Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute commentary on the ninth chapter of the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen establishes karma and rebirth as observable facts by reflecting on our own experience of wholesome and unwholesome thoughts, then traces how this understanding naturally leads to refuge in the Three Jewels. He shifts to making life meaningful in a Buddhist context: recognizing the precious potential of human birth, reflecting on impermanence to overcome attachment to this life alone, and most crucially, learning to infuse every daily action—waking, eating, working, sleeping—with bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to benefit all beings. Through concrete examples, including a Buddha statue protected by a shoe from rain, he demonstrates that virtue depends entirely on motivation, not external form. He concludes by defining a meaningful life as genuine progress in generating renunciation, bodhicitta, and correct view.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1994-09-20 – 12B – 9th Chapter – KR.mp3
UUID: 5e576dfe-2773-407f-8727-8b3072c95336
Teacher: Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen
Collection: Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra
Date: 1994-09-20
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~3,380
Oh, no. As far as the actions of the karma goes, well, we know in our own experience that there are times in our mind we have impure thoughts of feeling aggressive, feeling frustrated, like confronting argument and so forth. There are also times in our mind we feel with what’s called wholesome thoughts of being kind and so forth. So it is undeniable in our own observable experience that there are these two types of thoughts arising in our mind. Now if that is so then that is good enough to prove that out of these two comes about two types of actions wholesome and unwholesome actions.
And if that’s so then it is quite undeniable that these two types of actions would bring about two types of results happiness and suffering and so forth. So in a way we have in this great vehicle of looking at by relating to our own experience of thought arising in our mind that karma are two types, two predominant types of actions wholesome action and unwholesome action is quite quite a fact. We quite comfortably can establish that it is true, that there are these two types of actions are common. There are so many good thoughts arising in our mind and out of those good thoughts comes about many wholesome actions producing producing many many wholesome wholesome results. There are so many impure thoughts arising in your mind out of which there comes about so many unwholesome actions and through that there comes about many suffering, resultant sufferings.
Yet, if we are to ask, will will all will all of the resultant happiness and suffering from those two types of predominant actions, all of them ripen in this very life or not? Well, we can say definitely all of them would not ripen or to use the exact term, they would not complete, the fruition would not complete in this life and therefore the very fact that all the results of all the actions of this life would not be complete or come into complete fruition in this life itself. It’s a ground to comfortably establish that future life is a fact. Also there will be a life that future life will be the one in which one experiences the results of the previous wholesome and unwholesome actions and relative to that future life the present life then becomes becomes the the past past life. Life.
Also in this way, two fold previous and future lives, it is popular, mean, important expression the two formed previous and future lives or in essence that the two thing, there was past life and future lives. So this then is what in brief is the rebirth or the fact about continuation of life or mind is about and this fact becomes this fact becomes understandable when one relates the infallibility of the wholesome and unwholesome action one actually does. And out of the two combined understanding will will then come about the discomfort in this discomfort if one happens to either engage or about engage in unwholesome unwholesome action thinking, I cannot be able to bear suffering in future life. So out of such direction of thinking and action, therefore then comes about the whole need for a person to do Dharma practice. The practice of the Dharma is one through which one can remove the sufferings and the dissatisfaction of the future lives.
One can ask for it is the Dharma. The practice of the Dharma through which one can accomplish one’s temporary welfare and ultimate welfare in terms of oneself, one cannot fall through it, be successful in accomplishing the welfare of others. Also the actual means by which one is able to remove ones and others sufferings and to bring about happiness for oneself and others is the Dharma. But presently, yes, as an ordinary person one does not completely and unmistakenly understand the Dharma, the instruction leading to enlightenment. Therefore one needs to have someone realized and perfect who shows the the Dharma, there then comes about the need to have Buddha and enlightened beings, or holy lamas or teachers or bodhisattvas and so forth who shows the Dharma unmistakenly.
And this then becomes the need of the second jewel or the second supreme supreme rare one, the Dharma. Yet when yet in the course of one’s doing practice after having received instructions, one needs to have a source companion along with and they are what is called Sangha, the assembly of realized practitioner. So in this way in order to remove ones and others suffering and to bring about happiness one needs Dharma, Buddha and Sangha in that order of realization. So in that way one then brings about the awareness of the connected need of the Three Jewels in removing one’s and other’s sufferings and bringing happiness for oneself and others. So that’s how one then do go ahead a little bit regarding Dharma practice.
And then starting and then talking about next important point, the making one’s life meaningful. Well, as regards what is meant by meaningful life or making one’s life meaningful in the West, I really don’t know that much. Perhaps perhaps it looks like in the West, making life meaningful is to be harmonious with one’s partner, boyfriend or girlfriend. And and on top of that, to have to have no financial problems. Is that what is the meaningful life in the West or not?
