Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen opens this 46-minute session with the essential first step in transforming one’s mind: purifying accumulated negative karma through four antidotes—genuine regret, refuge and compassion, meditation on emptiness or mantra recitation (with Vajrasattva’s hundred-syllable practice especially emphasized), and firm renewal of vows. Having cleared this ground, he establishes the small scope path, the foundation of all higher Buddhist practice, guiding students to contemplate death and impermanence until worldly pursuits lose their appeal and the determination to secure higher rebirth becomes genuine. He then introduces the four noble truths and three types of suffering within saṃsāra, moving toward the twelve links of dependent origination. For serious practitioners.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 03 LR no date.mp3
UUID: c5a8256a-57c5-4858-98d3-8227a3e1d4fc
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Lam Rim (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1983 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.9 minutes
Words: ~4,920
To be able to purify any kinds of negativity to those four antidotes, the first important is to have very, very strong genuine regret. Right? Thinking. Regretting all your past deeds such as thinking, oh, I have done this kind of things to that particular sentient beings. So I have used this kind of harsh words, which is at all unpleasant for him, and is I have through that unpleasant word, I have disturbance, I have disturbed his peace of mind and so forth.
And I have done this kind of negativities at certain place and certain time, which also have created much convenience sorry, inconvenience among those. So therefore, all those are just really negative. So therefore, I must feel regret myself of causing those inconvenience and discomfort amongst men or amongst people. And thus, with strong genuine regret, one can start applying the four antidotes to be able to purify any kinds of negativities. Remembering your past negativities, such as, for example, if you have taken others life through killing, you have to remember that.
So I think, oh, I have killed, I have taken other life during such and such. Oh, this is really awful one to do. So you should have some very genuine regret of those. And if you have stolen something from others, which has not been given to you, also you should remember those. And other negative ways that you have done, if possible, try to remember them individually so as to purify them, and if not, collectively.
So it is alright. So you must try to have try to have the very genuine regret from understanding the result or effects of such actions. So it is through, what’s called? It is through understanding the results of certain action to help you to to help you also, help you to understand or help you to generate more regret. Okay?
So just seeing the results of such actions because at the moment, we are suffering from various types. So do the other sentient beings are suffering from various types. But in case of other sentient beings, apart from human, have no such chance, have no such understanding to do any positive action. Rather, they have all kinds of negative negative thoughts in their continuum. So therefore, they are fighting.
They are they have very strong anger. They are fighting one another, so trying to do all negative things. So if suppose if you are to take the liberty of those pitiable sentient beings, then how would you able to sell how would you how would you able to bear the sufferings? Right? So thinking from that way, one should think it is not good at all to engage into one of the negativities, which is the cause of all sufferings and which is cause all the unhappiness.
Alright? So remembering all those unhappiness state of mind, which is a result of accumulation of negativity, one should stop at least even one should stop even slightest engagement to the negativities. Okay? Then on the other hand, one should try very hard to accumulate those which are negative or positive. Alright?
So in this way, one should try to have very genuine regret in terms of understanding the effects of certain negative actions or in terms of the cause of the actions and so forth. If you think over those point over again and again, then you the you will able to generate a strong regret, which is the one of the four, which is called definitely eradicating. This is the one. Generating strong regret is one of the four antidotes, which covers the definite eradicating one. I have given the good word before.
So the more you have the stronger you have the regret, the more you will able to purify your negativities. So it is good always it is always good to have very strong regret to your past negative actions. And within that frame of mind, you want one should purify them. And if you purify them with four antidotes, definitely, you will able to purify them completely even without traces. Now we shall discuss the first one first point, the power object before we have the the second one.
Now power object, this has got two. Right? Sometimes we are creating our negativities to transgressing or to against our taken vows in front of the Three Jewels. Right? And sometimes we are creating negativities through despising or through underestimating other sentient beings, such as taking others’ life, taking others’ possession, and harming others, and so forth.
So whatever the case may be, it is like this. Suppose if you fell down on the ground, you have to get up right or you have to get up or go from the ground with the head of ground. Okay? With support of ground in any way. Similarly, if your negativities are done against transgressing your vows, you have to do the, what’s called, refuge and generation of bodhicitta in the mind in front of the Three Jewels so as to revive your broken vows and to purify the negativities.
