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 begins with the nature of mind—clear, knowing, and unpolluted by delusions—establishing why mental happiness is central to dharma practice and transforms how we experience suffering. He then explores the intermediate state after death: the being’s wind body, the 49-day search for rebirth marked by weekly ‘small deaths,’ and how consciousness enters at conception. He addresses practical applications—burning offerings for the deceased, signs of consciousness leaving the body, and phowa (consciousness transfer) practice—before opening to questions on contraception, whether intermediate beings perceive each other, and Buddhist skepticism toward unverified past-life claims.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 18 ALB.mp3
UUID: cd23ed7f-22e3-431c-8b4e-9e75ccca3a68
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: A Look at Buddhism (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.9 minutes
Words: ~2,825
The compassion and the love being the root of happiness or the root of peace. So that is what commonly all the religion accepts. So so and and it is it is true that all all beings have have this have this potential within within them, is which is the potential of compassion and love? So So that all the beings involved have the potential for the compassion and love. And the reason why is because the mind within the being, the nature of the mind within the being is something clear and knowing.
And because of this reason that they have they have the potential for compassion and love. The nature of the mind is explained as clear and that is its nature. It’s not been what is it? Nature nature of the mind is not never been polluted by by stain. So so as a clean white white sheet or or a cotton.
When it’s when when it’s very pure, clean, then it’s nothing. Because it’s it has no stain. It’s pure white or pure pure pink. And that if you it can then it can dye into any color that you want you you want it because it’s it’s not it’s not been stained. So so similar to the man, man two the nature of the mind too is not stained by by any any of the delusions.
So so like the attachment, anger, and so on. Once when this is removed, then you can you can direct anywhere you wishes. Yeah. You can direct your mind anyway. Any in any way.
Any direction you wish. If the nature of the mind itself is being polluted by the stain, then the content has been stained, that there’s no way one can no way one can increase its quality because it’s it’s naturally its nature because its nature is being So so so then because its nature is not being created, so it can be it can the knowledge in our mind can be can be increased. You know, it can be increased. So so because of that reason that we are we are we are giving this advice to do the Dharma practice or or or doing different different state of and through these practices that one can develop one one’s mind and in in the same level of those minds that they’re lacking. You know, Adi, anybody says in your call, And and and the mind has its its continuations.
It it continues. It has its own continuations. It it doesn’t appear there suddenly. So the mind has its own continuation from the past and the past life, and then it continues to to the future life. So so so the mind that comes from our past and that it goes to our future is the one that needs peace, peaceful.
Like, peace is needed for that mind. And if is able to have that, then that’s that’s the purpose of our practice. So so that that piece of mind is is is not possible to actually know development, like to machines or through machine, it’s not possible. To the peace in that mind, it’s possible one is through the internal development which is through the that one can gain that peace of mind. So for us, the happiness of our body and the happiness of our mind, Among these two, the happiness of our mind is more important.
So so through through our practice, if we are able to bring happiness in our mind, then then then that that happiness of the mind can can reduce the physical sufferings. That even if one took place to have some physical sufferings that that can be reduced to the mental So if it is someone which which if one doesn’t have, let me say, So yeah. So so if if one have no no internal happiness to to one’s practice of the other, then then if one needs to if one needs to face some physical pains or sufferings, then so because one one one doesn’t have of internal happiness through the practice, that one faces double sort of double sufferings, the physical and the mental. So so there’s a big difference one who understand the Dharma the Dharma the Dharma and one who don’t understand Dharma. So so it’s it’s it’s very important here for us to to understand the meaning of Dharma.
So that is the second type second part of the teachings. And now the third part — that is a level that’s a little bit on on the intermediate part part of it. Yeah. So so at at very end or the final stage of death. When the consciousness and subtle wind leaves the body, that is like the starting of, let’s say, the starting of intermediate state.
