Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute foundational talk, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen builds the case for why to practice Dharma at all. He begins with practical groundwork—checking your motivation and mental state, then using nine-round breathing meditation to move from negative to neutral states—and explains meditation postures, particularly the seven-point Vairocana posture and its benefits. The core teaching presents four reasons to practice: external development brings temporary happiness but never ultimate fulfillment; you possess both the human conditions and access to teachings needed to practice; those conditions may not return in future lives; and impermanence makes the time to start now, not later. Suitable for anyone considering whether Buddhism is worth their commitment.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 ALB.mp3
UUID: 5a273259-3a3d-4f51-8c5c-dcfd9d753fde
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: A Look at Buddhism (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.0 minutes
Words: ~2,881
So, Geshe-la, today, will explain the reason why we need to do the Dharma practice and it will give a detailed explanation and then afterwards if you have any questions you are welcome. So, normally, when we start when Geshe-la gives teachings, we start with setting up our motivation, and we do some prayers, prayers known as the seven limb practice. So we’re not doing this today here. So, for example, like, whatever teaching you listen to, whether it’s Buddhist teachings or any any any religious teachings that you are going to hear, what you should be aware of is you should be aware of what kind of motivation with what kind of motivation you’re listening to the teachings. So should should listen to the teaching with a good motivation?
So before you start checking your motivation, you first have to check your mind and you should check your mind whether in which state your mind is in. Like, is it a positive state or virtuous state Or is it a non virtue or negative state which a mind with anger and attachment and so on? Or is it a neutral state? So you should analyze or check this. The reason why we should analyze is that, for example, our mind cannot do two things at once.
So so that our mind cannot do two things at once. So if it is under the influence of attachment, for example, then whatever whatever we try to practice because it’s under the influence of attachment, you won’t be able to concentrate well with your practice. So when you analyze and if you find your mind is already on the positive state or virtuous state, then it’s alright from there you start your practice. So and then if our mind is on a negative state or on a non virtuous state, then to bring our mind out of that state, that negative state, one need to do the breathing meditations and the breathing meditations known as the nine round breathing meditations and so on. And probably most of you you know those breathing meditations.
So here, Geshe la won’t be explaining how you do the breathing meditations. So to speak briefly about the breathing meditations, the main purpose of breathing meditations is to bring mind in a neutral state. Whatever our mind for example, if it’s in a negative state, under the control of attachment, hatred, anger, so on, From that stage, like, bring through breathing meditations, you bring into a neutral state. So so when one start doing the breathing meditation, that you first, you exhale out from your left left nostril, and then imagining at at that time you should your mind should be concentrating on your on the breath. And then and then at the same time what you should think there is that all those negative minds that which is with you that is like being exhaled or being taken out at the same time when you’re exhaling in the form of black light or different creatures like snakes and so on.
Imagine that all of these those negative state of mind are being taken out while you’re breathing out from your left nostril. And then when you inhale and when you inhale, then you inhale from your right nostril and imagining that all the positive energies or the virtue that in the form of white light and then coming into you which brings happiness into you And and at that same time, visualizing imagining that all, like, all your mind is now on a virtuous state, like, positive state. So then this like breathing meditation in and out, counting as one circle, and do as many times as you can, like several numbers like nine times or more than that. And then after after doing that, when when you when you after at the end, as a result, you’ll see your mind in a in a peaceful state or in other words, in a neutral state. So then the postures while you’re doing meditations in in in Buddhist teachings, there’s the explanations which you should keep the seven posture of Vairocana.
And that is that posture is sort of explained as the best posture that one can keep while one is meditating. But but that that doesn’t mean it’s that posture is very necessary, that you can also meditate while you are lying down or you can, like, in in many ways, can, like, can you stretch your leg and do do meditations. So but then the best posture is, like, the seven postures of Vairocana. So one thing, if one to keep the postures like the seven postures of Vairocana, then your meditations, our meditation practice, receives true or is it true result that is like mentally true like true results which is mental result and the physical result which is the mental is the calmness of the mind through meditations and then physically, because of taking this said posture, one one purifies the negativities that one have accumulated through our body. So so as Geshe-la explained right now shortly about the breathing meditations, that we will do short meditations on on short breathing meditations here.
