Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 79-minute introductory session, Geshe Kyab establishes Buddhism as fundamentally about mind training and disciplining the mind toward calm and peace. He emphasizes that mantras and prayers alone cannot effect change—the practitioner must actively transform their mind from negative to positive. Kyab then grounds this principle in concrete daily life: mindfulness and contemplation while eating, walking, driving, working, and sleeping. He illustrates how inattention leads to accidents and health problems, while disciplined eating of wholesome food (not processed junk) balances the body’s elements and supports meditation. He teaches a foundational breathing meditation—alternating nostril breathing and natural breathing—as essential groundwork for any practitioner. Throughout, he stresses that even advanced meditators must master these basics, and that a calm, well-nourished mind readily perceives the faults Buddhism holds up like a mirror. The talk closes with a dedication for all beings to be free from suffering. Suited for those new to Buddhist practice seeking practical daily anchors for spiritual development.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2016 12 11 Buddhism for Beginners.mp3
UUID: b63e6aff-bbe3-47b4-8c6d-dbd07dedd6ce
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Beginners Buddhism Sundays (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-12-11
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 79.8 minutes
Words: ~7,747
Thank you. Buddhism is mind training. Mind training. To discipline one’s mind, That’s the main thing. Because in Buddhist philosophy, we believe in mind or consciousness.
When we teach mind or consciousness, there would be different minds and different consciousness like eyes consciousness can see, ears consciousness can hear, nose consciousness can smell, and tongue consciousness can taste it. And then the body consciousness can feel it like a tangible object. Then the mental, which is the number six. Mental is the most important. Now here is the mental training, the mind training, meaning the insight, this mental must be, you know, the train or tempt or a discipline.
So that’s the meaning of the mind training. So it’s not easy to train mind. Also we call monkey mind. Mind is like a monkey, it’s very jumpy, you know? So that’s why there are so many meditations, so many different teachings that the teacher teaches you.
Means to discipline one’s mind, to calm mind, and peace in the mind. All about that. So that’s why we talk about the kindness, loving, you know, kindness and compassion and such things like that. Of course, then you know, once your mind is calm and peace, then there would be many other steps you need to really practice, you know, many stages and steps. But then if your mind is not calm and not peace, it doesn’t matter how much teachings you hear or how many meditations you do, there wouldn’t be any realizations or the enlightenment because the basic mind is the not calm and not peace.
This teaching, this particular class you can learn the very basic Buddhist teachings. So that’s why today I am talking to you this very important part of the Buddhist teaching, which is the mind training. We do many mantra recitations. Why we do that? When you do reciting mantras, if you are depending on just the mantra that can give you some power, then you are wrong.
Okay? But if you do reciting mantras because the mantras are the holy mantra, so that the if you’re reciting the mantra, then now same time if you really train your mind, then you can get help from the mantra. Only mantras or prayers cannot help you. Sometimes with a normal human being, we like to do things easier way. Something that you no need to think about it, you no need to change.
Just depending on something, some sort of a mantra and a prayer, okay, that’s it. Pay some donations and say some mantras or prayers or, you know, I think they will help you. No. You need to help yourself. Yes, mantras are very important, prayers are very important, but mainly you are the one who need to change your mind from negative to positive.
Then if you do the same mantras, they help you together like this way. But only you do things where everything is negative, now you are saying some mantras, some prayers, then you are not changing. If you’re not changing your mind, so then that just doesn’t help that much. You need both. So that’s why Buddhism is very unique.
Buddhism really tells you right on your faults like this. They point you like this way. So that’s why we call Dharma mirror, you know, like a mirror. When you hear or when you listen to teachings, you can really see there are so many faults in our mind. So that’s why you need to fix it one by one, you know.
It’s very different than other tradition, you know, but which is the most important? Fixing things are very important. If you look at a car or any other machinery things, you know, when you drive, sometimes things fall apart. Then what you need to do, you need to fix it. When you fix the car, then your car will run well.
