Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 44-minute teaching, Choedak explores compassion in action through the lens of Tibetan Buddhist foundation practices, showing why formal disciplines like prostrations matter before advanced practice. He opens by clarifying that rituals are techniques, not rigid formulas—compassion requires adaptability to each person and circumstance. He then explains the significance of accumulating virtuous actions in hundred-thousand counts (the “laksana” or marks), using the analogy of planting seeds in fertilized soil: the mind must be purified of gross negativities before bodhisattva practice can take root. Drawing on his own family’s example, Choedak emphasizes consistency over intensity—waking early to practice even when tired or ill yields deeper results than sudden ambitious retreats. He closes with an extended guided meditation on loving kindness, moving from gratitude to parents, through family, friends, neighbors, those disliked, all humanity, and all sentient beings, grounding the teaching in practical daily application through speech, action, and respect for others’ wellbeing and property.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 CiA.mp3
UUID: 43fc4f3d-f9de-4157-8fa1-537891e64449
Teacher: Choedak
Collection: Compassion in Action (Choedak)
Date: 1987 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Words: ~4,283
First half of the time, have some discussions, if you have any. And then I conclude it conclude the day by that by doing meditation on loving kindness. How are you all doing? Oh, yeah. Yes.
I’m only mainly talking when you have when you have reached to to a quite a high level of developing love and kindness. You don’t particularly need them. Rituals are only crafts, techniques of making them available. So this very situation we are going through, it’s a ritual. It’s a ritual of sharing and trying to understand about loving kindness by and of course there are particular rituals through which you take a pledge, ceremony through which you take a vow to develop, to have, to practice loving kindness.
But once you actually develop them, you know, it doesn’t require any, you know, any formalities. Buddha didn’t perform any ritual, he just sat there as humble as he was, you know, he didn’t have to perform any magical thing to solve the problem. Often we have set ideas how things should be and loving kindness has no set ideas. It’s not a set idea. It’s an open mindedness where you will be able to exercise your capacity in that very given situation.
Say, to love somebody, to care somebody’s welfare does not therefore necessarily mean that you have to care this way or that way because every circumstances is different and your own attitude and the person’s level of intelligence, all this has to be, I would say, adapted accordingly that your method of approach is going to be beneficial. So one set ritual of how you care other people do not apply it everywhere. Only the of course, if there is any ritual, it is mainly developing the true feeling initially, and then having done that, so then that doesn’t require any set pattern of rituals or techniques as such. Yeah. Yeah.
Of course. Yeah. It is interesting how this word lak, one lakh. Lakh is Sanskrit word, but everybody knows one lakh is one hundred thousand. And the marks of Buddha, the thirty two major and eighty minor marks of Buddha, in Sanskrit is called lakshana, laksana of the Buddha.
It’s thirty two, but this laksana means thirty two marks of the Buddha, marks of achievement. So when you do something hundred thousand times, you have to be quite good at good at it. Means imprint is very strongly laid upon. Of course, not only the act of doing it, but of course the understanding of it. Say a person does a lot of prostration.
You know, that doesn’t mean that whole idea is he become good at prostrating. But but ideas, he becomes so developing the humbleness in death just as he or she bowed in front visualizing Buddhas and enlightened beings in front of them to cultivate humbleness and overcome one’s pride and arrogance for that being as the purpose of doing so, one becomes perfected in terms of maintaining that humbleness in presence of others. Is that a hundred thousand consecutive prostrations? No, no, no. Serious?
No. Not well, it is say they say better to do on one one say, one set time one set time, say, in two two years time no. No. Two months time or one what usually takes at least two months. So you have to keep counting?
Keep counting. Yes. You’ll have to go everywhere. Yeah. Yeah.
We got can help anything. Count. Have a lot of counting system. No problem. Keep counter with you.
Yeah. It’s a yeah. Also, like I if you if you if you sow a seed in a soil that is fertilized, then the seed will grow more abandoned. You know? Similarly, so if you do a cult a method of cultivating humbleness and lack of pride, arrogance, and the presence of Buddha’s enlightened beings, then that’s they call merit field, the right field.
