Seven-Point Mind Training — 1984-11-13

Seven-Point Mind Training (Geshe Doga)

Seven-Point Mind Training — 1984-11-13

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

About this talk. In this 48-minute teaching, Geshe Doga introduces the foundational concept of refuge within the framework of mind training. He begins with a detailed visualization of Śākyamūni Buddha on the crown of the head, from whom purifying light dissolves into body, speech, and mind, cleansing all negativities. He then explains why refuge is necessary: because death is certain but its timing unknown, and the mind travels alone, carrying only the karmic imprints left by virtuous and non-virtuous actions. Taking refuge requires recognizing the three objects of refuge—Buddha as guide, Dharma as medicine, and Sangha as compassionate helpers—and understanding the causes of refuge-taking: fear of lower rebirth and faith in the path. The bulk of the session covers the commitments made upon taking refuge: negative commitments (avoiding worldly gods; not harming sentient beings) and positive commitments (respecting Buddha representations; treating even fragments of scripture and monastic robes with reverence). Geshe Doga uses the analogy of a criminal released from prison to illustrate why commitment and practice are essential: without following through, refuge offers only temporary relief, not lasting liberation. Suitable for practitioners new to Buddhism or those formalizing their refuge practice.

So as we did in the in the last sessions, so before starting the teaching, will do the meditation. So the And then visualize on the crown of your head, the there is a lotus cushion And on that, Śākyamūni Buddha is sitting. His his two leg in cross, and his in his left hand, he holds a bowl filled with nectar, and his right hand resting on his leg in a in a bowing shape. And he wore he wear a a yellow robe, and color of his body is golden. So so one must visualize that Śākyamūni Buddha as the real Buddha and his speech his speech and his body, his holy mind as the real holy speech, mind, and body.

So he’s looking forward to you. And so we form the determination, Rely upon him, thinking that he will save you at this moment and in a very long term period. In fact, in all times, he would save you from the from the person suffering and the the old pain and And then make the supplications prayer from your heart that may I receive the grace from you and let the root of my suffering and unhappiness, the misconceptions and afflictions be eliminated. And then think that with the elimination of all your afflictions and obstructions to the the supreme enlightenment, and then you think that, that only positive actions are developing. He bestows upon us the blessings so that you’ve generated the the love and compassion this love and compassion even when one is in very disturbing situations.

Then by the power of the your supplications, the The the the white ray of light comes from the crown of Śākyamūni Buddha, and that light dissolves into your crown, and it purifies all your negativities of of your body. And then the in the same way, the red ray of light comes from Śākyamūni Buddha’s neck, and it dissolves into your it it it’s passed into your neck and purifies all your negative actions of speech? And from the very heart of the the green ray of light comes and it passes into your heart and that purifying purifying all your negative actions of mind. And then the the different type of such light shines from Śākyamūni Buddha, and all those light dissolve into your body, and it purifies all your negative actions with their roots. And then Śākyamūni Buddha, which is shining with different light.

And with those light dissolved into your heart, think that now your heart and Śākyamūni Buddha become inseparable. And it purifies all your negative negative actions with their roots. So with this, you know, can rest for a while. Since the main aims of giving teaching and listening to teaching is to is to intensify our altruistic mind. So let us turn our intention and motivation to to that purpose.

So only if we only if from the I mean, the both sides, I mean, who gives the teaching and those who listen the Dharma. Only from both sides, if they have certain intentions, then that would be a way then then the the listening and the teaching would be very So as it is, I mean, said in the various sūtra and their commentaries, the the the the we all, I mean, ordinary beings are not certain about I mean, not definite about where we go after after our death. So in the last sessions, we talked about the definiteness of death and the uncertainty of the time of death. So the so from that point, we know that the the one or other, the death will come. So on that moment, we are I mean, our body will our mind will leave the body and have to go alone.

So what it takes with it is only the impressions left upon the the stream of mind by the the virtuous and non virtuous actions. So if if if that impression which the mind takes is mainly left by the non virtuous actions, then there’s no doubt that the one will be born in a lower realms. Because everyone doesn’t like the doesn’t like to be born in lower realms or doesn’t like to be born I mean, bad rebirth. So to to get rid of that bad rebirth, we need some guide. We need some guide to to show the right path.

