Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute Lamrim teaching, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen addresses a critical issue: our virtuous actions are almost always incomplete, missing either proper motivation, careful execution, or dedicated conclusion, while our negative actions are complete and potent. A story about a king’s grand offering and a nun’s merit-rejoicing illustrates how intention reshapes karmic power. From this, Geshe explores the Lamrim foundation: taking refuge in the Three Jewels (objects free from all faults), cultivating bodhicitta (the aspiration to free all sentient beings from suffering), and understanding that even simple acts like reciting a mantra or feeding a bird become powerfully virtuous when performed with bodhicitta and proper dedication. The session concludes with detailed instructions for visualizing the merit field—an assembly of Buddhas, protectors, and deities in light-bodies to whom one offers and takes refuge. For practitioners beginning Lamrim study.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 11 LR 1995 04 30.mp3
UUID: 2916f795-80f1-4a1f-8170-3cba089209e0
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Lam Rim 1995 Jan-Dec (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995-04-30
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.4 minutes
Words: ~2,864
So quoting from the text known as the Precious Garland. It explains in the text that through our non virtuous actions, one the sorry. The all the sufferings are the result of our non virtuous actions, and all the happiness are the result of our virtuous action. So for for us, as an ordinary, we are not sure where or what type of rebirth one will have in our future. So so so then how come how can we know, like, where we’ll be where we’ll we’ll reborn in our future is just relying on the words of the Buddhas, which which has been proved by those high masters.
So, just looking to our actions and the way how we think, looking to these two actions, the actual actions and the way how we think shows that most of the time our actions are not good. So as a result, it’s something definite that we will have a bad rebirth. So if, like, if one sounds like a like a check oneself, like pointing to oneself and if one check oneself, what what one is what one is doing in this one full day? So when you check-in that way, the ones that how one is acting in one day, then most of the time, we find ourselves under the influence of the three poison. So because of that, like, we are under the influence of these three poisons.
Because of that, it shows it’s our destiny is the one of the three lower realms. So just look to one of our actions. Then usually when we do our bad actions, like, it’s always all the time, it’s a complete bad actions, which is like from the beginning to the end. So then if you look to our virtuous action, then it’s very very few of our virtuous action has a complete act like virtuous action, which is like the full complete preparations, the actual part, completing the actual part, then, like, the conclusion. Like, all this having all all this having all these three is very rare.
So, for example, like, we say, like, if one is performing a virtuous action and one may have virtuous motivation, a good motivation, sometimes one misses the rest to the actual part of the practice and the completion which is dedication. Or if one doesn’t have and then sometimes it happens that one doesn’t have a good motivation but one does some actions and completes with dedication. So there is always something missing. So so when you look to our actions, then then whenever we do some negative actions it’s always very powerful negative actions that we do. So that leads us to the lower realms.
So now what one should do is one should look for a method that frees one, that which free or that which free save one from the lower realms. So, like looking for a method. First, like, I want you to seek a refuge. So so looking for a refuge or taking a protection of some of the refuge objects is that the refuge object should should be, like, free from all faults and gaining all having all the qualities should be that type of refuge that should be that type of refuge and shouldn’t be some refuge object which has like a who who are not completely free from not completely free from saṃsāra. So so those refuge objects which are free from all the faults and gaining having all the qualities are known as the three refuge objects.
So so finding that type of refuge object, and if one doesn’t do anything like doing a virtuous actions and purifying the non virtuous actions, just relying on the refuge, they cannot help. So by going refuge or by taking refuge, then one should follow the precepts or the practice, which is whatever the teacher or the lama explains during the practice and things that need to be abandoned, abandoning the abandoning them. So then then that serves the purpose of taking refuge. So so the practice of karma, practicing on karma is what what frees one from falling into lower realms. So just becoming, like, through the practice of karma, one becomes free from the being one becomes free from falling into the lower realms, but that’s, like, only one or two times.
But then one, one has to try, to free oneself from, not getting reborn completely from, not getting reborn into the completely. That’s like what one need to do for that is one need to one need to, like, Once you do something that completely remove this contaminated body. So completely remove this contaminated body, what type of practice one should do is train one self in the three higher trainings. So by by training oneself in three higher trainings, that one can completely free oneself from this contaminated body. So so, like, freeing not only oneself from the saṃsāra, but freeing also, helping others become free, like the other mother sentient beings, also making them free from this state of sufferings.
