought can be processed in an unexpected way and the truth will sparkle with new facets.
Each person creates the path of prosperity or turns off the beaten path himself. Before the author, this idea was expressed by Paulo Coelho, only in the book The Alchemist the hero did not study diamond drilling, but was looking for his own way to create gold. But the point is the same. And so Michael Roach became the very master of Buddhist sciences, having received in his name a sonorous prefix geshe, which means guru.
In fact, the biography of this person is interesting already because he is not an example useful tips, sometimes sucked from the finger, recommends people how to change their lives, but simply in the manner of a competent Teacher tells, broadcasts, broadcasts. Tao expressed in words is not Tao. Therefore, common truths are not useful.
And that is why the best creators of truths in the world are remembered for their inner appearance. We know little about the date of birth, about the personal growth of this person, but is it really important in the context of the discovery that he presented to the person?
Michael Roach (Michael Roach, 1952) - the first Westerner who lived twenty years in the harsh conditions of Tibetan monasteries, who earned the title of Geshe - a kind of "doctoral degree" of Buddhism. He founded the Asian Classics Input Project (ACIP), which is probably the world's largest collection of ancient Asian manuscripts.
Books (3)
How yoga works. Healing and self-healing with yoga sutra
In How Yoga Works, Geshe Michael Roach and his co-author Christie McNally talk about the secrets and deep essence of yoga in a fabulous way, simply and entertainingly.
This book may be of interest not only to specialists, but also to curious beginners. Of all the books on yoga translated into Russian, this one explains in the simplest and most fascinating way that yoga is not just an “oriental fitness”, but above all a philosophy and a way of life.
Garden
A nameless youth consumed by thirst spiritual knowledge, meets a golden-haired girl who takes him to the fabulous Garden, where he will have to learn the lessons of wisdom. Here Lama Tsongkhapa, Buddha Maitreya, the First Dalai Lama and other founding fathers of Buddhism appear to him. Their lessons and instructions, imbued with clarity, wisdom and uncompromising light of knowledge, reveal to the young man the innermost secrets of the Tibetan spiritual tradition.
Through the story of a young man who was brought to the Garden by the Beautiful Embodiment of Wisdom, the author introduces us to the pantheon of the greatest masters of Buddhism: philosophers, yogis, pillars of mysticism, who give him invaluable teachings and instructions, the language of a parable introduces the reader to the centuries-old wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism.
Tibetan yoga book
Geshe Michael Roach brings to your attention a Buddhist perspective on yoga in his new book on a specific set of exercises that makes practitioners healthy, strong and calm. After reading it, you will discover Tibetan Heart Yoga, which has developed over the centuries in the Gelug school, the lineage of the Dalai Lamas of Tibet.
The complex presented here combines the well-known exercises of hatha yoga with special Tibetan postures and methods of internal work with consciousness and is aimed at gaining a healthy and joyful heart for the practitioner. Combining rich illustrative material with the philosophical foundations of the Buddhist worldview, Geshe Roach creates a unique program for practicing yoga on the physical and spiritual levels.
Reader Comments
Lucy/ 01/07/2018 I get acquainted with the teachings of M. Roach, it impresses me very much, it is felt that the truth speaks through this knowledge, because there is no resistance when you read, everything is so natural and logical. .I have been interested in karma for a long time, even before I got acquainted with the system of a diamond cutter, I did a lot of things intuitively, but there was no system. Now a system has emerged, which I am extremely happy about and I have the intention to apply this system in my life. Now I am reading a book by M. Roach "Karma of Love", since my karma in relationships is not the best, I understood this a long time ago, but did not know what to do with it. The book is very strong, I get goosebumps, I reread some chapters times, although everything is written in an accessible and easy way. After reading a lot of books on self-development, I thought that there was little that could hook me, but only now I got the feeling that I can really influence fate and karma, I feel great gratitude inside.
Alsou/ 5.01.2018 Criticism. what the charlatan and other negativity shout - what is bad in these books? They call for murder, violence, fornication and debauchery?? Are they sowing mesanthropy, chauvinism and other negative things? NO! Before you say something, create something for the owl first. useful to everyone! And remember about karma, it will definitely return to everyone!
