Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 140-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche begins with the importance of virtuous motivation for receiving teachings, then delivers detailed commentary on Nāgārjuna’s Bodhicitta Vivarana. He distinguishes two crucial aspects of bodhicitta—aspiring (the wish to free all beings from suffering) from engaging (the actual practice toward enlightenment)—before explaining why Tantric practitioners require formal initiation, vows, and deity yoga. This path, he emphasizes, enables enlightenment within a single lifetime rather than three countless eons. Throughout, Rinpoche stresses the critical role of meditating on emptiness and understanding dependent origination as the means to break free from cyclic existence. Suited for practitioners with prior Tantric initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: Line in 0229.mp3
UUID: dfec0228-cb43-4730-8873-243096aeef6c
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Awakening Heart
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~5,001
Okay. So to listen and to have Dharma explained, it is capital that a good motivation be generated. And generally speaking, motivations can be divided into various categories of motivation. Mere motivation, motivation which is concurrent, in aspect, in nature, and a fourth category. Now within the category of mere motivation, we have to distinguish between virtuous and non virtuous motivations.
Whatever dharma is listened to with a virtuous motivation becomes thereby a virtuous deed.
Whatever dharma is listened to with a non virtuous motivation becomes thereby a non virtuous deed. So through a virtuous motivation, the act of listening and of explaining to the Dharma become virtue. And the foremost of virtuous motivations is that motivation or that thought to help others, which includes empathy, love, and the supreme form of the wish to help others, which is that wish to free all beings from suffering of and the causes of suffering and to place them in a state in that with all happiness, which is a state of full enlightenment. This motivation is called the motivation of bodhicitta. In dependence on this, everything we engage in becomes the cause for full enlightenment.
So this motivation must be generated as much as we can within our mind stream and even listening for five minutes to teachings with such a motivation creates a huge collection of virtue. So any deed we’d engage in, whether it is meditation, reciting our commitments, or studying with such a motivation becomes the source for immeasurable and infinite virtue. So this motivation must be generated. And therefore, it is excellent if we listen to this teaching on the bodhicitta Vivarana, which is the very essence of all of the Mahāyāna teachings and engage in the three activities of listening, thinking, and meditating with the motivation of pure bodhicitta. So we will then meditate for one or two minutes, but she will then start teaching.
As I said in my prayers, Abhisamayalamkara, generating the mind is for the sake of others to to wish to attain full enlightenment. Generating the mind refers here to the mind of bodhicitta, and this has benefits both for oneself and for others. Benefits for both oneself and for others in the sense that not only is love and empathy generated, but also that great compassion, which is the wish to free others from suffering and the causes of suffering. And in dependence on these, one then wishes to help others ultimately and place them in a state of full enlightenment and asks oneself whether one has the capacity to place them in that state. And upon realizing that one is unable to do so, strives on one’s own side for the attainment of a state of full enlightenment, which enables us to do this.
And when we speak of the Mahāyāna, the great vehicle, we actually refer to the presence or the absence of bodhicitta. If bodhicitta is present, one speaks of the great vehicle. If it is absent, one does not. Specifically, a being in whose continuum bodhicitta has been generated is a Mahāyāna is a Mahāyāna being. A being in whose continuum bodhicitta has not been generated is not a Mahāyāna being.
And generally speaking, there are many subdivisions of bodhicitta, but the two foremost divisions are the divisions of aspiring and engaging bodhicitta. Aspiring bodhicitta is generated first and engaging bodhicitta is generated secondly. So the difference may best be compared or be best be understood through an example. As Rinpoche says, if for instance, in our flat, we reflect on the glory which India has and how the Buddha came and manifested in India. And we generate a strong wish to go to India.
That wish or that aspiration corresponds to aspiring bodhicitta. We are wishing, we are aspiring, we are making plans, but we haven’t started to go to India. On the other hand, when we start walking, if we walk when we start walking towards India, at that point, we can say that we engage, fully in going to India and this is what this corresponds to engaging bodhicitta. So with the motivation of going to India, with the motivation of attaining full enlightenment, one in
Gauges. This corresponds to the, activities of engaging bodhicitta. And therefore, striving for that state of full Buddhahood, which is the completion of one’s own and others welfare. If one initially wishes for that state, this is the training in aspiring bodhicitta. And as soon as one engages in the practices of the six perfections such as giving, ethics, enthusiasm, perseverance, meditation, and wisdom.
