Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 95-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche systematically works through three stanzas from the 37 Practices, organized by the Four Noble Truths. He opens with precious human rebirth as a rare ship enabling enlightenment, then moves to his central theme: understanding selflessness as the direct antidote to desire, hatred, and ignorance. Using concrete examples—a translator visible in a temple, a rope mistaken for a snake—he guides students through why persons and phenomena lack independent existence. He analyzes cyclic existence through four frameworks, explains why abandoning one’s homeland removes the conditions for affliction, and contrasts physical isolation with mental isolation, emphasizing that meditation on emptiness and concentration lead to liberation. The Q&A that follows addresses contemporary questions from practitioners balancing spiritual practice with everyday life.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 37 Practises 10 Jul 2011 – KR.mp3
UUID: e7db769c-cc0b-4f3d-8d30-b40b77356d02
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra
Date: 2011 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~4,134
So for the sake of leading countless sentient beings to the state of full enlightenment, bereft of all thoughts, we will at present study and train our minds in this text which is the essence of the Mahāyāna. So, the last time Geshe-la explained the two first stanzas of the 37 practices of the children of the victors or the conquerors. These include the homage to Avalokiteśvara, and the promise to compose a text which formulates the topic or the subject matter. The topic matter of this text is first and foremost, the practice of the Mahāyāna, which includes both training in bodhicitta, and training in the view of selflessness. This ushers in turn, the more elaborate topic, which is the practice of the beings of all three scopes.
The exposition of the three persons in the Tibetan tradition is made in terms of their mental faculties as well as of their goals. The practitioner of the great scope focuses on the practice of great scope or training in the practices of the lesser beings as well. In the same way as when we attend worldly schools, and for instance, first go to grade school, then secondary school, and eventually to college, we progress upwards in terms of our learning and understanding. Likewise, one must practice the practices of the beings of three scopes to attain the goal which is Buddhahood in the Dharmakāya’s three bodies. So today, Geshe-la will cover three verses and he would like for us, instead of just asking general questions based on the topics covered, to ask focused questions which are related to our foremost difficulty in terms of understanding and practice.
Since if we proceed in this way, we will not waste time. From his own side, he will do his best to answer these questions in terms of his own understanding and he feels this will be of benefit for him as well. This is the way one proceeds at Sera monastery where Geshe-la taught. At Sera Je monastery, the students attend debate or teachings from their teacher privately, and cover a given topic. During the teaching, they ask questions only related to that topic, and the teacher answers regarding that topic.
Here, for instance, this text, Geshe-la suspects we will be covering the Four Noble Truths at some point, and then at that point, one should ask questions regarding the Four Noble Truths. So to develop somewhat on the topic of the three persons, or the beings of three scopes, to train the practice of the being of great scope, one must habituate one’s mind to the practices of the being of great scope over and again. And to do this, one must however first, have trained one’s mind in the practices of the being of middling scope, which are preliminary. To do this, in turn, we must have trained one’s mind in the practices of the being of small scope. And therefore to train in the practice of the being of great scope, one must initially have trained one’s mind in topics such as the precious human rebirth, which belong to the topic or the field of the being of small scope.
Now the scope of the being or the focus of the being of small scope is abandoning this life, giving up this life and focusing on future lives. All the focus of the being of middling scope is a development of definite emergence or renunciation. Therefore, this treatise which we are studying, the 37 practices of the children of the conquerors, even though it focuses explicitly on the generation of bodhicitta and an understanding of the view, implicitly presupposes the practices of the beings of lower scope. And now moving on to the root text, I have retranslated it in the handout. This is on page one.
It is in bold letters, in this time during which a rare and great ship of leisure and endowment has been obtained. Here, the precious human rebirth with the eight freedoms and the 10 endowments which we have obtained is compared to a great ship. This is the example which is given because it is on this basis that one can train both in method and in wisdom. And here commenting in detail on the first verse on page one, this time during which a rare and great ship of leisure and endowment has been obtained. Ship is the example which is given for the precious human rebirth we have.