And when you exhale out, imagining that whatever negative minds that is in, imagine that all are being removed, like taken out in the form of black light or different creatures like scorpions and so on. And imagine that it’s been removed far and distant and when you inhale, and then imagine that all the virtue and the happiness in the form of white light going in into you and and your mind becomes your mind becomes mind comes into a virtuous state and or in a neutral state and thinking over this we do short meditation now. So so at the very beginning of the teachings, like, usually, there’s explanations of how you should keep your motivations. And we won’t Geshe-la won’t be explaining this today here. And what Geshe-la will be explaining now is that why we need to practice Dharma and what are the reasons.
So which this present body or the present body that we have has all the necessary conditions for the practice of Dharma? So which suitable body for practicing Dharma and that suitable body which has eighteen qualities and known as the eight freedoms and the ten endowments. So, like some of us, if we are missing some of the qualities, for example, those who don’t have all the qualities, with handicaps, handicaps, like for example the senses are not working well. If one is born like that then one doesn’t have all the qualities. And similarly, if one is born where there is no teaching you can hear, then that’s one of the one of one shortage of qualities.
So so we here, like, have all the qualities, and what we have is known as the suitable vessel for the teachings and like a one one is free from all those faults. So, right now we have all these qualities. One have all these qualities, one should make the best out of it and which is do some practice. Whatever whatever religion that one belongs to, we should one should do one should practice well. So here Geshe-la is explaining the reasons why we should practice Dharma, why we should practice giving four reasons and these four reasons you can analyze and check yourself whether that works for you or not.
So the first point of the four is that the needs of practicing needs of practice of Dharma, the need like, why one needs to practice Dharma? In other words, yeah. So, the second point is that contemplating that one have the potential to do the practices. So, then the third point is that one should whatever one is doing, one should be doing in this very life. And then the fourth point is that whatever one is doing in this life, one should what is it, start at very at this very time, right now.
So one need to practice Dharma and should have reasons why one need to practice Dharma? So one of the reasons is that oneself, ones friend and everyone else in one hand they are all same wishing or wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. This is like same for all. So and then when we look at this time, which time we are living in, then if we look at the external like development like materially, then it’s been well developed and they will be it will become better for the in the future. So if you look in the world, like, in all the countries, all all are, like, developing, like, mature materially.
Materialistic viewpoint, all are developing well. So so at the same time at at at at the same time, on the other hand, it’s very important for us to develop our mind too. So so the the external development or the the the development of material things can bring us short term benefits which one can experience some temporal happiness and also it can help get rid of some minor sufferings. But the external development cannot bring, cannot fulfill our ultimate wishes, cannot bring us the give us our ultimate happiness, which is the ultimate happiness that is the everlasting happiness. So when we said that some external benefits like some temporal benefits can be achieved through external development is that the happiness or the benefits only of this life.
That we are not talking about the happiness of the future life. Happiness of the future life cannot be gained through external development. So as soon as one start doing a religious practice, like in one hand all religious practice are same, that working for their future life. That is the next life and to achieve better rebirth or higher rebirth in their future life. So if one concentrate only on external development then there are some benefits, there are some minor benefits.
But sometimes the external benefits can be a problem too. So one can face many problems through external development like individually or like country to country, one can if the external development can be a cause for for more problem. So if if one wish to achieve happiness for our future, for future life, then the best thing that one can do is the Dharma practice. That is the best method. So then if that is so, then if we say, like, if I want to do some practice, start doing some practice, that doesn’t mean that just doing some practice will bring your happiness right there.
So but then if one whatever religion practice one follows. If one like one sincerely and from the depth of one’s mind, do the practice, whatever religion one is doing, then gradually the achievement or the result can are achievable. So the happiness of the mind and or the lasting happiness. This completely depends upon how much practice one is doing. Not there’s no difference from from the region or the teaching teaching side.