This corresponds to, the practice of engaging bodhicitta. One engages in these activities to attain the state of full enlightenment. And therefore, returning to our commentary and the broad outline of this covered last time, when we refer to the beings which are not freed, This refers to beings which are not freed from the afflictions and the goal of the practitioner is to free them from these afflictions and having generated bodhicitta to engage in these activities. Specifically, this refers to, beings such as the Śrāvaka, arhats, which even though they are freed of the, obscurations of the afflictions are nonetheless not freed of the obscurations to omniscience. So these are beings which one commits to free.
Likewise, one commits to, free from suffering those which are not freed from suffering. And this is a commitment taken by the great bodhisattvas practicing on the path of the perfections to free the millions of beings suffering for tens and tens of millions of years of the general sufferings from cyclic existence. All of the Buddhas of the past have generated this mind of bodhicitta, and we ourselves must generate it in turn. And for instance, in the perfection vehicle, the two first stanzas of the mantra of the mother of the perfection of wisdom, Gate Gate, refer actually to the practice of bodhisattvas over one countless great eon during which they train, and they train specifically in aspiring and engaging bodhicitta. However, these are not sufficient to eliminate all of the thoughts and actual ultimate bodhicitta must be generated in the mind to eliminate all thoughts.
And after having generated, these, in turn, when the syllables are uttered, they indicate the generation of the path of seeing and itself refers to training in the remaining nine grounds. So together, this refers to training in 10 grounds. One trains actually for one additional countless eon on all of the grounds from the first to the seventh ground, and one trains for one final countless eon on the last three grounds, the eighth, ninth, and tenth grounds. So all in all, the training takes three countless eons. And precisely for this reason, because such practitioners need powerful blessings, the Buddha taught secret mantra.
And our text reads onwards, after this, one should generate ultimate bodhicitta. After this here refers to after generating conventional bodhicitta. Conventional bodhicitta is to be understood as the two forms of bodhicitta and bodhicitta explained, which are respectively aspiring and engaging bodhicitta. Then after this, on top of this, one has to generate ultimate bodhicitta. And then on page 12 of your English translation, then if one were to explain here the generation of ultimate bodhicitta and if one were to ask the reasons for explaining the object from the standpoint of the opposite of emptiness, it’s for the sake of generating ultimate bodhicitta.
So here, the generation of ultimate bodhicitta, Rinpoche says, is on the basis of the realization of emptiness. And whereas conventional bodhicitta was generated in dependence on a conventional object of observation, ultimate bodhicitta cannot be generated in dependence on a conventional object of observation, but in dependence on an ultimate one. And moving onwards in your commentary, line three of page 12. It is for the sake of generating ultimate bodhicitta by the strength of meditation on the object’s suchness. In other words, ultimate bodhicitta is generated through meditation on emptiness, such as synonymous with emptiness.
The nature of ultimate bodhicitta is explained to be the principal object, emptiness. And what sort of trainee should engage in this? Our text move on moves onwards. By which person is this generated? This here refers to ultimate bodhicitta by bodhisattvas who engage in the practice of secret mantras.
So the practitioner here must be a secret mantra practitioner.
And page 12, page three forty of your Tibetan text. Moreover, since initiation, pledges, and deity yoga are the means of the vehicle engaging in secret mantra, Initiation here refers to initiation of the four classes of Tantra, Kriyā, Caryā, Yoga and Anuttara Yoga Tantra. Without initiation, it is not allowable to practice Tantra. Initiation is required and it is basis one can practice whichever Tantra one has received the initiation for. Initiation or Abhisheka actually refers to power, that capacity or that right to practice.
Then pledges here, damtsig in Tibetan, Samaya in Sanskrit, refer broadly speaking to both pledges and to vows. So this refers to the bodhisattva vows and the tantric vows, and the distinction has to be made between pledges and vows. Pledges are that which one practices, literally that which one draws to oneself. Vows are that which one abstains from, the faults one abstains from. These two are not contradictory.
