Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute talk, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen argues that hearing Buddhist teachings—not meditation alone—is the essential foundation of practice: meditating without study is like climbing a mountain without arms. He explains how the three baskets of teachings (Vinaya, Sūtra, Abhidharma) can be learned efficiently through Lam Rim, and then walks through the merit field visualization step by step. Visualize a vast ground of precious stones, a milk lake at the center, a wish-granting tree rising from it, a thousand-petaled lotus supporting sun and moon cushions. Each component carries symbolic weight: the lotus signifies renunciation, the sun ultimate bodhicitta, the moon conventional bodhicitta. These symbols point toward integrating the three principal paths within both sūtra and tantra practice. Suited for those with prior Lam Rim study.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 15 LR 1995 05 14.mp3
UUID: 396ae869-5513-46ab-9167-6e23922ba925
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Lam Rim 1995 Jan-Dec (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995-05-14
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.5 minutes
Words: ~2,798
So whatever we practice or meditate, the first thing, the very important thing that we need is we need to hear the teachings, which is whatever one is meditating on, one has to hear again and again. It means a lot. So, like, hearing the teachings. To watch teachings, so we have to list we hear or listen is that the three basket of baskets of teachings. The three baskets that are that of Vinaya, basket of Vinaya, basket of sūtra, and the baskets and baskets of Abhidharma.
So have have to have first of need extensive listening to to the first basket, which is the basket of Vinaya. And and by hearing, the main purpose of hearing the basket of Vinaya is or the main subject that it talks in the Vinaya teaching, it’s the teachings of morality. And by by knowing or by hearing the teachings in morality, one one come to stop committing negative actions. So so then the second basket of teaching, which is, the basket baskets of sūtra. And and also one need an extensive hearing, in that particular teachings.
And by hearing hearing that teaching, it helps one develop concentration. And main subject in Sūtra also talks about concentration. And by having extensive hearing of those teachings on concentration, one stops one’s one one stops one’s mind from getting distracted or wondering. So then the third baskets, which is the baskets of Abhidharma. And in it, it acts it talks a lot about wisdoms.
And by and by and through hear through hearing extensive teachings on wisdom, one come to abandon delusions. And by abandoning delusions, one come to achieve the enlightened state. So one to learn the three baskets of the teachings, then one come to understand what what are things to be abandoned and what are things to adopt. So to train on the all all the three baskets of teachings, it’s it’s takes a long time. And if one is unable to do that, once you do once you do the practice of Lam Rim, the Lam Rim teachings which explains which which gives the explanations of all three all three together.
And by hearing and contemplating on the the the Lamrim teachings and where you you you gain wisdom arising from hearing, wisdom from contemplating, and then you meditate on on those points on those points, and and then you you you subdue your mind, and at the same time, you gain So as Nāgārjuna explains in one of his teachings, text called wisdom where it says that the the listening is that which clears the darkness of ignorance. So and plus the the quality or quality of the hearing or the wealth of the hearing is some explained as being the best type of wealth that one can one can have as as Nāgārjuna explains. Also, because as ordinary wealth, it can be stolen by others or can be lost. So but the but the but the wealth of hearing is not like that. And and also sorry.
The ordinary wealth at the time of death, we have to leave, but the wealth of hearing, we can, like, take with us even at at the time of death. So and and it’s also said the hearing the hearing also is said that it is the best friend that one can have or listening or hearing is the best friend that one can have. And it is best friend when one wants to decide something to do or not because by hearing on something that makes you understand and you can decide on that point whether you can do the action or the work or not. And same thing, by hearing, you come to know what is to to be cultivated or adapted and what to be abandoned. So generally, the practice of meditation is something very good to do, but without having extensive listening, meditation.
And during meditations is like trying to climb a wall or a rocky mountain without having no hands. No hands. Without no without arms. So so so without having extensive listening, trying to do a meditation is like climbing a mountain without arm. And and the best way of meditation is to first have extensive hearing and then contemplate on the meaning and then meditate.