Or if your negativities done against other sentient beings through despising and so forth, You have to meditate on the love and compassion and so forth. And in this way, you have to keep those two objects as your object of purification. Okay? Right? So the I’m just wondering if I get some time, I may able to speak on those love and compassion a bit more sometime later.
Power actual power. This is the main, and this is the principle that has to do that has to counteract, and that has to remove the negativities by all means. So, during this time, it solely was called dependent on practitioners’ application of this actual antidote. If he who has realized the wisdom or emptiness, so the purification can be done through the meditation on the wisdom of the emptiness, Or he who has realized compassion, the purification can be done through the meditation on compassion. Or he who has realized the other, what’s called, selflessness, the purification can be done through the wisdom of selflessness, and so forth.
So anyway, this is totally dependent on the trainees or the practitioner’s realization and so forth. Apart from those realizations, the person can also do the purification through reciting the mantras of the Buddha Śākyamūni or reciting other mantras. And if you are particularly if you are to do the purification for remove your negativities, then the best way is is to do the practice of Vajrasattva and his, what’s it called, mantra, which is called one hundred syllable mantra. So that is the most powerful method of purifying negativities. Who are unfamiliar of the recitation of the one hundred syllables, then they may also do this in this way.
So first, just visualize in the space in front of you in the eye level, white lotus. Alright? Upon which Śākyamūni Buddha sits. Right? Then you visualize called nectar flows from his body entering into you to your head crown, purifying your all inner negativities that has been accumulated in the past.
So you just purify your negativities in a form of black smoke or darkness or something black, what’s called, substances like washing your car. So you feel that by receiving the nectars from the Śākyamūni Buddha, everything has been totally, what’s called, cleared away. So you do this visualization very often and with those understandings. You do this visualization and just receive the from Buddha’s from Buddha flowing through flowing or entering into you through your head crown, filling all your inner body, purifying all your negativities, all, let’s go together with their traces, and you want to begin very clear, and you have your inner body has been filled with only nectars. So when you have done that, then you also think very strongly that you have you have, well, established the virtuous potentialities to understand to understand the deeper meaning of the virtuous path of enlightenment, and you have established the virtuous potential to receive the blessings or to receive the empowerment of empowerment from Śākyamūni Buddha, and therefore, your inner knowledge has been increased and so forth.
So in this way, it is also necessary to think while you visualize the former one. The meditation on the wisdom emptiness, meditation on the compassion, meditation on the bodhicitta mind, and reciting the mantras of any type, and so forth. So these are the actual antidotes which one can apply to purify one’s karmic or accumulated negativities. About mentioned, actual end dot, one can also think any kinds of practice versus practice that you’re doing, right, can be directed as your actual end dot. Mainly thinking, I’m doing this particular practice for the sake of removing certain types of delusions or certain types of negativities.
So if you direct your practice in that way, if it’s also counted under the actual antidotes. Then the power of object, power of definitely eradicating, that is power of regret, and power of actual antidotes. We have mentioned a few of those. And the fourth one is called power of promise. Right?
And during this time, you have to make very strong promise not to engage yourself again into those activities which you have done in the past. Right? So having made strong promise not to engage to the activities, you have to do certain virtuous activities that may help you to accumulate more positive and help you to remove or reverse the negativities that you have done. So with these four antidotes, if one try to purify any kinds of negativity, we’ll definitely able to purify them. Promise.
Make promise that you can accept, that you can maintain. Don’t make promise beyond your capacity. So you may make promise saying, I will not engage into this type of negativity and then dispute on such and such. You may make promise until lifetime, until year, until month, albeit, and so forth. But the most important is once you make promise, better not to transgress that.
Better not to break your promise. So if you make even a short promise and you stay within that promise, it is very powerful rather than breaking down. Having done the purification properly through those four antidotes, then next, you must rejoice at your virtuous actions. Right? Thinking, oh, how fortunate am I that I was very successful in terms of utilizing my human perfect human rebirth purposefully because I was very successful in terms of purifying my negativities.
And therefore, I have no cause to take rebirth in certain certain lower realms. Thus, it is my pleasure to be able to perform these purifications. So I’m quite fortunate to be able to do in these ways. So in this way, you must take what’s called? You must do rejoice at your virtuous actions and do this, what’s called what’s called this kind of thinking that you are quite fortunate to be able to do and so and so very often.