In presence of you, you draw them, you invoke them, you feel the presence of them, and then you are creating the your directness of contacting them in spirit wherever you are. Buddhists or enlightened beings are wherever we are. So therefore, you you develop that sense of reality. So not being Buddha or shrine around us doesn’t mean the Buddhas don’t know or we don’t become mindful enough. So that cost that two or three months continuous practice of that invokes the energy around you to the Buddha energy around you and thus awakens our own qualities.
And so such distinctive practices of the five or four foundations attacks these five departments. That doesn’t mean that hundred thousand become necessarily sufficient, but the whole idea of that when you do hundred thousand times, you become more energetic to do another one, you know? It doesn’t make you feel that you have done it so you feel really sufficient. I know one Tibetan lady who’s who’ve done nine times. Still she thinks she should do more.
You know? Because the thing is interesting thing is and this foundation practice of Tibetan Buddhism is especially model practice for vajrayana practices, you know, vajrayana practices. And to to be able to reach the Buddhahood or vajradarahood, you have to accumulate the similar merit that Buddha had accumulated in three uncountable kappas. So it is said if you do complete the foundation practice completely, actually it becomes equivalent to the three uncountable kappas. If you have done it properly, had you done it properly, it becomes very similar to that.
And and therefore the practices suggest oneself the constant during these practice you become dedicated, you become very dedicated. And that is courageousness is challenged there. Your courageousness is very much accelerated in this practice. Otherwise, we do hundred prostrations, you think, oh, what I’m doing this for? And you really get paranoid about it, you know.
And no matter how much your faith is, there’s always a negative negativities that come in your physical pains and difficulties. All these things intrude your mind and therefore you become very, you know, unprepared to do it. So without being bored, to do it continuously is is challenges like that bodhisattva for three uncountable kappas, not getting tired of it slightly to work for the sake of other beings. That kind of psychologically, we are very, very tested within that period of time to challenge our bodhisattvic energy. Then only any vajrayana practices become very, very suitable for you.
Otherwise, the foundation is very, very wobbly. And being able to realize the vajrayana nature of how everything is manifestation of dharmakaya mind in the appearance of Rūpakāya, we cannot perceive them because of these obscurations. The gross obscuration hinders us from seeing us each other as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and dakas and dakinis. We cannot see that because because of the hindrances we have, because of the labels we have on each other, because of grasping to these ordinary notions. Yeah.
Yeah. The thing is, yes, if we are capable of maintaining this loving kindness all the time, but the problem is our habit of developing the negative aspects of our mind are much more dominant than the loving kindness energy. So therefore being able to love develop loving kindness is not very easy try to just try to integrate in ordinary activities. So therefore practices like prostrations and other you know effective things that that you really have to surrender and dedicate in them to practices only attacks this growth gross defilements. Thus becomes ourselves more fertilized to grow the real plantation of loving kindness.
Otherwise, our mind has so many weeds, you know, that so even though loving kindness is something that you wanted to plant, the weeds are just killing it. So so they’re purifying this. So the foundation practices are the cleansing ones, cleansing all these these gross defilements, and thus making oneself more mature able to actually realize. So really people cannot realize ultimate or even relative bodhicitta perfectly if they don’t purify their negativities. So such practices are very, very important.
Choma sana, you know, it’s like, if you if you press sand, there’s no butter will come out of it. Only if you churn if you churn milk, then only butter can be made. So, you know, if you try to practice Bodhicitta, you know, Bodhicitta in ordinary activities, it’s very remote because ordinary activities drives our mind into more deeper into negativities. So because as long as we are not able to transmute ordinary transmute between the dualism of ordinariness and unordinariness, we we cannot really make ordinary activities integrate in in Bodhisattva practices. So such particular practices, you know, such prescribed practices as a prostration and this draws out drives ourselves nearer and nearer and closer to the bodhisattvic energy and therefore attacks the gross departments.