So so that that listening or hearing of the teaching also should be conjoined with the with with the thought of bodhicitta, which is once you set up set up a good motivation where good motivation, that is I listen to the this teaching to bring all sentient beings in to all mother sentient beings into the state in the state of fully enlightened in in the in the in the enlightened state or fully enlightened state. So subject that we’ll be talking today is the merit field that is explained in the text. So so for this that to visual and to do the visualization of merit field, one first has to place the place or the ground and then arrange the offering place the offering and then make the make the offerings. So so the the crown or the place should be should should we should visualize it being very vast vast and what do call broad and vast, And which also the earth or the the foundation is it’s what is it? Created by the seven precious precious seven preciousness, precious objects, and and and having the nature of wisdom.
So so then then with with this visualization, then one place the place with reciting some prayers, which is saying through by the true word of the Three Jewels and and few other lines that you recite. And through the power of Buddha Buddha’s Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas at first. So so so through these powers that we have just recited, this may may it be blessed and and be it like what one have just visualized. So so then then set up the offerings with the offerings as as as much as possible or, like, setting of the seven water bowls and or, like, having one stick of incense. So so that is what what you actually arrange.
And as an as an your imagination, you you you think that different objects like canopies, umbrellas, victory banners, and so on. And, like, like a flower the flower that you arrange also think that they are, like, in the form of in the form of these different objects like canopies, umbrellas, and victory banners. So that is actually, we have arranged a set of water bowls and but as a as a flower or whatever. But in your in your visualization, you should visualize it being fill up space, fill up space, and all in the form of different, like, canopies canopies, and umbrellas, and so on. So so if you find difficult to visualize these light offerings and so on in the form of umbrellas, canopies and and the victory banners.
You can you can also visualize in the form of light in the form of, like, the flames. So so then, well, with these visualizations of offerings, you have, like, offering mantra that you recite. And but if you if you don’t know the mantras, then you can can just visualize that through the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May the offering be like what I have mentally created in in this space. So so so so so think these lines and then make the offerings.
So, generally, in Lamrim teachings, there are different ways of visualizing the merit field. The merit field explained according to the quick path and or convenient path and so on. So so so those are visualization of merit fields in different text. Some have explained the visualization of merit field as a as the visualization of refuge field. Some has the explanations of the merit field according to guru Guru Puja.
And and in this text, the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, that text, that is in that, it explains the visualization of merit field like the Guru Puja. And the, like, there are special hours of significance during this visualization. So so that this this particular, I wanna say, visualization of Guru Puja is also also used by those great masters like Jowo Ensapa and Chödrak, different past masters. And through their practice, they have achieved through this practice, they have achieved the fully enlightened state within within that that very life. And and also and they have so in the in the in the, the history of, like, tendar or in the history of Gelug, there it explains, like, explains the what do say?
Gives gives the explanation in in the in the history of Gelug. So in the in the group, which if you look at then the offerings where you where you visualize, like like, yeah, like, clouds of offerings of some of the in the clouds of offerings of sense offerings. So we’re aware that that’s where you make the visualize the offerings. So from So the wisdom of bliss and emptiness appearing in the form of space. And then on that space, you visualize the merit field.
So the reason of doing that is the visual what what one is visualized? The merit field itself and and And the space where one visualize the merit field to be, that be the wisdom of bliss and emptiness. So so so so you can to so one have, like, one one have one have visualized the the offerings that is like a the actual arranged offerings or all all all the offerings that one have mentally arranged or created in this in front of one. So so then in front of those offerings, like like, you visualize the merit field. So the so the place or the ground shouldn’t should be created by precious stones, not as an ordinary ground.
So so the center and then the the center of the there is big lake of milk, a milk lake, and and the center of that is the wish granting tree. So so the wish granting a wish fulfilling tree that that also is a creation of precious stones like from its to only like the trunk, the branches, the leaves, and everything. So so so that that tree, I want you to think or imagine being like a precious jewels and like a precious jewels, whatever you you wish wish for it, it it gives it to you or it fulfills our our wishes. So in same thing, that also tree is like like like that, which whatever one wishes for for it, it gives it to one. And and thinking that when the branches and the leaves when it moved by the winds, it gives it pronounces the teachings, which is pronounces the teachings.
