Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute talk, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen addresses a core tension: knowing you will die, yet perpetually delaying spiritual practice. He opens with Buddha’s teaching on impermanence, showing how procrastination wastes a human lifespan—childhood passes in unawareness, adulthood consumed by work, old age too late. He then introduces the practical path: morality as the accessible training; bodhicitta (altruistic intention); and the threefold framework of listening, contemplating, and practicing the teachings. The bulk focuses on precious human rebirth—its rarity, eight freedoms and ten endowments, why this world-system surpasses all others, and what causes (morality, prayers, six perfections) must converge to create it. He closes with three motivations for practice, from highest (bodhicitta) to basic (higher rebirth). For practitioners beginning formal study.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 17 ALB.mp3
UUID: 9c970d7c-2eba-45a0-a203-3b59848463ad
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: A Look at Buddhism (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.8 minutes
Words: ~3,052
So quoting from the teachings of the Buddha. In in the sutras, Buddha explains or Buddha Buddha explains the teachings on impermanence and how how impermanence works and why we should engage in our Dharma practice right right right now, right here. Which he explains that the impermanence, nature of impermanence, like the birth and the death that which which which changes moment to moment. It it disintegrates moment by moment. And similar to that, our lifespan too runs all time.
We spend our lifespan. And like, it’s our lifespan is also like a like lightning as given as example. So whether whatever one do is totally up to one. But when one if one is to do a Dharma practice, then one should start right right here to do the practice. And, yeah, that’s how Buddha advises one.
So we do we do know the impermanence and death. We do we we are aware of that. But but we we we put like we put up our practice like I’ll do practice tomorrow or next month or next year. By putting up like that, we use of our life in that way? So so in one hand, if we look our lifespan, then it looks very long.
We have long lifespan. But then on another hand, if we look, it’s it’s a is it longest or is it like eighty years? So, this lifespan how we spent like for the very early twenty years, we are young, known as the young ones and we don’t remember that much to do the Dharma practice. And then the next twenty years of our life we are known as the grown up and we get engaged in these different works for our living. And then rest of the years, like rest of the twenty years, we are known as getting old and we feel it’s too late for us to practice.
And only what we could do is we think that when we can just make good wishing prayers, and that’s how we spend our life. So so because of that reason, Buddha advises us that we shouldn’t, like, leave something for tomorrow, but we should start today to do the Dharma practice. So our Dharma practice totally depends upon our way of thinking and our way of behaving or acting. So, in order for us also to achieve higher rebirth in our future life like humans and gods, we should collect the causes which is practice of morality. That is what we should do.
So there are these different trainings or practice that we we can do. And like a it is known as the three higher trainings. The the trainings of morality, the training on concentration, and training on wisdom. So those last two, the training on concentration and wisdom, this is not easy for us to do at this stage. So the first one, the trainings on morality is something that we can do and it is something applicable to us.
So that practice, if it is conjoined with this mind, that is the mind of bodhicitta, bodhicitta, then it becomes a cause for one’s own happiness and happiness of others too. So to put it practice, practice, whatever it is. You first have to contemplate or think over the meanings. And to do that, we first have to listen to the Dharma teachings. And out of that, like first listening and then contemplating all the meaning, then you put it in practice.
And then the practice that you put in it is conjoining that practice with this mind that is the bodhicitta. And which is whatever one is doing, whatever practice that one is doing, one is doing for the sake of those other mother sentient beings. And and with this motivation, one should listen to the teachings. So the past past week, the teacher explained briefly on meditations, how we do how how we do the breathing meditations, and and it can it follows with the it is explained the following explanations are on refuge, how how you should visualize the refuge object, and how you should generate this mind, that is and and give us short explanations on the four immeasurables. So so then if as a fall following from the last past week that if one is to continue with other type of meditations, then like the subject today, I guess, what we’ll be explaining is on this precious human rebirth.
On the precious human, how it is very meaningful to have this precious human rebirth and how rare it is to be, the rarity of it, how rare it is. So on these two points, I will explain it to you. So so if you look to this life, right, at at this moment, then most of most most of most of our life we have to spend only for the purpose of this for purpose of this very life. So so so now today, we have we have we have heard the teachings or explanations on on the precious human rebirth. And we we did we we heard about impermanence, and we know about the law of law of karma that is the cause and the cause and effect.