Yes. Oh well, if one doesn’t have to think about future lives then that itself is good enough to make or take the meaning of life becoming meaningful because one only is concerned and has to do only with this life and that itself is a meaningful life only for the present. But for us who are Dharma practitioner, meaningful life is not that. One here to make life meaningful has to start with the awareness of how precious the Dharma or the instructions are and this starts firstly by knowing or by coming to understanding how important and full of capacity one’s present rebirth as human is that in the present rebirth as a human one has all the factors if one from one side put all the effort that that all the factors for for accomplishing Dharma or for becoming successful practitioner achieving results or the goals are there, that there are the factors or the capability of leisures and endowments complete with oneself in the present rebirth. So it would mean that one needs to first come to understanding how much potential one has in this present rebirth if one uses it towards achieving this personal goal and that the capabilities are present with oneself.
This then would mean that one first would need to do a fair bit of looking into on this very topic what are the capabilities and how much and whether one does have or not. So the implied expression used is one does need to do a fair bit of learning and study into this part about one’s capabilities. Capability one has then on top of that one needs to come to the understanding that happiness and suffering infallibly are the results of the wholesome and unwholesome actions similarly Similarly, lower lower rebirths rebirths and and higher higher rebirths rebirths, so so forth, forth. Are undeniably, infallibly the results of their respective actions and causes. So one understands the initial level of understanding karma or cause effect, infallibility.
And following that one needs to come to understanding that to be freed from the fetters of the impure thoughts and unwholesome actions and the resultant sufferings one needs to rely on perfect source of upliftment such as the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, so on, then at that level needs to go for refuge or to seek infallible support of guidance and inspiration from the Three Jewels so that would mean one first would come to know well what are those and so forth and the details. And it would not be just good enough to come to know one needs to have belief and pure sense of reliance on the infallibility of what one has come in terms come to terms with their acceptance with their capability one has accepted so forth so there needs to be on top of knowledge, one needs to have belief and comfortable pure reliance on that. The reason for that is of course as the reason for that is of course when it comes to mere knowledge, there are so many who knows. But one who but those who have belief in purity of our reliance are not that many. So one then needs to ask one know, one needs to, from one’s heart, belief and put pure reliance.
Also at that level then one next needs to think about impermanence, the transitory nature of everything especially in terms of one’s present rebirth and this state of having all these capabilities. The reason for need to have awareness and understanding about impermanence is because when one understands impermanence and have awareness of impermanence then that brings about the preciousness of the moment one has and one as well attains the sense of losing or wasting one’s present capability in case if one engages into unwholesome actions. Regarding the sense of how precious the present moment one has and the capability one has, it would be so much that through reflection and awareness impermanence one would see this life as mere short duration as if the duration of lightning in the sky. Along with that will come the awareness. Future lives are so long, whereas this life is mere a duration of lightning.
When one thinks of impermanence, then one would realize how this life is so short. And along with that then will come the realization or the awareness or there there is no essence with this life in the sense that there is nothing to really grasp grasp onto or hang onto to this life and the activities related with this life. So would so that would mean that one will get the awareness that anything done for the purpose of this life only is not really going to benefit me at all. So there is no it is not beneficial to work for this life’s welfare only and so forth. So out of them, then there will come about a real need to work towards all the future lives yet to come which are so long and by thinking about that then there will be natural sense of need of unmistaken and complete instruction, the Dharma.
So through impermanence reflection there will come the sense of the need of Dharma. Now in a day’s format, how one does the practice in the morning when one wakes up, one thinks about impermanence straight away that, oh, I’ve been karmically meritorious to not have died last night and be alive. Now for the coming day and throughout my rest of the life I will not waste my potencies and life instead I will make the day and the coming part of the life meaningful. My And then one thing in the morning that I will make my day and the coming part of the life meaningful. Related with that aim I will work towards removing sufferings of all sentient beings and bringing them happiness, but to do that I need to have my body sustaining.
I need a sustained body. So in order in order to in order mainly to sustain the body for the benefit of working for others, I will look after it. Therefore I will now go and have a shower or wash it. And then let on at the time of breakfast one thinks that I will need to sustain it therefore I will make the offerings of the breakfast and then eat breakfast and drink tea and so forth. In the case of bodhisattvas, no doubt their motivation is completely with bodhicitta mind of enlightenment totally and completely thinking about others and all all sentient beings.
Yet when it comes to the actual doing of the actions, actual execution of the work or the practices and so forth, they do where their own work or project are accomplished as well others works and projects are complete accomplished. So in other words, although they have bodhicitta, enlightenment mind motive, but when it comes to doing of the actual things, they do their own things as well others things. So we have a bodhisattva way of doing where the motive is for others but the actual accomplishment is where one’s own projects get accomplished and others gets accomplished. So it’s quite two fold two both things fulfill sort of thing. Now with the motive or the motive of bodhicitta mind of enlightenment thinking about others, the actual doing of action can be totally in one way one’s own doing of one’s own things such as although the motive was soft mind of enlightenment or bodhicitta, but when it comes to the doing of the things, it can be washing one’s own body or face and drinking tea for one’s own sustenance of body and wearing clothes for the protection of one’s own body and so forth.