They are related, Khensur Rinpoche says, in the same way as an affirmation and a negation are related. And the deity yoga. Deity yoga here refers to specifically the generation and the completion stage of deity yoga, are the means of the vehicle engaging initially in secret mantra. The root text, the bodhicitta vivarana refers to the gateway. So generally here, Rinpoche says the means and the gateway in this commentary are synonymous.
It indicates that these are the door which open access to secret mantra, One who has received initiation is one who practices secret mantra. One who has not received initiation is not one who practices mantra. Moving onwards in Norbu Rabten’s commentary, and since that itself is the basis of the training of the sons of the victors, the sons of the victors are the bodhisattvas who are knowledge holders. Knowledge holders of Vidyadhara here refers to secret mantra practitioners. The bodhisattva vivarana refers to behaving.
This is in the root text of Nāgārjuna, and it refers specifically to the practice of the sons of the victors who are tantric practitioners. And the single pointed meditation, thereupon is referred to as behavior. So their single pointed practice is referred to in the root text as their behavior. And therefore, from within the two fold division of the vast and the profound, the supreme of the profound is that uncommon training which meditates on emptiness using that bliss which arises from desire. It is actually a branch of desire.
It does indeed arise from desire, but with this bliss used as the mind meditating on desire, it is possible to cut desire at the root. And therefore, one engages in meditation on emptiness using this blissful mind to give rise to the inseparable union of bliss and emptiness. And says, for instance, if you were to take the example of a being who has not entered the path but who is endowed with the six constituents of being of this world, in other words, who is endowed with the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, as well as channels and drops. Such a being after generating aspiring and engaging bodhicitta, should he be an appropriate trainee for Tantra from within the categories of being such as the jewel like being, the sandalwood like being, the lotus like being and so forth. And specifically from within these jewel like being, should such a being engage in the practice of secret mantra, instead of training for three countless eons as a non-tantric bodhisattva, he would actually be able to attain full enlightenment in one lifetime of this degenerate age.
For that matter, he could even attain full enlightenment in twelve years. And actually, it is also even said that it is possible for him to attain full enlightenment in three years and three units of time. Three units of time corresponds for each unit of time to fifteen days, therefore, to three years and forty five days. Such a being therefore would travel from the path of accumulation and preparation all the way to full enlightenment at the speed of a rocket, says, while the practitioner would be like someone riding on the back of an ox. So Rinpoche says, all of the, traditions of Dharma in Tibet teach full enlightenment in one lifetime since this is characteristic of, highest yoga tantra.
But perhaps only the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa himself enables one to attain full enlightenment in twelve years. Since even though Je Tsongkhapa appeared in ordinary form, he actually was in actuality a fully enlightened being. He was Buddha Mañjuśrī. And since, even though he was an actuality Mañjuśrī, he himself had Mañjuśrī as a teacher. He was as one with wisdom taught by one with great wisdom.
And, Nāgārjuna himself also was a disciple of Mañjuśrī. Therefore, his explanations are marked by great wisdom and are quite easy to understand. Now at present in the middle of page 12, the passage in Norbu Rabten’s commentary explaining the meaning of the Sūtra. The term Sūtra here actually is a generic term Sūtra, Do in Tibetan. It refers to the quote from the Guhyasamāja Tantra, which actually from within the fivefold divisions of the section of the Tantra we were dealing with, which correspond with the five lineage Buddhas is the section of Vairochana.
It itself has two subdivisions, the branch of entry and the actual commentary. The branch of entry itself is subdivided into the offering of praise and the pledge to compose. These are the offerings of pledge praise and the pledge to compose, which are actually composed by Nāgārjuna himself. And generally speaking, the offering of praise is a praise to whichever deity we mainly rely upon, whether it be Mañjuśrī, Yamāntaka, Heruka, or whichever other deity we rely upon. Because in dependence on this praise, we accumulate a vast amount of merit which enables whatever actions, whatever deeds will engage in to be led to fruition.