So so those kind mother sentient beings also has need to be freed from this state of sufferings. So but at right now, one one is unable one one doesn’t have this power or one is unable to do this. Mhmm. So so then one who can do that is the, as we explained before, the refuge object, the gurus. So so those who have this power is the refuge objects.
And so so one like, to gain that quality for oneself, one should practice to gain that quality for oneself and thinking that I achieve these qualities in order to free all those sentient beings from all those mother sentient beings from the state of suffering. So so so with this kind of motivation of wishing to help others, free others from suffering, if one does does does a practice just reciting a mantra, Om Mani Padme hum mantra, then just reciting once it it it becomes a powerful virtuous action. So so it’s something like through having heavy negative actions or non virtuous action, one one gets reborn into the lower realms. And that is the same thing with positive actions. If one does strong positive actions, then with the positive actions, with the motivation or with the thought of bodhicitta, then that will definitely lead one to the upper realms or also to that will lead one to the to liberation or the fully enlightened state too.
So whatever action one does, like just feeding a bird or any whatever, should have a good motivation and then complete the action with good ending. Good motivation in the beginning. So then, like, actual part, like, when you’re feeding the birds, like, do it in a nice way, like, and feeling good about oneself, like, one’s action and one’s good action. So so then and then finally, you dedicate your positive actions that towards the achievement of fully enlightened state or in order to have peace in peace in in in the world or in order to free all sentient from the state of sufferings. So so so then dedicate in these different purposes, like you dedicate your merit towards those different purposes.
And if you do that type of dedication, then the result of your of your action, of your positive action is, what is it, indestructible, inexhaustible, which is which is which stays there until one achieves the full enlightened state. So so one can dedicate any like, all the merits or the positive actions. The positive actions of oneself, positive actions of others, and also the the positive actions of those those Buddhas of the three times, past, present, and future future Buddhas. Their positive action also one can dedicate. So, like, just dedicating their positive actions is not it’s not nothing difficult, but it it it’s easy, and one can accumulate a great merit there.
So the main reason that we do all these dedications, the main reason of doing dedication is not to not to get not to get it destroyed by anger. And there’s a story in it during the time of Buddha that one of the king invited Buddha and his follower for for lunch, for food. So so the king did this because he want he wanted to gain some fame of this his action. So so in order to in order for his fame, he did this action. So during that time, there was another one nun, and she she saw all this action that all these actions that the king, like, giving offering lunch for all all all the Buddhas and all the the arhats around so that she she felt very good and she rejoiced in in the actions and also made a made this prayer or a prayer that how nice she could do for her herself this action this action of, like, making offering to the monk.
So so then at the end, when the like, after finishing all the meals, the when Buddha dedicated the merit Buddha dedicated the merit that which is accumulated by the nun. So so then some of the student asked Buddha that why, like, the king had expense all the expense expended all the all the thing and made this offering and why you dedicate the the merit for the for the nun. So so that the the Buddha told to the disciples saying that the merit that is accumulated by the king and the merit that is accumulated by the nun, the nun’s once became more powerful. So I dedicate the merit of the nun. So so so in in same way, like, if you see someone doing good actions, like the practice of giving or any positive actions, if you see them doing that, if you rejoice in their actions, just rejoicing in their virtuous, positive actions.
That just by rejoicing in their good action one come to accumulate powerful positive actions or powerful merits. So, in short, one should think or meditate that free wishing to free all sentient beings from the state of suffering, which is compassion, and leading all of them into the state of happiness that is the love. And then the the special insight that which is like the special thought that I myself will do these actions. This like lead all sentient beings into the state of happiness and free all sentient beings from the state of suffering. That is strong intention.
So so with with this, on on the basis of this, that I myself will lead also into the state of suffering and free them them from the state of suffering and lead them to the state of happiness. On top of that, on top of this thought that you generate the thought of bodhicitta which I here to listen to these teachings, the teachings on lamrim, in order to achieve the full enlightened state, in order to achieve the fully enlightened state to benefit the sentient beings. Generate these kind of motivations and meditate for two minutes on bodhicitta. So last time we talked about visualizing a a refuge field or the the merit field, refuge merit field. And that is we talked about the on the on the on this big throne, the five small thrones, and the way all those different lineage masters we wanna visualize.