Leisure and endowment refer to the eight leisures or the eight freedoms and the 10 endowments. The eight leisures or the eight freedoms actually refer simply to time. They refer to leisure, to the possibility to do something. Wall on the other hand, endowment, refers to having the favorable conditions, such as food, clothing and so forth, which enable us to practice. Geshele will give a more elaborate commentary down the line, if there is time.
This verse also indicates that this ship is rare. Rare here means that it is difficult to find in the self same way, as something which is very expensive in worldly matters, cause for us to assemble many causes. To get a precious human rebirth, many causes are necessary. This physical basis, a precious human rebirth, is profoundly meaningful. It is profoundly meaningful both contingently or in the short term, and ultimately in the long term.
If we compare our human rebirth with that of other persons, other beings, such as animals for instance, we can see how much more beneficial it is from the standpoint of wisdom. To give an example, when Geshe-la came from India, he had to fly by plane for ten or eleven hours. Because he had access to fast means of locomotion like a plane, which correspond to favorable conditions, it was possible to come swiftly to Australia. The plane here symbolizes wisdom, which enables one to proceed quickly to one’s goal. We are in this respect very different from dogs, who basically lack it.
And regarding the ultimate meaningless meaningfulness of this precious human rebirth, it enables us to attain both liberation and full enlightenment. For this, the wisdom which realizes selflessness is indispensable, and such a wisdom does not exist on any other physical basis than on a human physical base. And now passing onwards to the second verse of the first stanza on page one, for the sake of delivering self and other from the ocean of cyclic existence. A whole in the first verse, the example which was given was that of a ship, and the meaning of this example was a precious human rebirth. In the second verse, the example which is given is that of the ocean, and the meaning of that example is cyclic existence.
So the ocean refers to cyclic existence. If one wants liberation from the ocean of cyclic existence to attain the purest state of full enlightenment endowed with the three bodies of a Buddha, one needs the ship of the physical basis of a human rebirth. And in this verse, for the sake of delivering self and other from the ocean of cyclic existence, self refers to two different types of selves. We have designated or nominal self on the one hand and self which is the object of refutation on the other hand. So regarding the first category of self, in other words, self which exists in terms of designation or nominally, this is a self which is imputed merely nominally and is to be understood as the meaning of the subtle selflessness of persons.
If you were to give an example, let us take your translator, Tenzin Tempa, Lila, and imagine we see him walking in the temple. What we see walking are his aggregates, which are the basis of imputation, the basis of designation of the name Tenzin Tempa. So when we see those aggregates, we say Tenzin Tempa. These aggregates merely arise in function of past virtuous and non virtuous karma and exist as mere designation. And While Tenzin Tempa exists as a mere nominal designation, he does not exist as a non nominal designation from his own side.
In other words, he does not exist in the way he appears to exist. If we were to give an example for this, let us imagine we see in the grass in front of us, something which is multi colored, long and seems to quiver. We might think that based on this, we are seeing a snake, and in turn, fear would arise within our mind. However, if we examine carefully, we can see that this object is merely a snake from the standpoint of our mental imputation on it. There is actually no snake there.
So, to continue with our example, for a snake exists from the standpoint of our mental or conceptual imputation of snake, on what we think we are seeing in the grass, nonetheless, from the standpoint collection of parts of the snake, there is no snake. Likewise, returning to the analysis Geshe-la made of Tenzin Tempa, when we see Tenzin Tempa, we think we are seeing Tenzin Tempa from his own side, but all that actually exists is the conception imputing Tenzin Tempa on that appearance. Then if we analyze when we see the body of Tenzin Tempa, the physical aggregate, it is inappropriate to think that Tensitempa resides within that physical aggregate, since when we analyze we can see that Tenzin Tempa is not in the head of Tenzin Tempa, nor in the chest or the lower body of Tenzin Tempa. Moreover, Tenzin Tempa is composed of five aggregates. The form, in other words matter, feeling, recognition, volition and consciousness aggregates.
