Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 86-minute talk, Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen completes the presentation of the path of middling scope in the Lamrim framework and introduces the path of great scope, centring on the generation of bodhicitta. Working through verses 297–306 of the Essence of Nectar, Geshe-la explains how self-grasping — the mistaken belief in an inherently existing self — perpetuates samsaric rebirth across the six classes of beings. The antidote is the wisdom realizing selflessness, which requires training in concentration (Shamatha) as a foundation. All three trainings rest on ethics, particularly the monastic vows of individual liberation, which Geshe-la compares to the root of the Buddha’s teachings. He then turns to bodhicitta itself — the aspiration to attain full enlightenment not for oneself but for the benefit of all sentient beings — and explores its ten advantages: it is the sole gateway to Mahāyāna Buddhism, marks one as a child of the Buddhas, surpasses the merit of Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, purifies karmic obscurations swiftly, and leads to the rapid completion of the bodhisattva path. The teaching closes with a brief explanation of the relationship between Shamatha and Vipashyana, or calm abiding and analytical meditation. Aimed at practitioners engaged in serious Lamrim study.
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File: Line in 0221.mp3
UUID: 2f5af110-043c-40e0-a244-eac037193893
Teacher: Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen
Collection: Awakening Heart
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~3,168
So we will generate as usual the motivation not merely to strive for the benefit of future lives, let alone for liberation, but to attain the state of full enlightenment not for our own sake, but for the benefit of all mother sentient beings. And we will meditate on generating this motivation for one or two minutes. So we
Will at present engage in the same visualizations as we have done before each of Geshe-la’s classes through inviting Buddha Śākyamūni on our crown, imagining that he encapsulates all of the Buddhas of all three times in the 10 directions. And then to give rise to all of the favorable conditions for the generation of bodhicitta within our mind stream and to dispel all interfering factors. We make strong prayers to Buddha Śākyamūni he visualized on our crown. From his body, we visualize that light and nectar descend. They purify us of all bodily obstructions and bodily obstructions, which leave our body through the lower orifices as dark water and soot.
Then once again, our body is filled with light and nectar and all of the verbal non virtuous karma and interferences leaves our bodies with the mouth. And finally, once again, and nectar penetrating our body and all of the mental interferences and non-virtuous mental karma at the heart is completely dispelled in an instant. Then the body of Buddha Śākyamūni shrinks. It enters through the central channel and dissolves at our heart and our mind becomes one with the mind of the Buddha. So we have finished the presentation of the path of the being of middling scope in keeping with the outline of the swift path last time as you remember.
And we have reached actually the presentation of the, practice of the being of the great scope. But before engaging in this, Geshe la will on page two twenty three of your text cover the presentation inside the Essence of Nectar. So verse two ninety seven, what one may wonder is the cause of this continually circling without my control like a whirling firebrand. This is as you well know when you take a fire firebrand and you whirl it around, even though the firebrand itself is a single source of light, it looks as a continuous circle of fire is being generated among the six classes of beings afflicted by the three sufferings without a break. Since beginning was time, the great demon of self grasping, this from the standpoint is grasping at the existence of an inherently existing self.
Thinking I I has dwelt at my heart’s recesses. Marking self off off from other, it generates greed and hatred. Actually, it’s better to translate greed by desire here. And desire actually arises from self-cherishing, and hatred arises from the rejection of others. With these commas heaped up, who, comma, I spin in saṃsāra.
And then verse two ninety nine, therefore, if the self grasping or this apprehension at self existence is not expelled, I cannot be freed from saṃsāra. It has to be expelled by the wisdom that realizes selflessness. So Geshe la says this is the actual ultimate path. The actual ultimate path is that wisdom which realizes selflessness. Therefore, I must develop training relating to wisdom.
Moreover, it is not sufficient to just, generate, a realization of selflessness. One needs a non conceptual direct realization of selflessness. Therefore, verse 300 says, if my mind is distracted by fading, literally, liturgy and agitation, these are the two obstacles to generating shamata or shine. It cannot see truly how selfless existence works. So, quelling distractions, I must train in Samādhi.