Same as like a computer. When you use computer, sometimes Internet, there are so many viruses. When you catch all those viruses, your computer runs very slowly. So then what you need to do, you need to fix it. Then after fixing, computer will run well.
Same thing, our mind is like that. So I mean these negativities, emotions, afflictions, mental afflictions, especially the anger, ignorance, desire, attachment. These are called three poisons. Because of that, know, day by day sometimes it’s very difficult. You know, all these desires, upsetness, or anger, or aversion, then ignorance, jealousy.
I mean, there are so many, you know. See? Then it’s very difficult to see the light, only you can see darkness. So that’s why in Buddhist teachings, if you listen carefully, there would be some hopes and lights. See?
We can be able to eliminate the darkness. But then this light, you cannot just get it just praying or saying a few mantras. Here, inside, you are the one who needs to work on it to change the mind from negative to positive. That means think positive and look positive, talk positive means that. Body, space, and mind.
So you need to purify body, speech, and mind. In order to purify body, speech, and mind, you need mindfulness, which is very important. Many times people hear the teachings and instructions, and after all, everything is gone. Why? Because of lack of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is very, very important. When you drive, when you’re driving, you need mindfulness. Otherwise, you could kill people or animals. You could get accidents if you’re not mindfulness. So that’s why sometimes people drive on the highways when somebody calls you and they really pick up their phone and talking to the people, sometimes it distracts.
Because their mind is already here, all their mind is on one side, and they cannot see the, that, you know, from the road or highway, and sometimes people get accidents because of the distractions, lack of mindfulness. When you drive, you’re supposed to be stopped calling. Supposed to be stopped chatting things, only concentrating and focusing driving because your precious life is in the car. Maybe your family life is also in the car if you’re driving with a family. So sometimes lack of mindfulness, people get accidents.
See? So then now here is the spiritual side, like meditation in a practice that people do. Also, you need Most important thing is the instructions. You should not be forgetting instructions that the teacher gives you how to meditate, how to think about, you know, all these instructions. In order to keep all these instructions to have good mindfulness, then you need to do more contemplation.
That’s, know, the another thing is contemplation is very important. You need to contemplate. What is the contemplation? Contemplation is maybe you are saying this mantra or the words are, you know, consistently Also, you are thinking all the instructions continually, consistently. Thinking, thinking, and analyzing many times as possible.
So that’s why contemplation will help you to improve mindfulness. Some cases, mindfulness is a little easier. It depends on what really situation, you know, what kind of a situation that you really needed mindfulness. Some cases, simple. Some cases, little difficult, you may need little, you know, strong contemplation.
For instance, when you cook, same thing. Lack of mindfulness and concentration, your food will be burned. Maybe the heat is so high, there must be some limit, in a fire needed that particular food. But then now, you try to cook delicious food for the weekends and your holidays, but now your food is not good. Lack of mindfulness.
You need to learn first. You need to get all the instructions, recipes, ingredients. Then now you need to learn how to cook one after another, you know, and how much temperature you need for that particular food. You need everything first of all. Then you need to do all this, you know, observing, the all these needy things, then you need to contemplate, think, concentrate.
Then when you cook, you need to concentrate. So because of the contemplation help you to mindfulness, then your food will be delicious. Otherwise, not good. Half already burned, half is good, half is not good. Sometimes everything is dark, you know.
Nobody likes that. See? Contemplation is very important. Concentration is very important. Regular cooking things or driving things or see?
And when you walk, also same thing. If you walk with concentrating and, you know, really focusing the walking path, then you will be okay. Otherwise, if you don’t on the phone, like sometimes, you know, roads are not so even, then you could hurt. Many times in Florida, there are many of these garden area. There are small those pipes, you know, sometimes a little bit up to the ground.
And sometimes people, you know, call and they are not concentrating. They walk through that and sometimes they hit their, you know, toes, top of their things and they, you know, feel and they’re hot. They can break their toes and in like that. It just happens many times. My own assistant broke two toes, I think.