Yeah. If you do not accumulate virtuous action, virtuous habits through the doing so, most people think, oh, you you integrate your everyday activities, but it’s not very easy. Yeah. It’s it’s really yeah. It seems to be really, you know, always it’s the more harder you face difficulties as such as these you’re mentioning, there are yet the quality and our understanding of dharma still maintains and grows, you know.
Yet, no matter how remote conditions we are really confronted by, but still we we we find ourselves our our really view of Dharma is always precious and valuable. So if we really commit ourselves that I want to do this by realizing all these Lamrim teachings, developing realizations, the lepi Tibetan peoples are no better situation than people in the west too. They have a lot of difficulty. And what they do is they make they wake up early morning, go to sleep early in the night, early, so stay no staying late and waking early early morning. And my mother, for example, had tuberculosis, you know, for many years, and no medication would stop her because she always is very emotional, worried about all the children and grandchildren and so forth.
And my teacher eventually suggested that she do prostrations every day, no matter much. And she does it, wakes up at six o’clock in the morning cleaning every house, all the house, and she does most of the work even in her sixties. But she, you know, she made time available to her. Wakes up half an hour early hour earlier than the usual days, goes to bed much earlier, and before everyone is able to brush their teeth, she finished her prostrations. So if we can make a habit of that every day, it’s kind of thing.
And as doing this every day, especially our age, quite young, you know, it’s it’s prostration is even though you would like to see it doing in a very, you know, lumps lump sum time, but but while we’re waiting for the lump time to arise, you know, it’s better to do something consistent, continuation, then it really makes your karma ripen that you actually might become be able to do it in a in a such a situation. So it’s it’s very much talking about a commitment and dedication that we we we have to make, we have to harbor ourselves. A little bit are good. A little bit better than nothing. You see?
You see, it is said that even though, you know, tiny or minor negative actions saying this doesn’t really matter, it’s only insignificant. Overlooking such, you shouldn’t, you know, commit them, just a small spark of fire can burn the whole house. Thinking that this is just tiny virtuous action, it’s not, you know, it’s not married worth. There are cases that a lot of drops of water fills a jug, and so therefore, little bits of doing is very good. Oh, yeah.
That’s the ideal way of training us because we we cannot just do all of a sudden whole thing then. Many go crazy too and retreat a sudden just jumping into retreats, long retreats. So the maybe we we become more adjustable, becoming familiarized with the practices, you know. The longer term you practice, that that’s why most older and people who have practiced more years seem to seem to be able to teach better because they are teaching on the basis of their experience, you know. Themselves have faced these difficulties, you know, and they have looked how they can maneuver these things, solve these problems, approach teachers, went to retreat, got tired, sick, unhappy, and all all the gone, all this, you know.
If you haven’t undergone hardships, no no one can be a good practitioner. Comfort and luxury doesn’t make make their practice easier. So hardships, was teaches the greatest lesson to learn from hardships. You know? Have you heard this story about Milarepa?
You know? Milarepa to his student, Rechungpa. You know? Milarepa said, I have the best in speech instruction to give you, but I’ll give you only one day. So this was always waiting when is going to this best instruction.
And, you know, and he always, you know, worship and so forth. And and it was about time Milarepa was leaving and and Rechungpa both there knew that they were not going to see each other again. So and he said, look. Why why not aren’t you still going to give me give me this pith instruction? And Milarepa said, yeah, that’s what I’m going to give you.
So he showed his bump. You know what? You know? What the what Reich Jungpa saw, all his lump in the bump from sitting. What do you call that?
Calluses. Calluses all over. You know? Just like horse hooves. You know?
Nothing like a human bump. You know? Oh, you know? Rechungpa really developed an unusual kind of faith in him so much, you know. So, you know, hardships are really experienced.
That was best instruction, you know. You know, we were we were very lucky or, in other words, unlucky, you know, having lots of, you know, monastery built for you, giving room to practice, you know. No. In the in the real practitioners in Tibet, no. They really, really live.
They’re called tree dwellers and early risers. These were the nicknames for the practitioners, early risers and tree dwellers. And we don’t have to just go that far, but, you know, it’s a can be a source of inspiration for us to train up the path. Yeah. So consistent is more better than lump sum.
