Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 87-minute beginner class, Geshe Kyab introduces the Four Seals of Buddhism—the foundational philosophical positions that distinguish Buddhist thought. He begins with all products are impermanent, using concrete examples from nature (wildfires, storms, aging) to ground the abstract concept before extending it to consciousness and subtle temporal change. He then explains how all contaminated things are miserable because they entangle us in painful cycles of attachment and craving, even with loved ones. The third seal, all phenomena are empty and selfless, receives special emphasis: things exist only nominally, through dependent causes, not inherently. Geshe Kyab illustrates this with glasses and the example of how “Geshe-la” only came into being after examination and conferment of the title. Throughout, he stresses that understanding these truths motivates ethical practice—reducing anger, cultivating compassion, helping others, and building a mind for enlightenment. He concludes with the fourth seal, nirvana is peace, presenting it as the permanent, unchanging happiness we all seek. The teaching emphasizes daily meditation on these principles and includes a lengthy section on overcoming anger through patience, using the 2016 US presidential debate as a contemporary example of calm versus reactivity. Open to newcomers but challenging in its philosophical depth.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2016 10 23 Buddhism for Beginners.mp3
UUID: 41438689-e63d-4802-827b-5a3dfdb1f255
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Beginners Buddhism Sundays (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-10-23
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 87.9 minutes
Words: ~9,177
Good to see you again. Okay, go ahead and check this mantra. Only the mantra. Mantra is I do every class. This particular mantra is still long one.
There is also short mantra. It is mantra belongs to Buddha of compassion. And compassion is the not only Buddhism. Every religion need every beings need compassion, not only religion, you know. Compassion in love is very, very important.
So I do say this mantra twice every class. So try to generate the compassion, which is the mantra that belongs to the Buddha of compassion, which we call Avalokiteśvara. There are four arms Avalokiteśvara and one thousand arms Avalokiteśvara. Thousand arms both are over there. That’s a thousand arms of Avalokiteśvara near that gentleman.
I think another one is the four arms of Avalokiteśvara. I hope I’m not mistaken, isn’t it? Yes. Avalokiteśvara is the Buddha of compassion. This kind of time, we need such compassion, especially nowadays.
It’s called the world is degenerating. World is degenerating and people are becoming more busier. Although Australian people are slower than the United States, which is a good one, so generally speaking, are becoming more busier and people’s minds are much distracted. So that’s why this kind of mantra generating compassion is very, very important. Although just saying this mantra does not mean that you are really generating compassion, but the least how you say it and your intention and motivation is also very important.
Buddhism is all about motivation. That starts. If your motivation or intention is negative, it does not matter how much mantra you are going to say or meditate or any other meditations, they’re not so good because the base is the motivation. When you do say this mantra, you know, raising the motivation to benefit other sentient beings, then if you do say this mantra, definitely you are generating compassion. So then one day you would become a compassionate human being, which is very important.
Once you become a compassionate human being, then you can help your own children, friends and family, especially the children, which is very, very important. They are the next generation. You know, they need both knowledge, external knowledge, which is they go to the schools, and internal knowledge is here like Buddhist philosophy or Buddhist psychology, which is very, very important. So that’s why saying this mantra is even though you have no religion belief, that’s okay. Nobody force you to believe the, you know, religion.
But Buddhism is the not only just religion. Buddhism is the philosophy, psychology, and science of mind. Then, of course, there are some people who do want to learn Buddhism very seriously, I mean, in a religious perspective, which is very different. People can choose. There are many choices, but particularly this class and Sunday class, I and SPC, Buddha House SPC, Judy V, did talk about maybe why not we should do Sunday class as a general knowledge.
You know, just not very advanced Buddhist teaching, just general knowledge about the Buddhism. So I think we call here beginner Buddhism, I think, isn’t it? Oh yes, beginner buddhism class. That’s what we call it. That means this class is perfect for newer people.
Of course, anybody is welcome. Even the older people sometimes think they know better than you. Perhaps they may not. It’s possible, you know? But anybody is welcome.
Everyone is welcome. So especially the newer people, people who have the curiosity about Buddhism, you know, so this class is perfect. You can also ask questions after the class, okay? So that’s why this mantra is all about that. Then when we come here, we do say prostration mantra three times and we do bow down like a prostration.
If you are interested or if you feel to do, do it. If you feel not to do it, it’s also okay. You know, it is not like a mandatory, not like this. It’s your own choice. But we do here because of this is the Buddhist center, Buddhist custom, we do prostration, and some people also do that.
Good. If you don’t want to do it, also okay. Please don’t feel that they all did it, I couldn’t do it, or maybe they may think me something this and that. Nothing. It’s not.
But just coming here is the most important. Coming here, learning this Buddhist philosophy is the most important than just doing this prostration. Okay? We do prostration because this is our custom. So if you’re not interested, repeat again.
You no need to do that. So now the mantra we are going to say twice. Okay? Thank you. Last week, I taught the Buddhist faith, Buddhist belief, like a more Buddhist religion that Buddhism do believe in, you know, what Buddhist faiths are, which is the, I mentioned the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
These are the Buddhist faith or Buddhist belief, or we do believe into it. And the people who want to become Buddhist, so we need to do the ceremony to give them Buddhist vows, actually. Then, after that, those people become Buddhists. But only someone is really serious to become Buddhist. My philosophy is you no need to become Buddhist.