Alexander/ 12.12.2017 Diamond cutter - very strong book for those who are a little familiar with Buddhism. In it, in the first one, a clear and understandable definition of Voidness is given and this fundamental concept is revealed by examples. Without verbosity and very clear. For that alone, my big thanks to Geshe Roach Michael. Om Sarva Mangalam!
Michael/ 10/15/2017 only poz can criticize the wonderful books of Michael Roach.
lyudmila zaitseva/ 3.07.2017 Thank you! I'm starting to understand the wisdom of your books! I really need help!
Guest/ 2.02.2017 Brad. Another charlatan. I invented some Buddhist sciences. Making money on fools.
Christina M/ 20.10.2016 I want to start reading Michael Roach, where do you recommend to start?
Tatiana/ 2.10.2016 to Anna. It's better to make a mistake in a letter than to be so mean.
YURI/ 07/14/2016 I, Usov Yuri Georgievich, would like to subscribe to these two books Diamond Wisdom and Karmic Management.
Olga Anne/ 21.02.2016 Dear Anna, spiritual man is a loving person.
Judging others is not the way of the Spirit! I send you light and
Love!
MICHAEL ROAH/ 23.01.2016 Thank you all for the amazing feedback! Subscribe to the official channel of Michael Roach https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTx0cZrsTE0RKCuHxF6AUeQ and the official page https://www.facebook.com/roach.dci and stay up to date with all the news
Altyn/ 2.11.2015 I read the first books in one breath. I attended an intensive seminar in Moscow, which was held in August 2015. Geshe Michael is one of the foremost people of mankind.
Christina/ 09/27/2015 Not a single date in the biography fits, Warren Buffett did not buy any jewelry company Richline Group in 2009, and the one that is part of the holding was founded in 1915.
Anna for Victoria/ 24.08.2015 Oh Lord, Victoria! So, you live a spiritual life, but, in spite of everything, instead of "laying down" you write "to lay down"? And why then do we need all this ostentatious tinsel and lies about a high spiritual life, if there is no ordinary culture that any, ordinary child absorbs in his native environment from his school years. It would be better to take a textbook of the Russian language and study it properly.
Olga/ 08/09/2015 I am delighted with the books. Everything is clear, you just need to digest and swallow. The philosophy of Buddhism is so easily conveyed - I bow. Such great knowledge and experience are conveyed with ease and love. Thanks to the author and the Buddhas!
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| Michael Roach | |
| Michael Roach | |
| Occupation: |
writer, teacher, businessman, educator, public lecturer, philologist, musician |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth: | |
| Citizenship: |
USA USA |
| Father: |
Philip Roach |
| Mother: |
Elizabeth Roach |
| Awards and prizes: |
Woodrow Wilson School Grant |
| Website: | |
Biography
Geshe Michael Roach was born in 1952 in Los Angeles. His father, Phillip H. Roach, was a builder and his mother, Elizabeth Earl Roach, was a teacher elementary school and volunteer in public charities. In 1970, Michael Roach entered Princeton University, graduating in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in religion. For several years he volunteered with Caesar Chavez and the Farm Workers Union, helping immigrant workers from Mexico. He actively protested the Vietnam War and was briefly arrested for non-violent sabotage of the development of napalm bombs at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Michael Roach goes to India in 1973. An additional scholarship from the university gave him the opportunity to study in Tibetan monasteries and defend his thesis on "The Perfection of Giving in Tibetan Buddhism." Immediately after graduating from university in 1975, Michael became a monk at a small Buddhist monastery of the American-Mongolian community of Howell in New Jersey (USA). In 1993, he founded the Asian Classics Institute in New York City, where he taught until 1999.
In 1981, he helped Ofer and Aya Azrielant, entrepreneurs from Israel, establish the Andin International Diamond Corporation. In 1999, Michael Roach left the company while serving as Vice President of Gem Purchasing. In 2009, the company was acquired by Warren Buffet (Warren Buffet's Richline Group).
