Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 51-minute talk, Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen discusses the consequences of virtuous and non-virtuous actions as presented in Śāntideva’s Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra. He explains how motivation shapes karma and determines rebirth across the six realms: virtuous conduct leads to higher rebirths in human or god realms with relative comfort, while harmful actions result in lower rebirths as animals, hungry ghosts, or hell beings who experience extreme suffering. He uses vivid descriptions of the three lower realms—the animal realm’s crowding, the hungry ghosts’ deprivation, and the hot hells’ intense fire—to illustrate how our daily choices create our circumstances both now and in future lives. He then pivots to the antidote: patience as the direct counter to anger, which destroys virtue and creates suffering. By willingly enduring hardship and understanding that saṃsāra’s nature is suffering, practitioners can cultivate genuine renunciation and move toward liberation. Suitable for practitioners studying Śāntideva or Buddhist karma doctrine.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2024-09-03 – 5A – Patience – KR.mp3
UUID: d8da475b-888b-4ad1-851b-5326a720ccd4
Teacher: Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen
Collection: Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra
Date: 2024-09-03
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,868
Somebody. And here, quotation from. And, generally, there’s the non virtues and the virtues in general means actually the white karma and the black karma. And here, the non virtues, it refer and our non virtues and the virtues. And the virtues and non virtues, we can’t is create depend on on the our own motivation or the motivation.
And if we have the the good motivation and through that, we create virtues and through that we can have in a the good path and not only that and a good place to be Good road. On good paths on good road. Yeah. And if we engage all the the negative action, the the non virtuous, and through that way, it leads to us in the negative paths or the non the the bad roads or the negative parts. And through that, also the we can it can lead us to the take a place that may be undesirable.
And sorry. It all the those non virtues and the virtues is created through the our mind, and that mind, they also depend on our motivation. And other also sentient beings, you know, it not we not in stable in a one permanent place. Always move around and always take in different place, you know. And it is depend on what path you engage, you know.
If you engage in a path that is virtuous, then of course the you will be born or the being in a in a desirable place. And if you engage in a non virtuous and if you’re taking in the part that is non virtuous, then, of course, it will lead us to in a in a undesirable place. And this those two parts where it will lead us is if you engage in the virtues, it will lead us if you engage in the virtues, then it will lead us to in the the place that we are born in the three higher realms, human and what’s the next one? Sorry. The Oh, yeah.
Those the three. Sorry. And it it will lead us. But, again, in a human is like a more room, which is that it’s more like kind of straightforward. But the then above that is a lot like you maybe we’re creating a little bit better virtues.
Then if we do create the virtues in a even further, then we’re reborn in a the in a god realm. And if you’re born as a human being, then, you know, it’s a quite quite good environment, you know, the place that have the food and, you know, the trees and the water and all that. So Flower. The And if you’re born in a in a human human being, then, of course, you know, where we are right now, it is also have that kind of experience that we can have, you know, that kind of environment that can take a place on. Like, available all the things like trees and the shelter and water and all these the necessities that we can’t the human can can have home.
And which in a human realm is the desire realm. And, you know, within the desire realm, there’s a few, you know, human and the the goddess god’s realm. And within the god’s realm, and there’s a I’m not sure the word I’m using a god as asuras? Sorry? It’s the demigod and then the gods.
Gods. Yeah. God’s realm. And among the gods realm, there’s many, and it can lead up to the Tuśita. There are six.
Six. There’s six Six. Yeah. The at the place And in within the desire realm, there’s a it’s a god god realm, and in among that, there is six realms. And and all of them, even though they are in a place and born in a quite, but they’re still in a still experiences suffering.
And but then if you’re born in a form form realm and and and there’s And if you’re born in the form realm, then you you don’t need the food as ordinary that we consume. You know? And they eat in a meditative way — what’s the word? Very good. And And they drink water, not not ordinary water, nectar, and and it’s almost like a sleeping state.
And only the what when the bird sound here, then it’s a daytime. When other words, you it’s almost like a nighttime. And it’s environment is extremely beautiful. Think I think it’s this, you know, They consume not ordinary food, but oh, think it’s interesting. I’ve I’m lost.
