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 teaches how studying Lamrim — the graduated path to enlightenment — prevents a subtle but heavy form of negative karma: unconsciously disrespecting other Buddhist teachings while honoring one’s own. He shows how the three principal paths (renunciation, bodhicitta, and right view) form the coherent core of all Buddhist practice, including advanced methods. Drawing on the four greatnesses of Lamrim study, he explains how this framework lets practitioners see all teachings as integrated instruction for their path. A story of a yogi who sold a wisdom text illustrates the subtle harm that comes from undervaluing any teaching. Pitched at practitioners with foundational Buddhist knowledge.
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File: 10 LR 1995 03 12.mp3
UUID: 3163c71a-801d-4e87-bdf4-4174c0872b1b
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Lam Rim 1995 Jan-Dec (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995-03-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.7 minutes
Words: ~3,422
So, quoting from the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa explains that in his line, he explains that he wants to explain the essence of the teachings which is given by the Buddhist. He wants to explain that in the essential point of all those teachings in few lines. That’s what Lama Tsongkhapa explains in his prayers and where he taught these teachings, all the essence teachings is in the text called the great lamrim path. That is what he taught all the essence of all the teachings of the Buddhist. And all the past Buddhas or the Tathagatas, all the past Buddhas, they have achieved the full enlightened state by practicing the three principal paths.
That’s what they practiced and then through that practice they achieved the full enlightened state. So this Lamrim teachings or the teachings on the graduated path to enlightenment is a method which is taught, which can be used to remove all the ignorance of the three realms. That is the upper, lower and between these three realms. Through the practice of one can remove the ignorance of the three realms. So, in order to benefit others, in order to help others, the best way for one is to achieve the full enlightened state.
And to achieve that full enlightened state what one needs is the practice, the pure practice, the pure Dharma practice. That is what one needs to practice in order to achieve the full enlightened state. And this practice whatever one engages in, all those practice should be something pure, unmistaken one. So relying on those teachings, then one can achieve the full enlightened state where one can benefit all of the sentient beings. So so all the teachings somehow explains these three points.
That is the renunciation, and then second the bodhicitta, and then thirdly the right view or emptiness. All the teachings has explanation of these three points. Whenever you are listening to a teaching, should have the interest to understand these three points. So so if say if you if you if you have if you generate the thought of renunciation within yourself, then then that just just that thought or that motivation becomes a cause for your liberation from Samsāra. And then second, if your thought or your motivation is conjoined with the thought of bodhicitta, then it becomes a cause for your own enlightenment, for the full enlightened state.
And then if your practice is conjoined with the practice of emptiness, then your practice actually What is it? Your practice becomes an actual antidote towards all the negative forces. And with different levels of kinds of karmas, like virtues sorry, non virtuous karma lead us to the lower states, and a virtue or wholesome karma that lead us to the upper state which is like to the desire realms. Then there’s the karma which is known as immovable karma, unchangeable karma. Those causes one to be reborn into upper Khenponga.
It’s upper realms. One of the upper realms. So if one’s motivation or if one if one has one doesn’t have the basic practice of these three, is that of renunciation, bodhicitta, and in right view. Then like if one doesn’t have that as a foundational practice then the other great practice that as we hear Mahāmudrā practice or the Dzogchen practice or the other high very high level of practice that one can do. These these won’t be that fruitful if one doesn’t have the basic foundational practice like those of the three principal paths.
So in order to have a in order to generate within oneself the bodhicitta within oneself, in one’s one’s mental continuum, what one need is that one need to also have the compassion. And compassion the great compassion. And how one have this compassion? How one generate this compassion is through the practice of renunciation. And when one have the realization of renunciation, means one have this great compassion too.
So then the great compassion also brings forth the bodhicitta. So the reason for why one wish for renunciation is that because looking to oneself, that one have gone through many difficult types of sufferings. One has experienced many difficult kinds of sufferings. That of the suffering of lower realms and general suffering of saṃsāra. These all are, what do you say, that what we have experienced from our past life.
What causes all this suffering is the ignorant self-grasping. That is what causes all these different sufferings. So so so the the self the ignorance of grasping, which which which stops us, which has stopped us from generating the thought of renunciation. And then now secondly, what stopped us generating bodhicitta, the altruistic mind. What stopped us is that again the self-cherishing mind.
That is what stopped us from generating the bodhicitta. How the self-cherishing mind functions is that only it functions as helping one’s friend and subduing or destroying one’s enemy. That’s what the self-cherishing thoughts functions as. So because of that, this debt has stopped us from generating the bodhicitta. If you look to those bodhisattvas, how they practice on this subject of altruistic mind or bodhicitta, is that they and it says that give all the what do say?
Give the victory to others and take the loose for oneself. That’s how the line goes and that’s how they practice it. As for us we find very difficult and we always take the victory for ourselves and give the loose to others. Because of that we find it very difficult to generate this thought which is. So in order to generate this position within oneself, first, that oneself doesn’t wish all these type of sufferings, and using that as an example to others.