In 2000, Doubleday published his book The Diamond Cutter. Buddha on business management strategies and personal life". Its continuation was the book “Karmic Management. echo effect. The book was co-authored with Christie McNally and Michael Gordon, founder of Bumble and Bumble Corporation. In addition, Geshe Michael wrote The Garden, a yoga trilogy: Tibetan book Yoga, the Essential Yoga Sutra, and How Yoga Works. The Eastern Path to Heaven-A Guide to Happiness from the Teachings of Jesus in Tibet, published by the United Churches in 2008, is a study of the relationship between ancient Christianity and Buddhism. A book about the history and art of Tibet, King of the Dharma: The Illustrated Life of Je Tsongkapa, was published in 2010.
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Links
- www.diamondcutterinstitute.org
- www.diamondcuttergroups.com
- www.world-view.org
- www.acidharma.org
- www.diamondmountain.org
- www.asianclassics.org
- www.yogastudiesinstitute.org
Excerpt characterizing Roach, Michael
“By God, madam, nothing is long,” said Mavrusha, who was crawling along the floor after the young lady.“Well, it’s a long time, so we’ll sweep it, we’ll sweep it in a minute,” said the resolute Dunyasha, taking out a needle from a handkerchief on her chest and again set to work on the floor.
At that moment, shyly, with quiet steps, the countess entered in her toque and velvet dress.
- Wow! my beauty! shouted the Count, “better than all of you!” He wanted to hug her, but she pulled away, blushing, so as not to cringe.
“Mom, more on the side of the current,” Natasha said. - I'll cut it, and rushed forward, and the girls who were hemming, who did not have time to rush after her, tore off a piece of smoke.
- My God! What is it? I don't blame her...
“Nothing, I notice, you won’t see anything,” said Dunyasha.
- Beauty, my darling! - said the nanny who came in from behind the door. - And Sonyushka, well, beauties! ...
At a quarter past eleven we finally got into the carriages and drove off. But still it was necessary to stop by the Tauride Garden.
Peronskaya was already ready. Despite her old age and ugliness, exactly the same thing happened with her as with the Rostovs, although not with such haste (for her it was a habitual thing), but her old, ugly body was also perfumed, washed, powdered, also carefully washed behind the ears. , and even, and just like at the Rostovs, the old maid enthusiastically admired the outfit of her mistress when she went into the living room in a yellow dress with a cipher. Peronskaya praised the Rostovs' toilets.
The Rostovs praised her taste and dress, and, taking care of their hair and dresses, at eleven o'clock they got into the carriages and drove off.
Natasha had not had a moment of freedom since the morning of that day, and had never had time to think about what lay ahead of her.
In the damp, cold air, in the cramped and incomplete darkness of the swaying carriage, for the first time she vividly imagined what awaited her there, at the ball, in the illuminated halls - music, flowers, dances, sovereign, all the brilliant youth of St. Petersburg. What awaited her was so wonderful that she did not even believe that it would be: it was so inconsistent with the impression of cold, crowdedness and darkness of the carriage. She understood everything that awaited her only when, having walked along the red cloth of the entrance, she entered the hallway, took off her fur coat and walked beside Sonya in front of her mother between the flowers along the illuminated stairs. Only then did she remember how she had to behave at the ball and tried to adopt that majestic manner that she considered necessary for a girl at the ball. But fortunately for her, she felt that her eyes were running wide: she could not see anything clearly, her pulse beat a hundred times a minute, and the blood began to beat at her heart. She could not adopt the manner that would have made her ridiculous, and she walked, dying from excitement and trying with all her might only to hide it. And this was the very manner that most of all went to her. In front and behind them, talking in the same low voice and also in ball gowns, the guests entered. The mirrors on the stairs reflected the ladies in white, blue, pink dresses, with diamonds and pearls on open arms and necks.
The future Geshe, Michael Roach was born December 17, 1952 in Los Angeles. His father, Phillip H. Roach, was a construction worker, and his mother, Elizabeth Earl Roach, was an elementary school teacher and volunteer for public charities such as the Red Cross. He had three brothers: Geoffrey, John and Phillip George.
As a child, he attended All Saints Episcopal Church, where he served on the altar, sang in the choir, and was president of the Episcopal Youth Group. He was also a member of the church's Boy Scout team and earned the Badge of the Eagle, as well as Medal of God and Country And Order of the Arrow. Michael learned carpentry from his father and worked with him on construction sites during the summer.