It’s completely depends on one. So So, why if we do this practice essentially and how come we will achieve those states, those highest state is because it is explained as the mind, the nature of our mind is clear, clear and knowing. So because of this reason that all these qualities can be achieved through sincere practice. So like our mind right at present, our mind is like covered by the three poisons, those attachment, hatred and angers. So they have covered our mind.
So as an example, like a statue of a Buddha which is covered with a rag, a covered with a rag. Similar to that, our mind is covered with the three poisons. So our mind is not mixed with the delusions. Only covered by delusions. So if one is to practice or apply antidotes to remove those afflictions or delusions, then gradually one can see the clear nature of our mind.
And and then same thing, another point is that the the law of karma is infallible. So when we say the law of karma is infallible, is that by doing virtuous action, by creating virtuous cause will only give virtuous result. And by doing a non virtuous or by accumulating a non virtuous cause will only bring forth non virtuous result. So then thirdly, like also the infallible refuge objects. The infallible refuge objects have no fault.
And if one to practice as it is explained, then the qualities can be achieved. So on foundations like as we have just went through the three points. On these foundations like all the past enlightened beings, like for example Buddha Śākyamūni have achieved the enlightened state the basis of this. So that that is like the the first reason these are the reasons for the first one why we need to practice Dharma. So so then the the reasons for the second point, are we able to do the Dharma practice?
So we are able to do the Dharma practice, but we have the potential to do the Dharma practice. That is we have all the external and internal conditions. We have all the external and internal conditions there for us to do the practice. So the like the external conditions, for example, whatever religion practice that you wish for or want to follow, they are the external they are the one who explains that. They are like who gives the explanations.
And that is the external quality, external condition, sorry. So the internal conditions are also there, which is as Geshe-la explained before at the very beginning that this human body that we have is known as the internal qualities, internal conditions, sorry. So we have both these conditions, the external conditions and the internal. So we this, we are able to do the practice then. So so then if we are able to if we are able to do these practices, then when should we do is when should do in this very life.
That is the third point and then there will be the reasons. So so the reason is that why we should do why we should do it in this very life is that because one have all the conditions there. Otherwise, one miss in this life and go to a next life, then one is not sure whether one will have all these qualities or the conditions again or not. If one is to be born as an animal, then there are less chances for this practice. Or if one is born in one of the lower states, in the lower realms, then same thing, one cannot do these practices.
And even if one is born as a human being, again, if one is to be born in a place where there’s no teaching that one can hear, then one cannot do the practices. So one should the reason that one should do it in this very life. So to again have like similar rebirth in our future is not easy. So so one can like, one should one should prepare from now on from right now to to receive like a similar bodies in our future. Mhmm.
So one thing that like human beings, if they they do take rebirth, that doesn’t mean they will always come or take rebirth as a human being. And also same with animals, that doesn’t mean that animals will always be animals. It takes rebirth as an animal. So that is not the case. So that, for example, as in Adelaide Adelaide here, the numbers of people are growing growing.
So the number of populations are growing. Population of the people are growing. And if if only, like, a human being as born as a human being, then should be numbers should be the same. So then once you do it in this very life and then the fourth point is that once you start right now and the reason why is the body what we have is nothing stable. So if you want to think that right now I’m not doing this practice, I will do later sometime and I first go to schools and study there and then get some degree and then I do the practice later.
If you think that then there’s some if you think in that way then like because this this body is nothing stable. There’s a there’s a there’s always danger. So for example, like I myself also don’t know tomorrow will come first or my next life will come first. So because of that reason that one is not sure that one should start doing the practice right now. So we went through these points that the needs of the practice and why one need to practice and should do in this very life and and that too should be started right now.
Yeah. These four points we went to. So then another question. What happens if we do the Dharma practice? Then the reason of doing these Dharma practices is that one will gain what one is wishing for, the temporal happiness as well as the the the the the ultimate happiness.