You no need to take Buddhist vows. You can just stick with your mother religion, Catholic, Christian, Judaism, Hinduism, Muslim, whatever is it. But you can come here, you know, just learn Buddhism as a philosophy perspective. You know, you can do that. Sometimes changing religion is complicated.
You know, sometimes changing religion can bring some issues within the family. I don’t know you to judge that, you know. Sometimes wife wants to become Buddhist, maybe her husband didn’t want it, or maybe their family wouldn’t accept it, you know. Sometimes things like that happen, but you have to check it out. If you are thinking, consider it to become Buddhist or any other religion, but here I’m talking about Buddhism.
So you have to check it out, you know, not just what you wanted, also you need to check your own family life, you know, and so there are many things. Of course, generally speaking, everybody do have their own right to choose the path, what path they want to, you know, go through. What I’m saying is that sometimes if there is some issues, you know, so I didn’t want, you know, I didn’t want that my students here in the Buddha house get some problems becoming a Buddhist. But I’m not saying you should not become a Buddhist either. You have to check it out.
Becoming a Buddhist is so much benefit, absolutely yes, But I cannot talk about these things today because those are you can hear when I give you the it’s called Buddhist refuge ceremony. You can hear many things like that. And also you can learn before you become Buddhist. If you really want to become Buddhist, it’s very important to learn exactly what Buddhism does, Buddhist teachings, religion, all these things are good to learn before you really, you know, to become or already received the Buddhist vows. So which is very smart because you learn, you understand, then now you are deciding to become Buddhist or any other religion.
That’s a very smart way to really become Buddhist. But then if you just want to become Buddhist without learning anything about Buddhism, sometimes, Oh, maybe I don’t like it. I want to become Judaism now. Then when you become Judaism, it’s the same thing. If you don’t learn about Judaism, someday, Oh no, I want to become Hinduism.
Sometimes some people I call them they are almost like a shopping religion. That’s what I call shopping religion. That’s not good. Learn first any religion. Here is Buddhism.
Learn first and not only just learning, try to understand the core about the Buddhism, then jumped. So that’s the best way to become Buddhist or any other religion. So last week, Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, these are the Buddhist faith. I explained to you what does mean Buddha, what does mean Dharma, what does mean Sangha. Now, today we need to talk about the second part of Buddhism that the it’s called the four seals of, you know, Buddhism.
Four seals of Buddhism. Yes. The four seals of Buddhism. So, you had faith in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Now, you do accept or pledge these four seals.
So, now, these two you know, groups of these two categories, once you accept it, then you become Buddhist now. You are Buddhist and your religion is Buddhism. That’s a religion. You, a person, a Buddhist. That’s what we call it.
So today, the four seals. The four seals are: All products are impermanent. All contaminated things are miserable. All phenomena are empty and selflessness. Nirvāṇa is peace.
nirvana is peace. Four. All products are impermanent. All contaminated things are miserable. All phenomena are empty and selflessness.
nirvana is the peace. So, now the first category we need to talk about is the most important. What does it mean by product? All products are impermanent. Product is something that produces.
That is called product produce something that arises from its causes produce something. So now, this is their product, this paper is a product, eyeglass is a product, all these things are a product, all these things are a product. They arise from their own causes, So, products are impermanent. Now, what does mean impermanent? Impermanent is moment to moment change, subject to change.
One moment, it exists. Second moment, disintegrates. Impermanence can sometimes be confused. People may feel confused because of impermanent. As I said, all products are impermanent.
All these things are products. Also, internal, our body is also a product. Our eyes are a product everything is a product. Inside of our body are lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, bone everything is a product. Not only just that, our consciousness is also a product of consciousness.
I know now my teaching is a little bit I’m expanding, you know, sometimes a little difficult. If I expand, then it goes a little bit advanced. But sometimes, we have to explain. Even though this one is the beginner Buddhism class, these are the big, big packages you need to understand in order to understand well about the product. All products are impermanent.
So these are some of the tools needed to be understood. Okay? Anyway, now our body is a product, our mind, our consciousness is also a product. That means all matter, like an a matter, matter is product. Consciousness is product.
Non associated compositive phenomena are products because there are three different products: matter, you know, like all these forms are considered as matter. Consciousness is the eyes, consciousness, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mental consciousness. There are products neither consciousness nor matter also. So, all these are products. Now, product is not only the when I say all products are impermanent, products are not only the form.
Products can be no form, which is the consciousness. Consciousness is not formed. Consciousness is you cannot see it. Something is formed, you can see it. Something is not formed, you cannot see it.
So that’s why consciousness is a product, but you cannot see it. So now you have this idea. But now look at it, all products are impermanent. The meaning of the impermanent is moment to moment change. Now you are just wondering how consciousness can be changed.
Yes, consciousness can be changed. These are very easy to understand. First, we can talk about the gross level impermanent. Is mainly the subtle level impermanent we are talking about. But in order to understand well subtle level impermanence, it’s very important to understand the gross level impermanence.
These are the gross level impermanence. Or sometimes, understood in Adelaide, you get fire in the hills, those areas, you know. When you get fire, what happens? I’m just giving you an example. All those beautiful trees, greens, where exist, but now all gone, all became ashes, changing, isn’t it?