And if we analyze, we cannot find Tenzin Tempa in any of these five aggregates. On this basis, we might think perhaps Tenzin Tempa actually does not exist within the aggregates. This is the meaning of emptiness. And therefore, the appearance of Tenzin Tempa as existing from his own side can be posited as the object of negation, which is negated by the view of the selflessness of persons. In other words, this is what is negated when we meditate on emptiness.
The stronger the appearance of Tenzin Tempa as existing from his own side, the greater the apprehension of an inherently existing self. The greater the apprehension of an inherently existing self, the greater desire which arises on this basis and its counterpart anger. And through repeated habituation to this view, which sees that Tenzin Tempa is not established as the five aggregates. Progressively, one becomes accustomed evermore to the view of the selflessness of persons, and this progressively over time eliminates the inherent apprehension of an existence of the inherent self of persons. As this is progressively obviated, one progresses gradually towards liberation, which is the goal of Buddhist practice.
In the self same way as when a seed is cast in a blazing fire, it loses its power. In the same way, once emptiness has been directly realized, one has attained liberation. So these are difficult topics, and it will be hard to understand emptiness at present on the basis of Tenzin Tempa’s example or that of a seed. However, through repeated habituation over time, our understanding will deepen, and Geshe-la from his side will be delighted to provide explanations regarding emptiness. And there are four, turning now to the commentary on cyclic existence, there are four different outlines regarding this.
The first is an explanation of what transmigrates. The second is an explanation of what is transmigration. The third is an explanation of the mode of transmigration. And the fourth is an explanation of how to eliminate transmigration. And therefore, the first outline, which is what transmigrates, or what is cyclic existence, is the self, the I.
The second is, to what does one transmigrate, one transmigrates through desire and anger. The third, how does one transmigrate? Beings transmigrate under the power of their minds, which are influenced by desire and anger, which in turn give rise to karma. And finally, the very nature of cyclic existence is to be the collection of the contaminated aggregates. Moving onwards to the third and the fourth verses of this stanza on page one, day and night unwaveringly, listening, reflecting and meditating is the practice of the children of the conquerors.
Here day and night unwaveringly refers to the totality of our time, worldly beings at the end a day’s work, retire at night to rest. However, such a practitioner day and night is striving for liberation unwaveringly or unceasingly. Moreover, these two verses point out that mere prayer or aspiration is insufficient to lead to liberation. The recitation of Mani and so forth is not sufficient. What is necessary is that meditation on selflessness.
And the final verse of this third stanza, listening, reflecting and meditating is the practice of the children of the conquerors, refers to the practice of beings on the great scope. Now the very foundation of the path actually is the Four Noble Truths, and therefore beings on this great scope when they meditate, meditate on the totality of the paths. They meditate on them first through listening, teachings, and this listening of teachings enables them to understand, and in dependence on this, they reflect on the meaning of the teachings, reflecting specifically in the case of the Four Noble Truths, on the first two Noble Truths, the Noble Truths of suffering and origination, which are explained in the two first verses of the third stanza, which Geshe-la commented. And after reflecting on this meaning, when the meaning of the Four Noble Truths arises spontaneously within their mind without any effort, one can say that the realizations of meditation have occurred. So the verse we have just seen, it’s the stanza we have first seen, especially it’s two first verses, teaches specifically the noble truth of suffering, whereas the following stanza on page two, teaches specifically within its first two verses, the noble truth of the origin of suffering.
Desire flows like water towards kin and close ones, hatred blazes like fire towards foes, gloomy benightedness forgets what is to be adopted and relinquished. Abandoning one’s homeland is the practice of the children of the conquerors. So here, the first verse points out that the foremost of the afflictions is desire. Desire is one of the truths of origination. And its counterpart is hatred, which is said to blaze like a fire towards foes.