It’s not only food or the consume or food that we consume. It’s not that sort of food. It’s food within the the mind. You know? I mean, mind stream.
I think it’s called my meditative sustenance. Where is it? Meditate. And this, you know, your karma can migrate or the it lead us to into that kind of realms. You know?
And it is due to the good heart and out of good heart, and you create virtues, and that virtues lead us to in a place that we can reborn in a in a quite nice place. What? Just the good the result of a good karma, and it’s a good result. And the other side, if you we engage in nonvirtuous and what that lead us is we may take in a reborn as a animal realm.
And the animal realm, if you imagine that said that in underneath the ocean. And it is almost like if you have one bag of big bag of rice, and if you see the rice is, you know, leaning on top of each other, and there’s no chance to move around. And it is more like that. And whatever gets there at that moment you eat, you know, the food they consume is is almost like that. And if you’re worse than that, you know, if you it can lead us to to further if we engage in a non virtuous or if you take the negative towards if we live in a negative life in everyday, then that will lead us to create non virtues and non virtues lead us to to take a rebound in further into the hungry ghost or hell realm.
And the hungry ghost, when if you’re born in a such a place, it is more like, you know, desert. And it’s said, you know, the if you are far underneath the iron ground and that is completely dry and there’s no anything else, drink or any food or anything. There’s nothing. And it’s more like that kind of environment. It can take we can reborn at such place, you know, hell realm.
Hungry ghosts. Sorry. What it means, I love to And not even a slight piece of food, you know, for ten, fifteen years. Are. Mhmm.
Alright. And if we engage, know, furthermore, the negative action, then, of course, this one lead us to reborn as a the actual hell realm. In among the inner hell realm, there is two, you know, cold and hot hot hell realm. And in a hot hell realm, among there, there is eight different hell realms and hot hot realms, hot hell realms. Okay.
And and there’s the measurements, but I’m I’m not sure that’s how can I can multiply that into the present? But and each hell realm, there is it is more like a boiling fire, you know, like and you you have to live in that kind of environment environment, and it is extreme hot, and and it’s the fire is like it’s just above you, you know, one and a half feet. So And our in our physical body is almost sized like this room, and our flesh here, it is very much like, you know, newly born baby, their flesh, you know, very fragile and And in a press and and the heat that we they experience is not what we have a fire in our present fire that we can experience. Present, there’s a sandalwood fire is more hotter than ordinary wood. And then then there’s another fire it comes from.
I’m not sure. And that is far more hotter than the sandalwood, and and we have to experience that from the start. You you can convey, you know, that how extreme or how hot it is. And the it it is all depend on how motivation you carry on each your day, you know, everyday life. You know?
And if we have virtues of the good heart, and the good motivation lead us a good heart, and good heart to lead us to to the the to lead us in a virtuous path. And that way, it it will lead us to in a in a in a better place. You know, it gets better and better. And then and and opposite that, you know, the the if you have a very harmful thoughts and that also, you know, creates a motivation. If you have a very a motivation that is very harmful, then through that, you can harm to towards the sentient being, and through that, you create the non virtues.
And and that lead us to, you know, take in those place that we mentioned. And if you ask, they might raise any questions that, you know, who create those those, you know, dreadful place, you know, like iron kind of, you know, hunger ghosts, which is what was mentioned, and also the hell realms, those, you know, the fire and all those, that kind of environment. It’s a possible they arise a question there. Who create those? And Buddha mentioned that this is created by your your doing a nonvirtuous thing.
Nonvirtuous create this kind of environment. That’s Buddhist Buddha, his answer. It it it produce or the create by through the nonvirtues or the negative negativities. And, like, very much, like, similar that, you know, the environment that we live in Australia. And if you look at Australia, you know, there is a beautiful, you know, the the landscape and beautiful cliffs and water, the beach, and all place that you can Oh, wow.
And flower and all the shelter that we, you know, all that that we can experience or we can see through in our eyes. You know? If you ask that who created this, you know, and there’s no really good answer or it is at least if you are Christian, then okay. Probably you can definitely say it’s created by the god or the Lord. But, actually, it it is due to it is created by the living beings that who lives in this environment.
