Seven-Point Mind Training — 1984-11-07

Seven-Point Mind Training (Geshe Doga)

Seven-Point Mind Training — 1984-11-07

Play EpisodePause Episode

Mute/Unmute EpisodeRewind 10 Seconds1xFast Forward 30 seconds

00:00/

RSS Feed

Share

Link

Embed

Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.

About this talk. In this 47-minute session, Geshe Doga introduces the Seven-Point Mind Training with essential preliminaries for meditation practice. He begins with right motivation—generating the wish to attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings—and emphasizes keeping mind and body together during practice. He guides students through visualization of Śākyamūni Buddha at the crown of the head, then a detailed supplication and purification process where rays of light from Buddha dissolve into one’s body, purifying negative actions of body, speech, and mind. Geshe Doga then turns to contemplation of precious human rebirth: its extreme rarity given the many necessary conditions, its value and difficulty to obtain again, and crucially, its impermanence. He explains how understanding these points should inspire urgent engagement with dharma practice, and addresses the apparent fear that contemplating death brings depression—clarifying that proper death awareness actually prepares the mind for that inevitable moment. Suited for those beginning systematic training in mind transformation.

So firstly, everyone should have good motivations. So while generating the motivations, we need to know the the the right the future attainment of the future what we are seeking for and then to to have a wish to accomplish that for those reasons. So the the motivation should be the wish to accomplish the the Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. So the the the purpose for your wishing, the the the highest enlightenment is the in is the is in order to in order to deliver all sentient being from their sufferings. So maintaining these motivations, try to keep or drive your mind in a place where your body is, I mean, seated.

So our while doing motivations or meditations, our mind should mind should be should be in the same place where the the body is. Not only at the moment of this engaging in meditation or such Dharma practice, And also normally or usually it is important to be to the mind mind in a place where your body goes. So to start with the meditation, the the way of physical posture as I have mentioned before. So I keep on that physical posture and then generate the the right motivation that just we have I’ll discuss. Then as I have mentioned yesterday, the in the the crown of your head, the the lord, the Śākyamūni Buddha is sitting on the on the cushions of moon and sun.

And the left hand of Lord Buddha holds a bowl filled with nectar and his right hand is in the gesture of bestowing. And he he wear a he wore a yellow robes, and his the color of his body is golden. His body has the halo of multiple rays of light. And every word of his Dharma teachings benefits every sentient being according to his or her own needs. And that the the world is so the beautiful and so lovely.

And his holy mind or his exalted wisdoms know the each and every object of knowledge as if all the phenomena are in his palm. And also, thing that the the Lord Buddha is is looking upon you so happily. And then regarded the the regard him as the the the ultimate refuge, and he regard him as the the he has the essence of all Three Jewels. Yes. He is the essence of all your gurus.

And also the essence of all the Buddhas. And also the essence of all the Dharma. So having certain, I mean, appearances, then you should supplicate the prayers. And supplicate in such a way that that that in an instant, through the blessings of the Lord Buddha, all your the root of your sufferings and the misconceptions, misconceptions disappear. And then you think that that that to this, you develop the the right view and the wisdoms.

And also, that may I generate the the intuitive bodhicitta. So in condensed, may I be bestowed with the blessings that that in all time, I generate this this awakened mind of bodhicitta. So to this power of your prayers and the blessings, the the white ray light of ray from the the crown of Lord Buddha passes to your head. So to that light, the the the blaze of the holy body of Lord Buddha dissolves into your body. Yes.

Then think that it so thus, you think that this has purified each and every non virtuous action that you have done by your physical negative actions from the beginning of this time? Then from the from the neck of lord Buddha, a red ray of light pass pass and it goes to your neck. And this has this blazing has purified all your negative actions of verbal. This has purified your verbal negative actions. And then the from the heart of Lord Buddha, the blue ray of light passing is is go it dissolve into your heart and and to that blessing, the you purify your mental negative actions.

And then the the light of the every part of Lord Buddha, passes and dissolves into your heart. And in this point, meditate for a while. As I have mentioned before, the the how to contemplate on the the recognition of this precious human rebirth and also and its value. And so I hope you might have think upon these two points. So the human form is not only precious or so value worthful, but it is very difficult to obtain again.

So, I mean, generally, the the thought how that we know that we realize that the human rebirth is so difficult to obtain again. That is because when we examine upon this the various necessary causes to to to obtain this precious human rebirth with the ten freedoms and eight endowments. So when we think about the causes of these adding conditions, then we could realize that it is difficult to obtain again. It is therefore I mean, with regard to the the the necessary causes causes of the those eighteen qualifications. We know that the the precious human rebirth is very rare.

