Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute session, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen explores bodhicitta, the thought of enlightenment for all beings, drawing on Śāntideva. He explains how to generate it: receiving teachings from a qualified lama, then contemplating and meditating. He identifies three obstacles—attachment to this life, future lives, and self-oriented thinking—with their antidotes through meditation, renunciation, and compassion. He teaches the sequence of cultivating compassion: recognizing sentient beings as mothers, remembering their kindness, learning to repay that kindness. He then examines why listening to teachings is essential, illustrated by King Trisong Detsen’s choice to fund bringing the master Atisha from India rather than use gold to ransom his release from captivity—a story that demonstrates the ultimate priority he gave to receiving the teachings.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 11 LR 1995 03 19.mp3
UUID: 7a10071f-6923-4dbc-9ccd-ac4f77376c81
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Lam Rim 1995 Jan-Dec (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995-03-19
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.1 minutes
Words: ~2,877
As the teachings from Śāntideva, the teaching given by Śāntideva, in that particular text it says that once you generate this thought of bodhicitta and walk for this sake of other sentient beings for many, like for countless great aeons, for countless great times. And also, Śāntideva founded the best method for leading sentient beings to the enlightened state. So that’s why he practiced bodhicitta and led many sentient beings to the enlightened state, which is those countless sentient beings using the method of bodhicitta and led them to the enlightened state. By practicing bodhicitta, that Śāntideva led many sentient beings to the enlightened state, he doesn’t mean that Śāntideva himself practiced and just led all sentient beings to the enlightened state, but shown these methods, these practices of bodhicitta to others. And then the others practiced it, and then became or achieved full enlightened state.
So before one engages into this practice, into the practice of bodhicitta, one first need to receive the instructions or the teachings on bodhicitta from well qualified Lama. So listening to a qualified Lama and if one follows the instruction that is given by the Lama, then even if one doesn’t wish all these high qualities, the different levels of realizations, it somehow comes, the realizations comes to one by following to the instructions of the lamas. So first one received teachings on bodhicitta from a qualified Lama. And then secondly, what one should do is one should contemplate on those instructions, one on the teachings. Contemplating on those points very well.
It’s like gaining or having the seed for the higher states. Like the practice of bodhicitta, contemplating on that, it is like the sprout. And it’s not like the seed, but it’s like the sprout. Through contemplating it meditating on it, that one gains, like from the sprout one receives fruits. Similarly, that one achieves, one gains these different realizations.
These different realization as a result of the bodhicitta. So if possible, then one should have a call it like, one should generate this thought of bodhicitta which is experiential one. If not, then make one one should have one artificial one which is generate in your thought minor bodhicitta. So, Lama Tsongkhapa and another master named Jetsün Rendawa, they too had discussions, they too discussed on this point on bodhicitta. And we have a wish for wish to practice bodhicitta for the sake of other sentient beings.
Just that wish for bodhicitta is known as, what is it, known as So that type of bodhicitta, just the wish, like, which comes within one. That wishing to the practice of bodhicitta leading all sentient to the enlightened state. Just that very wish which is coming from inside without any effort. So that’s non artificial or non created one, non created bodhicitta. So so in the teachings of Nattria, it explains that how you generate this bodhicitta, the thought of enlightenment within oneself.
And he explains like four he gives four different causes and four different powers. So he explains in this way. But then among them, like one which is very the most important one, One needs a well qualified Mahāyāna teacher and following his instruction or her instructions is one of the most important part. So if one is able to follow the instruction on bodhicitta and practice it, then whatever practice one does, the fruit one sorry. The fruit that one receive out of it is very great.
It has a, what do say, most you can get, you can receive the most, I would say, result through practice of bodhicitta. So what things that stops one from practicing bodhicitta is that the attachment to this life, also attachment to future life and also the thought for self enlightenment. Just thinking for self to achieve full the the liberations. This is what stops one from, like, having the bodhicitta. So then, for each one, there are like each methods or antidotes are explained, taught.
For example, attachment to this life, the practice is taught not to have attachment to this life. There’s the teachings on impermanence, like meditations on impermanence. So then not having attachment towards future lives and future wealth, that is as an antidote method which is given as in the practice of renunciation not having attachment towards the future lives. Future lives and the world. So as an antidote to the self liberation, like just thinking for self to achieve the liberation.