Otherwise, one does not complete one’s deeds. So it is in dependence on merit which is accumulated as the Buddha himself taught that whatever we engage in is completed. Without merit, there is no completion of our activities. Therefore, before engaging in any major activities, one should make offerings to the deity one rely upon and make strong requests. And then in dependence on that, the activities one engages in will be completed.
When we say in dependence on that, it is because in dependence on those offerings, those requests, vast amounts of merit will have been accumulated. And the root text of Nāgārjuna, the bodhicitta Vivarana reads, to bodhicitta’s very nature, the glorious one who wields the Vajra, I bow down. So here, this can refer to the 100 fold, the five fold, or the one fold subdivisions of the Buddhas. It specifically refers you to the onefold subdivision, which is Guru Vajradhāra, he who wields Vajra. And then moving onwards in our commentary at the very bottom of page 12.
To whom does bowing down refer to? Bowing down here, Rinpoche says, is a sign of veneration to the glorious Vajra wielder, other words, to Vajradhāra. In addition, one would inquire what sort of embrace is alluded to. The great Vajradhāra is the glorious Vajra wielder of the perfect lineage of the deity of the body of union. This is the state of Yuganaddha in nature that actual nature of the mind of clear light, the emptiness of everything, which is a bodhicitta at the time of the result.
Generally speaking, there are two minds of clear light, the mind of clear light at the time of the result and the mind of clear light at the time of the cause. Here, what is referred to as a mind of clear light at the time of the result. This is a praise of the wisdom truth body for one’s own sake. So what is referred to here are the teachings of the union, the indissociable union of the two bodies. On page 13, moreover, since the body of the deity which has the aspect of the form of Vajrasattva is endowed with Mahāmudrā, it is called glorious.
And one makes obeisance to it. This is a praise by means which perfect the accomplishment of the welfare of others, the collection of merit. So generally speaking here, there are two bodies which are attained, the form body and the truth body. The form body is attained for the welfare of others, and the truth body is that body of abandonment which is attained for one’s own welfare. Endowed in his nature with the five wisdoms, the mirror like wisdom, the wisdom of equanimity, the wisdom of equality, the wisdom of accomplishment, and the wisdom of reality.
Of the time of the result, he is called Vajradhāra. This is praising in the light of the hand implements. As to the manner of praising, it is to praise by means of the factors of veneration of the three doors, which refers to veneration by the body, speech, mind. So Khensur Rinpoche says reflecting on the qualities of Vajradhāra, which is his endowment with the five wisdoms, which are symbolized by the hand implements, one praises with veneration through one’s three doors of body, speech, and mind. So why does one pay obeisance or respect to Vajradhāra, Dorje Chang in Tibetan?
Because it is Vajradhāra himself who has taught the tantras, so one pays respect or homage to him. And the purpose of such praise, so generally speaking, after having praised, one must, inquire why one is praising. One is praising the teacher of the Tantras Vajradhāra. Now generally speaking, there is an infinite number of teachers, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist. And within Buddhist teachers, only some have taught Tantras, but the initial teacher of all the Tantras is Vajradhāra.
So it is to him that this praise is addressed. And then jumping to the end of this paragraph through extolling the essence of the greatness of one’s instructor. One’s instructor here is Vajradhāra whose greatness is being extolled. Moving back to the beginning of the paragraph, the purpose of such praises for the sake of engaging in behavior in keeping with the behavior of the holy one. So Rinpoche reads this passage as in keeping with holy behavior.
Holy behavior here refers to engaging exclusively in virtue and to abstaining completely from non virtue. In addition, pacifying the interference of others, beings in general, and especially those pertaining to composing the treatise. So this is pacifying all interferences without exception.
I’m very, very happy. Very, very good. And in the middle of page page 13, the pledge to compose. So the pledge to compose what? The pledge to compose the bodhicitta Vivarana.
And this pledge is stated in the verses of the root text, the meditation upon bodhicitta. Here bodhicitta refers to ultimate bodhicitta, Rinpoche says. And the question which is asked here is what is the purpose of this? The purpose of this is as I said in the following verse of Nāgārjuna’s root text that destroys saṃsāra. saṃsāra actually the the Tibetan text reads Sipa, which means existence, which is a much more precise translation.