In 1970, Michael Roach was accepted on a full scholarship to Princeton University. His major discipline was Eastern religions In addition, he studied Russian. He graduated from the university in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in religion. At a ceremony at the White House, US President Richard Nixon presented him with the President's Medal of Excellence.
During his studies at the university and college, Michael devoted a lot of time to social activities. He wrote a new university constitution that expanded student rights and was adopted by the administration. For several years he was a volunteer with Caesar Chavez and in the Farm Workers' Union, helping immigrant workers from Mexico. He actively protested the Vietnam War and was briefly arrested for non-violent sabotage of the development of napalm bombs at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton.
Roach was elected to the board of the Procter Foundation at Princeton Episcopal Church and helped write the revised church liturgy. He lived in the parish house at the church and was already enrolled in the seminary, so that after graduating from the university he would begin studies there. And suddenly his mother was terminally ill with cancer. Confused about the very the meaning of life V 1973 Michael applies for and receives a year off from school for trips to india.
Michael Roach travels to India in 1973 to find answers to his questions and meets for the first time refugee monks from Tibet.
With the help of his teacher Prof. Prof. William LaFluer, a renowned translator of medieval Japanese poetry, he applied to the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs at Princeton University for a grant and received a McConnell Fellowship to study the conditions of Tibetan refugees.
An additional scholarship from the university gave him the opportunity to study in Tibetan monasteries and protect thesis on "The Perfection of Giving in Tibetan Buddhism". Immediately after graduating from university 1975 Michael becomes a monk at a small Buddhist monastery the American-Mongolian community of Howell in New Jersey (USA). There he began his 25-year study with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, one of the greatest Buddhist scholars of the 20th century, who was appointed abbot of a Tibetan monastery in 1991. Sera May transferred to India.
Sera Mei Monastery is one of the Big Three monasteries of Tibet, the oldest and largest monastery in the world. Sera Mei was founded in 1419 and is home to several thousand monks at any one time.
IN 1983 Michael Roach became the first American to be admitted to study at the Sera May Monastery.. He was enrolled in Gyalrong College and ordained as a Buddhist monk. He began intensive studies with ten different teachers at the monastery, including the most important, more than ten years of personal training with Ugeshe Thupten Rinchen, one of the greatest living scholars of Tibetan texts.
Michael Roach made great efforts to master Tibetan art of speedy monastic controversy and was honored to participate four times in the Jang Gunchu Winter Debates, an Olympiad-like competition between monasteries.
All his studies at Sera Mei were in Tibetan, which he studied under former winner debate at Sera May geshe Lobsang Thardo and other prominent linguists of modern Tibet.
Michael Roach continued to "shuttle" between his two main teachers and in 1993 he received the degree of rikchung - "pre-geshe". Then, in 1995, after a grueling three-week examination in front of hundreds of monks, he was awarded the degree of geshe. During this same period, Roach completed his Sanskrit studies under the renowned linguist Dr. Samuel D. Atkins, a specialist in ancient Greek and Vedic Sanskrit who headed the classical department at Princeton University.
IN 1993 year, shortly before the end of his training, Geshe Michael decided that he would try to make full program teaching for the degree of Geshe accessible to Westerners in their own language.
In the same year, together with the lama Tupten Pelma(Thupten Pelma) he is working on opening the Asian Classics Institute in New York. The first ACI course took place at a desk in a tiny, inexpensive apartment in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. A few years later, the institute was located in a mansion in the East Village, and about 100 students studied there. Geshe Michael divided the entire program into 18 courses and was their first teacher for 6 years from 1992 to 1999. All courses were free for students.
Each course included about 250 pages of self-translated material from ancient Tibetan sources, homework, quizzes, and a final exam. Particular importance was attached to the authenticity of the sources: among the many pages of teaching materials there was not a single one that did not contain the original text in Tibetan or Sanskrit, accompanied by a translation. These courses are now taught worldwide and are available online for free download. Over 300,000 people annually use these educational materials already translated into many languages.
Michael's first commercial experience was while at university, where he worked as a manager for the Express Reunion Agency and managed a small fleet of vehicles and staff that provided all transportation for the university. In 1981, his teacher Keng Rinpoche sent him to Manhattan to earn money to help Tibetan refugees.