Yeah. Left or right because they’re not concentrating on the phone. This happens. Even though when you walk, and especially in a Buddhist perspective, when you walk, you must focus, you must really think there would be many, many small animals also. You could kill them because you should not be killing animals, isn’t it?
See, when you walk also you need to watch this walking path, roads. See now how important contemplation and mindfulness. So see, all these things that I’m saying here is to actually try to pure one’s mind. Walking, even eating also. Let’s say when you eat food, there are many positive ways you need to eat food.
In one of the Śāntideva’s chapters, I don’t know which chapter, it says, when you eat food, also you need to eat food very nice way. You shouldn’t be eating food, putting food here and there like a chuck, chuck, chuck like this, for instance. Like pigs, they do that. We are human beings. You need to put food on one side, you need to chew well nicely.
As much as you chew well, and then it’s very easy to slow down. It’s good for your digestion. And this stomach doesn’t need that much, you know, to run or to walk, to mash out your food because you chew very well. But now it’s very easy to digest. Your stomach will be healthier, for instance.
But if you eat food also very much, know, putting food all around, probably like that, sometimes little bit foods are coming out from your mouth, and around people they feel like very dirty also. That’s not good for others. You are hurting others if you don’t eat well. When you eat food, need to close your mouth also. Better not to talk, but people talk.
Isn’t it? See, even though when you eat food, there would be rules that help you to really concentrate. It says better to eat food by naked palm. Wash it because there are many energy in our fingers, tip of our fingers, because we touch food directly, see, and like this, and we touch directly our mouth. See, that’s why in India nowadays, many big, big restaurants, they eat by hand.
I like it sometimes, you know. But we are now here in the West, nobody eats that, and it’s very everything is, you know, like this. The reason why they do that because of the I will not explain you everything. There are some energy from your fingertips, and then you touch directly food, and you touch directly to your mouth, you know, see. But I will not gonna recommend that, you know.
At least you like to do that. Point is the eating food is also you need contemplation, you need to concentrate how to eat food also. See, sometimes if you do not concentrate, I do not know. Yeah, is possible here too also. Sometimes you may find some animals inside the food also.
If you are not concerned, not focusing well. This happens many times. Sometimes there are things that you should not be eating. Also another thing is the healthy food. See now.
Another thing is the we need to eat healthy food. So that point is also you need to know, you need to do some contemplation, you need to do something that you need to get some instructions, which food is good for my body? Which food is not good for my body? Food is not only just to satisfy or to fill your stomach, not to get hungry. Absolutely not.
Food is like a medicine. Know? Food is like a medicine because we sustain our life. We survive because of the food. But then now that food is the you know, I saw here also McDonald’s or what is that software?
KFC now. Australia also many things, you know, you’re you’re a copycat from United States, you know, all this I saw on the city area and this near the Victoria Park, very bad food, all this junky food. People don’t care. See now, another distraction. Only you eat what you see, beautiful things, but what you taste, delicious.
Once you go there, everything’s poisoned. So that’s why eating food is also really very important, you know. Foods are like a medicine. You need to follow some of the dietitians, these people who know all this good food. And then another thing is that you eat all this junky food, then you gain weight.
Then you’re worried. Oh, I look so bad now. Or I need to exercise. You try to exercise, you couldn’t lose your weight, then you feel so, you know, uncomfortable yourself wearing some of the dress. That’s another problem.
And then sometimes some people, if they have some money, they go to plastic surgery, they cut out their thighs and cheeks, all these things. They spend a lot of money there, but then still not so good. They look like a totally non human being sometimes, and so sad. It’s very much distractions, isn’t it? But beginning, maybe some of the healthier food may be a little expensive than normal food.
If you eat beginning, make a nice budget, eat food, nice one to buy, then maybe you no need plastic surgery, you no need maybe all other, you no need to be worried for your weight. Another way, if you think about this way, then you are eating healthy food, also good. Good for your body. Everything is like medicines, you know. Doesn’t matter which way you eat, naked hand or the spoon, don’t worry.