Do you stop the other ones? Are going to light. As we have discussed in the morning about the contemplation on that is sudden, the time of that is uncertain and accept Dharma or the teaching. Nothing is helpful at the time of death and so forth. So turning your mind through them properly and seeking to liberate from those sufferings and to obtain a human higher status, that is human rebirth and others, is called training the mind in the small scope motivation or small scope persons.
Right? Because it is called gradual path to the what is it called? Small scope or small person because during such time, we have only just tried our level best to remove or to refrain from nonverduous actions and try to, what’s called, obtain the higher rebirths to, what’s called, reflecting in your mind the various messages such as death, impermanence, and other points which we have mentioned in the morning. Then, what’s called, we have applied the four antidotes to purify all negativities and so forth. All those practices are solely done solely done for sale of taking higher rebirth in the next time.
Right? So these are called the small persons or small scope or scope because our intention is to take higher rebirths by removing the negativities of this life. Without having strong foundation of the small path, it is very hard to generate within oneself the greater path of the middle person and the highest persons. Therefore, it is very necessary to form a very strong foundation of the small person’s path to training those, what is called, points which I have explained in the morning. To review once more, all the practice involved within our daily practice suggests purifying the negativities through applying the four antidotes and trying to accumulate virtues for the sake of obtaining the higher rebirths in the future and other virtuous actions, which are what is called performed within this context, are regarded as a practice of the small person.
Right? So all your activities, all your activities done through the intention to obtain high level of infusion is the practice of the small person. Right? So the most important to have this prologue intention probably is to think from your depth to the heart, thinking. All the volatile enjoyments which you experience at this person’s life are just senseless.
Right? Right? If you have this kind of feeling genuinely, not artificially, then you are having to start generating the path of small person, which means you are really turning your mind towards the path which leads you to the higher level in the next next life. Intention, then if one try to think bit further or bit more extensively, the sufferings of cyclic existence in general, And if one has bit more extensive intentions beyond that bit farther, then one is start generating the what’s called mind or thought which enters into the path of the middle person. So, therefore, this at this time, the intention to practice the path and suffering which you are going to remove are what’s called more extensive than the former one.
So in generally, we all, without exception, desire happiness and undesired sufferings. So regardless small or big or small sufferings, we don’t want any types of sufferings in the least. Right? But when those sufferings manifest, then we do realize that is suffering, and we want to get rid of them. But when those sufferings are not manifest very extensively or intensively, we don’t care to remove them or we don’t even care to think over those.
So in such case, if you try to see more deeply towards the or into the nature of the suffering and into the nature of the cycle at this in general, then one will come to know what is the real nature of the cycle at this instance in general, and particularly, this natural sufferings. So at the moment, if we have no strong desire to get rid of those, and we have no strong desire, build up on the reluctance of the sufferings because we are not aware of them. We are not, what’s called, doing anything to read to get rid of them because we have not thought of them and because we have we are unaware of the nature of the sufferings, and we are unaware of the cycle of these natural cyclic existence. So therefore, we have no strong wish to get freedom from those. Right?
So now if you think what could be the nature of the cyclic existence in general, and then particularly the nature of the sufferings. So if you go very fondly, if you go very deeply on into those, then one will come to know they are really, what’s called, vicious. Right? They’re really vicious, and there’s no even, what’s called, smallest chance to what’s called receive something, what’s called present out of it because its nature is totally and completely vicious. And therefore, we have to generate genuine aversion, genuine reluctance towards those sufferings.
So when you have that genuine aversion or genuine reluctance, then you will able to build up very strong desire to get freedom from those, to get rid of those. So whenever you have this kind of thought very strongly appears in your mind, then there is a way to start what’s called this way to start entering into the path of the middling persons. Okay? So in this way, it is very important to try to understand the very nature of the cyclic existence in general, and specifically, this nature of the, what’s called, this sufferings. What is best method to understand the very nature of the cyclic existence is one, is one, to understand the presentation of the four noble truths.
Second, or to understand the presentation of the links of interdependent inter dwellings of the interdependent origination. Okay? You you are not able to understand them very thoroughly, then at least try to understand roughly about the presentation of those. Right? If you just understood them roughly and if you are able to count them properly, it will have you to understand more about the nature of the cyclic existence.
So I will let you know the names of the four number two. The first, true suffering. Second, true cause of suffering. Third, true path. And the fourth, true cessation is the cessation of the suffering through the practice of true path.