That that’s the the that the living beings, their karma created in this environment. Living beings karma created. And those beings that who live in here in Australia, their their common karma create this environment. And, again, you know, even though we can see this kind of very beautiful in the country and but that the one common karma that created. And again, in the individual, if you look at any individuals, you know, and then some people, they have better than others.
Some people then worse than others. You know? And this is also in their own, you know, it is created by their own their own karma. Okay. And then also you can see there’s some even I’m gonna look out to do that.
Live in this universe, you know, but there is certain place that countries that also have very difficult, you know, the environment is also not pleasant, and also the people are very struggling for all the shelters and food and all that. And it is due to on their own karma that that that in kind of environment or the the the sentient beings that where they live is also is their own karma to create that kind of environment. And what I’m making point here, you know, for all of you that is, you know, conclusion is, you know, that, you know, we must engage. We must, you know, create our good heart towards for the sentient beings and try to not not engage in harmful thoughts, you know. Try to be a good heart and be to create and to benefit others.
And if you have that and that lead, you know, as mentioned, and that’s the making a point, you know, what we have to do is try to be positive and be good motivated and good hearted. You know, most important, good heart make good Reason I mentioned this is also it relate with this present teaching, and what we’re talking here is we we have a generate anger, and anger creates so much, you know, and it destroys all the virtues. And not only that, it creates the greatest negativities that we create. And here that tonight, the previous talk was it’s a it is a reason is is a very related with this present teaching. No good to no good to no good.
Okay? As the anger, Rinpoche said, it is very, very no good. Also creates a very unpleasant environment as well. And among the three there’s 10 non virtues, and among the three non virtues from the the mind, it is desire and also the hatred. And the hatred is one of the really great destroyer.
And the the the if you ask, you know, what’s the antidote for anger is patient. And if we cultivate patient, you know, increase our patient and also decrease our anger. And Rinpoche said the the anger if you look at what anger creates, anger creates non virtues, and it destroys all virtues. And not only that, it also bring a very unpleasant for your present. And but the opposite of that, if you if you engage or cultivate patient, then what what happens, you know, it bring us peace of mind, and also it brings creates a virtuous.
And it is more like like hot and cold. And if you put more cold and it decreases all the heat, you know. And again, in the opposite that if you if if you let anger to take a place, then, you know, of course, the your patience decreases, and your anger increases. Therefore, what we have to try here is we have to try the in the opposite, you know. We have to try to to increase our patience and try to decrease and to look at towards the the the what the the consequence will be if we engage on anger.
And that way, we try to hear to increase our virtues the our the the patient. And through if we increase our patient, the the the anger or the hatred, you know, it’s automatically to decrease its And what we have to try here is so that And, actually, the anger rises within the suffering. You know? If you have a suffering, if you’re not able to take, then anger increases, you know, and it arise within the suffering. And what we have to try to do is willingly enduring suffering, you know, and and if you if you do that, you know, then, you know, it, you know, it decreases your anger, you know, because you have a willingness in your within your mind stream, and therefore, you know, no matter even in suffering that you experience, you are able to cope and and able to willingly endure sufferings.
And reason we have to willing is because we have in a previous it was mentioned that there is very less cause of happiness. There’s more cause of suffering. Therefore, we have to understand that and through understanding that and then try to willing to enduring the suffering. And because we have a more cause of suffering or the cause of suffering and because it is the very nature of saṃsāra. Samsāra’s nature is suffering.
Right? Oh, that is the nature of saṃsāra. If you so if you’re willingly enduring the suffering, then through that, you know, you can can gain renunciation? No. I didn’t do one of that.
Do one that. Oh. Oh. To, you know, if you’re willing enduring the suffering, then you have a desire to be free from suffering. And if you have that desire to be free from suffering, then there is a renunciation can gain.
The. If you have gain realization on on the renunciation, then that that is a there is a benefits of that to have a to be to seeing free from It is a benefit that can cause benefits of the sorry, I’m completely lost. If you have gained renunciation, then, of course, that way, you know, there’s a chance to to have a free from saṃsāra and to be liberated. Alright. Okay.
And here, give this story. In India, in ancient, there’s the a siddha, or there’s a non-Buddhist, his name was Siddharma. And Ram is the the the the deity or the god. You know?
And this siddha is the