There’s some changing. So one moment, it was beautiful and green, beautiful. I was there. What was the lofty mountain? Mount Okay.
Mount lofty. Was there. Beautiful. Lindi explained to me, Geshe-la, all this place, they had fire even though there were one monastery also gone. Only you can see now ruin.
Beautiful, actually, you know. Buddha House maybe should buy that one built there, you know, go there. But I know fire, you know. Anyway, so see now such a beautiful mountain and hills green and all these beautiful trees are gone. Now all became ashes.
That’s changing. Okay? That’s one type of changing. Then, now another one is recently we had this storm here. Florida, they call it hurricanes.
I think they had two there. When we had this severe weather, some area of homes were destroyed. And because of the flood, river water, how this happened? I saw the news. It’s similar as the United States.
We get every year there. But then their houses are gone. One moment, the house exists. The second moment, because of the severe weather, they are gone. Change.
These are very easy to understand, isn’t it? But now, don’t go very far away. Just look at ourselves. When we were born, we were very, very tiny, like this. Then, each moment we get older and older, or our body becomes bigger and bigger, we get older and older like that.
We call it baby, then after toddler, then teenager, then become adult. Then after you are, you know, passing the adult life, become middle age, then after sometimes old age, you know, this way. Then one day we need to depart from this world.
So that’s another changing. See, we become bigger, our body becomes bigger, same time our body becomes also more fragile, more, you know, the issues, problems, our skin gets more wrinkles, and also we get some physically, you know, our body wasn’t the same as it used to be. So, arthritis, lower back problem, which I do, migraine problem, and gray hair, you know, oh, I’m becoming old. Although I don’t think about it, I like it actually. It’s my beauty, you know.
That’s nature. It’s naturally changing. It’s nature. It’s beautiful, actually. But what I’m saying is when our body changes, now you can see all this change.
There is no permanent beauty, there is no permanent handsome. We wish, but only the wishing is like that. But changes. As long as it is a product, it will change us. The worst thing is that one day we need to depart from this world.
Then we start again new life. If you do believe in reincarnation, Buddhism, we do believe in reincarnation, then we will start again new life, like a small baby again, you know. Again, get older like this. But then now, some people live very long life, some people live short life. Some people even though they passed away, you know, when they were baby.
Why? So these are the now we need to talk about the karma. So that’s the position we talk about the karma, not like a Buddha punishing us or God punishing us. Absolutely not. This is just the individual.
Our own karma, you know, whatever karma we accumulated in the past lifetime, now we are having all the karmic results. So, we need to accept it. There is nothing you can escape from the karma. Only what we can do if you did not want karmic bad results, only what can you do is you cannot accumulate new negative karma now. What karma you accumulated in the past, you’ve already gone.
But of course, there are many, many confessions or purification. We call purification a practice that one can do to eliminate the past negative karma, which is the Buddha house organized the last week of Wednesday, which is the twenty sixth of day after tomorrow. No, yeah, twenty sixth. It cannot be after tomorrow. It is the twenty sixth of Wednesday evening, I would be here.
So purification practice. Just purify the past negative karma and not to accumulate new negative karma. Then in the future, life will be much, much better than this one. So this way, you need to go through, you know, so there is no escaping from the karma. Now, impermanent, I’m going back to like this.
If you do know we are impermanent, our body is impermanent, all these products are impermanent, or life is also impermanent, every year we do birthday celebrations. Some people are not so happy to celebrate their body because they didn’t want it. Some people are okay, but it doesn’t matter, you know, this celebration we do every year, but every year we get one step up like this. One year older than last year. Then next, if you live more, you know, life, next year another one step up.
So this way. So changing, subject to change, means that. So now, if all products are impermanent, our body is impermanent, our life is impermanent, then why are we so into it as that we think of ourselves as permanent? You know, we do so many things. Only one lifetime.
Why do we do that? So, that’s the question that comes in mentally. We need to ask, yes, we need to do many things for ourselves because these are livelihood. My point here is why only strongly into it, only for one life, you know, doing things only for one lifetime benefit. That’s the point here.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t be doing anything for this life. Absolutely not. I do also. But what I’m saying is we’re only thinking about one lifetime benefit. Why do we do that?
Because this life is not permanent. If there no next life or this life is permanent, then of course we need to do only good things for this life. But that’s not really the existing things like that. There would be next life. That’s why understanding impermanent is very, very important, this changing one.
Then really, now comes practice, goodness, positiveness, cherishing others, helping others, bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment, all of my teachings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I think we were approaching bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment. So, these are very important because all these practices help us not only within this lifetime, but also help us for future life, next life, next to next life until you attain enlightenment, until you free pain and suffering, which is our goal, which we call nirvana is Peace. That’s our goal, isn’t it? We all are seeking ultimate happiness. So that’s why ultimate happiness comes from understanding the impermanence of death, understanding the impermanence of sickness, understanding the impermanence of dissatisfaction, suffering of dissatisfaction, never satisfied.
Understanding the things that you want, sometimes does not get it, and what happens next. See, all these things are very, very important, especially the suffering of dissatisfaction. It doesn’t matter how much we get it, we need it more and more and more. Never satisfy. Why?
Why? So you have to check. Is it good? Absolutely not. In Tibetan Buddhism, we call it, or human, the back is flat.