Yes. So it is quite observable fact that the actual doing is on face value concerns about one’s own welfare and one’s own welfare does get accomplished long by. After drinking the tea or whatever the breakfast was, when that’s finished, then next part of the action for the day would be go to work and obviously wherever one is going to work that is the concern or the body of the institution one is working for. So one does have to fulfill the needs and welfare of that or for what one is working. Yet in one’s motive one can include include the welfare of all beings, all sentient beings.
Therefore Yet one can while or before going out to work and later on in the course of doing the actual work, one can set the motive thinking I will very well fulfill the needs and welfare of whom and what I’m working for along with, may I through this work bring welfare, happiness, remove suffering of all other sentient beings. So it would be a suggestion of the right way if one thinks in that way instead of all the time thinking about money. One doesn’t have to think about money all the time because if one works hard and well, the money will automatically come in your pay envelope and so forth. Therefore, whether one sleeps, one has to have the motive of bodhicitta. Whether one eats, one needs to have the motive of bodhicitta.
Whether one goes, one needs to have the motive of bodhicitta, mind of enlighten ment altruism. So in whatever sphere of action one is engaging one needs to have that altruistic motivation or motive, the mind of enlightenment bodhicitta to look at it in a case example we can say with sleeping when one goes to sleep one can think in this way where one thinks I need to achieve enlightenment in order to remove sufferings of all sentient beings and and to bring happiness for all sentient beings. Yet to achieve enlightenment ment and to do the practices leading to that I need to have a stable body, a healthy body. So in order to merely sustain my body in health, I will now go to sleep. So in that way the sleep becomes the most altruistic sleep with the motive of bodhicitta behind.
So it is asleep with bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment, so it is virtuous. So either one is drinking tea or wearing coats or doing whatever actions one can direct the base motive in that way and in such way then the whole activity or what everyone does becomes wholesome or virtuous or meaning which would produce definitely happiness for oneself and others. Even if it comes to activity which has entirely to do with earning of cash, and one can still direct the motive with bodhicitta thinking in order to do good Dharma practice I need to have the necessary facility and forth, and to have the facility I need to have cash to buy them and so forth, therefore I am going to work for earning the cash and so forth. But of course in there the Dharma practice has relate with the accomplishment of one’s and all sentient beings’ welfare. So although it is totally to do with the cash earning, but it becomes a virtuous activity depending due to having a motive of bodhicitta.
Therefore, in Buddhism, the whole thing depends down on one’s mind, one’s motive, one’s attitude. The whole thing comes down to one’s mind. The external matter, external things do not become the main issue. Let’s look at an example, say, if there is a image or a statue of a Buddha made of a clay or a mud and so forth or just a clay, a statue of Buddha lying out there in open and somehow it happens that there is a downpour of rain and there was a danger of the whole statue being ruined and washed down. Now if someone happens to pass by and thinks, oh, what a disaster to have such a precious image of an enlightened being ruined by the rain.
And out of such motive, if the person looks around and doesn’t find anything to cover it and finally decide to put his own shoe on top of the Buddha image to cover it from rain, well, that whole action is a virtuous action because of the right motive. Later on, on when someone passing by happens and sees a shoe on top of Buddha image and thinks, oh, it was such a a pitiful sight. Or you can use the same thing what a disaster when you can and with that motive takes away the shoe and let the rain fall onto the statue. Well, in the second case too it is a motive. So therefore in both cases it is the mind which plays the main part and external thing or the object is not the main factor.
Okay. So we shall stop here. And tonight, we So we shall stop here. And tonight we shall have no question and we’ll do the dedication prayers and in the term break please do good practice, do good meditation, and study, and so forth. Oh, yeah.
I’ll have to do a bit of clarification on what is meaningful life in perspective of Buddhism. Well, the meaningful life would mean through doing the Dharma practice or the meaningful correct spiritual practice every day every day through that if there is improvement in one’s mind and thought patterns that one becomes more kind, that one becomes more diligent and hard working towards spiritual practices and becomes becomes more resilient in terms of hardship in the course of one’s practice and so forth then that in essence can be said as the meaningful life in Buddhist perspective. If one is able to keep on decreasing the impure thoughts and the misdeeds done through those impure thoughts and if one is able to stop them and along with it if one is able to increase and improve more and more the pure thoughts or the wholesome aspects of one’s mind such as altruism, mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta and so forth, one then will be able to make progress throughout in future that as time goes one will become a better person with more wholesome thoughts and less impure thoughts, and through that way one would make up to each level of spiritual attainment in successive of the lifetimes to come, that in the next life one would become a spiritual person with higher realization and the next one higher one and so forth keep on improving.
One would be then able to attain the state of arhat. Beyond that one would then eventually make up to enlightenment. In this life if one is able to generate definite renunciation, mind of enlightenment and correct view then one has made one’s life meaningful.