We’ve translated from the, we’ve quoted, the English translation of another author. So existence actually is synonymous with saṃsāra and this refers actually to the root of suffering. So if saṃsāra is destroyed, Rinpoche says, then all suffering is destroyed. If all suffering is destroyed, only happiness exists. So this is the benefit of explaining ultimate bodhicitta.
One destroys existence, one destroys or abandons cyclic existence. So in our cases, we have been cycling from life to life, from suffering to suffering, suffering, from animal rebirth to preta rebirth to hell rebirth and back endlessly. And this has happened because we lack the one means to dispel, to eliminate, to destroy cyclic existence, which is ultimate bodhicitta. So here the author of the text teaches us the means to destroy cyclic existence, which is ultimate bodhicitta. And as is said by Nāgārjuna, perhaps in the Ratnāvalī or alternatively in the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, all who do not know emptiness captured or kept captive in the jail of existence will not realize the meaning of liberation.
And the meaning of this quote is that those who do not realize emptiness, and by all here Nāgārjuna means both, both the beings of dull faculties and of sharp faculties, all such beings who not realizing emptiness will remain captive of the jail of cyclic existence. And the jail of cyclic existence here actually refers to that ignorance which keeps us captive in the cycle of lives. So in this sense, we can be said to be prisoners. And the only way to be free from this prison is meditation on emptiness. What is referred to here when we talk of ultimate bodhicitta is none other than the realization of emptiness.
And as Buddha himself said, through not understanding the three doors of liberation, they cycle endlessly in the cycle of lives. So it is capital to understand the three doors of liberation foremost of which is emptiness. All of the other teachings of the Buddha are mere means leading to the realization of emptiness. So Buddha taught the training or the practice of generosity, of ethics, of forbearance, of enthusiasm, and of meditation merely as a means to give rise to that ultimate mind realizing emptiness, that ultimate wisdom realizing emptiness, which actually is the gateway to liberation. And it is through the understanding specifically of dependent origination that this understanding of emptiness can be generated and free us from the cycle of lives.
At present, we are very fortunate in that we are hearing for the first time about ultimate bodhicitta, whereas until recently, we didn’t even know what this means, what this meant. So So we can be said to be very fortunate and to be implanting beneficial karmic imprints in our mind, which will mature later on. As Jetsün Milarepa said, I went in the mountains and alone I meditated and there I realized the ultimate. I realized emptiness. So it is like Jetsün Mila that we should practice.
And we, have heard a lot of teachings on emptiness. The goal of these teaching is to lead us to the realization of emptiness, which alone liberates us from the cycle of lives. Once we realize emptiness, we do not need to reincarnate anymore. And there is a great benefit in reciting this magnificent, stanza of Nāgārjuna’s. There are there are no phenomena which are not dependent arisings.
in dependence on that reason, there is no phenomena which is not empty. So there would be great benefit for us to recite this or to recite stanzas from the Heart Sūtra as well. This is the very essence of the teachings of emptiness, and there’s great benefit in reciting these. It imprints powerful karmic imprints. Do you understand?
This is great benefit in reciting this. The Tibetan means because of this, because of what, because phenomena are dependent arising. It is because of dependent arising that they are empty, empty of what, empty of inherent existence. There’s great benefit in reciting this in the same way as you would recite Manis. Okay.
Very good. As I said in the famous quote, those without merit do not even suspect. As for those who suspect or who doubt it tears cyclic existence to shreds. So forget realizing emptiness. Merely suspecting that phenomena empty is enough to tear cyclic existence to shreds.
When there is cyclic existence, there is suffering. So as humans have our own cyclic existence, dogs have their own cyclic existence, and they have their own suffering. Fish have their own cyclic existence. Pretas have their own cyclic existence. Wherever there is cyclic existence, there is suffering.
Okay. Thank you all. Very good. I have a very special announce tonight, very good news. What do you think?
Well, we are very fortunate that Pamela and Ilya who, you know, request Rinpoche, you know, such profound teaching and for next year for you know, as an October retreat. You know, time has changed, but Rinpoche accepted, and he’s going to give teachings on the Six Yogas of Naropa. It’s going to be on an Easter weekend, long weekend. What we it’s a seven day like what we had in early October this, you know, just passed. And so similar event here.