Following your meditative vision And texts of the ancient Buddhist book "Diamondsince morning", Geshe Michael helped Ofer and Aya Azrielant, entrepreneurs from Israel, establish the Andin International Diamond Corporation.
Anding started with a $50,000 loan and a few employees. In 1999, Michael Roach left the company while serving as Vice President of Gem Purchasing. By this point, the company's annual sales had exceeded $100 million, and Geshe Michael's department could purchase up to 30,000 diamonds a day. Anding went on to acquire the world's largest gemstone website (jewelry.com). The company's sales exceeded $200 million a year and employed thousands of people around the world.
In the 1980s, Michael Roach received diploma from the Gemological Institute of America he is a gemologist by profession and worked in the editorial office of the Gemma and Gemmologiya newspaper, covering research conducted in the USSR in the field of the production of artificial diamonds, information about which he translated from Russian. He worked as a consultant for De Beers and was elected a member of the prestigious Diamond Dealers Club of New York. He was invited to become a member of the Gemological Society of Great Britain. He was a regular contributor to the Idex magazine of the International Diamond Exchange. He was one of the first researchers of lab-grown diamonds and advocated for their use in the jewelry industry, which would prevent both the political violence and the environmental disruption caused by the mining of natural diamonds.
With its 18 ACI courses geshe michael discovered new era in the study of Buddhism. Previously, teaching was the exclusive domain of Buddhist monks—a domain that effectively excluded women. For example, out of 4567 manuscripts of traditional Tibetan Buddhist canons, less than 5 were written by women, and women were not allowed to study for a degree. geshe. The Asian Classics Institute has made a difference by producing hundreds of qualified Buddhist teachers around the world, both men and women.
IN 2003 by Geshe Michael and Lama Christie McNally together with a group of close friends and students founded Diamond Mountain University near Tucson, Arizona. ACI's initial course of study is an in-depth study of Buddhist philosophy called the Vajrayana or "Diamond Way".
Geshe Michael also developed a second series of 18 courses, including 4,000 pages of translations of the original texts. The first reading of the second series of courses was completed in 2010. As a result of the 6-year program, 130 new teachers were trained. All of them studied for free. Again, this was the first time in the history of advanced Buddhist studies that all teaching materials for all students consisted solely of original ancient texts.
Geshe Michael's philosophy as an educator is reflected in the concept world view .
world view: The first step is to find authentic ancient texts and save them electronically for future generations. Further, these texts are translated into English and other modern languages in a neat and easy-to-read form. These translations are taught to ordinary members of society - from the taxi driver to the oil magnate - in the form of ordered courses (18 basic and 18 advanced courses) without payment, but with mandatory homework and exams. These students are expected to become teachers for the next generations. It is especially emphasized that the knowledge gleaned from ancient sources can also be used in our real life.
Because even a well-translated ancient text can be difficult to relate to everyday life, his applied entity then revealed in a popular book or novel for the general reader. These, in turn, are accompanied by public meetings, seminars and trainings that help people in every aspect of life: in work, in relationships, in family, in health promotion and in spiritual life.
world view symbolizes a new picture of the world that makes a person successful in everything. Its main doctrine is that our environment is created by our attitude towards our neighbor. Acts of kindness directed towards others create seeds in our minds that subsequently determine everything that surrounds us, from finances, health and people around us to happiness, peace and enlightenment itself.
This philosophy " diamond cutter was articulated in an interview that aired on national radio. Many people around the world already agree that this philosophy can boost the global economy.
IN last years Geshe Michael helped organize Institute for the Study which offers training in traditional Tibetan yoga, as well as courses based on the classical Indian yoga such as Yoga Sutra, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Light on the Yoga of Sun and Moon) and . The idea was to convince millions of yoga practitioners of the benefits of a spiritual approach to doing the practices.
Geshe Michael also helped create the Star of the East organization, which conducts talks and workshops in Christian temples or simply with believers, explaining to them how to use Tibetan wisdom and contemplation to come into their daily spiritual exercises to a deeper personal communion with Jesus.
He awarded an annual National Contribution to the Humanities Award and Grant for his work with minors in which he used Tibetan pedagogical methods. The result of this work was the publication of the book The Logic and Debate Tradition of India, Tibet, and Mongolia, co-authored with members of the Kalmyk Mongolian Youth study group. In 1978, he helped open the Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press to publish translations of Tibetan works, and in 1995 helped open the Three Jewels centers.
