Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 82-minute beginner’s class, Geshe Kyab introduces the foundations of Buddhist practice to newcomers, emphasizing that Buddhism is philosophy, psychology, and science of mind as much as religion. He frames the core teaching around two pillars: Buddhist conduct (ethical discipline and non-harm toward all sentient beings) and Buddhist view (dependent origination and emptiness). The bulk of the session covers the water bowl offering ritual—its seven components representing mouth-washing, foot-washing, flowers, incense, light, perfume, and food—and the spiritual significance of cleansing the altar space and one’s mind of defilements simultaneously. He then explains the six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme Hum in detail, mapping each syllable to the six realms of suffering, the six paramitas (moral perfections), and the six Buddha families, emphasizing that compassion is the gateway to the Mahāyāna path. Throughout, Geshe Kyab stresses quality over quantity in practice, the necessity of renunciation to progress, and that Buddhist teachings serve as a mirror to reveal one’s own faults. The talk concludes with Q&A on obstacles in retreat practice and the importance of a qualified teacher. Open to all, especially those exploring Buddhism as a philosophical or psychological framework.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2016 11 06 Buddhism for Beginners.mp3
UUID: a812dcbb-3d9c-4fbc-a5cf-e24ae938611e
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Beginners Buddhism Sundays (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-11-06
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 81.9 minutes
Words: ~9,438
Good morning everybody. Please look at just only this mantra, single printed one. It’s called mantra Avalokiteśvara, which is the Buddha of compassion. This one is the long mantra. So there is also a short one, so we are going to say a long one twice.
Thank you. So, this class is the beginner Buddhism class. Yes. So this class, you can learn the basic Buddhist teachings and sometimes also the Buddhist rituals. And also we do say sometimes mantras.
It’s good to know why we are saying mantras and meaning of the mantras, you know. So some of the mantras, I can explain the meaning of the mantras, some of the mantras I cannot explain the meaning of the mantra until you get some initiations and empowerments. But generally speaking, I thought this class is important for newer people, people who are interested in the Buddhist philosophy or Buddhist psychology. So maybe some people, maybe, you know, they may be interested in Buddhist rituals. You know, we do prostrations and and water bowl offerings.
We do some purification things, and we have many wall hanging thankas and statues. So these are the before you actually do practice, mean the worship, you know. To become Buddhist and do this practice, it’s good to learn if you are interested in the future. So so this that’s why this particular class is the I thought, you know, it’s good to do and and teach people, give them some basic knowledge about the Buddhism. But I can see some new people today.
Before I start some of today’s teaching, one thing is very important to understand when you come to Buddhist center, Buddhism of course, Buddhism established two thousand five hundred fifty three years before. Śākyamūni Buddha, who established Buddhism and who also, you know, achieved enlightenment. After that, he established Buddhism. So then that’s a Buddhist religion and happened like that. But then now Buddhism is not only just religion.
Buddhism is more than religion. It is philosophy and psychology and science of mind. So that means you have so many choices which way you want to learn Buddhism. The religion perspective, of course, philosophy, psychology, Buddhist science of mind, these are very important. Or you want to also learn just only the philosophy perspective or the psychology perspective or the science of mind.
So you can choose. Most of the teachings that, you know, I give here is the really the philosophy and psychology and science of mind. Of course, then we do sometimes, time to time, some we call pujas, which is rituals. Medicine Buddha’s puja and and and the Vajrasattvas, you know, these purification things. Those are the, you know, more religion than just philosophy.
But Buddhist religion is the not only just the religion, I don’t want you to misunderstand. When I say sometimes when I say religion here in the West, people just only, you know, to have some faith or belief. It can be blind, you know. So that’s people most many people do think about sometimes like that. Religion means just, you know, belief that the image or the lord or god, whatever you call.
But Buddhism, Buddhist religion is not just believing in something there, but before you believe in something, which is which is the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, these are the Buddhist faith. So before you believe in buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, you need to learn first what does mean buddha, what does mean Dharma, what does mean Dharma, Sangha. These are the saying buddhist faith or Buddhist refuge. Now you need to learn that first. You need to understand.
So now when I say learn, that that point is I’m talking about the Buddhist philosophy now, see, and Buddhist psychology that comes. See? So that means Buddhist religion is the combination of the religion and so is the psychology or or philosophy like that. But then the is the everything is the people’s choice, you know. How much you want to learn Buddhist teachings, everything is your own choice.
But it’s very important to understand the core or the basic Buddhist views, which is very important. So this is the point Buddhism divided The two different ways, Buddhist conduct and Buddhist view. Buddhist conduct and Buddhist view. Buddhist conduct is the not harming or also the ethics or or or the manners. The main thing is Buddhist conduct is the not harming conduct or or or the behavior or the attitude.
Not harming. So Buddha himself says, help other sentient beings. When I say help other sentient beings, that mean besides the Buddha beings and yourself, all other sentient beings. Help other sentient beings as much as you can. If you cannot help, at least don’t harm them.
So that’s Buddhist conduct, not harming conduct. When I say not harming conduct, not only they’re not harming human beings, also it’s include also the animals, small creatures, ants and insects or worms, you know, there are many many creatures. Not harming. Also, they’re not harming is they’re not only just physically not harming. Not only the physical are not harming, also they’re verbally, mentally as well.
So so that’s a Buddhist conduct. Then now, Buddhist view, which is the more advanced, the depending arising and emptiness. Everything is depending arising. There’s no such a thing, you know, do exist or does you know, do exist as inherently or naturally or the intrinsic or or or the independent. Nothing like in Buddhist perspective.
