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 39-minute teaching, Geshe Doga presents the law of karma from the perspective of the Seven-Point Mind Training, a classical Tibetan Buddhist text for developing compassion and inner transformation. He outlines four key reflections on the nature of karma: that virtuous and non-virtuous actions produce correspondingly good and bad results with certainty; that karma ripens with natural growth, as tiny seeds produce huge harvests; that only the karma you have actually created will ripen for you; and that even the smallest actions produce consequences that will inevitably mature, no matter how long they take. Throughout, he emphasizes the practical distinction between ten virtuous and ten non-virtuous actions, and he instructs listeners on using the four forces of antidotes—strong repentance, determination to refrain, generating compassion, and dedication of merit—to purify past harmful deeds. He stresses repeatedly that knowing these teachings means nothing without putting them into practice in daily life, suggesting each night practitioners reflect on the day’s actions, rejoice in virtue, and repent mistakes.

So the main instruction is to is to recognize the the right karma and practice the good karma and avoid those bad karma. So to summarize all those karma, the what we have to make commitment is to try to to put into practice the the ten virtuous actions and try to abandon as much as one can those ten non virtuous actions. You might have all know the non virtuous actions like the three non virtuous actions of mind, like greed, harmfulness, and wrong view, and three verbal non virtuous actions. No. Four four verbal non virtuous actions.

Like lying, slander, or divisiveness, harsh speech, and idle talk. Okay. And idle talk. And then three, bodily I mean, physical non virtuous actions. While while thinking about the common, bad or good, one must think that the result of karma is definite.

And the aspect of karma is having some natural developing. And then think that one cannot experience such results. Results of of karma that one has not accumulated. And then once you think that the the And the result of the the karma that one has done is inevitable. So the way of thinking about the the first point on the karma as the the the the definiteness of karma.

That means the the good karma has a result of good has a good results, and it it it doesn’t have bad results. In the same way, the the bad karma has a bad results, and it it doesn’t have a good results. So the practice of the law of cause and effect is like realizing the causes of suffering that everyone dislikes is the bad karma. And because of the happiness that everybody wants is the good karma. So after knowing this, the right the cause and effect, then one need to do one need to practice the the right causes and renounce the other causes.

It is like, suppose if we avoid killing, then by that we are maintaining the morality of not killing. So by that virtuous actions, the the bad results are avoided. On the other way, We had a sudden feeling of avoiding the feeling of not killing huge animals. We have we know when we kill such animal, the we we sometimes we have some we produce some feeling of mercy. We know it’s their, I mean, sufferings.

So but we must have to also have a same feeling of not killing even a small insect. So the second point is that the the aspect of karma. Has some natural development. So that is quite obviously clear when you see the external things, external seeds like mango seed results in a mango tree and many mangoes. So if such an external seed has such a such results, future results, then there’s no doubt about the future results of the mind or, yeah, in inner mind.

So, as the same case with tiny seeds, tiny seeds has enormous results. So, our inward tiny, I mean, karma or the bad good, it has huge results. So from this point, what we come to know is that we must not be uncaring about our tiny, seemingly insignificant good. So we must try to even avoid a tiny bad karma as much as one can because we know that the tiny karma has huge results in the future. So, thirdly, the we can’t have to experience the result of the karma that that we have not done.

So this point is clear from the fact that, for instance, if a bus falls into a ravine or collides. So there may be a case that some person in the bus may be saved. So, this and also in a while many armies go to war and had a war and some can die. All these show their past karma. So those who are unharmed in the war or saved in the past show that they have not a bad karma, as with the case of those who pass away.

Then, fourthly, the result of karma cannot be destroyed, cannot be exhausted. So, therefore, even the result of very tiny karma will not be exhausted. Whether that takes a long time or not. But one or them, it would have its results. So from this point, from that point, the results of karma, even the tiny karma, is different from those external tiny things.

External things can be lost or can be scattered away with the passage of time. Now after you after you have realized the result of karma cannot be destroyed or exhausted, then was knowing this point, one was encouraged of doing, accumulating any good karma. So one must have to make a firm determination to to put in the practice even a tiny good karma and to avoid even a tiny bad karma. So while thinking on the second point, that one must have to experience the the result of the karma that one has done, one must have to purify the bad karma that one have done before by the four forces of antidotes. So so it is very important for we all to use those the four force of antidotes to purify the negative actions that one have done.

If you once use that force, then no matter what type of purifying action it may be, it would, I mean, purify. So the way to use those four forces of antidotes are first of all, one must have a very strong repentance to those negative actions that one have done. So the the way to develop the strong repentance to to one’s own negative actions is to think upon the bad results of those negative actions. So, how much, I mean, one have seen those, I mean, bad those results is suffering. I mean, then that much one could have the repentance.

So after having had, I mean, the that strong repentance, then one must develop a firm determination to not repeat such actions in the future. What we could also purify our negative actions by generating the love, compassion and bodhicitta and so forth. Generally speaking, there is not a tiny advantage of the negative actions. But still, when we come to know that the negative actions can be exhausted or can be purified by using those four forces or other methods, that kind of natural exhaustibility of negative actions — from that point, even the negative action has some quality.

So it’s very beneficial to very helpful to do. Before going to bed, if you once check upon what one has done in the daytime and think what sort of actions, bad or good, done in a day. And then then have a rejoice to those positive actions if one has done positive actions And then try to repent those negative actions so that the that negative action could be purified and one could it is also good to do the to to dedicate those good actions to to all other sentient beings. So so by knowing that the let’s see. The last point, the The result of the karma that one have done is inevitable.

That would come. So by thinking on that, one was trying to dedicate even a tiny virtuous action towards benefiting other sentient beings. So today in these teachings, we we discussed about the triple gems and something about the law of cause and effect. So try to know about the subject and see whether that is I mean, that would be applicable to you or not. So the The main importance of the Buddha’s teaching is to put that into practice.

So even if one know the Dharma or the teachings, and if that if he doesn’t try to put that into practice, then that knowledge would be nothing. And that one can’t experience the Dharma in the real sense. Suppose we know that the result of the non virtuous action like killing, what comes from that, what shortcoming, we know this causal relationship. But still, if we not put that into practice, that is worthless, our knowledge is worthless, and we can’t experience the result of that, not killing. So and if you, for instance, put that into practice, did not I mean, killing did avoiding I mean, killing.

If that you put that into practice, this would be this would benefit you not only in the next lifetime, but even in this lifetime, your lifespan the span of life will be longer if you know if you avoid killing. And also the Dharma in your present life would be very peaceful and very happy.

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.