Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute session, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen explores the eight ripening qualities — concrete results that flow from ethical and generous action, making spiritual practice powerful. He begins with the essential instruction: practice must never aim at this life’s success alone, but at future happiness and liberation. Geshe la then walks through each quality with specificity: not harming sentient beings produces long life; patience yields beauty; respecting elders and monks results in high birth; generosity creates wealth. He grounds every point in practical examples — saving fish from slaughter, painting Buddha statues with gold, caring for the sick, serving prisoners — demonstrating how Buddhist ethics translate directly into observable, personal benefit and lived transformation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 21 GP 1996 05 12.mp3
UUID: b5a0afba-968f-422c-8ec4-2e9d0d754e63
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Graduated Path (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1996-05-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.5 minutes
Words: ~2,751
So according the line from the teachings of Kontang Mbuchi, where Kontang Mbuchi advises us that we should do a pure Dharma practice. So whatever practice that you perform, whether it is listening to the teaching or or contemplating or meditating on the teaching, any any virtuous action that you perform should should shouldn’t be aimed for the very purpose of this very life. So, the proper Dharma practice here, which is whatever we perform, it should be the cause of our future happiness or or the cause of happiness for others in the future. So our practice, those who do or perform these practices in order to achieve a personal liberation or they do the practice for one’s own sake, those practices are known as the practice of lower vehicle, that of hearers and Pratyekabuddha. And those practice or those practice that we perform in order to achieve the full enlightened state or to bring happiness for others is the practice of the greater vehicle.
So either of these two, whichever one is to practice, that practice that we performed becomes a proper or pure practice. So as the Kontang Rinpoche advises that one should one shouldn’t have attachment to this very life, which which means that shouldn’t think ordinarily. So as ordinary thinking or ordinary way of living is that that like from this morning when we get up, till we go for this twenty four hours, whatever we do, if we are performing the act just for fame and reputation and and doing doing this different act. Then then doing that is known as a ordinary act, ordinary action. So as long as one is a spiritual person or a religious person, then if one is a Buddhist, then of course, even if one is other type of religion, one’s way of thinking or the practice should be different from that of the ordinary way of thinking.
So, for example, if an ordinary person, if it’s done in the ordinary way, then even if we do Dharma practice, mainly we do Dharma practice just in order to subdue our friends, you know, subdue our enemies and help our friends. Or we do Dharma practice for fame and reputation. So if we do perform our Dharma practice in that way, then we will only receive that type of result. Nothing greater than that. That.
So in short, whatever practice that we do, like, for example, the practice of generosity, if it is just aimed for the sake of this very life, then that practice doesn’t becomes a proper Dharma practice? So so then to do a proper Dharma practice, as it is advised in the very beginning, we need a good motivation. So on the basis of good motivation, we first need to hear the teaching. So sorry. So one one should hear the teachings.
And if we do hear the teachings then we know how to perform the practice. Like hearing the teachings, especially learning teachings which have detailed explanations. So it is good to listen. So So we set up the bodhicitta motivation and listened to the teachings. So when one listen to the Lamrim teaching, whether the listener or the explainator, both needs a bodhicitta motivation.
Thinking about contemplating all sentient thinking of all sentient beings, they all wish happiness, but they don’t know how to collect the cause of happiness. And thinking thinking that all sentient beings suffering suffering and but they don’t know how to get rid of the cause of suffering. Setting up this motivation that I listen to this Lamrim teaching in order to bring or lead all sentient beings to this state of happiness. So setting this type of motivation, do short meditation. So, that at present we have achieved this precision in body.
So so like like like this, we also need to achieve this type of precious human body. Sorry, that which have the eighteen qualities in our future life. So to continue doing Dharma practice. So, on top of that, we also, if we achieve the eight eight qualities, known as the eight excellent qualities, writing qualities, then it is said that if you were to perform Dharma or do the practice of Dharma, your practice becomes very powerful or strong. And similarly, if one is to do any political things, it too becomes very powerful or strong.