Others also don’t wish this kind of sufferings. So meditating on that point and meditating on this point again and again, that will make one generate a standard qualified bodhicitta with new oneself. So not only one, but the others also goes through these different types of sufferings, The sufferings of Samsāra and so forth. And causes them to experience this suffering is because of the ignorance of grasping and the self-cherishing thought. These are the two what causes them to experience that.
So one should now generate this great wish in order to free them from these kind of true thoughts or from these type of sufferings and listen to the teachings. So generate that kind of motivation. So to generate a pure motivations, saying that generating a wish to make free all sentient beings from the state of sufferings. And for that reason, for that purpose, I’m going to listen to the teachings of the Buddha and teaching of the Buddha not only listen but contemplate and practice it. For that purpose, I’m going to listen.
So, like, generate this kind of motivation. Going back to the subject that what we have taught last time was we’re talking about the three special qualities of Lamrim text and then the four greatness. I guess I have explained the first three qualities and then the first greatness too. So now he will be explaining the second greatness of and Lamrim. And that is like how how if one to practice Lamrim teaching, how one can see all the instruction or the teachings of the Buddha non contradictory.
How one can see that? So on that part, he will be explaining a little bit. And then secondly and secondly, that and how one receives or how one hears all the teachings in the form of instructions. Thirdly, how through practicing Lamrim teaching, how one come to like, how how like, by listening to Lamrim teaching, how automatically one stops creating negative actions. So these on these three points, Geshe-la will be explaining.
So in order to see all the instructions, all the all the teachings as an instruction in the form of instructions to one’s practice, one need one need to practice Lamrim teachings. By practicing these Lamrim teachings, one finds all the teachings coming in the form of instruction for one’s practice. So looking to this world, like one who the best teacher who can give the best instructions is as an example like Buddha Śākyamūni. So the supreme or the best of the best, like the instruction, is what Buddha Śākyamūni have given. The instructions that Buddha Śākyamūni have given.
So looking at how many teachings there are, for example, Buddha Śākyamūni gave a lot of discourse teachings which is there are like a hundred and twelve volumes of teachings. And then not only that but then And then there are other teachings which are taught or other instructions or teachings given by the great masters like different pandits of the past. And similarly then like there are teachings which Lama Tsongkhapa gave and there are like several balloons of that. And again there are different masters like the master from Sakae school, master from Nyingma and so on. All those different masters have given different teachings and there many many of these teachings.
So in order all of them to see in the form of instruction for your practice, one have to listen, one have to understand the Lamrim teachings. To study all those teachings, all those teachings that is given by those masters, those past masters, takes very long time. It’s also one teachings, if there’s some teachings there then those teachings has to refer, in order to have a complete understanding you need to look other teachings. Or look to the commentaries which is written by other masters. So in that way you have to study.
But then if you study this Lamrim text that means that Lamrim text sort of takes out all essential points of those teachings, which are the which are the these three principal paths. And and when you study that, then you can see all those teachings which is given by those different masters as an instruction to understand these three points. So so what what here, what right now, what we are hearing is the teachings on Lamrim Lamrim teachings or the teachings on graduated path to enlightenment. And that is what we are hearing. So as and also that’s what what we what what we should be practicing.
Whatever one wishes to practice or whatever one have the interest to practice, what one need is one first need to hear the teachings or listen to the teachings and contemplate on those teachings, and then actually put it in practice. So if one hear like, different teachings, and and, again, when one is doing a practice, then we do a different practice, then then it doesn’t work. That doesn’t hearing different teachings and practicing different thing, then it doesn’t work. So if one have a very good understanding of the Lamrim teachings or the graduated path to Enlightenment, then that is what makes you or that is what makes you makes you take all the all the teachings in the form of instructions for your practice. So so again, if you have a very good understanding of Lamrim teachings, if you if you have a very good understanding of it, then all the teachings that is given in the past, they they they appear or they they rise for you in the form of instructions for your practice.
Like like all all those different teachings that that we just talked before. So so that that is what what we mean here, one of the greatness, saying that able to see or able to take all the instruction in able to see all the teachings in the form of instructions. So, in the past it was a command or a question asked by Lamu Songkaba to to to one of one of the masters called Rinjin, Rinjin Sangbo. And what is what is the meaning of Kadampa? That’s what Lama Tsongkhapa asked.
So for the questions, the master Rinchen Sangpo answered saying that kadam means a person, the one who is able to take all the teachings in the form of instructions. That one who can do that, that is what what is meant by Kadampa. So so then because because of that because of this, his answer, was was very pleased. And next day when he was giving giving teachings to the audience, big gathering of people, he sort of praised the master Rin Ching Yingbo that how he that’s he he sort of praised in the teaching. So for example, in Tibet there are these four schools, Sakya, Kagyu, Gelug, and Nyingma.
And all all those teachings, all all their teachings should you should one should be able to take as an instructions for one’s practice. So it’s also it’s all taught for one it’s all it’s all the teachings are taught for one person to achieve the full enlightened state. So then next greatness is that fulfilling the wishes of the conquerors or the Buddhas, which here means that if one have the understanding of right view or the emptiness, then that is what which fulfills the wishes of the conquerors or the Buddhas. So, like, understanding of the right view or the emptiness is what how one fulfill the wish of the conquerors or the Buddhas. And in order to have that understanding, the right view, one also had to study particular this Lamrim text.