And then around there, the deities of the four classes of the tantras, and then the thousand Buddhas, and then the bodhisattvas, then the arhats and the Pratyekabuddha around there. Up to here, we’ve complete we finished. So so then then the next circle after the arhats or the the hearers is that the Dakinis. And then the Dakinis the like, the the twenty four Dakinis of the twenty four types of Dakinis, which are explained according to. So then then after the next circle is the the protectors of the protectors, those who are liberated protectors, which are the protectors of the three three scopes and and the rest, which are free from the saṃsāra.
So, the greatest scope protector is known as the six arm. And then So then the medium scope protector, the great king Namtose. I’m not sure. So the small scopes protector known as the So the six arm Mahākāla is the protector of the great scope because it’s a manifestation of. So, then protector of the medium scope is the great king Namtose.
That’s the one. And, it’s because Namtose is well known during the time of Buddha, well known in keeping pure morality. And then among the three baskets of teachings, well known the practice of Vinaya. So because of that, this king, Namtose, is the protector of the medium scope. So then the small scope protector is known as the Dharmarāja, and that is because it shows to the trainees, to the disciples signs of impermanence.
So they are known as those protectors are known as those are protectors those are those are liberated protectors, which are which are free from saṃsāra. So so then those who are not free from saṃsāra, those those of the high beings, those who are not free from saṃsāra, like like different kinds of spirits or gods and nagas, these one shouldn’t, like, bring in the the picture of, what is it, in the merit field. So so all those that which object that you have visualized in your merit field should be, like, free from all all types of faults, should should be free from faults and and also should be, like, able to help others or protect others. So so that like, So so all those objects, like, on its crown, white OM syllable. So that the OM on the crown is the syllable syllable of Buddha Vairochana. And then the second, the third, AH.
Alright. AH. That is Amitābha. And then And And hum is Akṣobhya. And and at the navel, which is a yellow SO.
So at the secret place, the Amoghasiddhi green. So this is what I want you to visualize all these places of of those those beings there. So the beings in the refuge field, they have different aspects, like some in the aspect of protectors, some in the aspect of arhats, but to show in in in nature they all are they all are Buddhas. But that to show that they have all all of them have the nature of Buddhas is that’s for that reason, we visualize all these deities. Five Dhyāni Buddhas.
So so so those are fields, beings in the field, like, shouldn’t just visualize like what you see in the thangka, like very flat. And also shouldn’t visualize having gross body, but they’re all in the form of having a light body, rainbow body or light body. And and, like, a clear, like, a which you can see through, like, outside outside and inside world. So once you visualize the merit field like all like all all doing something which is some have manifested their body into different and went out like helping sentient beings, like, in that manner. And some, like, have completed their work of helping other sentient beings and, like, coming back.
So in so in that, like, in that manner, one should be. So if if you can visualize, then try to visualize the whole refuge field. Not then if you if you can’t or not, then one can visualize just Buddha Śākyamūni, like, incorporation of all the three refuge objects. So and then all those beings of the refuge field, once you think they are all pleased in in having any manner of pleased. So, we see them having a pleasing manner, but in actuality, like, there’s no, I mean, no no way they can be pleased if if they look to our actions.
So one just think that please do one is because at present one is doing one is, like, thinking on bodhicitta and visualizing all the all these all the practices. So because of that, one should think that they will please set one’s action. Mhmm. So so now but but visualizing the refuge field, now the second is second step is one should take refuge in them. Whether how whether the continuation of one’s mind is good or bad depends on the practice of refuge.
Mhmm. So so whether whether then the next thing, whether the practice of refuge is good or bad depends on its causes. So so to so the the causes of refuge, there are two. So, the causes are the first one is oneself having the fear of the oneself having the fear of the suffering of lower realms and the saṃsāra. So, then the next cause is that the faith or the trust that one have towards the refuge object, that they have the full power to protect one from these fears.
So, the first causes like having the fear of the suffer of lower realms and generally the suffering of saṃsāra, one has to again and again think about these different suffering.