The term blazing is used here because one of the features of hatred is that hatred can destroy whatever roots of virtue we have from the very root up. The third verse, gloomy benightedness forgets what is to be adopted and relinquished, refers to ignorance. In worldly matters, we attend school and university to foster our understanding of a topic and to dispel ignorance regarding that topic. Here in the context of Dharma, we receive teachings to foster understanding of Dharma. The fourth verse, abandoning one’s homeland is a practice of the children of the conquerors, refers to the foremost practice here, which is abandoning one’s fatherland or one’s homeland precisely because one’s fatherland, one’s homeland, the country one comes from, is that with respect to which the most powerful afflictions arise, both desire and anger, irrespective of how far removed we are from it.
So to give an example, Geshe-la says, he had first experience of this in Tibet at Sera Je, now in India. The monks who have come from very far to study at Sera, who have made tremendous sacrifices, do remarkably well in their studies. Whereas those who live just next to the monastery and who have the best conditions to study, generally do far poorer. And the same experience one has in India, at Sera Je there are some five to 6,000 monks, most of whom have actually come from Tibet. There is a large Tibetan community in exile in India, but only a couple of those come to study in the monasteries, and the experience of the monasteries has been that those monks who have come from far away in Tibet to study at the monastery, almost systematically do better in their studies than those who come from just next door in the refugee camps.
And there are several reasons for this. The first is that when one has abandoned one’s parents in Tibet and traveled to go to India, one has a tremendous motivation to study hard. The second is that if one’s parents are next to one, then one visits or often goes on pilgrimages with distracts from studies. The third is the absences during the Tibetan New Year, which again distract from studies. Therefore, this stanza of the Practices of the Bodhisattva says, abandoning one’s homeland is a practice of the children of the conquerors.
So the two stances we have seen so far, explain respectively the first noble truth, the noble truth of suffering, and the second noble truth, the noble truth of the origin of suffering. And the last stanza we will cover today, which I have not translated, so it’s in your first photocopy from last time, reads as follows. The practice of Bodhisattvas is to remain in isolated places as obscurations will gradually diminish due to abandoning harmful objects. Virtuous actions will gradually increase as the mind is not distracted, and due to clear mindedness, perfect recognition of the Dharma will arise. This third stanza probably teaches both of the latter two of the four noble truths.
The noble truth of cessation, and the noble truth of the path. Specifically, the first verse of this stanza, the practice of Bodhisattvas is to remain in isolated places as obscuration will gradually diminish due to abandoning harmful objects, is a direct development of of the last verse of the former stanza, abandoning one’s homeland is the practice of the children of the conquerors. Here, the harmful objects are those objects which give rise to anger or to desire, and through abandoning these objects, the afflictions will naturally and progressively diminish. And the final verse of the third stanza, the practice of Bodhisattvas, this is the final verse in Tibetan, is to remain in isolated places. So there is two forms of isolation, generally speaking, there is physical and mental isolation.
Physical isolation means to remain in a distant mountain hermitage. This is of no significant benefit, since the mind may wander left and right. It is mental isolation which is of benefit. There are for instance many cases we know of people who are seemingly engaged in virtuous behavior, reciting their commitments for instance, and yet they are distracted and doze off. There is no benefit whatsoever in this.
So it is mental isolation which is of benefit, and mental isolation for which purpose. Here the crux of the practice of the beings of great scope is a complete understanding of all three paths grounded in the Four Noble Truths. And this can be seen as being encapsulated and taught by Ārya Avalokiteśvara. So one would focus, it is possible and legitimate to focus on Ārya Avalokiteśvara for this practice. And to develop on this practice, one would visualize clearly Ārya Avalokiteśvara in front of oneself, and generally speaking, when prayers are addressed with strong strong faith, they are beneficial.
So here one would first address prayers with strong faith, and then focusing single pointedly on Ārya Avalokiteśvara, recollect the Four Noble Truths, and specifically recollect that wisdom which realizes selflessness. And the following verse in the third stanza, and due to clear mindedness, perfect recognition of the dharma will arise, is to be understood as follows. Here generally speaking, the clear mindedness which is referred to, is one which arises among others from physical causes. Most of us eat three meals a day and as a result of this, our minds are very heavy and we are often unable to wake early and to meditate in the morning. The instructions of the Buddha Śākyamūni for fully ordained bhiksus, and for that matter for novice monks, shramaneras as well, was to eat only twice a day and not to eat at all in the evening.