Everything is the depending arising. So that mean if things are arising dependently or that mean depend other factors factors actually. This glasses, this glasses also arises. The depending arising mean this glass is arise from its own, you know, different All the factors, many, many factors together put together, glass happened. So that mean nature of this glass is emptiness.
So that’s a meaning of the depending arising and emptiness. Depending arising and emptiness must be together. You cannot separate it depending arising and emptiness. When we teach, we teach depending arising mean this and that. Emptiness is this and that.
But then actual fact is the something is the depending arising, that’s why it is emptiness. It is emptiness because of the depending arising. So so this is the you need to understand, which is the Buddhist view. Now Buddhist conduct is not harming conduct. Buddhist view is the directly, depending arising and emptiness.
So these two things are very, very important in Buddhism. Okay? Of course, there are many other things we need to talk about it, but I’m just giving you little information about the Buddhism if you are new, so which is very important to know. Repeat again. If you are not interested Buddhist religion, that’s okay.
If you’re not interested to do prostrations that we did it, it’s okay. If you don’t want to say any mantras, it’s okay. But listen Buddhist philosophy. Learn Buddhist philosophy or Buddhist psychology because psychology is very popular around the world because people do have, you know, psychological problems. We all do.
So because of the psychological problem, psychology is very important. People go to a psychologist. Why? Because they do have some psychological problems. Same thing here is the Buddhist teachings are the different psychology than Western one.
But I think what I understood in United States, I do have many friends, students, other friends, psychologists, And and I’ve been with them for many times on the corresponding things, how Buddhists, you know, sees the world and the reality and and and, you know, all of these things are we did talk about it. And also the many of psychologists nowadays in United States, I don’t know numbers, but there are the people that I know. Those are the psychologists. They do read Buddhist books nowadays. Do you know why?
Because of the Buddhist teachings of the psychology. They now they are finding something unique, different, you know. But now they try to put these things together, western psychology and the buddhist psychology, you know. They they do it like a they mix, you know. So and and and sometimes it’s great that many people do get, you know, help.
It it basic is the same, Buddhist psychology or or the western psychology. Basic, you know, purpose is the same, to help people who, you know, has the psycho psychological problems. So it’s the same thing, but different ways they, you know, teach and and and and give advice to to the people. Other than that, you know, both of these, you know, basic is the same, really, to help people. So many psychologists nowadays, they do read the Buddhist books.
So I think that’s very unique. You know, it’s east and west together to put things together and help people. I don’t know the western psychology that much, but I did read some of the books, which is wonderful. Some of the western psychology is I’m not so happy, you know, which is I I won’t recommend people. Many of the dear psychology, beautiful.
It’s helping me also, you know, as a gasey who really the not English speaker and also who teach the students here in the West, it’s helping me to put things together also. It’s a benefit. It’s good. The point is this. So say now if you do learn the Buddhist teachings, you are you are learning and practicing Buddhist psychology.
So that mean the and and something happens in your life when things fall apart. You can apply Buddhist psychology that you learn learn from the teacher, which is wonderful now, isn’t it? You are fixing everything is by yourself. Something you don’t need to be depend on someone else because you do know how to fix it. Because everything here is the to fix.
You know, problem must be fixed. Or same thing, look at the if you do if you have a car, if that car is getting old and sometimes things are not so here, there, all these screw you know, missing, and it’s very dangerous, isn’t it? You need to fix it. Then it’s then good. It runs well.
So all mind is something like that. You need to fix it. This is monkey mind. It’s very jumpy. So you need to fix it.
How to fix it? Because of the Buddhist psychology, Buddhist philosophy. So this way, you need to fix it. People make and I did say this before. People do make mistakes.
No big deal. Making mistake is one thing. But that mistake, if you don’t fix it, then problem. Just making mistake is Buddhist my perspective, it’s not big deal. As a normal human being, as a ordinary human being, of course, we do make mistakes.
We are not Buddha. We are not a bodhisattva. If we are not making any mistakes, we must be then in the edge of enlightenment, isn’t it? But we are not yet. So that mean we do make mistakes, but understand the past mistake.
You know, it’s very important. Then learn learn from the past mistake. When you do make mistakes, next moment, try to fix it. So this is the point, it’s called mind training. Mind training is very important in Buddhism.
So the mostly the, of course, you know, mostly the Buddhist teachings are considered as a mind training, but especially the Mahāyāna Buddhist teachings are the real mind training because of the bodhicitta or mind of enlightenment, which is very, very important. I we just did say this mantra beginning of the this class twice. Why? Because of the this mantra is mantra belongs to Buddha of compassion. We need to generate compassion.
Compassion is the border of between Mahāyāna and the Theravāda Buddhism. See? Without compassion, it’s very difficult. Very difficult to generate the mind of enlightenment. In Sanskrit Sanskrit, it’s called the bodhicitta.
First, compassion. Compassion is the door to enter the Mahāyāna path, which is as I mentioned before. Mind training is the, specially the Mahāyāna mind training. Mahāyāna means the great vehicle. With this we have two vehicles, Theravāda vehicle sometimes also translated Hīnayāna.
A second vehicle is the Mahāyāna which is the great vehicle. So that’s called Mahāyāna. Yana means vehicle. Okay? So that mean the Mahāyāna mind training is very important, which is because of the mind mind of enlightenment.