So and and on the other hand, with having all these qualities, if you do again perform some negative actions, again, the negative actions becomes very powerful and strong. So the eight qualities which Geshe la explained last in the last teaching, and Geshe la said he will explain again here So the first of the call the eight qualities is the long life, having long life. And then second quality is to have a beautiful form and color. And then and then the third one, being born in a good family lineage family. And then being wealthy or powerful.
And then the next is respected word or people respecting speech award. So then mix is being powerful. And then next one is that once of doing Dharma practice in an isolated place, not getting harmed by human and non human. And then next is having a strong body and mind. So these are the eight qualities.
Yeah. The eight ripening qualities. First, one is long life. To have long life, it needs its own cause. So one of the causes is abandoning, other sentient beings.
So which is avoiding harming sentient beings, even like those even the little insect like ants and so on, not harming them not taking their life. These are the, what do say, avoiding harming. So so then most of we think that we don’t bring harm to sentient beings. Though we don’t bring harm to sentient beings, if one is to take this vow not to harm sentient beings, then the benefit that you receive out of that Huntington’s bin is much greater. And then next is, what do you say, freeing like saving sentient, like saving animals.
And like and another another one, which is that, saving the life of, for example, some very some criminals who are about to get killed, like using some methods or doing something to save their life. So another and another way of save like, saving the life of sentient beings are, like, many small fish when when they are about to be killed, like, giving them paying them some money and saving their life. And and similarly, like giving providing food or giving food to the to the prisoners and and or helping them to get out of the prison. So and then similarly, helping or serving the sick one or giving them medicine, providing them medicine, these are the cause of long life. So that as we see, some people have very long life, some people have short lives.
So some people live ten years, some people live fifteen years. So and some live hundred, more than hundred. So all these period of time that they live, it’s depending how long they live. It’s depends upon what type of cause they have collected. But they are saying that if you keep feeding yourself then you will live longer.
But more depends what kind of, what is it, cause that one have collected. So and similarly, like, someone who who in this very life who who does many very who does very negative actions and and still live very long life. So so one might, like, think or have a doubt saying that are those people who have very negative actions but they live very long. So not harming others, harming others doesn’t make you doesn’t shorten your life. Might might have that kind of doubt.
But whatever lifespan that we have now at present is the result of our past life’s action. So whatever whatever the whatever action that we collected, that is that is what results in our future. So the next is like having beautiful body of the shape and the color which whoever comes to see the person, I said he a beautiful or handsome body. So beautiful color. Having this beautiful appearance is a result of a practice of patience or tolerance.
So so then, like, another cause as it is in the teachings explains that making light offerings to the to the Buddhist Buddhist. Offerings to the Buddhist Buddhas. And and and similar with other religions like, yeah, like making light offerings to to their refuge objects. So so even when we when we put on the light in our our place in the in the home, not thinking that you’re you’re switching on the light for you yourself, but thinking that I do I’m doing this to make offering to direct huge object, then you receive those benefits. So and then, like, and then setting up, like, a new like, body, speech, mind, like, in the in the altar.
Or or, like, whether even if you don’t change into new one, you can, like if you if something is broken, then you, like, you rebuild. Those are are are, like, the object of body, speech, and mind. And also, there’s a, like, offering paint golden paint on the on the face of the image of the Buddha, and they they are also for that purpose. So so like back in India or in Tibet, like the the the Choi statue in Tibet that people come and make offering, gold offering to its face. Pen the face with gold.
So like every week or month, they have to take out the paint and and somewhere else I can come and offer new painting. Otherwise, if you leave all the painting there then it just becomes more rough surface on the face. So so and all these they do because for that purpose also. And and similarly, like, if if say if you have a statue in your in your home, not not giving it naked, more like a off like offering clothes to it with whether it’s yellow or red color. And and also, like, giving food and clothes to the poor one who don’t have, like providing food and clothes to them too, shelter, like I would say, ornaments and so on also becomes the cause for that.