Not only with that part of human rebirth, but even to obtain just, I mean, human forms, we we need to do the right morality practice. So the to so to so to obtain the the physical I mean, the human form with, I mean, all these eighteen qualifications. Then for that, the the the practice of morality is not, I mean, minor, but it should be so done it should be done so purely and and right. That’s So the the morality is it is a thought to maintain a definite resolve to practice or keep vows. So it is a thought to to maintaining, not doing those non virtuous actions and and yeah.

Non virtuous action and those I mean, the negativities. So it is the so it maintains the the the the bad contact of our body, mind, speech. So so by looking upon once, I mean, individually, then if you have such a thought that, I mean, that always remain aware of of the each and every your behavior of these three doors, then you have the the practice of right moralities. Other is not. So so by maintaining this kind of moralities, morality would lead you to a a future, the perfect human rebirth with all these qualifications.

So but still we we need we are not satisfied with just obtaining this precious human rebirth. But in addition to that, to do a Dharma practice, need a right and necessary things. So so to to have those necessary things, then you need to do the practice of generosities. And also the to do a Dharma practice as we need the the the good friends and, I mean, good who who show you the right way. So for that, the the practice of patience is necessary.

So now, I mean, the from the viewpoint of those those causes, then we know that the the to obtain such a perfect human rebirth with all these qualifications is so, I mean, rarity. And also from the point of the the the the nature of the form, the human rebirth is less in number as compared with other sentient beings. So as as we see the the even in a very, very I mean, little space, we will find the thousands and thousands of, I mean, birds. So the the human being are less populated. So and also the among the human being, the the human being with such human being with this qualification is very rare.

Yes. And but having this among those person or among those human being who possess all these ethical qualifications, then we rarely sees that see any human any persons who is engaging this Dharma practice so purely and so enthusiastically. So so by, I mean, understanding all these three point, the recognizing the precious human rebirth, and its value, and its realities, then the this point should I mean so it is not it is important not just to understand, but to it helps you to inspire, encourage you to to do the the Dharma. So it is very difficult to be asked to to do the Dharma in all the time, but still we all try to to do the practice as much as one can. And So the main thing that that we know from the the the Dharma that it keeps you through its practice, it keeps you peace and very happy.

So this I mean, if you’re tired, I mean, if there is any other method that keeps your mind so happy and peace, then you’ll hardly find other than the Dharma. The and with regard to its practice, the he thinks the the basic practice of everyone ask everyone else to try is to to to develop the kind heart and to to to lessen this unkind heart or harmfulness. So it’s very regretful to be and all that not engaging in this Dharma practice or not engaging in doing some things which will help you in the long term period. Because we know that the the we have all the opportunity to to do this, and we know the the right causes to obtain the liberation and all those thing. So so we must have to to do this dharma as as much as one can.

So, for example, and and businessmen who will I mean, enough money to to obtain a very good gain. And for that gain, if you go to went away for a fast far distant and instead of doing his business, if he waste all his money in this in the excitement things like drinking or things like that, then it is I mean, he will realize himself in the future that he had lost he had a great loss. So if you don’t use if we don’t use this precious human rebirth, then we would like that businessman. So so from this point, we know that the precious human rebirth is rarity. But if it is constant, then it would be alright.

I mean, even if it is rarity. But so but it is not so. It is impermanent. So as the this human form is impermanent or it is subject to disappear one day. So we must have to remember the the death awareness.

It’s case with many people that when when they try to try to have the death awareness or impermanence of death, then they they feel so depressed and so I mean, so it adds some addition to suffering. But but but in the right sense, they are not right about that. So if we we, I mean, develop this that awareness, that is good. This is because, I mean, at this moment, if we if we have the death awareness before the coming of death, then, I mean, we can’t stop the death by generating this feeling, but it will help you at the time of death. I’m not to be so frightened at that moment.

This is like if you had very bad enemies. So before that, if you came to know before he come to you, if you came to know about him before he come, then you won’t be so shocked or so frightened when he really appears. So with regard to this death awareness, there are two ways of developing this of arising these feelings to the those person who is engaging the dharma and who hasn’t. You know?

Translation / བསྒྱུར།

This translation was generated using Gemini Pro 2.5 with a curated Buddhist terminology glossary and verified for register, glossary use, and absence of English leakage. The English transcript above remains the authoritative source.