In order to achieve mind of enlightenment, you must generate compassion. So that’s why the, you know, I I thought maybe it’s good to say every class twice this long mantra that belongs to Buddha of compassion, is the Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit. In Tibetan, we call Chenrezig. There is a thousand arms Avalokiteśvara, know, thanka, also we have the four-armed Avalokiteśvara’s thanka, but, you know, different manifestation, different forms of the Buddha of compassion. So if you look at your own child or children without compassion and love, it’s very difficult.
Difficult to survive. If you look at the two different families, one mother is so loving and kindness and compassion. And when their children are so gross, they become also same as like their mother and parents. But other hand, other side, you know, if their parents are very much violence, do doing things are only nasty things. When this their their children grows, become same as like a them because they got this influence mean from their parents.
So compassion and love is why mother give breastfed, why they do this one? Here, connection. Here, you know, you you are giving this. This is the love you hold here. The first mummy once we were born in this world, that’s a mother like this.
See? That starts between mother and child’s relationship. You know, breastfeeding, she hold this way. See? That stops now.
So without the love and compassion, that child is going to be very difficult when they grow. So compassion is the key. Okay? So that’s why the mind training in mainly the Mahāyāna teachings. Mahāyāna mind training.
Of course, all other teachings also considered as a mind training because it’s really the supposed to be to fix our mind, which is I mentioned the Buddhist teachings. Buddhist teaching is the psychology mean that, to fix, you know. When you fix your mind, then you can able to fix everything in outside one also. But main problem is to hear. This is the like a remote control here.
If your remote control is solid, good, then good. Otherwise, same as like this, you know, also consider as a hard drive, like a computer hard drive. When you get viruses, what what happens? Computer gets slow, very difficult. So see, then now you need antiviruses to clean all those viruses.
Think about our mind is like that. All these defile means, delusions are the viruses, like a virus. So many strong viruses. You need now antidotes, antiviruses. All these teachings are, you know, supposed to be the mind fixing like that.
For instance, just a simple example. When you are calm and at peace, how beautiful, isn’t it? And sometimes you sing because you are calm and at peace, because your mind is calm and at peace and beautiful, isn’t it? Life is beautiful. But then other hand, when you are aggressive, getting angry, hostility, then now look at the two different personalities.
So that’s actually the same mind but two different reactions. But then we blame only outside, he or she or this and that. Actually, this comes from the one’s mind. So that’s why the all these Buddhist teachings help us to how to fix it. So then, there are many ways you can fix it.
But today, I will going to give you some of these teachings, the, you know, video water bowl offerings every day. You know, we do have many volunteers. Weatherhouse need many good people to volunteer. And and and it’s good to learn why we do this, why we do water water bowl offerings. You know?
And and and I think it’s good to learn. Today, will going to talk to you some of these things. As I said before, there are many different tools and techniques that we can able to bring some peace in our mind. But so that’s why the now Buddhist center and the monasteries and the temples, we do water bowl offerings. Water bowl offerings do have so many meanings.
First of all, you need to learn how to do these offerings and what is the benefit of the water bowl, you know, offerings. How to do this setting up water bowls. So see, it’s it’s okay. You know, no need to be Buddhist order to learn this one. As I said, this class is the just giving you some information about the Buddhism.
You know? Water bowl water bowls are the there are seven water bowls, and the each of these water bowls do have its own unique meaning. You know? Although, we just do water bowls, you know. And in some special occasions, then we change not only just the water bowls, everything is water in the bowl.
Also, we put some rice and incense and the flowers and the candles like that. But regularly only we do seven seven water bowls. Seven water bowls, we are offering to the Buddha the Dharma in a Sangha, which is the Buddhist faith, you know. And first water bowl represents the mouth cleaning. We are offering to clean the mouth.
Second water bowl is to clean your feet. In Asian Indian time, before you go to the temple, you need to wash your mouth, you need to wash your feet. I think because of the Asian Indian time, people, they they don’t wear the shoes. So then they they step everywhere, and so then now the it’s not good to bring the some dirtiness inside the temple, so that’s why they they wash their feet. So the second water bowl is we are offering to them to wash their feet.
Then third one is the flowers. We are offering flowers. Then fourth, the incense. We are offering incense. Then the light offering.
Then the number five going to be the light offering. Like candles or anything light offering. Then Then number six. Number six going to be the perfume or scent. So that’s what we are offering to them.
The number seven going to be the food to eat. That’s what we are offering. Okay? So there are seven water bowls, Then number eight is going to be the sound or music. So at this point, you can have something like this.
Give three times, like, you know, after eight comes, you can just have something, some bell. Can do. There are many different bells. Some bells are like this, like a symbol, you know, small. And you can buy as a singing ball and two or three times, so this one you are offering sound.
So these are the seven water water bowls that we are offering to the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha. Now before you do offering water bowls, it’s very important to clean that part of the room, which is we call altar room. It’s very important to clean out everything, you know, to clean all dust, and especially the you need to clean the table that you are offering water bowls to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. And also, if you do have some statues, also clean and dust it, you know, to clean. Cleaning is very important.
Think about if you eat, when you eat and your table is dirty, how you feel about it? If you look at the when you are when you go to the restaurant, some restaurants are very dirty and it is not good, you know. People feel it is very dirty. And if your plate is not clean, what would be for us think about? It is not good, is not it?
You must be clean plate, those plates are very nicely to clean. So, is the table. So, these are the that the how you feel about it when you get some dirty table in the plates. Same thing now, when you do offering to Buddha, Dharma and a Sangha, they are the holy, you know, objects. So then we are accumulating, you know, bad negative karma, if you do offering them dirty area, many dust and dirty things, and water bowls are not clean, then it is better to not do this offering.