Yeah. Slow and steady. Okay. Are you are you clear about loving kindness? Yes.
Yeah. I’m sure this isn’t you know, we haven’t talked to even one percent of what really loving kind is all about, but, you know, but this is this gives us something to look at it. Okay? So we will do some meditation here. Go to page ten and eleven.
Do as this morning. These first two verses that we say on page prayers that you say when you take Bodhisattva vows and whatever. And the rest of the what it appears on page eleven page eleven is in praise of bodhicitta or loving kindness. So so we we we try to recite, chant this, praying, praise this before we do meditation. Just as all previous Buddhas first gave rise to the precious bodhicitta mind, and just as they then carefully followed the stages of the bodhisattva and disciple.
Likewise, for the sake of all new beings, do I now myself generate the bodhisattva mind, and likewise, I myself train in the discipline of a bodhisattva? Just as all previous Buddhas first gave rise to the precious bodhisattva, and just as they then carefully followed stages of bodhisattva, disciple. Likewise, for the sake of living beings, do I now myself generate the bodhicitta mind, and likewise, will I myself train in the disciplines of the bodhisattva. Just as all previous buddhas gave a precious bodhisattva. And just so they then carefully follow the stages of bodhisattva’s discipline.
Likewise, for the sake of all beings, do I now myself generate bodhicitta, and likewise will I myself train in the disciplines of the bodhisattva. They who out of wisdom, have seized the supreme bodhicitta mind, praise, glorify, and rejoice in it, that it may grow to fulfillment. From today, I’ll reap the fruit of life, having well won the state of human being. Today, I am born in the Buddha family family and am now a child of the Buddhas. Thus, in the future, I should make every effort to live in accord with the Bodhisattva ways, and never should I act as would bring shame to this noble, faultless man.
Like a blind man fumbling the garbage happens to find a greyer and precious chain. Likewise, have I discovered the jewel of precious bodhicitta. Thus was found this precious bodhicitta to dispel, destroy all strife, an inexhaustible treasure trove to cure the poverty of all sin. It is the highest of medicines to cure all ills of the living, and it is the tree giving shade to those wandering on the paths of life. It is strong and mighty bridge by which can cross from misery, and it is the moon to shine in the mind to clear where the pains of delusion.
Bodhicitta is a great radiant sun to disperse the darkness. Butter gained from churning the milk of the dharma. All guests on the roads of life, who would taste the very substance of joy. Here is the actual seed of true happiness, a veritable feast to satiate the world. Thus today, in the presence of all awakens, giving both body and mind.
May the gods and all others rejoice. First of all, I must sit in a relaxed meditative posture, posture, keeping my body in a right posture, balanced and relaxed, making serviceable for the best of its usage. For I have nurtured and looked after this body. I must take the greatest advantage of this body. Body.
Am I seated whole body in a balanced and relaxed position. For the body is just a host. Let my mind harmonize the body as the mind wants to be. My consciousness sheltered in this body should be dwelt into peace in this body of that is peace and relaxed. By watching my breath, gently breathing out and in, may I balance the harmony between body and spirit?
Now I shall meditate on the loving kindness for the sake all living beings to be able to perceive and see them, lovable, who once should care for their happiness and its causes. A practice that is so precious, but I have long ignored so many lifetimes. The precious opportunity I have now, I shall train myself to do all of this from now onwards. Being able to see others whoever they are, love loveable, deserving of my love. Let all thoughts and distracted wanderings all go away and let my mind concentrate, to able to see the importance of love and kindness in my life and in all my lives, the essence of all teachings, the valuable jewel, the indestructible quality, path that all Buddhas have trodden, the message that all have spoken.
The sun that dispels all the darkness. Let me meditate on this. Sing up pointedly. As I live in this world, to live in relation to many others, where everyone needs each other’s love, it is my responsibility to love others. For I live due to the kindness of others.
It is shameful to not love others. For I would not hurt anyone, I should love anybody. For it will please everyone, I should love of everybody. It’s various district difficulties that I encounter to love. Some should be overcome by this practice and training.