And it’s seven day and one day before the Easter and two days after the Easter, that calculates to seven days. And if you have a what do you call anyway, I’ll I’ll just stop here. I will pass this to Ilya. He can explain a bit more about this six yogas of Naropa. And yeah.
And I have more after that. Thank you. Teaching and teachers. So we we’re really very lucky that Rinpoche accepted to confer this teaching. This is, this is one of the rarer lineages in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
To my knowledge, it was last taught by Kha-che Phalu Rinpoche in 1973 in Dharamsala, which puts it almost forty years ago. This is really very much the core of the mother tantras. And Rinpoche is famous for this. Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen actually, was very keen on receiving this. He himself has never received it.
And, Rinpoche has agreed exceptionally to give this to us, and the commitment will be very limited. So we’re really lucky in this respect. Those of you who have already received an Anutara Yoga Tantra initiation do not need to receive another initiation to receive the six yogas of Naropa, and the six yogas themselves entail no additional commitment. However, as Rinpoche was explaining a little bit earlier to Pamela who so kindly, came forth with the idea of requesting this, There is an uncommon connection between the six yogas of Naropa and the tantras both of Hevajra and of Heruka. For this reason, Rinpoche will be conferring the initiation of Heruka, five day Heruka in the Ghantapa tradition.
And, if you can at all attend, it would be very beneficial to take the initiation as well. The, commitment for the initiation is short. It’s a traditional commitment for a Heruka initiation, which is the yogas of the three purifications, which is 10 pages in English, maybe. Four. Four pages in English.
So this is quite manageable. And, in the light of Rinpoche’s health, we will be holding the teachings for a shorter period of time. I would like to add something from my own side, which is I don’t think we as students appreciate the fact that nobody in the Tibetan tradition teaches as age 86, period. I have many teachers who are Rinpoche’s age or a little bit older. They have ceased teaching.
So it is extraordinary, and it’s a tribute to Rinpoche’s bodhicitta that at his age, with having lost eyesight in one eye, having lost hearing in one ear, having to be helped into the room by two attendants, he keeps on teaching. And I think all of us should do our best to receive teachings from such a great being, who is able still to teach us. Thank you very much. I have a few more things I better stand up here. I can see everybody.
Alright. And the the initiation will be a weekend before the Easter. It’s going to be a two day afternoon. Alright? And that’s the initiation part.
Then I was this I I’m going to take this opportunity tonight, and maybe some of you already member and some maybe you’re thinking about becoming a member for TBI. This is a great opportunity. And we have three categories of membership and helping towards the centers everyday running course, etcetera. And, you know, to keep up the, you know, the comfortable that we you’re here. And, you know, if you feel like to want to become member, there is a three category, and it’s a Dharma Wheel membership, which is is 588.
It’s ordinary membership, 180, and concession is a 120. If you were thinking about becoming a member, this is a time good time to become a member to help towards the center. And I think that’s about it tonight. And next week, there’s an as if you haven’t received emails if from, you know, what’s happening at the center, please give your email address to or to Carol or just send it to email towards the center? Yeah.
Tomorrow night. Not tomorrow night. Yeah. Sorry. No teaching.
Oh, so yeah. Yeah. There’s no teaching for tomorrow and the next week. And a week after, I guess, that’s His Holiness visit in Sydney. And I think this and this Saturday, if you remember, there’s a AGM on a 03:00 welcome.
And that’s all tonight. Thank you very much. Sheets. Can anybody have any does anybody have any difficulty hearing me? Okay.
There’s a few people. Okay. Carol put quite a bit of effort into these feedback sheets. She, they’re specific to classes, and there’s also room for general general comments. Richard’s going to hand these around.
They’re only 20. They’re only 20. Take them away, fill them out, bring them back, if you can. Your comments would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much.
And, this will really help, you know, if you write the feedback because, then we know how we can, help, you know, towards for you. Okay. Thank you. There is a chai and a watermelon, very beautiful sweet watermelon seedless. Sponsor donated by Nick Kelly.
It’s a fantastic beautiful watermelon, and there’s a beautiful chai as well.