Right? So this decision sometimes referred to as a liberation. There is an illustrative examples for the understanding of these four noble truths. So it is said, first identify this disease and then search out the cause of disease. Right?
Suppose if a skilled what’s called skilled physician are to check the person, sick person, first, have to know the disease. Right? So having known that clearly, then here to find out what is the real cause of the disease. Right? Then have to have what’s called have to give proper treatment in order to get recovery from that.
Similarly, first, we need to know the sufferings itself, right, which comes first. Having known suffering properly, then we have to find out what are the causes of those sufferings. And this cause of the suffering can be eliminated by the true paths, which is third one. And as a result, you will obtain the cessation, which is the fourth. Let us discuss only the, what’s called, existence or Samsāra, right?
So the nature of this saga existent, saga existent is suffering. Right? Since we are in this saga existence, we are suffering. So therefore, on always or constantly, we are in the, what’s called, under influence of cycle is in cyclic existence this way or the other. So it is good to understand them.
In general, the sufferings can be divided into three. First, suffering of sufferings. This suffering of suffering can be understood by us very well because those sufferings which normally regarded as a suffering by all common people, any those sufferings can be understand by us as a suffering are called suffering of sufferings. Kind of suffering is called suffering of change, or sometimes you will find translation changeable suffering, which means, suppose if you are sitting in the sun at first and you stay there for a while, then you will get burned. So that burn, that burning kind of sensation is suffering.
Right? So you want really get rid of those heat. So at what’s immediately, you want to go under a shady tree. So you go there. At that first moment, you may experience some sort of coolness because you’re totally also burned in the sun.
Therefore, if you change from that to under the tree or any shade or shade, you will find some pleasantness. Right? So that pleasantness, although hasn’t completely removed the suffering which you have experienced there, but due to unbearable, what’s called, sensation of that heat, you at the moment, you are now under the shade. Therefore, you’re feeling of some a feeling of what’s called pressure. But again here, if you stay under this shade for long time, then eventually you will again feel the suffering of cold.
Right? And again, you want to go have also you want to go in the sun. So in this way, those sufferings are not absolute because they are changing one to another. Thus, those kind of sufferings are called suffering of change or changeable sufferings. This suffering is named or called the pervasive suffering.
Right? This pervasive suffering is really diff difficult to understand because its nature is very subtle. And how it tortures us is very subtle. Therefore, it is prevailing to all parts. Thus, it is called pervasive, and it is a bit hard to understand.
Called pervasive because it pervades from our crown to the heel, and it it also serves the basis of the former true sufferings to to generate. Therefore, its suffering is what’s called it? This particular suffering covers whole lot of body. Okay? And particularly, it serves as the basis for the generation of the former true sufferings.
Thus, it is called pervasive. In other way, we have taken this physical form not with our own independence or our own right. Right? But we have taken this contaminated physical form due to our previous karmic delusion. Right?
Karmic karma and delusions. Right? So therefore, as long as we take this oh, sorry. As long as we take this physical form, there will be pervasive sufferings. Right?
So that’s it always was pervasive from head to heel, so we can experience sufferings in any part of the body. For example, if we try to prick a needle in any parts of our body, immediately we will feel the pain. Right? Because this pervasive suffering is present in all parts of the body. Right?
Without exception. So if you try to prick a needle to any part of the body, immediately, you will feel pain. Or if you touch any part of body to a fire or whatever, still what’s called again, there you will find the sufferings immediately. Right? So it indicates that the pervasive suffering is pervading all your parts of body without exception.
Right? So how we have obtained this physical form is due to the previous accumulation of karma and delusions. Since we have created sort of karma and delusions, therefore, we are to experience these kind of things without exception. Right? Thus, this particular suffering, which is called pervasive suffering, is what’s called, serve is served as the basis of the former two delusions as well as it’s it’s to all our parts of the body.
It is the pervasive suffering that we experience various types of sufferings in our life. Because of this uncontaminated physical form, we sometimes experience pleasure when we met with other conditions. And sometimes we suffer from sufferings when we meet with conditions. So in any cases, because of having obtained this physical form or contaminated physical form, we are suffering from all in our life. And how we have obtained this physical form is due to the accumulation of the action and delusions in the previous life.