This refers specifically to Shine, dwelling one pointedly in the, actual mode of existence of phenomena. In verse three zero one, three zero one reads, since this Samādhi in turn, in other words, the single pointed concentration can never develop if I lack watchfulness, mindfulness, and awareness. These are conditions which are necessary for generating or single pointed concentration. I must have the training relating to morality. We might prefer to translate this by ethics.
Restraining my three doors with firm awareness and mindfulness. So says the training in wisdom, which is our goal, is accomplished through the training in concentration, which is. And the preliminary for the training in concentration is an ethics of the restraint of the three doors of body, speech, and mind. And verse three zero two gives an example to illustrate this. Therefore, since the field will grow the ears, now this is an agriculture farming metaphor of the training in wisdom, bending the tips of the stalks of unwavering concentration is only ethics.
It is taught that pratimoksha, in other words, the vows of individual liberation is the root of the doctrine. So it is the ethics of respecting the vows of individual liberation in dependence upon which, shine, or the training in Samādhi arises. And in dependence on that, one can then train in wisdom. This is the reason for which Geshe la says, ethics is said to be the foundation of the Buddha’s teachings. And then verse three zero three, so in Tibetan which means therefore, this is a conclusion of the previous verses as a ground for my pratimoksha training.
Prātimokṣa are the vows of individual liberation of which there are eight broad categories, which include among the, six categories which are foremost the two, vows of the, lay, vow holder, male and female, as well as, male and female novice vows, male, bhikṣu vows, and in the old days, there was also a female bhikṣu lineage. So these vows are what is referred to as pratimoksha. I must listen to the advice, and then there’s some problems with the translation here. I must develop not respect but veneration, not for the master but for the Buddha. This refers to the teacher who has imparted originally the vow, and his vows rely on alertness, mindfulness, watchfulness, and the defilement specific opponents.
In verse three zero four, duly restrain the four doors of production of downfalls. So these are listed in verse three zero three. The first door of production of downfalls is, ignorance. So we must apply the antidote to ignorance, which is knowledge, and this is referred to when it’s said when I must hear the advices, in verse three zero three. The second door
Production of downfalls is, disrespect. So, the antidote to that is to develop veneration or respect for the Buddha and his vows. Then the third door for the production of downfalls is lack of mindfulness, and the antidote to that in verse three zero three is to rely on alertness, mindfulness, and watchfulness. And the fourth door of production of downfalls is nonapplication of the antidotes to the passions, and that is referred to in the last, words of verse three zero three that apply the defilement’s specific opponents. Then moving onwards in verse three zero four, in carrying out with our transgressions, the orders of compassionate, matchless supreme master as I have vowed, establishing into the doctrine.
Please inspire me so that I can do this. So the practice of the being of middling scope is completed, and at present, we will enter into the practice of the being of great scope. So we have finished the presentation of the paths of the being of small and middling scope and at present, representing the path of the being of great scope. In the context of Lam Rim, the presentations of the path of the being of small and middling scope are introductions or preliminaries to the main practice, which is a practice of the being of great scope. However, in the context of of the essence of eloquence, there are two verses which the verses three zero five and three zero six, which explain why it is inappropriate to just train in the practice of the beings of small and middling scope aspiring, for instance, merely for attaining liberation for one’s own benefit and why one should strive to attain full enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
And the reason for this is explained in verses three zero five and three zero six. It is not the case that we ourselves alone are, trapped in samsaric existence. All sentient beings, which have been our mothers in past lives, are are also trapped in samsaric existence. And, if we think of it in these terms, nothing is baser and more shameless than ourselves attaining liberation, which indeed we can through the practice of the three trainings, and yet leaving all mother sentient beings trapped in the jail of samsaric existence. Hence, the verse versus read.