So so we need a refuge and have to know how to take refuge and where to go refuge. We have must have to recognize the the right object of refuge. So before taking refuge, one must have to know the the right causes the right causes of going refuge. So the main causes are the are the feeling of fear and the faith. That means one must first recognize the the the sufferings sufferings that at the present moment and also in a suffering which comes in a very long term period.

So after having recognized that those suffering, then to get rid of those, we seek refuge. And we need to have a a faith to that refuge. So the object of the refuge is included in three, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. So the Buddha is an object of refuge. So Buddha is like a like a sun.

Sun which clear the the darkness, will shine shining. So so Buddha alright? Clearly, the Buddha is a person who is I mean, who have known such the darkness of ignorance and afflictions and whose mind is fully awakened. So the the absolute Dharma is the exalted wisdoms within the ārya beings or within the superior beings and the the the the state of cessation of suffering. Yes.

And then the the absolute Sangha are those are the are those higher beings. So there are many clear reasons the why we had the three objects of refuge instead of any one of these three. So same as a person who is always sick, I mean, persons to to get rid of that his ills. He need a doctor and he needs medicine and nurses. So so in the similar to that examples, we need three object of refuge.

So from the point of the this relative world, we are not, I mean, sick. That means we are not physically sick. But but we are mentally suffering. So we have the the mental illness of mental illness like ignorance, I mean, desire, hatred, and so forth. So to cure the such disease of mind, We have to rely upon right persons who have such quality to to cure.

So so the the right person that we that we can find is the Buddha. And in the same way, as a medicine, we have to rely his teachings, that is Dharma, and we have the they put that into practice and realize the the essence of Dharma. And also in the same way as a nurse, to treat the mental illness, we need or or, I mean, or special persons who help us. So during the actual practice, when we go for refuge to this to to the three triple gems, one must think the the Buddha Buddha as the as the the guide who showed the right path and his teaching as a actual refuge who would I mean, in the sense that it it directly matter it directly concern you once you put that into practice. So we think that Dharma or his teaching as the actual refuge and the Sangha or the spiritual being as a as a as a good friend.

Now it is not just sufficient for us to for us to go for refuge to the Triple Gems. Therefore, after going refuge, we are making some commitments. So that commitment has two aspects of the negative commitments or the positive commitments. So the negative commitments for taking refuge in Buddha is one must avoid going refuge to worldly gods, and as a negative commitment, not to take alternate refuge to worldly gods, and as a positive commitment after going refuge to the Buddha. One must think even the the the statues or the painting of lot of Buddha as the the real Buddha, and one must have to respect to them.

So similar to the Buddha, the taking refuge in the Dharma has also the two aspects of commitment, positive and negative. So the positive commitment that we we are we make is the we must think even a single single robe of the Dharma teaching as the real Dharma and have respect the scriptures and teachings. So as a negative aspect of commitment is is to after going refuge to Dharma, one must try to avoid harming other other sentient beings. So after taking refuge in the Sangha, the positive aspects of commitment is is to regard even a part of this to pay respects even to the very parts of the Sangha’s robe. And the negative aspects of commitment is not to be accompanied with the bad friend.

Just by just by, I mean, going refuge to the triple gem and without following the the without making any commitment or without following the the instructions of the after going this refuge. It will possible only it may be possible that one might I mean, one might attain such good rebirth one or two times, but not more than that. So to so to to eliminate the the very root of this suffering, the most important thing is to to follow the instructions after going to refuge and making those commitments. For example, if a person committed stealing, and then if if, I mean, he happened if he was if he was if if he happened to go to prison, And possibly, if he requests the warden or the inspectors or if he make bribes, he would get released from prison. That is just one moment in one time.

So after that, if he doesn’t change his mind, if he still does the same sort of actions, then surely he would go to prison. And in this way, unless if he doesn’t change his mind, he would continue to remain in prison. So in the same way that, yeah, that without making those commitments and if he just go for refuge to the Triple Gems, then it is like, I’m just getting released from prison once or twice. And if if you follow those instructions, then it is like that one permanently changes one’s actions. So the main instructions of the Triple Gems is to

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.