Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen provides foundational instruction on calm abiding meditation within the framework of karma and Buddhist practice. He begins by establishing why meditation matters: all suffering and happiness arise from our own actions, so virtuous conduct in the present shapes future lives. He then presents the Nine Mental Abidings—the graduated stages of mind-training that form the backbone of calm abiding practice—and the six powers and four types of mental engagement that support each stage. From the initial forceful effort of placing the mind on an object through to effortless single-pointed concentration, Geshe-la walks through the obstacles encountered at each stage: gross and subtle dullness, excitement, and distraction. He emphasizes that while meditation is demanding at first, the mind’s fundamental clarity means it can always improve through consistent practice, ultimately leading to the removal of all suffering. Suitable for serious practitioners beginning or deepening calm abiding retreat.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 07 CAR.mp3
UUID: 31bd0dac-e017-4d1b-a0e8-0d3a5c3b4f54
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Calm Abiding Retreat (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.6 minutes
Words: ~2,160
One should with with with care, one should always engage in in collecting or engaging in virtuous actions and not engaging in negative actions or not engaging in negative actions. So so all these all these sufferings that that we face, all the problems and sufferings that we face. Like, for example, becoming very angry, or physical sickness, or suffering of sickness, or mental sufferings. All all these type all these sufferings and problems that one face is is caused by oneself. Nothing Nothing comes from outside.
So on the other hand, all the happiness or pleasure that we experience. And also being reborn in the upper realms. And being wealthy, being born as a wealthy person. All these all these is also a result of one’s past actions. That is keeping pure moral disciplines and plus being careful in careful or conscientiousness with your body and speech, how you behave or how you act.
So at present, what we will experience is a result of our past actions. So so what we are now is sort of our past actions. And if one wishes good in our future, in our future life, or similar life that what we have at present. Then one should move in one one should engage in a virtuous action from at this at this time. It is like avoiding doing non-virtuous actions and so on.
So if one wish to be a wealthy wealthy life in one’s future lifetime, then as a as a cause, what one should collect is that one should engage in the practice of giving or engage in the practice of Chenrezig and offerings. So if one is to engage in these actions, then that is the cause for our future world. And then and then if one wishes a a beautiful beautiful physical appearance or or beautiful body in the future, then then once you present, collect the cost point, which is practicing tolerance and and avoiding anger and practicing tolerance. So instead then, what have what happened to create some heavy negative actions? One can purify them through engaging in a purification practice, which is applying the full So applying these four powers, which is the power of refuge, Second, the power of antidotes.
And then thirdly, we’re more towards those negative actions. And fourthly, determination net to repeat that actions that they are in the future. By applying these four powers, we said that all negative action can be can be purified. So the power of refuge is that one form refuge. So that was huge object should be free from all all fears.
The quality of refuge object should be free of all the all fears, all types of fears, and and also in in removing the fears of others. So I think after thinking like that. And and engaging in the act of all, engaging in the act which is beneficial to all without the thought of near and far. And also benefiting everyone whether they have yeah. Whether they have benefited or not.
So one should have refuge in that refuge object which have these qualities. So if if the last object itself is not not perfect in in those these actions, then like won’t be able to save won’t be able to save because if one is drowning in the water, one who can protect one from drowning is the person who knows how to how to swing. So so then, secondly, skillful in freeing others from here. That means they should also have these qualities. That is that they should be clear one enough to see the needs and the interest the other beings, and I will free them from saṃsāra.
So then thirdly, having compassion, which is not having the thought of near and far, which is like working, not having, not being like that, but working for the close one and not working for the power one. So so it should be like should have this quality working for for all. So so those are refuge objects should have these these four qualities. And so those which the same with these four qualities, to that kind of So, and as we take refuge in these qualities and we normally do meditations, meditating practice. Here, I will do this calm abiding meditation.
But with with this practice update and we’re engaging in the practice one or two times doesn’t mean that all our all our delusions can be removed. We need we need to so because these qualities can be generated within one because because our mind can be can be improved can be improved through training. As a beginner, we we don’t we do meditations. We we read books, and slowly, we can develop our mind. So in the air because the nature of the mind is is not polluted by not not the nature of the mind itself is not polluted by the delusions.
If if the nature of the mind is So as an example, if we’re doing a high jump, then we can only jump The height can only jump a limited height depending on the depending of the person. And and and another example, like, when you like when you boil the water, when it when when you boil the water, when it comes to the boiling stage, then if you boil continuously, So so because the nature of mind is known as clear known as clear, so it can be developed So so when we engage in meditation practice, in the beginning, one may find difficult, but but I think it will stay like that. If I continue continue with the practice and the meditation practice, then it can be improved. And finally, it can be improved up to where one can remove all types of suffering and gain all So so so for that, to improve our practices, should one should one should take care one’s behavior, how one act and how one speak. And generating this noble mind, then slowly one can can improve.