If I train well in the three trainings as described, I shall indeed free myself from the saṃsāra. But striving to free just myself from saṃsāra, not thinking about the sentient beings tormented there, is like leaving one’s aged mother shut up in prison and getting oneself somehow set free. Is there anyone it’s not less considerate. Is there anyone less shameless than that? Therefore, I must liberate all my mothers.
And the we will now pass to the outline of Lam Rim from the swift path and put the central text aside for a while. So this explains the reasons for which bodhicitta has to be generated, its advantages, and how to generate it. Generally speaking, bodhicitta must be generated because it is the gateway to the Mahāyāna. Actually, every act conjoined with bodhicitta is a cause for full enlightenment, so this is sufficient justification for generating bodhicitta. The reasons themselves, will be clearly explained in the outline.
And this mind of bodhicitta is that mind which strives to attain the state of full enlightenment for the benefit of others with the wish to free them from all sufferings and endow them with all happiness. And therefore, translating directly the outline. Thirdly, there are three manners of training the mind in the stages of the path of the being of great scope. First, understanding the qualities which teach that the mind of bodhicitta is the sole gateway to the Mahāyāna. Secondly, the mode mode of generating the mind of bodhicitta.
And third, having generated how to, engage in the actual practices. So the term only in the presentation of the first subdivision indicates that it is bodhicitta alone, which is the gateway to the Mahāyāna. It is when the mind of bodhicitta is generated that whatever one does becomes a cause for full enlightenment. And for instance, the wisdom which realizes emptiness alone is not a cause for full enlightenment nor is any wisdom alone a cause for full enlightenment. So this actually is explained further on in the outline as the first of the 10 advantages of generating bodhicitta, translating the outline.
With respect to the first, there are 10 subdivisions, teaching that the mind of bodhicitta is a sole gateway to the Mahāyāna which Geshe la has explained. And then the second advantage is teaching that one, is suitable to be called from that point a child of the victorious ones. So the second advantage means that from the point onwards when one has generated the mind of bodhicitta, one is suitable to be called a child of the Buddha, a child of the victorious ones in the same way as someone who is as a child of a king, a prince, or a princess is someone of whom it is given that such a person will become a king or a queen in due course. In the same way, a child of the victorious one will, in due course, become a fully enlightened being. And then the third and fourth advantages of generating bodhicitta is first that one will outshine all Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas.
And the meaning of the third advantage here is that whatever merit Shravakas and Pratyekabuddha may accrue through for instance meditating for many years on emptiness, an even greater merit would be accrued by a beginner Bodhisattva who meditates on emptiness for a mere one day. So this means that the merit accrued by the beginner Bodhisattva through meditation and through any practice is far superior to that of a Śrāvaka or a Pratyekabuddha. And the fourth advantage is that one becomes a supreme field of offering. What is meant by this is that that there are, it is said, bodhisattvas who are reborn, in animal forms, either emanate as animals or through the uncommon power of karma. They actually have animal forms.
Such Bodhisattvas are actually Bodhisattvas and they in animal form are supreme fields of merit superior to other ordinary beings, let alone bodhisattvas in human form. The fifth advantage is that the collections will be easily perfected, easily accumulated. And the meaning of this is that once one has generated bodhicitta, then whatever virtuous deeds one engage in become extraordinarily powerful. For instance, if one has vows, let’s say monastic vows, these vows become far more powerful and far more superior in the merit we accumulate than if we did not have bodhicitta. He should have said this is akin to, someone who is on a road leading some place.
As long as he sticks to the road, he will get easy to whatever place he’s going to. Likewise, once bodhicitta is generated within the mind, it leads naturally to the state of full enlightenment.
Sixth advantage is that one will swiftly purify all of the obscurations and, misdeeds which we have committed. And generally speaking, once one has generated bodhicitta, the purification of karmic non virtue is extremely swift. It can either be completely purified without the slightest trace, without having to experience any, suffering in this life, or we may have to experience a very brief attenuated experience of suffering. And in the worst possible case, we will experience some suffering, but it will not be lasting. So this is the sixth benefit of the, generation of bodhicitta.