This is what one should imagine. So this this sound or the the the that the leaves make or the branches make is the teachings on bodhicitta, the teachings of emptiness. So then at the center of that tree, you visualize, in the middle of that tree, you visualize a flower having thousand petals thousand petal flower. So then on top of that flower, you visualize a a a jewel throne, like up hold it by the eight great lions. So so the the eight great lions not not in ordinary lions.
They are they are showing the form of ordinary lion, but they are the eight bodhisattvas. So the the eight numb the number eight symbolizes the eight powers of Buddha as we explained last last time in the teaching. Or one can also visualize the throne being upholded by four lines. So so then if if we visualize or if we imagine four lions holding the throne, then that again symbolizes the number four symbolizes the the four fearlessness of of the Buddha. So the four fearlessness are like so fearlessness.
Fearless in in, I wanna say, asserting oneself have achieved this such and such realization. Realization. And and fearless in also asserting that one have oneself have abandoned such and such negativities. And then fearless in revealing or giving the teachings. And and and also fearless in telling what to be abandoned, what others should abandon.
So so the four lions or symbolizes the four fearlessness. So so, like, they’re they’re taking the aspect of the the lions is because the lions are are, what do you say, what do call, the strongest of of the wild animals. And and they’re showing this aspect. The body shadow showing the aspect of lion to to outshine to outshine the heretics. So so the the lotus or the flower that you have visualized at the center, and there it has, what do you call, eleven eleven layer of petals, which is it’s broadest on the bottom and then, like, become more and more thinner on the top.
Yes. So so the first I feel like counting from the top top, the first part, I wanna say, counting from the top down, the first layer has four petals. So so then and and the at the center of the four four petal flower four four petals, you visualize sun cushion. And then on top of that, you visualize, what do say, moon cushion. Yeah.
So both of them in the shape the shape of those both cushions are circle round. How did you do it? So so then here that there are, like, three three layer of cushions. Like, the first one is the lotus pedal petals, and then second is sun, and then third is moon. So, generally, each has its symbols.
And like first one, the lotus or the flower, the lotus is actually grows in in in a what do you call it? In a in a muddy place. But but it’s it’s grown in in a muddy place. But when it’s grows when it when it spouts or grows up, it is not polluted by by the by the dirt. So so so like the like the lotus, it’s not not stained by any faults.
Similarly, the that it symbolizes what do say? The lotus symbolizes renunciation, and renunciation is and it’s not, what is it, stained by the bonds of saṃsāra. So so then the sun cushion, the next like the sun actually ripens grains or different fruits through the heat of the sun. Same thing, is the sun symbolizes the ultimate bodhicitta and it ripens the bodhicitta within one. So so, like, then the next cushion is the the moon cushion, and that is moon here.
Symbol moons brings coolness or or get rid of the suffering of heat. And same thing that the moon symbolizes the conventional bodhicitta. As a conventional bodhicitta, removes the suffering of hatred. So so using these three type of cushions, like the lotus and sun and moon cushion, showing that one is perfected in in in in the three principal aspects. In in the part of the three principal aspects.
So so and beside that, also, like, the lotus symbolizes the the the small and the medium scope. And then the sun and the moon symbolizes the two bodhicittas, the conventional bodhicitta and the ultimate bodhicitta. And it it symbolizes the, how do you say, the great vehicle or the great scope or the Mahāyāna’s teaching. So so for us for us as a training or follower, what what this these symbols shows us is that to gain those high states, one first one need to train on, like to gain these two bodhicittas within one. One need to train on the small and the medium scope like the in there.
Small and the medium scope. So so it it is showing us that whatever practice we do, whether it’s a practice relating to sūtra or a practice related to tantra, should be done, all those practice should be conjoined with the practice of these three. The three principal aspects. The three principal yeah. Three three principal path or the three scopes. So so so the main reason that, for example, during tantric practice, for example, just visualizing the deity.
The the deity is sitting on a on a lotus cushion. So the visualizing the lotus cushion there are telling us also to need the practice of renunciation before you do the the rest of the practice like compassion or bodhicitta. So so then on top of this cushion, this three layer of cushion, the this main figure or the central central deity, we have to visualize So the lama is once one root guru. So here means. So so once on in the aspect of