But here, whatever you are going to put inside your mouth, which is good one, is medicines. See, everything will be cut out. You don’t need to worry about weight, no any more plastic surgery because your health is good now. See, that also needs concentration, contemplation, instructions. Now, working need concentration, contemplation.
Eating food needed also, concentration and contemplation. Mindfulness, and of course, these are the normal, you know, things we do. Then now, insight, breathing. We take breathe in and out, inhalation and exhalation, exhale and inhale every day. But then when you meditate, this particular one is the there is rules when you inhale and exhale from your nose, not from your mouth.
See, that’s the different ways of your breathing. In and out, in and out, every day, half an hour like that, you know, just focus on count the breath one in and out one, one in and out two, this way. Then your mind would be on the breath. Breathing also needs rules, actually, you know. Then the sleeping.
Mostly we sleep, sometimes people couldn’t sleep, they take sleep pills. You don’t need that, actually, know, the people do that, they couldn’t sleep. Some kind of a fear, some kind of a, you know, anxiety, some kind of a loneliness, and they try to, you know, eat this, take this pills, sleeping pills. You know, so sad, you know. I saw many people in Florida, especially older people, illiterate people.
Middle of the night when I go to bathroom, when I look at my window, one a. M, two p. M, still people are watching television because they couldn’t sleep. Sometimes we all couldn’t sleep because of all these elements, body elements are totally unbalanced. So that’s why I was saying eating good food is very important.
See? If you eat good food, inside of your body element is going to be good balance. You can sleep well. Also, you sleep, there is a lot of mindfulness and concentration and contemplation like that. You can say mantras, you know, and sleep.
If you couldn’t sleep, you can say some mantras, then also you can do some analytical meditation. Then you will be asleep definitely. Check it out tonight. Yes. You’ll no need to take pills.
The better not to drink coffee. That’s the worst thing. But for me, if I drink coffee before I go to bed, if I drink not to drink coffee, I can sleep because I do this all the time, you know. Coffee is not gonna be affecting me anymore. Some people’s I I check that.
Of course, I don’t think usually I don’t drink coffee before go to bed, only I do a little bit for my headache. You know, it’s helped me because the caffeine. But I did experiment one day, you know, just before I go to bed, I had half of the glass, quite hot coffee, even though it hot, was my stomach also not so good. I tried to check it out, and I slept, you know, that experiment. Yeah, beginning here a little bit, you know, kind of this poison in my body.
But then after I try to concentrate, say some mantras, especially I do Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra, like a meditation there. See, also I do analytical meditation. That’s it. Morning until I hear some birds are singing. That’s it.
And I said, oh, okay. I think mind has more power than coffee. Yeah. That’s one thing I really find it. But my point here is to see, even though when you sleep, do some mantras.
Do some analytical meditations. Then, you know, beautiful. But mostly, we don’t do that because of the or many people’s bedroom, I don’t have one. Many people’s bedroom, you have television there. I know.
See? Then you sleep and you watch television like this. You know? All these distractions, attachment. So when you sleep, you dream everything what you saw sometimes like that.
This happens. Better not to have television in your bedroom. In your bedroom is just yourself, sleep, and think some, you know, if you’re really not sleeping well, do some mantras, analytical meditation. Yeah. This will help you.
I know, but if you are with your wife or husband, sometimes it’s difficult, you know. Especially if someone is not Buddhist, it’s difficult. What can you do? Otherwise, generally speaking, try it before you take sleeping pills. Just try to sleep, say some mantras, and do some analytical meditation.
You will be asleep. Then your dreams are going to be positive. Your sleeping is positive. When you wake up early in the morning, you feel so good. Beautiful.
Otherwise, only all this television show, watch there and sleep. The morning you get up, sometimes headache, and sometimes, you know, not so happy. See? You need put these things in your routine. You need to do it.
You should not be waiting. Oh, I will going to do this maybe the next week or next month or next year. No. You have to just it’s very simple, you know. Just try to discipline yourself.