Why? Because of the cumulative more negative karma. So that is why before you do offering, day before, you already, you know, everything, water, you just take out the water from the bowl and you just start there or you can just put one after another. I don’t know how they do here, but there are a few different ways you can do. It depends on the water bowl size also, but water bowl must be upside down to leave it that way.
In morning or that evening, you know, you must be ready to do this water bowl offering for tomorrow morning. You need to clean first, you know, three times outside, three times inside. Or you can do as much as, you know, try look at the clean everything inside. Three times outside mean you are really the throwing all your negative karma from body, speech, and mind, you know, out. Get out like that.
Three times inside is bringing all blessings from the Buddha’s body, space, and mind in. Then also the if you want to do more cleaning, then have some incense and do each of this water bowl also the, you know, turn on the incense and you just do like three times like this. Also you can do that. But then now the actually you are cleaning the water bowls. Yes.
That that is the example. But we are not only just cleaning the water bowl. Same time, the insight of your own defilements, all this anger, attachment, and jealousy, just name it, all these mental afflictions. Think about I’m really purifying my mental afflictions within these, you know, water bowl water bowl offerings. Then after that, three times inside is the, you know, I I will like to get blessings from the buddha’s body, space, and mind because they are the enlightenment being.
Buddha is the get the blessings. So see, anyway, even though when you are cleaning the that table that you are going to offering water bowls or your apartments, your house, you know, think about all this dust that I’m cleaning, same time I am also purifying my negative karma in all non virtues that I accumulated since beginningless less until now. I’m purifying that when you do dusting things. So see, even though simple water bowl water bowl offering, also you are practicing something that inside you are thinking something that you are purifying your own, this past negative karma, and so is the non virtues. And you are collecting the all the virtues and blessings from the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, from from Buddha’s body, speech, and mind.
How beautiful. Just offering water bowl itself is the great, isn’t it? So see so that’s also mind training here. Beautiful. But make this water bowl often every day as much as you can.
You can have more than seven water bowls, seven, eight, ten, or twenty, or a hundred, or a thousand. Seven water bowls must be. That is, you know, minimum must be seven water bowls. After that, can do offering water bowls, you know, that is up to you. And quality of the water bowls, you can have glass, you can have also the steel or the silver or the gold, anything that you can able to buy it.
Is up to your own budget. If you do offering water bowls, if bowls are more expensive, that much is good for accumulating more good karma than just regular one. Because itself is very expensive and you bought it. Do this offering to the Buddhadharma in a Sangha. What is the benefit?
The result is cutting out stinginess, miserliness, greediness. These are cut out. These are within us. Stingy, you know. If you like to do something for yourself, we have no stingy.
We do everything. But something to do for the others, then we step back. Oh, no. See, selfish mind. That’s accumulating so many negative karma.
So this water bowl offering will cut out stinginess, greediness, selfishness. These are the main problems, especially selfishness is big, big problem. So this is the benefit. Then do prostration if you like it, then sit down and do meditation. See?
Every day. You know? I don’t know how long you can do it. It’s up to your own time. Your own, you know, how busy you are.
Up to you. There’s no specific time or or or or the or you it must be drawn for many hours. Nothing like that. Everything is your own time. Your own time and table.
So according to the that way you need to do. Doing things are very important, not like, you know, quantities. Quality is most important. But also, when I say quality, quality starts from the motivation, raising motivation. Your motivation must be not only just the try to benefit yourself, also the benefit for the other sentient beings.
This way you need to raise your motivation. Now look at this. Just think about it. Just offering simple water bowl also, how beautiful. Also, this helps you you know, really calm you, and there are statues and, you know, and and and the pictures, wall hanging thangkas.
These are the holy beings and holy objects. So I am hundred percent sure the without religion support, life is very difficult. I mean it. Science is very, very important. Science is the also the unbelievable nowadays, which is wonderful, but you cannot get the every answers from the science.
So at this point, the is very important, especially the, you know, we we talk about death and then dying and sickness and sometimes a very difficult or some some disease or incurable disease. Some and and death also, you know, comes. And and and sometimes some people, some area, and they get so many issues and problems. I mean, that perspective is the science, mother nature, disaster, this and that. Finished.
There’s not nothing more than they can go. But in the religion, especially Buddhist perspective, we need to talk about the so many not only just the mother nature. Yes. That’s one thing. But then also we need to talk about the karma.
See? So that point is the religion is very important. Yeah. And if we need a religion in our life, when sometimes, you know, very difficult, isn’t it? When things fall apart, there are there are, you know, there are some moment, you know, it’s very difficult.
Very difficult to because confused and and and disorientated and panic. So many things happen. Then only some people, they may maybe take some pills to sleep or norm them, but how last long? Some people maybe they go to the bar and drink alcohol. How last long?
After this poison is finished, then you are going back to same area again, isn’t it? That’s what normal people do. This is the fashion, isn’t it? So sad. But then if you do learn something here as a Buddhist religion or philosophy or something, you don’t need to drink alcohol.
You don’t need to take all these poisonous, you know, pills. No. Absolutely not. Who does it, actually? You know?
Just the people who does these things are because of the they have no idea. They have no idea. Monks like me also, you know, sometimes things fall apart. But I never drink I never, you know, had this alcohol or pills to numb myself. Absolutely not.
The reticulers, I mean, that’s why you are harming your body. Smoking, drinking, pills. Rather, apply the Buddhist philosophy or Buddhist psychology. As I said, ordinary human being do get some issues in our life. So I think religion is very important, that perspective.