So you need many, many, you know, on top of that back to stop many things like that. That’s called human back is flat. So I think practicing Buddhist philosophy, understanding Buddhist philosophy, us to really do something not only for yourself, but also others. So that’s the main thing, helping others. Cherishing others is one’s happiness.
That’s what the Buddhist book says. Cherishing others is one’s happiness. If you want to be a happy life, you need to do more cherishing others. But if you do only cherish oneself, that doesn’t give you that much happiness. Maybe a little bit, but eventually, it will fall apart.
Cherishing is the very strong cherishing of oneself. We call it self-cherishing. Yes, sometimes we need a little selfish mind, you know, of course, why not? But the point here is that time to time, also helping others is very, very important. I did say this before a few times.
Anything, ways, something that you are capable to help others, or just talking something to others, or giving some water or food to others, in the practice of generosity, or giving something help as volunteer things. You know, there are many, many, many small, small things you can do. Nursing homes, hospitals, homeless shelters, and the hospice centers, and religious centers, and churches, and temples, they need volunteers. Why not? Just go there, to some volunteer.
Let’s say, I did say this before, Buddha House. We have so many volunteers. Some people do clean the gompa, you know, and they do offering things. They try to maintain this beautiful temple outside and inside both. Why do they do that?
Because all of you can come here and have these wonderful teachings. Who did it? I didn’t do. I only just give teachings. This is my volunteer, you know.
But volunteer, Buddha House volunteer, they are the ones who did it. They are the ones who made this beautiful temple. How beautiful! They don’t get any salary, just volunteer. So people can come here to listen to the teachings, do meditations.
How beautiful, see? You can do this volunteer anyway, you know. So, if you think about it this way, how beautiful. I mean, there are many, many volunteers we need around the world in different areas, whatever you are capable to do. Or you can write things, you can be secretary things, or treasurer things, or cleaning things, or whatever it is.
Just help. See, you are this simple help. Maybe once a week you can just tell them, I can come this and this, you know, this much time to do this and that. There are many churches and temples in Adelaide, and people need volunteers, which is good. I’m giving you very simple.
How beautiful. Community. You’re giving something to your community because we live in Adelaide. So our responsibility to make this place beautiful and wonderful, unique is our responsibility. Not only the government all the time, you know, governor, their job, no, or job too.
So we need to serve. These are also very good for your mind because when you do such a thing like that, when you go back to your house and then think about what you did, you feel such a wonderful, wow, happiness. That happiness would last long because you didn’t do it for yourself, you did it for others. So that’s how you can carry on when you depart from this world. You can carry on with that.
That’s supposed to be. But if you carry on only doing things for yourself, it’s not good. So see now, life is impermanent, so we need to do something. I’m not scaring you, but it’s true. Sometimes we need to face the fact, not only just making nice, nice, nice.
No! Sometimes we need to face the fact. What is the fact? What is the real? Thus, we need to face it.
Otherwise, how can we attain enlightenment? How? Only faking around things not good. Sometimes we need to face the fact. It is very important what is real step by step.
So, that is called all products are impermanent. Now, the second one is all contaminated things are miserable. Why do we need to practice? Because all these things are miserable. These are contaminated.
Eventually, all these contaminated things will give us a certain degree of pain and suffering. Look at it. Our loved ones sometimes we call them, I love my children. They give you pain and suffering, too. Your wife gives you pain and suffering.
Your husband will give you pain and suffering. Your neighbor will give you pain and suffering, and things will give you little pain and suffering. Why? Because all these things are contaminated. So that’s why things are contaminated.
That’s why the result will be miserable. See? Sometimes, it’s very difficult. Your loved ones will give you more pain and suffering than others. See?
Why is this happening? Not only you, this happens to all of us because all things are contaminated. All contaminated things are miserable. That’s what we need to understand. The next one is the all phenomena are empty and selflessness.
That’s a little bit advanced. All phenomena are empty and selflessness. What does that mean? Phenomena are empty. Doesn’t mean empty.
This ball inside is empty. We are not talking about kind of empty. My stomach is empty because I have no lunch yet. This glass is empty. Oh, not glass.
I do have some water here. I cannot say empty, you know, but this bowl is empty. Here, we are talking about empty. It’s not like an empty ball. Here is all phenomena of empty and selflessness.
Empty means its nature is the emptiness. This nature is emptiness. Why does its nature is emptiness? Because selflessness means these glasses’ nature is empty or emptiness because these glasses arise from other factors, then become glass. But its nature is the emptiness.
This glass does not arise truly, naturally, or inherently. So, that is the meaning of emptiness of inherent existence, emptiness of intrinsic existence, emptiness of true existence. That is called emptiness. But this glass does exist. I am touching here.
But its nature is emptiness, so that is why we are talking about empty here. Its nature is selflessness. Why its nature is selfless? It’s similar. Because glass exists from so many other factors.
Not glass exists bung like this, or somebody just has glass naturally exists, not like this. In order to exist or erase this glass, you need many, many, many tools to build this glass first. Glass does not exist like this or somebody throws it from the sky. No! Glass needs so many tools to exist.
People need to build this glass. Some people may need to build this small, how you say, tools here, you know? See? Screw. And finally, shape.
Somebody built a kind of shape. Then finally, somebody did this name. I will call this kind of thing as glass. Glasses. Not only just glasses, eyeglasses.