Over the past 32 years, Geshe Michael has spent thousands of hours of Buddhism classes and workshops about personal and commercial success in more than 29 countries around the world. Every year, tens of thousands of people listen to his lectures on service to others is the surest way to success. In 2009, with senior ACI and DMU alumni, he established the Diamond Cutter Institute to bring these workshops to an even wider audience.
Geshe Michael Roach spent most of his adult life as a monk in Buddhist monasteries, of which more than 30 years were spent in meditation. He spent more than 6 years in deep seclusion, including the Great Retreat, which lasted 3 years, 3 months and 3 days from 2000 to 2003 in a hut in the desert in Arizona.
When asked about his achievements in spiritual realization, he prefers, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, not to talk about things that others cannot verify. He says he is very lucky. He likes to repeat that his personal practices have made him the happiest person. At the conclusion of the Great Retreat in 2003, Geshe Michael wrote personal letters to all the highly esteemed teachers, including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in which he described his entire extraordinary life since the age of 16. In the same letter, he expressed his intention to join spiritual partnership with Lama Christie McNally.
Tradition spiritual partnership in Buddhism is over 2500 years old even the Buddha himself followed it. It is permitted to ordained under certain conditions, including the initiation of a personal teacher, repeatedly received by Geshe Michael. This type of partnership, using the interaction of male and female energies, is defined in many scriptures in the history of Buddhism as necessary to achieve enlightenment in just one lifetime. Such interaction occurs most often in meditation, while partnership with a real person was rarely advertised in the Tibetan tradition.
Geshe Michael considered this approach unfair to a female partner who was hidden without recognizing her right to vote. That's why everything For 12 years he lectured with Lama Christie as an equal partner.. This choice of Geshe Michael caused different attitudes among the spiritual leaders of Buddhism. Nevertheless, the partnership was successful and attracted thousands of participants from New York to Shanghai to spiritual conversations.
The collaboration ended in 2009 when Lama Christie began her own career as an internationally recognized writer and lecturer. As for other practices designed to transformation of the inner body, then at the beginning 80s Geshe Michael received access to the "unsurpassed yoga" (anuttara) of the Tibetan tradition, including Bhairava, Vajra Yogini, Chakra Samvara and Kalachakra, from the highest lamas of the time: Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tarchin (1921-2004), Kyabje Ling Rinpoche (1903-1983 ) and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (1905-1984).
in Tibetan monasteries physical yoga(yoga asanas) is kept in strict confidence, and only after the completion of the full course of training, Geshe Michael received initiations Six Yogas of Naropa, the most famous system of Tibetan yoga. For the past 12 years, he has also been doing the daily practice Indian yoga jivamukti and ashtangi taught by David Life, Sharon Gannon, Ruth Lauer and David Swanson. In addition, he studied with Sri Dharma Mittra and Anna Forest.
For personal practice and public yoga classes, Geshe Michael specializes in Yoga Lady Niguma, an Indian yogini who lived 1000 years ago, whose teaching came to Tibet from India. He teaches this yoga around the world in the ACI program, as well as in US prisons.
Michael Roach was born and raised in an ordinary American family. For excellence in his studies, he received a scholarship and went to Princeton University, where he became one of the best students. But after his mother was diagnosed with a terrible diagnosis - cancer - Michael went to India to look for answers to questions that modern doctors were unable to answer. After meeting Tibetan monks, Michael decided to study at a monastery and received a Geshe degree. However, after training, he returned to the US and created a diamond company. Now Geshe Michael Roach lectures on business and advises major companies around the world. In Russia, however, only recently his lectures became open to the majority of listeners.
Geshe Michael, the first question that comes up is why Tibetan monk lectures on business?
My teacher made me do business. I spent 25 years in a Tibetan monastery studying Eastern knowledge and didn't want to deal with money. But my teacher said, “I want to see if you understand karmic principles. If you understand, you can easily do business even if you have no experience.” It was kind of a challenge. And I accepted it. Part of the money goes to charity: we built several computer centers in the camps of refugees from Tibet, trained them to work on computers.
And what are they doing?
The Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg has 141,000 Tibetan manuscripts. We scan these manuscripts and send them to the camp, where the refugees type them on the keyboard and translate them. For this they get paid. And we post the texts in the free access to the Internet. This work has been going on for 27 years, but it will take about 150 years to decipher all the books! Every year we spend 5-6 million dollars. But this is the only source of income for Tibetan refugees, without which they can perish.
We heard from many masters that they come to Russia because they see in our country a special spiritual potential and responsiveness to practice. Do you see the difference between the Russian mentality and others in this context?
Yes, there is a big difference. First, Russians are very fond of books. No library in the world will store 141,000 books for 300 years that no one will ever be able to read (laughs). I also love books, so I feel comfortable here. Secondly, people here think logically. If you arrive at South America, for example, there people will easily agree with you in everything. And here I have to prove my words. In the tradition in which I was trained, every statement must be proven. In the monastery, we constantly have debates. The exam for the Geshe degree lasts two weeks. A thousand monks asked me questions in Tibetan, I had to answer quickly. Therefore, we do not worry at the lecture when we are asked questions. We've been doing this for hundreds of years.
What questions are usually asked?
You will be asked what is it? You will answer - a pen. And if a little dog comes running here and starts chewing on it, does she see the handle? No. She sees a chew toy. So who is right?
Right. A dog can chew it, a person can write it. And if both the man and the dog leave the room, what will this object lying on the table be?
Nothing.
Right. And only if the person returns to the room, this item will again become a pen. So what's going on? Does the pen emerge from my mind or vice versa?
From my mind.
Exactly. This is karma. I have a karmic seed in my mind - a small picture comes out, woven from light. And my consciousness superimposes a picture on this object - I see a pen. The dog has a different seed, it opens, and the dog sees the toy. But neither of these is true. It all depends on your karma. And here a very important question arises: how to put this seed into consciousness? After all, if we know how, then we can run a successful business or find a partner to start a family. Once my colleague Scott asked how he could plant seeds to find a wife. I asked him what kind of wife he wanted. He replied that he wanted a smart one, so that she loved to travel, loved philosophy, meditation and yoga. And on each of the qualities he planted a seed. And so she appeared. And all because she and the pen are one and the same.
Why did you go to Tibet?
They have very good answers to many questions. When I asked why my mother got cancer, what is the cause of conflicts in the world, they had very good explanations. That's why I stayed there. But I grew up in a Christian family and still go to a Christian church every month. By studying the Tibetan system, I have a much better understanding of what Jesus teaches.
What, in your opinion, unites all religions and spiritual movements?
We are born, we meet other people, we work, we acquire things, then we grow old and lose everything. It unites all people. And all the religions are trying to find a way to prevent it.
Is there a need to create a new religion for modern society?
There is already enough wisdom in existing religions. The problem is that we do not understand this wisdom. If we learn to understand it, we will quickly achieve peace.
What do you see as the reasons for the ongoing wars? After all, humanity, it would seem, has reached such heights in development, but cannot agree.
I think people just don't understand where everything comes from in their world. For them, everything comes from the pen, and not from their own consciousness. But if they think about it, they will understand the truth. It's the same with conflicts - they come from me. Only when we understand how the seeds are arranged in the mind, we will be able to resolve conflicts.
How can one gain knowledge of Tibetan philosophy?
Too many Tibetans do not understand the Tibetan system, even inside the monastery. They study philosophy, but do not know how to apply the knowledge. You need to find a teacher who not only understands the system but also knows how to use it in modern world. This is a very rare case.
Geshe Michael, how can ancient knowledge be used in the modern world?
You need to learn how to plant seeds. Everything that people want can be divided into five categories: the first is enough money to do what they want, the second is a loved one, the third is excellent health, the fourth is to be happy, and finally the fifth is every person deep inside wants to help the whole world. For all this, you need to plant seeds in the mind in order to receive everything.
Why did you choose the diamond business?
Eight years before I started the company, this thought came to me in deep meditation. And then I already knew that I should start a diamond business. A diamond has a special meaning in our world - when both a person and a dog leave the room, we can say that "nothing" is left on the table, but we can also call it the "opportunity" to be anything. And this property is similar to a diamond. And if you come into contact with diamonds every day, it is easier for you to remember this, and remembering this, it is easier for you to achieve any goals.