Only you are the one who can be able to do it. Nobody can do it for you. If you really wanted to be calm yourself, to get some peaceful mind yourself, then these are what you need to do. These are the very, very basic things. Eating things, walking, sleeping, I mean very basic, basic mindfulness.
We are not talking about here the very advanced meditations. Absolutely not. These are the very daily best we do. We sleep, we eat, we talk, we walk. So these are the beginning if you try to be more positive.
So then I think your body, speech, and mind will be positive, You know? You’re purifying, which is good. You feel good about it also. Temporarily, you feel happy also. And eating thing is really, really be careful.
Around the world, you know, nowadays, foods are very much contaminated. When I was new in United States, I didn’t know. I I didn’t have any idea all this, you know, about the food because just forget it. And when I was young in monastery, we didn’t have enough to eat, and how can you think about, oh, that’s no good, this is good. There’s no options.
You have to eat whatever you get. But then the western countries are very different. You have so many options. See? When you go to those shopping supermarkets, there are many options.
Only your hand and your eyes, your mind, you know, goes like this way. So that point is that you need to contemplate which food is good to eat, which food is not good to eat, what these, you know, scientists were saying. People who really educated about their food, what they are saying. See? If you follow, then good.
It’s good for your body. How much is too much? How big, you know, eating food is too much? You have to check it out, everything. You will sleep well also, actually.
Simple, isn’t it? And now walking is very simple. You will walk all the time and talking. You need mindfulness before you talk. Whatever you’re saying, sometimes you may have not any intention, but because of your habit, talking habit or tendency, you may say things maybe not good.
See? You could hurt other people. You need mindfulness again. It’s simple. These are simple.
But then if you do have some psychological problems, a little difficult. Actually, we all do little, little psychological problems. We all do that, you know. But some people, maybe they may have little more than maybe biological problems. Things like that happens.
That case is sometimes a little difficult, but they can able to fix it. I know I met many people like that in the United States. I help them as much as I can. Sometimes successful, sometimes Otherwise, normal people, these are very simple. This will help you also save you, you know, before you get hurt, like driving things, if you contemplate well and walking, you know, when you walk on the street also.
Sometimes people cross the intersection many times, even though red light, still cars are moving. If they don’t see a car, they just go. Sometimes cars are coming very fast, very, very dangerous. We need to rush that much? Where we need to go?
Just try to be patient, take it easy, you know. So see, all these simple, simple things I’m talking today because of the mind training inside here. This precious mind to really make it pure. That’s all about that. That’s why I’m giving you all these little, little, little things.
This is the beginner Buddhism class. You know, we need to learn simple, simple things. How can you learn all these advanced teachings if you couldn’t learn these simple things? These are the very, very basic, basic things as a, you know, Buddhist practitioner. We all try to do, really, to help you.
I cannot help you if I’m doing all these things. It’s not gonna help you. You are the one who can help yourself just taking all these actions. If you are interested, if you are interested, that’s all all you. Actually, really, all you, not me.
It’s all you. You know? It’s all self defense, self really the confidence, or you call sometimes self esteem or whatever you call. Yeah. By the way, yesterday, I ate junky food.
I’m I’m I’m confessing you. Usually, I don’t eat. Do you know why I did it? It was Tibetan people, you know, they invited me first time. It’s very difficult to say no now.
First time they are giving you some food. As I, you know, I do follow the, you know, it’s called auspicious or coincidency kind of in things. In Tibetan, we call first time when you meet someone, whatever they offer you, you shouldn’t say no, you know, and accept the something is against your vows which is very different. Only I did say I’m not eating beef. That’s, you know, although they have, know, vegetarian and some foods are meat like that, which is good.
It’s a buffet. It’s easier for me to collect things. But what I am saying is so many rice. Rice, that’s the main thing. And, you know, then the bread.
Bread is the white flour bread. I usually don’t eat that much, you know. A lot. I eat a lot. This morning, my body is like this.