Another level. What’s nature? Its nature is selflessness, emptiness. Same thing with this one, this one, this one, or so is our self selflessness. That’s very, very important to meditate.
That’s a reality. Ultimate reality means that, you know. For these, we need to do more meditation than just studying. Of course, first we need to study it, then need to meditate. Bring on a daily basis this meditation.
So some people may think, What is the benefit of meditating emptiness? Yes, that’s the most benefit if you meditate emptiness. If you meditate emptiness, we can cut out the anger, we cut out the, you know, we can be able to overcome attachment, strong attachment. We can also cut out ignorance, conceit, jealousy, and all other mental afflictions. For instance, anger is still one of the worst negative emotions than any other negative emotions.
But it’s very difficult to cut out anger, isn’t it? It’s very easy to get angry. But when you get angry, check it how we react. It’s almost like we are very much dependent on anger. We think anger is our supporters.
Oh, anger supports me. That’s something like that. Anger is almost like inherently existence. Anger just happened. Oh, he did it!
Something like that. No. Anger’s nature is emptiness, actually. Anger does not exist inherently. Anger exists because of other factors.
The most important factor is your own karma, past karma. Then the temporary factor is he or she or they created this anger, but the main factor is our own past negative karma. Maybe these people who create this anger, then you get angry. It’s very easy to blame these people who started first. I did not.
It’s very easy for us. That’s why we usually look at it that way. It’s very easy like this. Yes, some part of the anger arises from the people, but it’s really only those people who create this anger? No.
The main factor is your own past negative karma. When you create anger, You get angry because in the past lifetime, you may have the same thing for these people. Now karma coming back to you. Goes around and comes around means that. See?
Goes around and comes around. I used to tell people that karma is like a hidden camera. You have no idea there is a hidden camera. It is hidden somewhere. karma takes pictures.
Then eventually, it shows you the picture develops. Sometimes people do stealing things on the mall. They didn’t know there was a hidden camera, but then after the news comes, their face is there. They didn’t realize they cannot escape from that camera, isn’t it? karma is like that totally hidden camera.
Every action that we take, would be karma already there for you. That’s what we call accumulating karma. Every action is good or bad mentally, physically, verbally everything. Whatever you think, whatever you are saying, whatever you take actions, karma is consistency like this. There’s nothing you can escape from, like a hidden camera.
So, that’s why now anger, instead of blaming that person, he or she, you know, of course, we get upset sometimes, but if you regularly meditate, yes, my anger is the main thing, that I am the one who accumulated kind of karma in past lifetime, then now I am really getting angry. These people are really just the condition, not really the factor, principal factor is my past negative karma. But in order to really eliminate this anger, you need to think about anger nature is emptiness. Anger is just a piece of name or the title, but actually it does not exist. It’s really emptiness.
Only I am labeling it as anger or hostility or hatred. This is just I am doing that because of my past negative karma, but actually, anger’s nature is emptiness. See? I think patience is the best thing to you know, apply to cut out the anger. Patience and love.
These are the best antidote to anger. There is no other practice one can do to eliminate anger. But of course, this is the beginner Buddhism class. Daily base, if you are, you have to check it out. Your main problem is anger because we all get angry, but some people may get angry more than others.
Some people, their main problem is anger. Some people, their main problem is attachment. Some people, their main problem is jealousy or conceit. There are many, many different mental afflictions. You need to check out what is your main problem.
For example, if your main problem is anger, then daily basis, you need to meditate. First of all, how do you get angry? You have to check the form of anger. When I get angry, am I happy? You need to check it out.
If you think when you get angry, am I happy? Of course not. Do I really want this kind of mental unease? I really want it? No.
What I want is happiness. All this daily basis, you have do this meditation. Then, the most important thing is you need to meditate The disadvantage of anger is the real enemy. Anger is the real enemy. There are no outside enemies if there is no anger.
No anger inside means no enemies outside. Because of my own anger, I’m creating so many So, in order to eliminate the enemies, I must first cut out my own anger. That’s what you need to do. Patience is the best. Love is the best.
That is why, on a daily basis, you need to meditate. Let’s say, whoever is making you angry or something that you get angry, meditate, bring that person’s face in front of you when you meditate. Then how you feel about it. His voice, his face, bring it in front of you. Then practice, interact, how you feel about it.
Now think about the person who is the problem? Is he really the problem? You need to think about it. Yes, he is part of the problem, absolutely yes, But the main problem is my own anger, which is I couldn’t reduce, I couldn’t eliminate it. So, this is where you need to interact and meditate on a daily basis.
And the most important thing is when anger arises, first moment. That moment, if you are daily meditating, Oh, something is coming here. I don’t want to go there. I must now put it down once. Otherwise, hostility.
Then, if you don’t stop it, the first moment. Because the first moment, when you get angry, it wasn’t bad. The form of the anger would be small. It’s the first time when you try to get angry. That moment you must be vigilant, Oh, okay, this is coming now.
I must put it down. I was there before, you know, I don’t want to go this. Deja vu, no, no, no, I don’t want to go this. Or you can just get out from that wherever it is, you know, the people or whatever, get out from there. Think that’s what need to do.
Don’t stick there and argue with things. No, that’s not good. Then hostility comes. In some cases, I don’t know. Maybe you may need to sit there and you may need to argue with people, but you can do that in a nice way, a peaceful way.