If I, you know, talk about that perspective, it’s really, of course, you know, everything is the people’s choice. Without religion, sometimes difficult. You need some faith also. Religion sometimes comfort you, you know, when when you are going through some difficulties. It helps you, comfort you, really.
Even though it’s, you know, Christian churches and temples, people go there. Wonderful. There you can see the Jesus Jesus Christ, you know, statues and this cross. You know, if you do believe in those religion, it’s help you. Or if you do believe in God, help you.
If you do believe in the Buddha, same thing. But we need to learn. So now, just the water water bowls offering offering also. See, how beautiful. And when I say the flower offering, one of the water bowl is represent represent the flower, the adulthood, unbelievable.
Everywhere is flowers now it is. I’m cutting some flowers offering every day nowadays. Just cut and put it inside a water bowl. You see? Everywhere flowers.
I don’t think you have any problems offering flowers in Adelaide, you know. Even though that bakery area day before yesterday, I think, yeah, we were eating. Everything’s rose flowers. You are eating inside the flower. They’re beautiful.
So many flowers everywhere. So that’s one thing. Now second thing is the it’s also the important. As I mentioned before, this mantra is the man mantra belongs to Buddha of compassion. This mantra is the long mantra.
There is a short mantra for Buddha of compassion, which is the use usually very popular, Om mani padme hum, six syllable. Om mani padme hum. It’s called six syllable mantra. Usually, the Tibetan society, people do say this mantra many different occasions, especially the someone pass it away, we do say this mantra. You need to say it, which is it’s very six syllable.
Also, you can do chanting, this mantra. Together. Not so difficult, isn’t it? Beautiful. You can say it quickly or you can say it as we did it slowly, making nice, you know, this tune.
So that’s, you know, your choice. But now you need to understand the meaning of six, you know, six syllable mantra, Om Mani, padme hum. So there are many different meanings, but the mainly the the this six syllable Om, Mani, Padme, hum. Out of this six syllable, one meaning is the the it’s called six realms. Six realms, they correspond into the six realms, like desire realm, form, formless.
I’m sorry. The yes. Upper three realms and lower three realms. Upper three realms are the god realm, demigod, and human realms. Yes.
Lower three realms are the animal realm, preta or hungry ghost realm, and hell realm. So there are six realms. So this mantra is the let’s say when you say Om close the door of rebirth in the world of gods. Ma is the door of the demigod world. The closest door of the demigod world, which is the asura, Sanskrit is called asura.
The mi is the door of the human realm. Pad is the door of the animal. Me is the door of the hungry ghost, which is the pretas. Hum is the door of the hell realm, hell realms. So that means that these three these six syllables correspond to six realms because of the six rams are the basis of a purification, you know.
So the as long as we are in the six realms, which is I mentioned, we will we would continually suffer. So that’s why we need to get out from these six realms. So that’s that mean these six realms are the basis of purification. So then now the six perfections. Also, there are six perfections perfections or six paramitas.
Perfection of paramita is a Sanskrit word, but English translation is six perfections. First one is the generosity, morality, which is the ethics, then the patience, then the effort, then concentration, then the wisdom. So these are the training. We need to train. Practice of the generosity, morality, patience, effort, concentration, excuse me, then the wisdom, then wisdom.
Yeah. Symposium, symposium, something share up. Generosity, morality, the patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom. These are the six training. Six, you know, mind trainings we need to train.
The result is going to be the six Buddha families. That’s results. So these are the call, I translated this morning here. Sometimes very difficult to get good translations. Here is the first Om correspond to one of the Buddha’s family, Ratnasambhava.
And the Ma corresponds to Amoghasiddhi. Some some it’s different pronunciation. You know, that’s another Buddha’s family. Ni, o ma, Ni corresponds to Vairocana. Pad is the Ratnasambhava.
Me is the Amitābha, Hum is the Akṣobhya. So these are the there are six Buddha’s family. These are the results. Six realms are the, you know, basis of purification, which is the basis of purification in six realms. How you can able to get out from the six rams?
You need these six different trainings, practice of the generosity, immorality, patience, effort, concentration, and no more I’m sorry, wisdom. So these are the Mahāyāna training, the Mahāyāna trainings, see. Then results going to be the six families of the Buddha, which is I mentioned like that. See? How beautiful.
Just you are saying, only six syllable, but there are so many beautiful benefits and wonderful meanings. Also another translation is also translated, these six syllable also the six wisdoms. Wisdom of equanimity, wisdom of activity, wisdom born in itself, the wisdom of Dharma dhatu, discriminating wisdom, mirror like wisdom. Om. Om is the wisdom of equanimity.
Ma is the wisdom of activity. Ni, the wisdom born in itself. Path is the wisdom of Dharma dhatu. Ni is the discriminating wisdom. Hum is the mirror like wisdom.
There are six wisdoms. Six six syllable also correspond to six wisdoms. And also, there are six kulas, six this and that. Why you don’t need to know all of these things. Mainly the six rams, basis of purification, then now six trainings, which is the six paramita or six perfections, results going to be the six Buddha’s family.
That’s that’s what results supposed to be, isn’t it? So now look at it. Now when you say, om mani padme hum, Each of the these syllables correspond to six rams. When you say, to close the door of rebirth in the god realm. Because when I say God realm, some people may consider, maybe you are just wondering, wow, God must be in very pleasurable place.