I don’t think I need that much lunch today. Let’s see how much I’m hungry. Point is there’s so many, rice and lentil soup, dal mix, and yeah, there are there are some vegetables. I enjoyed it because it’s just I cheated a little bit yesterday, you know, just one day with my own people together, you know, try to enjoy. I didn’t want them to feel, oh, maybe their food is not good, Geshe-la didn’t feel good.
I didn’t want it to do that. I sacrificed my own, how you say, choice or whatever is it, you know, just okay, this is just one day, enjoy it. Even though when I saw food, I said, a little bit too much, but I said, okay, eat it, eat it. Just one day, you know, but I cannot do it like this, which is modeling does that, you know. I said, just think about it as a blessing from the Tibetan people.
Anyway, I ate a lot of food. Almost I ate it. Usually, that food going to be the my three three times food, only one time I ate it. Yes. Too much.
Anyway, yeah, sometimes, yeah, things like that happens, you know. Usually, don’t eat dinner, big dinner, little yogurt with fruits. That’s my dinner. But sometimes when I go, you know, to the restaurant with my students, then I eat. Yeah.
So that’s why I try to keep, you know, my health as much as I can. Sometimes I fail. Of course, I am a normal human being, but I try to do as much as I can to buy good food. I use flaxseed every day. I use cacao nibs.
I’m just telling this is just my personal note because these are very good, you know. And my breakfast is most of the time oat. That’s what I eat with some nuts, you know, like that. Try to be distanced from all these carbohydrates. Try to do that.
Sometimes little rice, white rice. Usually I eat brown rice, but then now somebody says not that much different brown rice than white rice. Some people are saying some of the white rice, when they polish well one, not so that much bad as other one. I don’t know. There are many different things.
Usually I eat brown rice. I do have brown rice. Brown rice is not so good for your mouth, isn’t it? It’s not so smooth as white rice. But then when I feel, oh, this brown rice is not this good in your mouth, but I’m saying no, but this is medicine, you know.
Think about medicine, then I can eat. It’s medicine like that. Just just trick your mind, you know. When you feel something that you, even a good one, you really couldn’t eat it. You trick your mind.
When I was in United States first time, people eat so many of these salads, you know, like vegetables, raw vegetables. I saw I’m saying, why are you eating all this grass, you know? Like an animal, you know. I was thinking why people eat so I didn’t know at the time. But after all, these are very good food.
I learned these things, sir. Yeah. Then, you know, I started now. Yeah. But now they are saying some of the vegetables are very much contaminated or you must eat organic vegetable, GMO.
Sometimes big problem, all these things, you know. What can you do? You live this kind of a world, but, you know, then you have to not worry, but just eat good food to keep healthy, to sustain your life, to help other people. That’s all. But just for myself, if I die today or tomorrow, okay.
I mean, you know, but if I live a little bit longer, at least I can able to help many people, you know. So in order to live long, then I think foods are the most important and a little, you know, body yoga is important. I think that’s what I think. I could be wrong, you know, but there are many options out there, isn’t it? But we need to do as much as we can, isn’t it?
So anyway, whatever these things really help you, it’s helping me. Insight. Your mind is now trying to be purified because of the good food and you are walking with mindfulness, talking with mindfulness, thinking with mindfulness, eating with mindfulness, then when you do meditations, same time you are also purifying your mind. So then everything seems to be beautiful, isn’t it, day by day. Then then the your mind will become more confident, I think.
Then if you meditate, you can able to meditate well also because of the eating food, everything is the perfect. Then when you meditate, then your consciousness would be more clarity, more clear than the, you know, used to be very much on the, how you say, cloudy, you know. Happens because of the elements, fire on earth, water, fire, and wind elements are very much now balanced. Same thing that when we it’s not only Tibetan, also sometimes the western doctors are also saying when we get sick, main thing is the elements are unbalanced, I think. So meditation will help you, all these elements also balance.