So therefore, this contaminated physical form is what’s called pervaded by the sub pervasive suffering, which is the basis of all the different types of sufferings. Thus, we experience all the different types of sufferings in this lifetime. This is a natural saṃsāra to experience the sufferings of birth, of aging, of sickness, of death, of not meeting what is desired for, and suffering of meeting what is not desired, and so on. So all the sufferings which we face in our life are this nature of the cyclic existence. Understanding of about how we integral into the cyclic existence and how one can get rid of them is taught in the presentation of twelve links of interdependent origination.
So when we study the twelve links of interdependent origination, the presentation will mainly based on the last, what’s called, mainly based on the first true sufferings, such as suffering, the true suffering, and the true cause of sufferings. So by understanding them, we shall understand quite what’s called profoundly of about the links of interdependent interdependent origination. Yeah. Indian man with that, Indian origin. Just go on links of interdependent origination by names, and I will let you know very briefly their nature.
So out of the twelve links of interdependent origination, first three links are called propelling cause. So those propelling causes are first, ignorance. Second, karmic formation. Third, consciousness. These three links are called pro prevailing qualities.
Of the three, the first one is called ignorance. The ignorance is that kind of mental grasping, which is we call self grasping, self grasping ignorance, or the conception of an I and the conception of mind. Right? All those self-cherishing attitudes are are called the ignorance. First thing is called ignorance.
And then due to this ignorance and due to our own self grasping ignorance and self-cherishing attitude, we generate attachment to those whom we attached, and we generate hatred to those whom we had what’s called what’s called hat. So therefore, due to this self-cherishing attitude or self grasping ignorance induces the delusions such as attachment and hatred. This ignorance and other delusions are the, what’s called, Are the what do you call? Okay. So all other mental delusions, other actions are being rooted with those ignorance and delusions.
So these are the main propeller. Due to our conception of of an eye and conception of an of mind, we start creating the actions. So first of all, we have the, what’s called, intention, which is called mental action. Because due to this intention, we start thinking that something what’s called we start planning many projects. Right?
So therefore, this intention is called mental actions. So it also induces other two actions. Having generated the intention to perform to perform any kinds of action, then it start inducing the other two actions, such as physical and verbal actions. So all those actions done by physical and verbal are called the actions of this oh, so physical action and the verbal actions. So these have been what’s called, produced by the intention itself.
So thus, we have the action of the mind, of the body, and of the speech. Sometimes, due to meeting with the favorable condition, our body, speech, and mind all are engaged was engaging into the virtuous actions, such as purely practicing the morality and purely practicing the professional generosity with mind physically and verbally, trying to what’s called generate compassion towards all, and trying to speak only those which are pleasant and so forth. So sometimes, with a good motivation, our body and speech also performs virtuous actions. And sometimes, with bad motivation, our body and speech also start creating bad actions such as killing, and so forth. So this is mainly done due to the favorable conditions and unfavorable conditions.
Right? So in any cases, in this present life, we are creating all kinds of actions mainly through those three doors. All those created actions will not vanish without giving its fruits. Right? So therefore, the propensities of the actions are planted on our consciousness.
Right? So thus, the consciousness, which is a third of the prevailing causes. We plan we plan all the propensities of the actions, whether good or bad, on the mental consciousness, and that mental consciousness have came, what’s called, from previous life and will go to the next life without unceasingly. Thus, it will take, it will go with together, what’s it called, it will go together with their propensities so as to give the fruit or the results. What is propensity or potentiality?
It is to be understood in this illustration. For instance, if we had if we have a seed of a flower. Okay? If we have a seed of flower. So at the time of seed at the time of seed, although that seed has the potential to produce flowers and beautiful colors and flower leaves and so on in later time.
But at the time of seed, we will not able to see the color of the flower. We will not able to see the leaves and so forth. But still, we believe this particular seed has this potential to produce this kind of flower and color. Right? So although at the time of seed, those colors and other things are not or are invisible, Only they are what’s manifesting.
And when the seed met with other conditions which are necessary, then it start germinating and sprout comes, then it start giving the real shape or the color of the flower, red, blue, whatever. So similarly, all the seeds always go. We have created all different types of actions, good or bad. All the propensity or or potentially of those actions are planted on our mental consciousness. Okay?
So when this mental consciousness goes goes on unceasingly to take rebirth, then it has to meet it has to meet some what’s called conditions that are required. So when those conditions are met with, it start germinating, start producing or giving the rebirth. In other words, according to our accumulation. So this is exactly like the potentiality of the seed.