Why we should be, you know, close the door or or in God realm? You know, that’s regularly we think. It doesn’t matter they are god or goddesses, but still they they are a different place than, you know, we are in now, but they also do, you know, feel pain and suffering. What is the worth it? You know?
What is the worth it to born in god in goddess’ realm? Pain and suffering is same thing. They may live longer life than us, but still pain and suffering. So that’s why the this first one is the om is the, you know, that’s the closed door rebirth in the world of gods, meaning devas. Ma is the door of the demigod.
The ni is the door of the human realm, which is we are the human realm. That that is the animal. Me is the hungry ghost, which is the preta. Then whom is the hell realms, which is one of the worst realm one can able to reborn there. You know?
Difficult. Hell realms are very, very difficult. But as I said before, we may have caused to be reborn in hell realms in our past, you know, time. We made it something non virtuous. But there is opportunity to fix it.
See, that’s my point. You can fix it. You can be able to do purification practice. Buddha house organized every month. Although it’s not enough, but here at the center, you know, we have such a wonderful volunteer, absolutely wonderful volunteers.
They come here, they open the center, they clean the center, they do water bowl offerings, they really ready for you to come here. They do preparation. Let us say today’s class, someone from the Buddha house, wonderful volunteer, they open the door, they clean out, they did water bottle offering, they also they heat that water heater. You have that box, I don’t know what you call that. You can have a hot tea.
See? They did it for you for you to come here, relax, and have wonderful teaching and and and, you know, so change your life. So if you look at the calendar, every month, the last Wednesday of the month, we do this purification practice. I come here also. I want you to come here.
I do this purification practice every single day, but I come here to help you to do this practice together. To purify like a confession, you can confess. Every churches and temples do people go there and do confess. So here is the Vajrasattva purification. You know, sometimes we make mistake.
We do crazy things, you know, or monkey mind. But in every month, last Wednesday of the month, come here, do this prayer. We do thirty five Buddha’s confession prayer, and also we do Vajrasattvas mantra, which is the very, very powerful mantra. There are the hundred syllable mantra. And and and it says, there is no any non virtue or negative karma that, you know, the that is, you know, the this mantra cannot purify.
If you say this mantra properly, erasing motivation, Vajrasattva’s mantra can able to, you know, purify the even the very, very heavy non virtuous. This is the opportunity. See? Maybe you are not you cannot come because maybe you are so lazy. You know?
I don’t know. You know? Maybe you are lazy. Then that’s your problem. You know?
Buddha house greatly this wonderful volunteer greatly organized all these teachings and different activities. Look at the calendar. Unbelievable. Almost every day, morning, evening, afternoon, It’s not easy for them. They are busy too, but they understood helping other, practice of the generosity, giving some time, volunteer.
You know, it’s great that people can come here and and have have these beautiful teachings. See? I don’t know, you know, it’s your own own interest. If you’re a lazy being, then you are lazy, then, you know, that’s your is your problem. So the but my duty is the showing you the right path.
This is the right path. That is the wrong path. That’s only I am giving you this message from the Buddha. You know, not that something that I make it out today or yesterday. No.
I’m giving you a message from the Buddha. Buddha is enlightenment beings. Whether you want to choose that path or not, that’s your own decision. Okay. Now see, today you learn two things.
One is the how to do this water bowl offerings, meaning of the water bowl offerings. Second one is the Om mani padme hum, which is a very powerful mantra. So, you know, very basic teachings. So next week, we have a next week. Next week is the Buddha’s special day.
I’m sorry. One. Oh, next week, yeah. Thirteenth. Yes.
Sorry. We have one more class for this month. Then twentieth is going to be Buddha’s Day, and the twenty seventh is going to be Expo. Yes. That’s different.
So next week, yes, we have another class same like this, but I will bring you different topics next week. Okay. Questions? Go ahead. Any questions?
Go. Anything within this teaching or you may have something that in your mind, maybe you are confused, maybe you are reading some books, maybe you couldn’t figure out what does mean that. Just let me have. Go ahead. In this Buddha’s Day, yes?
Yes. Two weeks’ time. Yeah. Here is the calendar. Take it.
Calendar from there. Okay? Anybody or young or old or a male or a female, doesn’t matter. Anybody welcome to do this, to to, you know, participate such a precious Buddha’s, you know, day. Buddha descend from the heaven, so that’s called Lhabab Duchen.
Any questions, Anyone? Go go. Yes, about forty years ago, Tibetan Rinpoche taught me the same meditation, I went to work and I thought, oh, I’ve got time to sit here doing some Chenrezig quietly to myself and the next thing in the room came a woman who used to get so irritated with her and I was so angry with her that I actually really didn’t do the Chenrezig after that because I wondered that my intensity of rage with her was more extreme than normal. Does that make sense? Is that just a coincidence or that doing the Chenrezig meditation and then inward this woman and then I became so with her?
That is your test. Yes. Yes. That’s a test. Sometimes when you do some good things, things like that happen.
That, you know, you are testing. See? So that’s why now you can see the I’m really practicing or not practicing. See, this is testing, you know. Every time when you do some good things, there would be some bad things appears.
Where there is a Dharma, there would be some, you know, evil activities appears. That’s why, you know, since beginningless until now, together all the time. So that but then, you know, everything is depending how much you understand the practice. See, I think that’s testing, actually. Is not something that resulted from doing Chenrezig mantra.
That’s good results. But, you know, there are many stories like that. The long story, but short. Asaṇga, one of the great Indian masters was meditating many, many years inside the cave to meet Maitreya Buddha.