Of course, you know, nobody has a right to really harm you, you know. You have also no right to harm others. If people try to exploit you or try to manipulate you, of course, you know, you have a right to get angry, but you can deal with things peacefully. You shouldn’t be doing the same as those people are doing. Then what is the difference between you and them?
What is the difference? Coming here, practicing Buddhist things, listening to Buddhist teachings, what is the difference? If you act the same as those nasty people, you must be better than those nasty people. Learn from Hillary Clinton. Yeah, of course, every politician lies.
It’s not a big deal for the people or politicians. But when you debate, when they do, she is very good, isn’t it? Women’s power. I’m supporting her. Unfortunately, I couldn’t vote now.
I watched during this last debate. When he was angry, she was calm. That’s the power. That’s the power. If you’re calm He said that.
There goes low, we go higher. Exactly! That’s what happened. Then he was saying, Nasty woman, unbeliever. See?
His anger is coming, every anger. But she was there saying nothing, any bad things. You need to learn that from her. She’s a good teacher, actually. Course, know, inside she may get angry, but she can tolerate it.
That’s a power. Tolerance is very, very important. She was patient. She did say whatever she was supposed to do, she needed to say in a very nice way. Not like he does for her, her, her, you know.
She speaks his name, Mr. Trump, which is very nice, actually. Polite. But my point is that even though this debate was nasty, when you look at it, there are two people there. Why do you see two different people?
One is much calmer than the other. Why? Because of the anger. Because of the anger. See?
Anger may have brought down Mr. Trump. It’s possible. Although he has so many supporters, I think because of his anger. See?
If you look at it this way, you can see their faces are so different. One face became very red, very arrogant. She was very calm. If you were calm, you would be more confident to talk about what to say. See?
If you are not calm, even though you may have many things to say, you couldn’t say it. Exactly this happened. That’s what I’m thinking. I’m thinking, well, there are many things he can say, but he couldn’t because he wasn’t calm. That’s the problem.
Even though when you talk to people regularly, if you are calm, you can talk nicely even though there are some points we need to argue with people, we need to debate with people. If you are calm, you can say very confidently. Otherwise, you may be very much educated. You may be very good at debating things and arguing things. If you are not calm, sometimes your words may be negative.
That happens. People look at you so nasty. People may say, Oh, that’s a nasty man, nasty woman. Think that’s exactly the example a calming mind. It’s most important.
But it’s very difficult to be calm. So this is the point in Buddhist teachings patience, tolerance, forgiveness. Tolerance is also sometimes here in the West. People misunderstand. We are not talking about the tolerant that somebody is harming you.
Still tolerant? Absolutely not. But I will teach you more about these things. Maybe in the New Year, there’s one particular subject about the way of the bodhisattva that would give you the meaning of tolerance. Tolerance is something like patience.
You shouldn’t be tolerant because somebody is treating you or harming you. You need to do something at that moment, which is self defense. I’m not telling you to kill someone. You need to do something to protect yourself. Otherwise, Buddhist book says patience, tolerant, or let him do whatever he wanted, even if he was beating you or whatever.
Absolutely not. If somebody is verbally abusing you, you shouldn’t be tolerant for that. Nobody has a right to abuse anyone. Absolutely not. But you can deal with things peacefully if they listen to you.
That’s what you need to do. Not the same as how they act on you, not like that. So that’s why patience, tolerance, and forgiveness is most important. Forgiving. What is worth it?
Not forgiving. Intolerance is the problem tolerance is wonderful. Now, all phenomena are empty and selflessness. That’s the main thing. It’s meditation.
All things are in nature. It’s emptiness. I say emptiness, all nature or emptiness does not exist inherently. It does not exist truly. It just exists as a name or title which is called nominal.
That’s it. Just nominal, no more than that. It is conventional. That’s it. No more than that.
The last one is nirvana is peace. That one is now the ultimate reality, happiness. Once you achieve nirvana, everything is peace and happiness. So that peace is the permanent peace. That happiness is the permanent happiness.
What is the meaning of the permanent happiness and the permanent peace? Permanent peace and happiness mean it does not change, like impermanent. Happiness that we have now changes. The first moment, it was happiness. The second moment, change, pain and suffering.
Changes. You know, permanent happiness and peace never change. Never. That is called permanent peace and permanent happiness, which is nirvana. nirvana is our goal.
We all are seeking to achieve nirvana. In Colombia, I do go to Colombia every year, twenty days, sometimes fifteen days, in the Dharma center. I have many students over there, and they have a small a small restaurant called nirvana. Even though that restaurant is not pure nirvana, because of their food, a little nirvana, you know? You feel a little peace and happy because they cook only organic vegetables.
If you eat meat, they cook organic meat, you know. They have organic fish, everything is organic, and also how they cook it. It’s so delicious. No MSG. It’s beautiful they cook.
So I go there every other day with the students, you know. They call also nirvana. I mentioned to this man, why don’t you change? Don’t call just nirvana, call little nirvana, you know. He was considered to do that in the next time, little nirvana, because when you eat this food in the restaurant, it was good because there are many students together.
We eat. And they have also very good drinking in Colombia. Very natural, or something like the These fruits come from some tropical jungle. It’s a very wild fruit. Delicious!
It’s very good! Everything is not like adding many sugary things like the United States. Same thing here. I checked one day like this, same thing. In the United States here, thing.