So once of engaging in these actions and generating the mind, that is the noble mind. And then not only being satisfied with that but should that mind should should, like, work for the benefit of others and work for the benefit of others, not what is working for for everyone. With with this mind, with with good heart, if you and plus knowing the needs and the interest of the other people and giving advices according to that that will benefit the others. Of the other other ones because if if we don’t understand, then we could speak something about something about the teachings of the Dharma to someone who don’t accept accept, then explaining to that person doesn’t help much. So so but then speaking in general, which which that the importance of good heart or this bodhicitta and the importance of the practice of giving and so on.
These are something easier to understand. And that is what if want to advise others to do, That is what if one to advise other to do that, then that’s how one can benefit others. As and as one who have wished, one can one also have benefited them. So, also, in Buddhist teachings, the mind is Mahāyāna’s practice, this this part of the practice, like, working for the sake of others is is known as the Mahāyāna’s practice. So on the other hand, just working for self and just, what do you say, acting benefiting others doesn’t help?
So these are some of the advice that I can give you to you. So so now we we should set up our motivations which I listen to these teachings not only for the sake of myself, oneself, but for the the sake of all other sentient beings, I listen to these teachings. So, set up that type of motivation. So and I guess I won’t be explain giving a detailed explanation on motivation because you have already set up your motivation from this morning. So yesterday, we shall expand how one can achieve the state through the nine stages of mental development and applying these six powers and which is explained according to four types of mental engagement.
So, Geshe-la briefly explained these these nine mental abidings and six powers and four mental engagement. So among the nine mental abiding, the first two, setting of the mind and the continuous setting on this stage that your your mental engagement on this stage is known as the forceful mental engagement? So so setting the mind setting the to the object of your meditations. And that can be done or be that can be done through the power of hearing. That is one of the first one of the six power.
Mhmm. And it’s from the top. And then the second mental setting that is, you know, continuous setting, it’s it’s done through the power of thinking. So so then the the third and the fourth mental settings, that is the resetting and the close setting of the mind is is done through the power of mindfulness. That is the the third power.
So then So then next, the fifth mental stage and the sixth that have disciplining and pacifying these two. These two is done through the power of the introspection. That is the another power on the sixth. Mhmm. On the sixth.
So Yes. So then then the the seven mental stage and the eight, those two are the completely pacifying and the single pointed. These two done through the power of effort. So from the third mental abiding to the seventh, there are five mental setting or mental stage, which on that stage, the mental engagements are known as the interrupted mental engagement. So so the eighth mental stage, that is the single pointed mental state.
That one, you need you need to apply effort there, but that mental engagement is like an uninterrupted mental engagement. So so then the ninth one is known as the the effortless setting of the mind, which is So the effortless setting of the mind, which among the four mental engagement, the mental engagement known as effortlessness. So on the first and second stage of the mind, one can only concentrate on the object for very little time because of that one doesn’t see much of the danger of the dullness and excitement. So what I see, the the obstacles of dullness and excitement, but still there, one one should apply the introspection. So that even on the third stage of the those mental abidings or the third stage of the mind, still one in the third stage, the concentration of the object can be the rate, I would say the concentration of the object, concentration on the object can be lengthened, but still it can be So on the fourth stage, on the fourth stage, when you want to defer this fourth stage, then one doesn’t lose the object of meditations.
But then there’s the great danger of the dullness and the excitement. So so on the fifth stage, then when one reach the fifth stage, then there’s no danger of grosser level of dullness and excitement, but but there’s danger of the subtle, I wanna say, dullness and excitement. So on the fifth stage, there is this danger of subtle dullness and excitement. And also, there also is still danger of not liking concentration. So to remove that not liking concentration and plus and there’s the danger of subtle intolerance and excitements.
So on the sixth stage, there’s still there’s also a danger of the subtle dullness and excitement. And at that stage, one should, what do you call, one should intensify the concentration on the object and also apply the antidotes that is introspection, yeah. So then coming to the seventh mental abiding(s), that is which is known as the completely pacified. And on that stage, So so on this stage, the introspection come to recognize the subtle dullness and excitement plus the other delusions like attachment, hatred, anger and so on. And which works for purifying or pacifying these delusions.
So then on the eight stage, that is the single pointed concentration which though there is no danger of subtle dullness and excitement, you still need to put effort in it. Mhmm. So on the then when you reach the ninth mental setting, you can abide on the object as long as you wish and there’s no danger of, what to say, there’s no danger of the subtle how to say, subtle dullness and excitement. Mhmm. Which is which on the ninth stage, that is which is free from these two subtle these two subtle I would say, these two, that is the subtle dullness and the subtle excitement.
Mhmm. Yes. That that part, that time, in this nine mental stage, it is known as the