And through the Lamrim text that one comes to understanding of the right view. So it’s possible also like with other practice that one can also achieve the realization of emptiness, but will take much longer time much longer time than than the time explained in the Lamrim text. So so so that’s why in by relying on these Lamrim teachings, with relying on these Lamrim teaching, one can gain or gain the realization of emptiness without much difficulty. So, like in the Lamrim teachings, what it explains here is the practice of three scope or three levels of beings. What they practice by those different three levels of practitioners is the three principal paths.
That’s what they practice also. Of the three principal paths is what is the right view, the understanding of right view or the emptiness alone. Because of that, Lama Tsongkhapa in his text called the three principal paths. There’s a there’s a root text. And in it explains that there’s a line which explains that in order to fulfill the wish of the conquerors or the Buddhists, it is the understanding of right view.
The understanding of right view or the emptiness is what what is what that fulfills the wishes of the conquerors. So so the understanding of right view is what the main the main is the understanding of the right view. These three principles like that of renunciation, bodhicitta, and the right view. Renunciation, generating renunciation is the essential teachings, the essence of all the teachings, generating renunciation. That’s what first part.
Most of the teachings are taught to generate the thought of renunciation within oneself. And then secondly, the teachings on bodhicitta is also explained as the most important part which is the path which all the bodhisattvas praise bodhicitta. That’s why it’s become very important. Then thirdly the right view or the emptiness. That is what all should practice.
That is what all should practice. That is sort of the essential point of practice that all all do. So through the practice like, through the practice of Lamrim, that able to, like, able to fulfill the wish of all the conquerors through the practice of Lam Ning teaching, able to fulfill the wish of all the conquerors, which is which is the understanding of the ultimate view or the right view. So then the fourth sort of the greatness is that by understanding Lamrim by understanding Lamrim text or by understanding Lamrim, one automatically stops committing non virtuous actions. That’s like the fourth kind of greatness.
And that is how because if one have the three form of greatness, then one stops committing any non virtuous actions regarding to these three regarding to the teachings. So so, like, in the in the teachings, it explains, like, abandoning Dharma is what regards one of the most negative, heavy negative actions. And these can only be these heavy negative actions can one can one create these negative actions only because of because of these teachings. Because of because of the teachings. So how how how is that?
Is because if one doesn’t understand the first greatness, if one sees high and low qualities of Buddhist teachings, then that’s one way you commit negative actions depending on the teachings. And then secondly, the other quality, if one doesn’t understand and you take some as an instruction, some you leave, you you don’t take them as an instruction, then that’s how, again, one creates one of the negative actions. So another reason is like, for example, as being a Mahāyānist, if one to say that the Hīnayāna practice are something very low, and if you look down towards their practice, that’s one way of creating like creating a heavy negative actions. And then secondly, like that of having great interest in the Tantric practice. And sort of not respecting or giving up the practice of the perfection instead of Mahāyāna’s teachings and the rest of the Mahāyāna’s teachings and the Hinana’s teachings.
Not seeing the value of them. That’s another way. What happens among us in most of these day to day time, day to day life is that everyday life is that as being a Gelug student, then it happens that automatically that you respect more of the teachings which talks about Gelukha and you put it higher and then the rest of the teachings like for example the Sakya Kagyu Nyingma, the rest you put in a lower place or you sort of have less respect towards that. That’s one thing that we go through these days too. Then same with other schools like if it’s Sake or Gilu, Sake school then they their highest and then the others in the lower and less respect.
So this is how this is how that every day that we somehow create the negative the heavy negative actions of abandoning Dharma. So as relating to this, there is one story and there’s one yogi that lived in the past. Geshe la don’t remember his name. He was yogi who practice whose main practice is Avalokiteśvara practice. There was one great yogi there and what happens was that during that time, He has a text on So there was a text which talks about perfection of wisdom sūtra.
There’s a special text there are three kinds of one, extensive one, the medium one, the short one. And the short one is one one balim of text. So that’s what this yogi had and then He sold that and in order to use He sold that because he needs the money to make some offerings. And then he sold that and then got some of offerings and rest of the money he used for himself. And then and then later he he thought it was bad to sell this that that tax and use it for for for these purposes.
So he so in order he thought it was bad action. So in order to confess, purify that action, he called some of the monks, like four full Indian monks, and then asked them to do a puja, sort of a a confession puja for his what he have done. This has been done. So so then for those monks, there are four of them, and then one of them probably Geshe listening. There’s one Geshe in the.
And probably that’s one one of the Geshe’s, but he’s not sure. Anyway, the the yogi offered also food for the for the four monks, which also those money which he he has sold from the tax that he used for the food too. So one of the monks one of the old monk became very sick. So then the older monk, he went to his teacher, to his guru, and asked him why he’s having this great sickness. And then Lama explained him that this is the result that because the person have sold this, this yogi have sold this tax and then he made these offerings to you, then you enjoy that, you use that.
So because of that, you you you experience these great sufferings.