Our foods are very much chemical, isn’t it? It’s scary sometimes. When you look at them, they so beautiful, they display so beautifully. Pick up and read it, then that’s not beautiful, isn’t it? What can you do?
You need to eat. So sometimes we have no choice. Anyway, that’s a little nirvana in Colombia. But now here is the nirvana, ultimate reality, peace. Will we get there?
Absolutely, yes. In order to get there, we need to start from today. Everything is people’s choice, you know, your choice. If you really want to achieve ultimate happiness and peace, so we need to start as a baby step this way. If you don’t start it, then tomorrow is the same day after tomorrow it’s the same, same, same, same thing like that.
We need to start something from today to achieve nirvana, and the main thing is motivation. So how we achieve nirvana? Starting by helping others. That’s where you need to start. Become a kind human being, compassionate human being, a gentle human being.
Try to reduce the anger and all these mental afflictions as much as you can. That’s a good one. Then we are learning the wonderful seed. See? Eventually, that beautiful seed will grow and give you beautiful results.
When you plant the apple seed, it will eventually grow sprouts, becomes green, then you get the apple, which is delicious. If you plant the poisonous seed, it eventually grows that, you know, then it gives you the result of poisonous plant. It hurts people. So, we have choice. What karma you accumulated, you will get the same results, good or bad.
These are in the palms of our own hands. Okay, now, all products are impermanent. All phenomena are empty and selflessness. All contaminated things are miserable, and nirvana is peace. That is our final destination.
We will get there. The little by little things we need to learn. So now these two things are packaged. Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha are the Buddhist faith. And the four seals are the Buddhist seal that’s called stem or seal.
This together, if you accept it or pledge, then you become pure Buddhist. Thank you very much. My class is finished. Now, questions? Anyone?
Don’t understand what force in life is remanifesting. Why not stop? Only because it’s life is so exhausting. That’s why I think that. But, yeah, what’s the motivate what’s the universal motivation for the reformation of objects once they disintegrated?
Yes. I mentioned in the beginning of my class, empty doesn’t mean that empty. You are thinking this kind of empty. See? That is a problem.
Empty mocks, empty house. Your question for me seems to be like empty. You are misunderstanding the empty. Why is all this formation? Is it empty?
See? Like an empty like this. Empty here is not like an empty mug. I just mentioned that I know people misunderstand that. Empty or emptiness here is that we are talking about all these products are empty.
The sense of emptiness that its nature is emptiness because it does not exist truly, naturally. But does exist from its own causes and conditions. That means its nature becomes emptiness of truly existent, emptiness of natural existence, emptiness of inherent existence That is the meaning of emptiness. Not like an empty mog or an empty house, not like that. But things do exist.
Just nominal. Just the name or title. That’s it. No more than that. But in our mind, we are clinging that things don’t exist inherently.
Things don’t exist naturally. We do grasp like that because of the lack of meditation on wisdom, lack of meditation on selflessness. We do grasp that because of the ignorance. Another is that ignorance is the problem. It’s different, you know.
All these formations appear so many things. Of course, are just the nature, But here, we are talking about the philosophy of perspective that things exist not naturally, not truly. Something truly exists or arises, meaning that truly arises or existence is there, then that thing does not need any causes and conditions because it truly exists. Means doesn’t exist from its own causes and conditions, but that’s not true. Things exist or arise from its causes and conditions.
There is no such thing we can point to saying, Oh, that thing totally exists inherently. No. But in our mind, we think that way. In our mind, we think that way, we grasp that way things exist inherently, surely or prominently. We think also these are the prominent.
Logic of intellectual perspective is, Oh no, things are not prominent. Things are selflessness. We may talk about it, but inside we do grasp this is prominent. Why do we grasp this like that? As prominent, we take care of it very much.
We buy things for tomorrow or day after tomorrow. We shop, yes? Oh, this is for maybe next week I will cook. We are grasping that we can live until next week. We already predicted ourselves because we are grasping ourselves as prominent.
Oh, next year, I will come to see you next year. We already grasp ourselves, and will leave until next year, but that’s not true. This is just the mistaking consciousness. Our consciousness is the mistaking consciousness. Why is mistaking consciousness?
Because of the ignorance. It the fundamental confusion. Got it a little bit now? I know. This is a little bit complicated.
Go ahead. All these things do exist but does not exist inherently or naturally or truly. If things exist inherently, naturally, or truly, that means that thing has no need for any causes or conditions in order to exist. But that’s not true. As I mentioned before, these glasses need many, many tools, many, many factors to exist in a glass like this, isn’t it?
Especially the factor is the nominal name or title most important, then glass exists. But this glass is not just like this without any causes and conditions. Is not like that. For instance, Geshe Geshe la was born in this world after Tibet exiled. Geshe-la did not exist without causes and conditions.
Geshe-la made Geshe-la’s parents, my father and mother, were very important. And also, my karma is very important. Many, many, many tools involve in order to get to come into this world. Of course, I need my mother, and my mother needs my father. Not enough for them to sleep together to produce me.
See, there are many, many, many factors. Finally, I conceived the mother’s womb. That’s not enough. Again, my mother needs to keep me nine months. Many, many factors there, isn’t it?
Then finally, I came out from my mother’s womb. That’s not enough. She must give me so much love and nourishment for me to grow. That is not enough that I must be a monk. I am talking about the Geshe that I must become a monk.