So so this the consciousness and the very subtle wind act as a cause of the intermediate intermediate state or intermediate being, which is like a a substantial cause and the cooperative cause. Like, these two, the the consciousness and the wind act as these two causes. And the wind act as a cause for the mind of being. So so the the being of the intermediate state, they they are they’re having their body is known as the wind body. Wind body.
And and the shape that they take is that if they are taking a human in their neck, then they take the the intermediate the shape of the intermediate being as a human human shape. So as a as a wind body that it has a wind body which which can move everywhere. Can’t it’s it’s not obstructed by anything. Can go through mountains and rock and so on. So so the intermediate being their birth is known as a miraculous birth.
And and because of that, the what do you call it? Their their limbs or all their parts are are, I would say, born simultaneously. Not in a they have there’s no stage of development there. It’s born at once. And and and as a a food, they they they eat smell, and known as the they’re also known as the smell.
So so as a like a in in Tibet in Tibet, like when when some some of the if one of the relative died, like a father, mother or one of the relatives, if they do die, then like for this forty nine days, every time when they eat food, they make this burn offering, burning offering which is offered to the dead, is offering the smell of whatever is burned to the being who is dead. So if one is to do that, because the being that comes to the place where it belongs to, so if they do make this offering, it helps to the being. So so as a as a intermediate being, when they are in the intermediate state, they always if if if that intermediate particularly intermediate being is taking a human rebirth in the in his or her next life, then it’s always searching for for that place to take the rebirth. So so that when they take the intermediate state, you know, when they are in the intermediate state, are always searching for a place to take the birth. And every seven days or every week if they are unable to find a place to take the birth, then they have to go through a process of death again, which is known as a small death.
And they they have a small death and then again, next moment they are reborn. And then like So so they they they they I would say, they have they go through, like, for seven weeks. And then between these seven weeks, they they they they will definitely find a place to take your birth. So so they are not they never get obstructed by any solid thing. But when the time is right for them to take another, then they get obstructed at the male and female organs.
That is what they get obstructed by. Sorry? The male and female organs is where they get obstructed at the at the last minute when when they are ready to take a rebirth. So they get obstructed by the male and female organ which is coming together. That is, copulation of male and female.
When the two drops both comes and the drops are also which is the drops which has no faults or yeah, drops which has no faults should be should be should be that. And when it’s when it’s like that, then in between in between these two drops where the the consciousness of the intermediate beings and and the subtle wind enters and takes conception. Yep. So this is a short explanation on this. Yeah.
So it’s saying that if we do some question and answer here, we could What does this actually mean to the beings? Mhmm. So there’s a special ritual led to that offerings and which it’s in Tibet. They burned a spoonful of flour. Sample is the barley flour, roasted barley flour.
And then and then like, with that, the rest are known as the three white food. Like, there’s three sweet and three white foods are together burned and make the offerings. Yeah? So after forty nine days, the being already takes for our and it’s not really going to help the being, but then there are still other intermediate beings which is is helpful. Yeah.
So the reason is that when for for our consciousness to lead the body, there are few few different draws which I explained. So these different draws and draws are different or the holes are different where where the consciousness lives from the body, which hole. Like, if the consciousness like, the being who is taking your birth into the lower realms, the the consciousness live from different door, and being you know, getting born into upper realms, their consciousness live from a different door. So that the the the holes in our body like the the the lower holes and the holes in our navel and the holes of in our face, like the upper holes and the the holes at our crown. Like, there are different holes where the consciousness leaves our body.
And if it is if one is to, like, move the body from the, like, the bottom, then we need to leave the consciousness from the bottom hold, the lower hold, then then it is explained that the being will take the birth into the lower realms. So so so so then so so so because of that reason, it is advised not to move the body. And if if if there is someone who could do this phowa practice, phowa practice, that is like transferring consciousness, then then you should invite the person or do do that. If not, then it is advised to leave the body there still. So so and then if if there’s no one who could do this phowa practice, then then one one lift the body still and and later you could see the sign like a if if the person is not like, seriously ill or or then you can still you can see the sign of consciousness leaving the body?