As a result of this, the mind becomes very clear. With this very clear mind, it is possible to meditate in the morning. So with these practices one’s mind is benefited and one’s bodily as well. One’s body as well, since one does not become overweight and runs no health risks. If we take the case of our teacher, the precious Khensur Rinpoche, Khensur Rinpoche is now very elderly, yet because of his asceticism he rises every morning early and meditates with a very clear mind.
And therefore the two last verses in the Tibetan text, the order of the verses is different in our English translation unfortunately. Read as follows, and due to clear mindedness, perfect recognition of the Dharma will arise, hence the practice of Bodhisattvas is to remain in isolated places. So Geshe-la explained the third verse, due to clear mindedness, perfect recognition of the Dharma will arise. And in dependence on that, one dwells in solitude in isolated places. As Geshe-la explained, there’s two forms of isolation, physical and mental isolation.
Physical isolation does not benefit, it is mental isolation which is of benefit for So for us at present, practicing these forms of solitude, physical and mental solitude is difficult. However, if we train in them, eventually over time, we will be able to do this. The famous example from Tibetan history is that of Jetsün Milarepa, the great yogi, who after training initially, then eventually accepted whatever physical hardship there was, giving up both food and clothing for his practice. And therefore Jetsün Milarepa is one of the foremost practitioners of this practice of the bodhisattvas. So, Geshe-la will stop here for today.
So there are fifteen minutes. Geshe-la will be happy to answer questions if you have any. Yes. So, this is not a specifically Western issue, this is universal. I mean, there’s a universal value attached to relationships and marriages, and these are not to be abandoned, it’s in dependence on them, children are generated.
What is your practice? What is your main practice? When you practice, what do you practice? I mean you are meditating on death and impermanence, then you say that your practice is insufficient. What is the core of your practice, your main practice?
So Geshe-la thinks when you meditate on death and impermanence, that in the Tibetan tradition certainly, if you become uncomfortable during the meditation, you should stop meditating and recite some manis, accumulate some virtue through making offerings or prostrations, and then after this, resume meditating again on death and impermanence. So generally speaking, there are two types of solitude or isolation which I refer to. The first is physical or bodily, the second is mental. At present we are not able to practice the harsh degrees of physical solitude which Jetsün Milarepa practiced, but Geshe-la said, to be honest and frank with you, that has to be our long-term goal, and we train in this so that eventually we are able to move away from all beings and live in solitude, so as to control the harsh afflictions which arise in our mind, in dependence on objects of desire or anger. Nonetheless, physical isolation alone does not enable us to attain either liberation or full enlightenment.
For this mental isolation is necessary. The mental isolation which is referred to is a process where the mind is isolated or put in solitude away from the afflictions such as desire and hatred. And this is done through concentration, concentrating for instance on a representation of the Buddha, on or on whatever object of concentration one wishes to concentrate upon, and eliminating all outer movement, outer distraction of the mind, and then progressively training the mind in the wisdom which realizes selflessness. Lotte, you have a question? So this is an excellent way to practice from within the four schools of tenets of Buddhist philosophy, the Vaibhāṣika, Sautrāntika, Cittamātra, and Mādhyamika School.
The Mādhyamika School is supreme, and the view of the Mādhyamika School on emptiness is supreme. Now in keeping with the view of the Mādhyamika School, whether we wish to attain liberation or full enlightenment, we must meditate on emptiness. It is impossible to eliminate the faults within the mind and to attain liberation without meditation on emptiness. Therefore, meditation on emptiness is indispensable. Thanks.
So Geshe-la has explained three stanzas today and he would like you at home to cover the material covered in class and to bring the questions and the doubts you have to the next session. He will answer them as best he can and we will then improve together.