And we know about our past and future life. So so so whatever we should motivate or whatever we are doing, should make our practice as a cause for our future life. Becoming a cause of our good future life. And along with that motivation, we can work for the purpose of this life too. So so if one is to collect a cause for our future rebirth, for our good future rebirth, then that with the motivation that one is working for one’s future life, whatever one is doing, one is working for one’s own future life, then that type of motivation is known as the motivation of a small scope.
So so if one is if one is with this motivation, if one is working for one’s future life, then the purpose of this life will come along while you’re working for the sake of your future life. And that to do that, for one to do that, to work for one’s future, it is possible for oneself to do that. And because oneself have achieved this precious body which others don’t have. So we have achieved this precious human body which is known as the body which is having the quality of freedom and endowments. So one should see how meaningful it is to have this body and how difficult it is to be to find that this body.
So, this precious human body is very meaningful and how it is meaningful it is that on the basis of this, that one can fulfill all the wishes of this very life and decide that one can also achieve the liberation on the basis of this life, this very life, this very precious human life. And not only that, one can also achieve the everlasting happiness which is the fully enlightened state like on the basis of this this precious human life. So so so then it is also very difficult to find this type of body because this precious human body with these eight qualities, qualities, it’s very hard to find. So it is very hard to gain this type of body because because it needs its own causes and it has to meet with different conditions to to to gain this body. So as as a causes and conditions that one needs for to gain this precious human body is one need to one need to keep a pure moral discipline as a as a as a cause for this precious human.
Beside that, one need to make good wishing prayers. And one should one have to one should engage in the practice of six perfections. So these are the causes and conditions perfections. These conditions for this precious human body. Those qualities known as the freedoms and endowment.
Like freedom is having freedom to do the Dharma practice. So so so then the endowment is that having the right circumstances like there are ten of those which are conducive circumstances for practice. So so so we have found this precious human body. And now while while one have this, one should one one should take try to take the essence out of it. So so once you first recognize what are those freedoms and what are those endowments.
Example, if you if you are able to recognize what you have, whatever you have is is a gold, then that can then you can use that gold to for your for your livelihood and could have a good life out of that. But if you don’t recognize whatever you have as a gold, then you may use it use it in a you may use it, but you always have to be poor. So so the those qualities, those are those are the eight freedoms and the ten that have the endowment endowments. So so the eight freedom are known as being born as a human is one. What can it is?
So being born as a human and human of the the southern continent. human of the southern continent. So so human life is is explained most suitable vessel for practice, for Dharma practice and because it is the most supreme if you compare to gods, the animals, still then human life are more suitable vessels, which is because it is explained as it is the most suitable vessel that you could do the practice for your future life, for our future life. So among among those different human beings of different continent, the the human being of the southern continent or the is regarded the best. So so to to like a the human human form or human body which which which is regarded the best is that one who renounces the saṃsāra and who works for his or her future life.
So the reason why human beings of the Jambudvipa is or the Southern Continent is regarded the best. So, because lifespan, the human beings of Jambudvipa is all equal and similarly the world that they enjoy by the human beings in the southern continent or the Jambudvipa is also equal. So because of that because of that, it is regarded as the best. So, even the bodhisattvas who are residing in the pure land, They they too make this good wishing prayers to be born in the in this southern continent in the Jambudvipa. So so it is something special.
So we have we have we are in that we are in this continent. Sorry, and especially the human beings of the or the Southern Continent is regarded the best vessel for practicing Tantra. So so being born in this this continent, the southern continent, And, yeah, if one waste one’s life without being able to practice Dharma for the sake of future life, then that is explained as the great loss or great loss. Because of that reason, Buddha advises us to do the Dharma practice and to do it right now. So then next let’s say, freedom is being born in in the central land.
So the central central land doesn’t mean it’s the center of the four four directions, but the center where with the center of Dharma teachings. And then third is that having complete faculty, sense faculty. So so which is having the full sense faculties, which is all all all the senses are functioning. It should be should be one that all the senses are functioning. Not not being not like not being a blind or or even if you are not blind, if you have a a disturbed mind, then that too is regarded as not having one of the qualities.