When I was just looking for a job, I went around about thirty jewelry stores. I said that I wanted to work with diamonds, they asked me if I had any experience, I answered “no”, and I was immediately kicked out into the street. Then I went to a diamond school and met an Israeli guy who was going to start his own business. So I was lucky that I didn't get a job in those shops - they are too small, and our company makes a hundred thousand diamonds a day.
If a man and a dog leave the room, will the diamond on the table remain a diamond, or will it also be "nothing"?
This is a great question! Many people think that there is some kind of standard reality that everyone interprets in their own way. A person who makes shoes always notices shoes on other people, and a person who loves food knows all about restaurants. Based on the individuality and seeds of each, you already understand that each person has his own world. And the question arises: is there a standard? The world is one, but everyone sees it differently. There is no standard in the deep Buddhist understanding. And there is only the sum of the worlds they look at. It is pure and transparent, like a diamond. That's why I had to work with diamonds. Angelina, look! (Geshe Michael smiled and showed a tooth encrusted with a diamond.) And my ear was pierced in India, however, then I had an infection for three weeks(laughs). But now everything is fine. I need to always have a diamond with me.
What is your audience usually interested in?
We have a block of open questions and answers. But basically everyone is interested in relationships with the opposite sex. And when these relations appear, there are also problems. But if you understand the seeds, you can easily improve your partner. And if it doesn't exist, create it. When people hear this, they get very excited about the idea, because no one wants to be alone.
You were one of the first to choose a woman as your spiritual partner. Why?
There are several reasons. If I explain to people how to create or improve a partner, but I have never had one, I cannot give them good advice. In ancient Buddhism, they say that a man does not have enough male energy to achieve enlightenment. He needs to balance this energy with the feminine. If a man and a woman work together, they become each other's teachers. This is an easy way to become a Buddha and a very ancient tradition.
You make music and even play at your lectures. Do you feel a certain sacredness in this?
You are very right. The more you meditate and gain experience, the more you want to play music. Many of my friends meditate, so many have started playing musical instruments.
Does the type of instrument, musical genre matter?
A person sees a pen, a dog sees a toy (laughs). Many people tell me that rock and roll and jazz are not spiritual music. But if you listen to Tibetan music - it sounds like something crazy! For me, Jimi Hendrix is quite spiritual music. If you have good seeds in your mind, everything can be spiritual music for you. Saying that some music is not spiritual is the same as saying that black people are not that smart.
You said that you come from an ordinary family. How did you become a vegetarian?
Oh it's very funny story. Most Tibetan lamas eat meat, and I didn't agree with them. I was a cook for eight years, and I had to cook meat even though I didn't like eating it. But I could not resist the opinion of my lama. Tibetans respect doctors, and one day I said that I had stomach problems and went to the doctor in the city. I parked, sat in the car for an hour, went back to the monastery and said that the doctor forbade me to eat meat. It was 35 years ago. Since then I have not eaten meat. I think that when you order meat in a restaurant, they should bring you a cow, give you a knife and offer to slaughter it yourself. If you ever watch how these animals are killed, you will never forget it. The seeds of murder in the mind cause serious illnesses: heart attacks, cancer.
I did a three-year meditation on a ranch where there were a lot of cows. These animals walked around my yurt, sometimes they came very close and rubbed against the fence. I gave them some food. I was lonely, and I liked such communication, even with animals. One cow became especially close to me. They didn't have names, but they did have ear tags: the number 26 meant they were female. One day she came up to me and was very happy, showed that she had two calves. If you do not talk to people for a long time, then you begin to understand animals well, and animals begin to trust you. The calves also had tags on their ears. They were written "for slaughter" - they were boys. A few weeks later, she came alone and, full of grief, began to beat the fence support with her head. Animals also have feelings and families, so I don't want to eat them.
300 years ago in America, the rich, including George Washington, said that black people were like animals and were kept like cattle. And now we think it's so stupid. I believe that in three hundred years, killing animals for food will also turn into a primitive idea.
Interviewed by Angelina Churakova.
Photo: Mikhail Bogatyrev (provided by the organizers of Geshe Michael Roach's visit to Moscow).