But then, you know, year past two years, three years, still he couldn’t meet or see Maitreya. But he was doing very well, actually, you know, but he couldn’t see it. Then one day he felt like, okay, maybe now I have no karma to see the Maitreya Buddha, he came out from the cave and he saw there is some hole from his cave on the rock, small hole, you know, and quite deep hole, actually. That hole happened to be because of the water dropping from above that and some bushes, some trees every day like this, you know. That water drop made whole there.
His mind was, wow, this water drop can make that much hole. I’m human being. I must develop more effort. And he went back. He did another year.
On and out, many like that. Then finally, he couldn’t, you know. And he came out from the cave so sad and, you know, really. Then he saw one very wounded dog. Dog was totally wounded, and he felt so compassion.
He went to this wounded dog, he saw so many worms in the body also. Now he couldn’t touch worms because he didn’t want to kill them also. He want to help the dog, but also he didn’t want to kill those worms also either because both are the sentient beings. But now what he did was the he cut out some flesh from his thigh, cut it out, And he took all these wounds by his tongue, you know, and put it on the his piece of flesh that he cut it from his thigh. He leave it in one side.
After that, this dog transformed, manifest as Maitreya Buddha. Then he was upset. Wow. You are now just now becoming Maitreya Buddha. I’ve been looking I’ve been meditating you.
I was testing you. I was testing you because you had so many negative karma needed to be purified in order to see me or in order to meet me. Then he took Maitreya Buddha on his back, then he went to this small town like a nearby town. Oh, everybody come here, get blessing from the Maitreya Buddha. People are looking at this monk is crazy.
He was carrying one wounded dog. But he can see the Maitreya Buddha. People cannot see it because they they have no karma to see it. Their karma is blocked to see Maitreya Buddha even though he was, but now he can see it. Why?
Because he he went through so much this pain and suffering to meet Maitreya Buddha. He did meditation, and finally, this compassion when he saw this wounded dog, not only just feeling compassion even though he feel compassion both wanted the dog and these worms also, you know. He took these worms from his tongue and put it on his flesh that he cut it from his thigh. Such a great compassion. So that moment, I think his this some of the subtle negative karma is gone.
That dog really transforms as a Maitreya Buddha. Sometimes testing happens. You are testing. Somebody is testing you. Okay.
Anyone? Please go. How important is a a teacher? For for many months, I’ve sat alone, done my meditation. Know, had a look on YouTube, watched many teachings on YouTube.
I feel like I’m not getting I’ve reached a point where I can’t get any further. So just wondering how important is the teacher for the future? You are saying you hear many teachings. Yes. And you listen also YouTube teachings, but you couldn’t reach the where?
Do You’re asking you’re not achieving enlightenment, do you mean that or what? Yeah, I had a twenty one day retreat, and I had an experience within that retreat, which led me to further bolster my efforts, and I seem to be at a standstill. Seem to have got to a point and and can’t move forward. You cannot you cannot move forward. Why?
It’s it’s laziness. Yes? I think so. I don’t think so as much as I think that I’m putting in effort or nothing else. All we all one way around it.
Sometimes we are lazy. Me too. You know? Yes. It’s not easy to achieve enlightenment.
Forget about the enlightenment. It’s not easy to achieve the higher level. Remember, there are many, many tools and techniques you needed, not only just one particular one. Especially, the most important thing is the beginning. Renunciation is the most important.
Without renunciation, it’s very difficult to develop mind of enlightenment. Then, of course, you cannot develop the wisdom, understanding, emptiness. So first thing is the renunciation. You have to check it out, the your own mind and the samsaric pleasure. If your mind is if your mind is still holding too much, the samsaric pleasures, then that’s maybe a problem now.
It doesn’t matter how much meditation you do, how much retreat you do. Although it’s okay, you know, even though you are not achieved here, but you are really planning some good seat. Good. But I’m giving you the answer is the, I think, lack of renunciation. Still you are, you know, very much attached to samsaric pleasures.
So then, difficult. So that’s the first thing we need to kick out, but very difficult, especially if you do have a family life. And it’s very difficult, but don’t be I’m not, you know, discouraging you, but meditating is important. Retreat is important. Practicing is most important, not like a numbers.
How many numbers, quantity? No. Try to be quality. Remember, the it’s saying the the it may take few lifetimes to achieve enlightenment. But then if you do now as much as you can, even though you could not practice renunciation fully yet, but at least let’s say you did practice renunciation a little bit today.
I saw today. This is first time I saw you, I think, because you give up today is a Sunday. Usually, people what people do? Sunday, they go to enjoy. Nowadays, weather is very nice.
I loved it yesterday. Walk. You know? Beautiful. But you give up the going here, there, came here.
Small renunciation, which is good, but that’s not enough. You know? As I said, main thing is the samsaric pleasure that you attach too much material things and and and the children and the wife or friends or society, we hold it very strongly. So that’s a problem, unfortunately. But you cannot just do this practice without preparation.
You must be ready to do this practice. You cannot just do, oh, I will give up my wife, children’s society, go to somewhere in a remote area, do this meditation. It’s very difficult. You must be very, very ready for everything. Because of the long as you attach saṃsāra, and that much is the the you will be difficult to detachment.
Then, you know, because of this attachment eventually builds up so many other mental afflictions like jealousy and anger and etc like Because of that, very difficult to eliminate the worldly concerns. worldly concerns are the main thing we need to avoid in order to fully achieve this renunciation. But now we do many teachings and meditations and retreat and this and that, mentally, eventually to cut out outwardly concerns. Like a gain in a loss, reputation and infamy, degradation and pleasure and misery, you know, praise or or praise and degradation or reputation and infamy. All of these worldly concerns are the daily base within us.