Unbalanced elements, then it affects our mind, and our mind will also become unbalanced mind. So that’s why sometimes so happy, sometimes depressed, stressed out, there’s no balance because the inside elements are unbalanced. Because of the could be from the food, could be from your way of thinking. So there are many, you know, many causes and conditions involved. So that’s why we need to do as much as we can to balance all elements.
If you do that, then your mind will be good balanced. So then when you meditate, then you can able to see all these objects, whatever you are meditating, because of the good balance here. See? You will be more confident. You will be more enjoying meditation.
Otherwise, some people say, oh, Geshe-la, I don’t like to meditate. When I meditate, I scare. When I meditate, I couldn’t meditate well. I hurt my knees, knees, and my back, and I I feel very depression when I meditate. Why?
Because they don’t know how to meditate, and also they are eating foods that are not good. Maybe they are not really the things that there are many, many tools you need to be a successful meditator. Maybe something is lacking, you know? It’s possible, but this is not a problem for the meditation. It’s just that you’re on here, all this way of thinking, way of eating, all these are the problem.
Otherwise, all this great meditator, you know, unbelievable. You know? Most of these great meditators, they don’t eat food that we eat. No. They eat means they eat, bring small sticks and stones, many of small this nature, like grass and sticks and stones from the forest and the jungles.
They bring all these things, and they do some meditation. They bless. And they eat one of these things enough for food because of the energy of their blessing on those small sticks and stones. See? These are what they eat.
At least we can eat healthy food. Of course, we are not there yet, you know, you cannot eat stones until you get this power to bless the, you know, these stones and sticks, small, small piece of stones. So now I’m going back to breathing meditation, which is very important. Any meditation, let’s say regularly you may meditate, I don’t know what meditation you do, you may have certain meditations you do on a daily basis. Before you do any kinds of meditation, this breathing meditation is very good to do.
Maybe half an hour, maybe twenty minutes. It depends on your time. In and out, in and out, in and out, very normal way from your nostril, not from your mouth. Follow the instructions. Do this meditation before you do any other meditation.
Why? Because of the breathing meditation is this simple one. It’s very, very powerful. Breathing meditation will help you to cut out all these nonsense sort of thoughts, you know, superstitious mind. There are many different ways you can do this breathing meditation.
Today I will going to teach you. You may already know I will teach you one type of breathing meditation. So this meditation you can do sitting on the cushions, you can do also sitting on the chairs, no problem. And the only thing is you need to focus on the breath. When you do in and out, in and out, just try to focus as much as you can try to focus on the breath.
Or you can also be able to count because when you do count in and out one, in and out two, this way your mind is already sitting up on this breath. You know, mindset on the breath. That’s good. Otherwise, if you are breathing, if you do this breathing meditation, if you are thinking whatever you want, so then that’s just useless. You need to control your mind because the distraction is the main obstacle for a meditator.
Because we distract all the time, but now what we are saying is I don’t want all these distractions. I don’t want distractions. I want to focus something else. See? Because my mind is just all the time just wondering, wondering, wondering.
I didn’t want that. All my minds are all the time, so many projections everywhere around the world or on the to the old phenomena. I didn’t want that. Now I want to bring back just focus one object. So why you do that?
Because normally, mind is everywhere, we are not so confident. We get upsetness very easily because of the distraction, all this, you know. We get stressed out very easily. Little things here, there, we get all this angry. And when you see something desire arises, see?
But now what you’re saying stopped. Enough. Now this moment, I will going to concentrate just one particular object. This point is the breathing. So most easier one.
When you do that, you get so much strength in your mind. You will be more confident. For instance, when people get angry, let’s say two people are arguing. One is the, yes, he or she was arguing, but still they know how to control their emotion even though saying things are whatever they need to say. But another one is the same thing, arguing, but then very much, you know, uncontrollable, you know, cannot control the emotions.
Then sometimes when you do this to people, these people can able to saying things are very, you know, effectfully because of the he or she was very confident, not they control the emotions. But this one is this sometimes he couldn’t say things is supposed to be what he need to say because his emotions are very strong. Anger is still taken out from him. See, this happens. Why this happened?