Like, not having one of the qualities. And then and then next one is not having committed the heinous crimes. So so if one have committed one of the heinous crimes, then and the five heinous crimes, then then it is regarded one one one is not having one one doesn’t have one of the freedoms or one one doesn’t have one of the one of the qualities, which means that if one have committed one of the five in this crime, then in this very life, one one won’t be able to achieve the state of arhat. So so, like, there’s five famous crime or the five most heavy negative actions are known as like killing father, killing mother, killing an arhat, and and dividing sanghas or spiritual community. And and then the fifth one is like drawing blood from the image of Buddha.
So these are known as the the heinous crimes. And then the next one, next quality is having faith having faith having faith. So having faith in Dharma or or having faith in the in the Vinaya teachings or or the teachings and discipline. And then next freedom is Buddha Buddha having come to to the world. So so like Buddha haven’t come to this world, which is that at present Buddha we have at present, we haven’t, we are we are unable to meet Buddha but but we are able to meet the the teachers, our Dharma teachers.
So so that is that is that is one of the qualities like able to meet with our spiritual teachers. And then second is like preach like preaching the Dharma. Like preaching the teach preaching the Dharma. That’s like whoever the Buddha giving teachings. And and then and then the existence of the followers of Buddhist teachings.
So so that is another one. So then the next is that one have this wish to do the Dharma practice or go into isolated practice. Having a who can help the practitioners, like having the benefactors for your practice. So these eight are known as eight freedoms. So so So being being like, the opposite of that is being born in a in a land where there is no teachings, no Dharma teachings.
And next is that being born as a barbarian and being born as a long life god and being born as one being born as a handicap or not having full sense senses. And again, as being born as a as a person with a wrong view. And then like, again, being born in the animal realms or being born in the hungry ghost realms and being born in the hell realms. These places are as if one is born in these places, then one don’t have the freedom for these practices. So so the reason why Geshe-la is explaining this or giving the explanations of the precious human rebirth and giving all those qualities of the precious human rebirth, the eighteen the eighteen qualities.
Like, if one is to recognize these eighteen qualities, and also knowing that it is very meaningful to have this body and it’s very hard to gain again, then one to recognize that then that will that will encourage one to do to do the Dharma practice right right now. So so it is it is very hard to to to find this type of pressure human rebirth. And because as an example, just to just to have a beautiful flower to get that, you have to have all the conditions, causes and conditions for it. Like you need to have the seed and the seed has to meet with the conditions like heat, moisture, and so on. So similar to that, for this person body too, need to meet all those causes and conditions to gain that.
So just to to gain a human body, one need to keep a pure morality. And on top of that, if one to gain this precious human body, have all the aging qualities. For that, you need you need extra quality like conditions and causes, which is good wishing prayers, and and you need to engage in the practice of six perfections and so on. So that precious human body, have that. And so as we should take the essence from it, which at the time of death, one one, like, one need no regret.
One can, like, with with satisfactory, one can leave. So so whatever practice we do, whether we should do our practice with one of these three type of motivations. And like the first, the best motivation that we should engage, with the best motivation that we could engage in the practice is that generating this mind that is bodhicitta, this altruistic mind and on the basis of that then whatever you engage in your practice that is the best way of doing it. And second best is that whatever practice one is doing, one is to do with the motivation that to leave this contaminated body and able to achieve self liberation for one’s future life. And then the third best is whatever one is doing, one is doing the practice to achieve higher birth in one’s future.
Not to not to not to be reborn not to get reborn into the three lower realms. So so So yeah. So so once once one engage one engage in the practice with one of these three motivations. So that in this world, there there are many many types of human beings, many many different different types of human beings. And and similar to that, there are different types of religion, religious practice or religions.
So so so it it is a sort of it is impossible for for all of all of human beings in in in the universe, like, able to accept one one belief or or or to do the practice of one religion. So so among the religions, if you if you if you analyze examine, then there are differences among their views and there are differences among their practice. So both they have all these differences, but but one thing that they have common all all human beings have as a common is that they all wish for happiness and that they don’t want they don’t wish for suffering. And and and similar to that, another common explanations in all the regions is that