# The Galaxy of Teachings **1) What does Master Patanjali mean when he says that “we will never have to pay those old debts back”?** He is referring to the destruction of the storehouse of old seeds, which is accomplished through the raw understanding and direct perception of the fact that the quality of every object in the universe is coming from ourselves. **2) At what point do we reach the first of the fiveten levels, or bhumis, of a spiritual warrior? ** We reach the first level of a spiritual warrior when we see emptiness, or ultimate reality, directly—and also have a genuine desire to become a perfect being standing on a billion planets, helping every living creature. This corresponds to the beginning of the third of the fifth paths, the path of seeing, for a spiritual warrior. After this point we can no longer intellectually believe that the way things appear to us, and the way we see them, is correct. **3) What happens when we reach the eighth level of a spiritual warrior? What path are we on at this point?** This is the first of the three “pure” levels; we have been on the fourth path—the path of habituation—since the second half of the first level. At this point, things no longer even appear to us to exist from their own side. This in itself is a state free from all negative thoughts, but for those who do not have the wish to become a perfect being. Those who do have this wish now have to overcome the last subtle seeds within them that prevent them from knowing all things. **4) What is the name of the tenth level of a spiritual warrior? What path are we on at this point?  Give the Sanskrit, and some related English words.** The tenth spiritual level is called “The Galaxy of Teachings,” which is dharma megha xmR me" in Sanskrit and chukyi trin &}=-<m-cm, in Tibetan. The Sanskrit word dharma xmR can mean either spiritual teachings or existing thing. It comes from the root √dhir x&, which means to hold. Related English words are tree (a thing firmly held in the ground); true (a firm thing); and throne (a firm seat). The word megha me" means a cloud. It comes from the Sanskrit root √mih imhœ which means to mingle, or to mix, conveying the image of a jumbled mass of puffy shapes. Related English words are mix, mingle, and mélange. There is also an old Indo-European root of the same basic spelling √meigh which means to urinate or to drizzle. It is found in the English word mist, and may be related. **5) Explain why the tenth level of a spiritual warrior is given the name that it is.** At this level, we are already capable of visiting the perfect paradises of perfected beings who have come before us, to learn the teachings directly from them. We are also on the threshold of releasing billions of copies of ourself into the universe, to share the teachings on becoming perfect, in showers of wisdom that spread like galaxies. This happens at the eleventh level, “Total light”. **6) Master Patanjali says that we can reach a place “where knowledge is limitless, and all there is to know is reduced to the size of a puddle.” Explain.** The ancient teachings draw a distinction between knowing many things and knowing a thing well. They say that when you really know the true nature of a thing, then you understand all things: for you, the entire body of knowledge is reduced to the size of a puddle, and you can easily step over it. Of course this knowledge of things is to understand their emptiness directly: to see, in a deep state of meditation, how they have no quality of their own. **7) Explain the idea of a spiritual antidote; its implications for the end of pain; and the final moment in the training of a geshe.** A spiritual antidote is a positive thought or realization that—once it is present in the mind—destroys specific negative thoughts or seeds. A Tibetan monk’s training as a geshe covers some 25 years, and culminates in the last day’s examination before the assembled monastery. The final question that is asked is always, “Is there an end to pain?” The final answer is always, “There is an end to pain, because there does exist a powerful spiritual antidote to pain.” This powerful antidote is the perception of emptiness, or ultimate reality: ultimate truth. And truth will always defeat what is false. We will all become perfect. **8) What is the power that takes us to total purity? Add also the Sanskrit word for “power” here, and some related English words.** It is the power of the mind, for those who dwell in their own nature, the nature of emptiness. The Sanskrit word for “power” here is shakti zi´, which comes from a root √shak zkœ, meaning to be able. Some related English words are quick (lively with power), vivacious, and biology, by way of an Indo-European root √gweih, as an original √kshak  went to both √shak and from √kwek to √gweih.