And the reason for this is that the, merit and the purificatory, capacity of the karma accumulated through wishing to attain full enlightenment for one being’s benefit alone is very great indeed. So we can imagine what the merit accumulated through wishing to attain the state of perfection for the sake of every single being as infinite as space would be. The seventh advantage is that one will accomplish whatever one wishes to. And, most obviously, if we have set ourselves goal of attaining full enlightenment, is the highest goal of all, then all other lesser goals are, comparatively very easy to accomplish. And generally speaking, Geshe-la says, a Bodhisattva sets himself on the virtuous goals.
So their training is part and parcel of the training towards attaining full enlightenment. And generally speaking, when we speak here of train the training of a bodhisattva, the advantages which he would accrue through training in such things as being able to understand text easily, even very difficult text, which are said to be as hard as stones and so forth. And the eighth advantage is that one will not, cannot be harmed, in general and interferences will not arise with respect to oneself oneself. Now with regards to harm, the foremost harm which we can experience is being reborn in the lower realms, precisely because Bodhisattvas have no sense of self interest and are completely dedicated to the welfare of others. They do not fear the lower realms, far from it.
A great Kadampa Geshe who was most certainly a Bodhisattva prayed repeatedly to be reborn in the hell realms for the benefit of others. And the power of his prayers was so great that he was not able to be reborn in the hell realms, but through their power attained full enlightenment. This was a merit which he accumulated. Now with respect to interferences, interferences can be, outer interferences such as other beings who wish to harm us or inner interferences within the mind of the person. In either case, they cannot impinge on us.
They cannot harm us. And there is another story about a who, whose entourage wanted to harm him physically, and they were actually unable to do so because of the power of his bodhicitta. And the ninth advantage is that one will swiftly complete the grounds and paths. The reason for this Geshe-la says that once one has generated bodhicitta, the accumulation of merit is huge and whatever practice one engages with in from the two fold division of method and wisdom will become much more powerful. So for instance, in dependence on this, we will attain full enlightenment, much faster.
And the tenth advantage is that the bodhisattva becomes the, field in dependence on which all of the, happiness of beings can be, accumulated. In Geshe la says this refers not merely to, the happiness which is the attainment of full enlightenment or of liberation or for that matter even of a higher rebirth, but also of mere worldly happiness. All of these forms of happinesses are accumulated through the merit accumulated in dependence on relying on a a great being such as a Bodhisattva. That. So we are finished for today.
And if you have questions, please feel free to ask them. So all Shines are Samadhis, but all Samadhis are not Shines or Shamatas. All minds have a modicum of Samādhi, a modicum of concentration, but Shine or calm abiding, what we also call Shamatha, has a very uncommon and stable type of concentration. For instance, Samādhi concentration is one of the mental factors which accompanies all of the main minds we have. However, when this concentration is increased evermore, eventually, it becomes so powerful that it becomes calm abiding or.
So, what is called, in Tibetan, etymologically must be understood as supreme, close to see, so it’s supreme view.
Seeing. It is actually a meditate meditative training which is part of wisdom. All Vipashyanas are necessarily wisdoms, and the cause of Vipashyana is always a concentration. Actually, is always So it is in dependence on that one can actually speak of authentic Vipashyana. However, Shine itself is from the standpoint of concentration and is focused.
Vipashyana is analytical, so the two are contradictory. The two are fundamentally different, and yet they can cooperate with each other and they must cooperate with each other in mental training where they can coexist within one mind. So So we can understand this very well from our own experience at a much more limited level. If we’re thinking about an area, we actually are focused on this area that is the factor of concentration, which Geshe-la talked about. But although we are focused on our area, there’s part of our mind which is analyzing that area.
That is a factor of analysis. The two are present within one mind stream. So then through training this more and more eventually, one one is able to generate the union of and. If you have any more questions. Yeah.