Sometimes our mind is very up, sometimes our mind is very down. Somebody tells you nice things, we feel so good about it. Somebody says slightly negative, we feel so bad. See, mind has no or mind is not stable. That is a problem because of the lack of renunciation practice.
So, in order to achieve fully renunciation, you need to give up worldly concerns. I think your problem is the lack of renunciation. You have to focus that one first before you move on anything. Try to be less, you know, attachment towards this, you know, samsaric pleasures. Samsaric pleasures are the same thing.
Let’s say, ten years before you went through a samsaric pleasure, ten years after now, same thing. There’s not really very much the saṃsāra saṃsāra pleasure giving you so much happiness. No. Temporarily. They give you temporary happiness, but that happiness disappear very quickly, then suffering in a pain.
That sometimes comes happiness back, then disappear again. That is called samsaric pleasure or something like this. And mainly the samsaric pleasures are the eventually causing future suffering. But here is the we are talking about to achieve ultimate happiness. That means permanent happiness, unchangeable happiness.
In order to achieve that happiness, first thing is that you need to practice renunciation. My Tuesday class is the three principal aspects of the path. We finished the first principle. We are now approaching second principle, which is the mind of enlightenment. So see, that book is unbelievable.
Lama Tsongkhapa renunciation, bodhicitta or the mind of enlightenment and the emptiness or the correct view. These are called the three principal aspects of the path. So that’s one package, you know, of the teaching that one can able to practice, then eventually you achieve enlightenment. So so my advice to you is check it, your renunciation practice. Then polish a little bit there.
Maybe you may go a little step up from there. Then then up this way. Okay? Yeah. Anyone?
Last question. Anyone? Go ahead. I have a question. Go.
Go. Just when you’re talking about the six wisdoms Mhmm. And you mentioned something about mirror. Mirror? Mirror.
Yeah. Six mirror. Yes. Wisdom. Six wisdom.
Mirror like a wisdom. Also, correspond to six these wisdoms. These are the four. First wisdom is the wisdom of equanimity. Second one is wisdom of activity, like om is the wisdom of equanimity, ma is the activity, ni is the wisdom itself.
Path is the wisdom of Dharma dhatu. Ni is the discriminating wisdom. Hum is the mirror like wisdom. What is the mirror like wisdom? Oh, you don’t need to know now.
That one is the okay. There is a wisdom. As I said before, it’s a it’s a quite high, like, a aftertantric practice, very high level. Then, you know, you can understand the exactly the mirror like a wisdom. Mirror like a wisdom is the let’s say the if I give you a simple example, if you do have a clean mirror, you can see everything very clearly as a crystal clear, isn’t it?
That wisdom is like that. Some wisdoms are still dullness. But this one is the mirror like a wisdom. It’s totally the, you know, mirror that is, what do you call that? After applying Windex in the mirror, you clean that.
Now very good, you know, like that, high definition kind of wisdom. And what is it about the mirror? What what can you actually see in the mirror? Your mind. We are not talking about the commercial mirror here.
Don’t see we are not talking about the bathroom mirror here. Actually, the mirror is we are talking about it’s from your mind. I could see in that person. Just saw myself. Mirror is the melody you need to see.
You are first to see in the mirror, isn’t it? Who you are. Or or false, you can see the mirror. If you have something here, example, you need mirror to fix these things out, to put nice as makeup. Same as like all these teachings, Buddhist teachings are like a mirror.
When you hear Buddhist teachings, you can then you can understand your own faults. That’s what I saw. Yeah. That’s why. Yeah.
You can see. So that so that’s why the Dharma Dharma teachings are called Dharma mirror. Until you listen to the teachings, then you can see the faults. That’s how you know. But this wisdom mirror is totally the very high level kind of things.
Okay? Yeah. Thank you very much. Then the No. Sunday, I’m using the gold book.
Sunday is only from the gold book. Okay? Okay. Can you please look at the page one twenty? Lord Buddha, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is discord, unity. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is error, truth.
Where there is despair, hope. Where there is sadness, joy. Where there is darkness, light. O 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 we receive. It is a pardoning that we are pardoning.
It is dying beings on eternal life and happiness to the happiness of the fully enlightenment. May all beings effortlessly attain their transcendent, blissful state of omniscient Buddhahood. Thank you very much. Tomorrow, six pm, learn how to meditate. Yes, tomorrow here in the six pm.
And Tuesday, six pm, also learn how to meditate. Seven fifteen, which is I mentioned that gentleman, Three Principal Aspects of the path, we are approach. Second principle, it is not too late if you wish to come. Then look at the Wednesday, there is also nine am gentle yoga, ten fifteen am guide meditation, then the evening seven fifteen pm, Lama Chopa offering, which is I will be here, which is we are offering if you like to see some how we do some of the rituals, offering things, you can come that one. So, then of course, Thursday evening was a healing meditation, sorry, morning was the healing meditation, ten thirty, six pm Lamrim meditation, seven fifteen my another class, the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, which is the mind training teachings.
Then there are many Saturday also the ten am Lujong, Tibetan healing one. So next Sunday, morning, meditation, nine AM. Eleven, same kind of look at the calendar. Many, many, many choices, you know, that many different teachings and meditations in the Buddha house. Beautiful.
So check it your own time and, you know, the good to do. Some of these teachings are wonderful. Thank you. Have a nice day.