So the sign is that wherever the consciousness leaves the body from which any hole from there, these one or two drops, like the white and red drops comes out of that hole. So when these two drops comes out of these holes, then it’s it’s sorry. It is the sign that the consciousness had left the body. And if for some highly realized beings or high like a holy lamas, that when when when they come to this final death, they live in a they they stay in that state for a few for weeks. And then and finally, as a sign, the the consciousness leaving the body, the white and red drops comes out of their two So so as an ordinary person, it’s explained as the the the consciousness, the subtle wind consciousness would live in the body for for at least three days.
And as long as the person is not particularly sick or having strong heavy disease, then this explain as it will stay in the body for three days. And as a sign after that, you will see the two drops coming from the nostrils or the lower holes. Yep. Yeah. So so if it’s a holy being, very advanced, then usually they remain they stay in they they stay in in their practice for a long longer time.
But then as if it’s an ordinary being, then there’s no different that can be done anytime after they’re dead. Yeah. So if someone is doing a meditation, sitting in meditation or doing that to say if it’s holy being, then it is advised not to do phowa practice for that person. Yep. So if it’s already dead, then then nothing much we can do.
But as long as it’s life, we could try to save it. So so it’s like this known as the accidental death with with that type of beings. Usually, their consciousness leaves the body. So the consciousness has left. Any more questions?
Yeah. When you say contraception, So if one is already pregnant, in other words, then it’s not right to take the medicine and take it out. But if one is to beforehand, before one is pregnant then it’s okay. And if before before having like, having before being pregnant or before having the baby, if one is to take if one is to take care from that that time, then it’s no problem. Think this one.
Geshe-la was saying that are you satisfied with explanation on mind, nature of the mind? Any more questions? Among the intermediate beings, there are there are different types of intermediate beings. And like similar types, they see each other. They have they have they they see each other which is if it’s a human intermediate beings, then among them they see.
It is said that they see each other, but whether they have contact of speaking each other, it’s not sure. He he he has been in this intermediate state, but I don’t remember whether he have spoken to others or not. And we all have been actually in the intermediate state. That’s why. More questions?
I don’t know who he don’t know whom they are speaking to. Yeah. I mean, there are people who said they speak true to those beings, but he himself don’t know whether whom they are speaking And and similarly, there are people who, like, their mother have been dead years back, years ago, and still, like, people who who says they see their mothers coming around. So it’s it’s maybe that person whoever sees that have a have a real real clear point and sees that. So so it’s explained that after forty nine days, usually, the beings takes their form.
And still if someone sees having a clear one who seizes that being coming and talking to that being, usually it’s said that there are spirits and ghosts who take the shape of that that person and speaks to the to the person. So so when when there there are people who who give these explanations and who who talks to to the beings. And one shouldn’t just accept that what they say, but one should ask if one really one is interested in, then one should ask the questions to the person whoever is explaining this and try to find out. And like as Geshe-la was saying, sometime someone came to see him and and they they was the person was explaining Geshe-la saying that he remembers his past life. He was born in in Nepal.
And and then Geshe la, like, continued to ask ask questions, which which place, which village. And when he was asking all the questions, then the person had no nothing to say. Didn’t had to didn’t remember all those things. So so, I mean, what what the person is explaining is true or not, if you analyze it or ask questions back to the person, like, these different questions, then you will see whether it’s true or not. So in Buddhist teaching, actually, it says that even if you if you actually have a clear voice or or even if you actually see those things, you are advised not to not to tell those, like tell I have a clear voice or I see these things.
So it is said that given, like, if one’s parents died a year back and, like, even if one sees that walking around, coming around, once you didn’t well, one is said, once you didn’t tell others. So there are reasons why why she didn’t tell.