For that, one is taught as an antidote. One is advised to practice the bodhicitta, even from the seed. So practicing this seed of bodhicitta which here means following the instructions of the master, which is like from the very beginning, like during the six preparatory practice and so on. So then, these different practices plus coming to the teachings on compassion, and compassion is one of the root And then, before one generates the compassion of what one need, as in practice is the practice of love. And then before that what one needs to practice is one need to practice like how sentient beings are very kind to one.
And then how one should repay their kindness and like how sentient beings are mothers. So these are the different practice which one should practice. So recognizing all sentient beings as a mother, just recognizing it doesn’t it’s not enough, but what one needs as a truth of practice is one need to remember their kindness. So, sorry, how one remember their kindness? Is that looking present what we are, like all the qualities that we have right now is through the kindness of mothers.
So what we are at birth at this moment is because of the kindness of mothers. For example, like how is because when we are just born, at the very time of born, at the very time of baby, one is like a worm. Doesn’t have any One cannot do anything if the mother didn’t take care, one cannot do anything. So no way to survive. So because of that, like, looking to that very moment of birth, from that time, she like, she have given she is very kind to us.
So then up to now, having this chance to listen to these different teachings is also because of that. Similarly, the mothers of our past are similar have given similar kind of health or or kindness to us. So so by by then remembering after the kindness, the second step, then the third step what one should do is to repay the kindness. One can repay kindness in many different ways, like helping, providing food, shelter, money for this life. That is the temporal help.
One can do much more than that also. So the best way of repaying their kindness is that of making them free from sufferings and leading them to the state of happiness, which is supreme happiness. So if one is able to do that, then that is the best way of repaying the kindness. In order to do that, in order to lead all in order to free all the mother sentient beings from the state of sufferings and lead them into this state of happiness. At this very time, one is unable.
One doesn’t have all the qualities. So because of that, in order to gain those qualities, like, I hear, listen to this teaching. So, you know, to benefit to benefit all other those to benefit those mother sentient beings. So that kind of, like, motivation we generate. Last time what Geshe la told is that the qualities and the greatness of the composer and the the lamrim text.
And that’s what Geshe-la had explained, have been explained. Now to that kind of text, to those text which has these qualities, how one should listen to that and how one should listen, the way of listening to those teachings. So that part will be Geshe-la will be explaining that part. So the first, there are many has many different points which are explained, but the first part of that is like the benefit of listening. So so the benefit of listening to these teachings is taught at the very beginning because because that’s what we do at the very beginning.
Listen to the teachings. So by hearing, one understands, which is like by listening to the teachings that’s given by the Buddha, one comes to understand what are things that to be adopted, what are things that to be practiced, and what are things that one shouldn’t one should give up. Or what are what are things that one should stop doing? Understanding or knowing the teaching is very important because like are many ways that one commits negative actions commit non virtuous actions. And one of that is that one commit non virtuous action without knowing what it is.
Without actually knowing what it is. Out of that, that is like out of ignorance, one commit non virtuous actions. So if one listen to the teachings, that means one come to understand. So once one come to understand the teachings, then one stops creating negative actions. One stop creating negative actions because one knows them.
So the second benefit is that by hearing, one come to understand different points. So, when one come to know or when one come to understand the points of different teachings, then for example, one can stop committing many non virtuous action by practicing morality. That is another benefit, like one come to know how to practice morality. So then, next is that also by knowing what is concentration, by hearing one can understand also what concentration is. And then one stops those concentrations which are meaningless.
So, one stops doing concentration, single pointed concentration which are meaningless to one. Then furthermore, that one understands One understands Abhidharma part of the teachings which by listening one comes to understand that which develops, which through listening to the Avadharma texts, one develops one’s wisdom and through the wisdom that one can actually destroy all types of obscurations where one can also achieve the fully enlightened state. So in short, that by listening to different teachings, for example, like three baskets of teachings. One like the sūtra, the Vinaya, and the Abhidharma. These three baskets of teachings that one come to understand their meanings.
Also listening or hearing is what is known as It’s like the lamp. It’s like the lamp which clears the darkness of not knowing or ignorance. So, for example, if I know killing or taking the life of another is non virtuous action, then not good actions. That’s what one comes to know by hearing teachings on these. When one hears that teachings, then one moves one of our ignorance that is not knowing that.