It is not enough just to become a monk either. I need to study it. I need to spend many, many years in the monastery. That is also not enough to be Geshe. What do I need?
Need to finally give an examination. Then, when I give an examination in nineteen ninety two or ninety three, then finally my monastery abbot says, You are Geshe, name, title. That is called nominal. Then that day, Geshe la just existed. Before nineteen ninety three, nobody called me Geshe-la because I wasn’t Geshe.
I didn’t have this name or title. If Geshe-la inherently exists, when I was born, I must be Geshe. People must call me Geshe because of inherently existence. Okay, a little complicated. Not so bad, isn’t it?
Anyone? When you do this practice helping others, you are giving material things or time. Okay. See, yes. Sometimes some people are saying such a thing like that because you are holding something back yourself.
Sometimes some people do this practice because of the misunderstanding of helping others, cherishing others, wanting happiness. When I say that some people are misunderstanding, they do this practice helping others, but they need some reward from the people. When they don’t get it, these people are not happy. But that’s not really the pure practice. It doesn’t matter how people react towards you when you help people.
Sometimes helping people is very difficult. I do have my own experience. I spent fifteen or sixteen years in the United States. Yes, I helped many, many people, but there are some people I couldn’t help. What can you do?
Yes? But when you help people, you need to go through some pain and suffering. So, is the point you need to be in detachment yourself, you know. But be careful. When I say detachment, I’m talking about bad desire, bad attachment.
Of course, we all need little attachment towards ourselves, you know. But here I’m talking about detachment, which means not really holding too much of yourself. Not expecting something from the people when you help them. Some people, when you help them, even they wouldn’t thank you. That’s okay.
Some people say, Oh, I helped him. Even though he didn’t thank me, people say, and they get a little upset, see? But if you have this kind of mind, it’s difficult. But this one, cherishing others wants happiness, you have to think about those people who have gone through pain and suffering, so much pain and suffering. They need help.
If you are capable of helping, then we need to help. But Buddha never said, You must help other sentient beings. If you don’t, you are not going to be helped. Buddha never said that. Buddha said, Help other sentient beings as much as you can.
If you cannot help others, at least don’t harm them. That’s it. So, now, your question is about helping others. When you help others, I will repeat again. You shouldn’t be expecting something from them, some sort of gratitude or whatever.
See? If you do clanging something like that, when you help others, then your help is not so pure. Although it’s good, but not so pure. Because then you wouldn’t be happy, Oh, I helped these people, this and that, but there’s no any thank you from them. It’s okay.
People thank you or people do not thank. Even if people thank you, okay. If they don’t thank you, it’s okay. You did what you were supposed to be able to do. That’s it.
Do you understand? How do you detach from the need of more than other treatment? Detachment depends depends on what circumstances you are talking about. Generally, detachment is the first to ask questions about yourself. Do I want happiness?
Do I really want be ultimate happiness? Ultimate happiness starts from helping others, yes? So, when you help others, you’ve got to be in detachment of yourself. When I say others, other people are more than anything else. I am only just one person.
Others are the countless sentient beings out there. I am just one. So, one versus a billion people, countless people. Which one is important? You have to think about it.
If you think that you are important, then you’ve got a problem. But mostly, it’s the others because one versus others. So these are the daily basis you need to bring in your meditation. This will help you to cut out the attachment towards oneself. I will repeat again.
There are two different desired attachment. One type of desire attachment is positive. We attach ourselves to our friends and family, wife to husband, husband to wife, you know, children with parents. We have these kinds of loving things. It’s okay.
That’s a good one. We need it. But this attachment should be balanced. If this attachment becomes a great, big, big attachment, then we get the problem. Jealousy, anger, other mental afflictions would arise.
Even though this attachment is good, you have to be balanced. How much is too much? Even though when you love your children or they support each other, that needs to be balanced. Many times, like marriage people, they get problems. They love each other very much, which is wonderful.
Love is important. But then sometimes they did not understand the form of love. It’s a very much a blind sort of love. They did not understand that. One couple talks to someone and he or she is jealous of where you are talking or whom you are talking, what you are talking.
See, now that’s a bad attachment. Both need space. Both need to trust each other. That’s the most important. Both need commitment to each other, but both need also space.
Suppose each other is not like property or things just possess each other, but many people do that because they are not understanding the pure meaning of love. They are really destroying the pure meaning of love. The pure meaning of love is to understand each other. It doesn’t matter whatever it is, each other must help each other. It gives some space to each other, understands each other’s situation.
So, see, these are the practices you need to bring daily basis to help you with detachment, whatever reason you want to practice detachment. Okay? Thank you very much. Then now, yes, now dedication. Look at page one hundred twenty in this book, the gold book.
Lord Buddha, make me an instrument of your peace. There is a hatred, let me sow love. There is an injured, pardon. There is a discord, unity. There is a doubt, faith.
There is an error, truth. There’s a dispute, hope. There’s a sadness, joy. There’s a darkness, light. A divine master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console.
To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is giving that he received, it is pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life from happiness to happiness up to fully enlightenment. May all beings attain their transcendent, peaceful state of omniscient Buddhahood. Thank you very much. Have a nice day.
Enjoy the weather, but the wind is a little And next week, I will bring you different topic.