I must love those I know first to train myself and gradually extend as the Buddhas have shown. I must at least learn to love my parents. Making them happy and habits causes happiness. Me as a child, me as an offspring of them in whom they have great hope and expectation, must give them love for they have undergone so many sufferings for the sake of my happiness. May they both have happiness and its causes of happiness.
May I always be able to see them lovable and care them? I must also be able to love my brothers and sisters, all my relatives, who we are commonly bound to be born in the same family and share the same surname of a family. What a common connection. I must repay them by giving my love so that they can be happy and have the causes of happiness. Will we depend on each other so much?
I must love them. I must also learn to love my friends, not because they are my friends, but because we are karmically bound together to be close enough that I am the most suitable person that they can turn for love. I’m the most suitable person to give love to the friends, for they wouldn’t appreciate love from strangers. I must therefore love and care others, my friends, just as myself. I must.
I must learn to love my neighbors. For we share the same street, same area, we depend upon each other so much. If I’m not able to love my neighbors, the rest of the world wouldn’t make much difference and significant to me. Neighbors is to be respected just as I respect my family. May they have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Happiness. We are karmically bound to be so close and share the same street and be so close. May all karmic debts that I owe in my lifetimes be repaid by loving them, caring them, and being compassionate to these loved neighbors. May all my family members and beings and neighbors, may all of them be able to love each other and their own neighbors and friends or relatives so that they can cherish others more than the self, which is only gateway for happiness. More so if I wanted to develop the pure loving kindness, I must learn to love the people I dislike.
If the quality of loving kindness is that consoles the sad ones and cares the hurt ones, the people who have difficulty getting on with me are ones I have hurt them. I’m the only one who can heal them. I must therefore love The the beings who I have disliked to have happiness more so. For I have given sufferings by my misunderstanding. May they have happiness and causes of happiness.
May they have nobody they dislike. I must especially to love others who I have hated. For the delusion of hatred burns all virtuous qualities. It’s not worth maintaining at all, even a moment. To overcome this, I must learn how to love and be patient to those I have developed hatred.
I must learn to love all human beings of different color, race, backgrounds, all of them. For all human beings want happiness and its causes no matter who they are. May all of them be happy and have the causes of happiness. I must also more so learn how to love all living beings, seen or unseen, or unheard, visible or invisible. May all of them have happiness and causes of happiness, for they all want happiness as much as I do.
I must therefore engage myself with these fervent wishes to be able to help others, to be happier by providing all needs that I can provide if I have pure loving kindness. I should never feel destitute or running short of anything to care others if I develop loving kindness. Loving kindness, the mother of all the Buddhas, which gave rise to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, Is the seed dwelling in my heart? Let this meditation water the seed and plant the tree of wishful and to satisfy the whole world and its inhabitants. With this loving kindness, I must not hurt them through my speech.
With loving kindness, may I develop watchfulness to love my speech, to watch my speech, how I speak to others, and what I speak to others, and with what motivation. May this loving kindness develop me mindfulness to guard my speech that could be so dangerous to hurt others. In fact, let me guard my body, speech, mind to love others. Let it not hurt anybody. I must learn to speak pleasantly, use the right words, being communicative, developing understanding.
Let such mindfulness give me these talents of rightful communication, understanding and harmony. If I am experiencing difficulty getting on with people, I should be convinced that my loving kindness is not supported by mindfulness and thus using my speech communication wrongly. I must guard my mind and speech if I’m developing loving kindness. As a result, may I be able to respect life of living beings, their property and relationship. For no one wants to be hurt.
I should respect people’s life. Small as insects, may they have happiness and its causes. Just as I want to look after the comfort of my body, no one wishes to suffer. So I must be sensitive to implement loving kindness by respecting others’ life. May I also respect others’ property and possessions as it is many hours and days and weeks of hard work did they gain these possessions, no one wants to lose anything.
May I respect them as if they were my own. May I never give suffering to others due to disrespecting others’ property, property of the community, government, or anyone.