So of of all these, the practice of tolerance is the most important. So for example, the anger is is what what causes discomfort, yeah, among among among families, among neighbors, and in the in the village in the villages. Yeah. So so seeing the faults of anger and and instead of showing anger, practicing tolerance. So so tolerance is you practice tolerance what do say, when you’re about to get angry angry?
So so when when in the family or members or the children or some friends, when they when they cause us anger, then that that is the time where we should practice tolerance. And if one is to practice tolerance, then it has its its temporal result and as well as it has its ultimate result. So so it has its practice tolerance. It has its own temporal and ultimate benefits. Like temporal benefits that you have is you you have you you become friend you become you you become more friendly with with with your neighbors or among friends and so on.
And as a ultimate benefit, you can achieve the the state of a heart or the Buddhahood. And and if you look to your future life, you’ll you will have beautiful appearance or beautiful body and color. Then the third one is to have a high to be to have high family. Yeah. So so to to be a to be a high high class or high family that which is well educated, well or very intelligent.
Yeah. Right. With having, like, perfect surroundings. So whoever even if even those persons are the leader of the country, not getting not being, what you say, jealous towards towards their qualities. Oh.
And and and So so if if all those qualities if one have all those qualities not the others. But if one have all those qualities, then one shouldn’t one shouldn’t be very proud of that. Instead yeah. One shouldn’t one shouldn’t be very proud of that. Mhmm.
And one should see oneself being below. So So for example, how how we how we act is that whether if we are if we are well educated or or if we are very rich, then then oneself think one is better off than the others. And also the way other react was one is like even if there’s a seed, they provide you the better seed. And and and in in many ways, they do they they provide the better and and oneself also like accepts that that in a way that I deserve that, but that is one shouldn’t one shouldn’t do that that way. Oh, But and how one should think is one should see oneself being in the low in the lowest level.
And and seeing oneself being the lowest in the lowest level and and paying respect to the to the to the holy So so respecting the others whether like, if if it’s a layperson, respecting the the layperson that those who have taken the lay vows, respecting them, that. And also similar respecting the sanghas like monk and nun. Those who have even those who have broken their vows or if they haven’t, then respecting them is is what what becomes this this practice are what becomes the cause for one to be born in the in the high tannery one. So so like in the past, in Tibet, one of the king gave this, what is it, practice to to the people, the sixteen, what is it, the sixteen human precepts or sixteen precepts which are which is given by the king. So in in in those presets that one of them is respecting the the older one and and those who have higher qualities.
So so the younger one respecting the older one, respecting respecting respecting which in the sense of, like, serving them or or or, yeah, serving them and so on. So so when you when we say, like, the younger one should respect the older one, some might think or some might feel that we are forced to respect the older one. But but but it’s not it’s not like that. In a way that the older one doesn’t stay old forever and the younger one doesn’t stay young forever. So so when one gets older, when one get becomes old, then the younger one respects one.
And and of all, like, parents of this life is is not is the one who have given the most kind kindness to one. So one should one should one should, like, serve or respect the parents. And and similarly, like serving or paying respect to to the to those with with high qualities. We have great qualities. So so similarly, like, helping or benefiting those who are sick or those who are poor ones, Yeah.
And these are all what do say? These are all the precepts that is explained in that. So if one if if one is if one to follow that, then that that brings happiness in general in in the in the the in that place or in the country. So so the next is to to be born as a wealthy being born as a wealthy one. So so if one wishes to be to be wealthy to to to be born as a wealthy person in, you know, one’s future life, then as a cause, one one should practice giving or generosity and and like offering clothing to the to the refuge objects.
And and even if some baggers come around to bagging something out with with out of compassion, like giving them food, clothing, and so on. And making offering to the refuge objects. So these practices like making offering to the raw fish object and giving to the poor or the baggers is a cause to be wealthy in one’s future. And then next is respected word or speech. So so, like, respected speech or the word which if someone like, some in this world, like, if some people say something, everyone respects and accepts that what they said.