So similar to that, like if one comes to hear the teachings on Tendon Vouchers Act, what are they? Then one stops committing those Ten Non Virtues Act. And then when one stop commits, that’s like ten ten of our, I’ll say, ignorance are removed. So similar to that, other examples like that, if hearing the word saying sound is impermanent, then that person was hearing that word. And then slowly by hearing, one can analyze, one can examine the word.
And slowly one can understand that the sound is impermanent so that so because of that, it’s not permanent. One can give one can later have this understanding of it. So other examples, also when we studied the alphabet ABC, that also first we come to know those also because of first hearing to someone explaining us an ABC. And now, and through that, through hearing to these renunciations, now one can actually read any kind of letters. So that is also because of hearing, because of listening.
So even if one doesn’t listen or hear the renunciation of a, then even if it’s like a is like big as a head that’s written down there, doesn’t come to recognize that being So so the more hearing one have, the more, like, the more wisdom one gains and the more ignorance that one removes. So so so if one doesn’t have the hearing, then it’s like a like a inside in inside a inside a house, which is very dark. If you look inside, you don’t see anything. But there are there are many things in the house, Because of it’s dark, you don’t see anything. So so even if you have the sort of like known as the wisdom eye there, if there isn’t the lamp which shows the object in the darkness, even having the wisdom doesn’t do anything.
So because of that, having the receiving the having the listening or hearing, and what if one have that, which is like the lamp, the the lamp of hearing, then that can clear out what is in the that can clear out what is in the room, and then one can take or pick up whatever one wishes. So if possible, then one should have extensive listening to all these different teachings, like the five great teachings. All the teachings, having a great listening, having extensive listening towards those teachings. If not, then one should have a good listening or one should hear while the teachings are lumbling. So in the teachings, it also says that the wealth of listening the wealth of listening if you have the wealth of listening, it can it way it get lost.
And the thief won’t rob from you. So, for example, if we are traveling from here to India, then if we have many things carry like gold and silver, many things, one can take safely back to India. But then there’s always danger that it get lost in India too. But then this world of listening, you can take anywhere, never get lost. Even it can be very helpful when one reborn in one of the lowest states.
And also, like listening the wealth or the listening of wealth, the listening is what gives the best instruction for oneself. So even do whether to do some work or not, if one have heard like a if one have listened or if one have heard how to do the work and how much beneficial and how good it is for one to do that work. If one have heard that, if one already knows that, then one knows whether one should engage or do their work or not. Because of that, listening to something is listening listening or having extensive hearing is very important. So, like, story that the king of Tibet, Palama Ishiwu, that’s he was traveling to India to invite to invite the master Atisha.
So on the way, he has to go through Nepal And the the king of Nepal knew that and knew that he was traveling from Nepal. And the king of Nepal caught, like, caught him and then kept him kept him in prison. So that the relative One the cousins of Ishiwe, the king of Tibet, named Chang Chopoe, knew that. And he went to Nepal and begged the king of Nepal to release release. And then what the king asked him is he needs a gold, the size of Ishiv, the king of Tibet.
And then only if you get that, I will release him. So then Chang Jong Phu went back and collected gold. And he got the gold like the size of his body, but still not enough There’s still some missing which is not enough for the size of his head. So then at that time, carrying the gold, he went to the king of Nepal, and then Nepalese king, he said that need, still you need some more gold which is the size of his head. And then at that time, Chum Chukwue went to see Ishiwe at the prison, and then told him that now I’m getting the gold size of your head and you will be released.
So, that’s what Chao Chao were told to Ishewa, that’s the king of Tibet. And then Ishewa, the king of Tibet said that that’s very good, But then when you find the gold, side of my head, together you take that, use that gold not to like save me from the prison but you can use that. You can use that and you go to India and bring the master Atisha. Bring the master Atisha because he said that even if you help me come out of the prison, I will be only living probably the longest ten years. So because of that, not much of benefit.
So instead, you go use that gold and bring the master from India to Tibet and and make the master to give teachings or to give teachings in Tibet. And that that is what I wished. That is what I wish. And also, I haven’t been able to give my life for the sake of Dharma in my past lives. And now this is the only chance that I’m having.
So you do that. That’s what the king told the So having that very strong, what do say, wish, giving one’s life for the sake of the teachings.