One is still controlling the emotion. Second one is they couldn’t control the emotions. Only the, you know, the saying things are bad things, but he’s supposed to be just argue, isn’t it? You know? When you argue, you need something to argue.
Otherwise, baseless argument is useless. But now this person is even though there are many things he can say it, but he couldn’t. Why? Because his mind wasn’t at peace and calm. He was totally occupied by the emotions.
Sometimes he maybe cried and then then get angry. Sometimes that’s why this kind of people may take, you know, act as a violence. See, this happens. But not this person, same, you know, arguing, but much better. Even though argument is not good, but this is much better.
He or she can control the emotions, emotions. They can say things very confidently, you know? See, that much different. These simple things are also because of the one is the calm mind, try to be peace, you know, because they may do many meditations. But now time to argue something, some point, things like that happens in our life, even the good people.
Meditator, things like that happen. But they know how to control their emotions. So that’s why the breathing, if you do daily base, this will help you. You can think clearly. Otherwise, you will be same as like this type of a person.
See? Then then sometimes people there’s nothing they can do. What they do, they break the things, the true things because of the anger. You know, they do all these kind of things. See?
Why this happened? Because of the emotion, out of the emotions. This is we all gone through like this in our life one way or another, isn’t it? Sometimes people kick their animals, cats and dogs also because of it. They are now upset.
So it’s useless. So that’s why the daily base, if you do this breathing meditation, half an hour or one hour, let’s say you don’t know nothing about any other meditations, but if you do this simple breathing meditation every day, this will help you definitely. In and out, in and out. Okay. We all are going to do this meditation.
Okay? Now now this meditation can be done in, you know, there are some body positions, but I will not gonna give you everything. But use this hand mudra. Put it like your hand. Put thumbs inside.
Bring close to your navel area. First, palm, top of the left palm put your right palm. Now, just two thumbs together like this, just here. Then now just breathe in and out, in and out, in and out from your nose, not from your mouth. Okay?
Then I will let you know time to time. Okay. Go ahead now. Okay, now Inhale from your left, and close your right nostril. Breathe in from left.
Hold, breathe, then close the left nostril, then breathe out from the right. Okay? Go ahead. Now replace. Breathe in from right nostril, close the left one, then breathe out from the left, close the, right nostril.
Okay, now both breathe in and out. Now relax. Questions? Yes, positive or negative because there’s suffering in their life. Yeah, because of the desire. Actually, it’s coming from out of the desire, you know?
It depends how much big desire you are talking about than speaking. It depends on that. Very much like a desire is also the desire and bad desire. First of all, before you speaking out of desire, you need to check it out. Your desire is the good one or bad one.
So good desire is the to surviving, that we need certain desire in order to survive, in order to live, like a livelihood. We need certain desire for our livelihood. Do you understand what I’m saying here? But those are the needy one. We need those kind of desire just our living.
There are some desires that are too much. It’s great desire. If you’re speaking something that comes from desire that comes from ignorance. Strong desire, then if you’re speaking something, whatever you are speaking, then it is the wrong speech. But little desire for your life that you must speak out for your own living or or whatever is it, you know, I don’t think that’s wrong speech.
That’s your right. Your own right. So see, I don’t want you to misunderstand. It depends how big desire is. Let’s depend that.
For instance, we speak out government. Let’s say, just one example, recently the South Australian government tried to, you know, to, I think, some kind of this nuclear waste to give some land and bring all those nuclear waste to you know, burial somewhere. Because if you do that, you can get so much money from the other country. You know, it’s good for the money, but then people speak out. People went there.
They did some conference. People saying, people speak. We don’t want it that. Even though we we get big money, but we don’t want that things there. We don’t want in South Australia that nuclear waste.
Wasn’t it? Yes. Yeah. That’s the right speech. Even though you get big money, so much desire, but some of these, they had big desire.
They speak, we want to do that. That’s wrong. But people speak. People speak what’s right, for instance. Why?
Because of that comes, that area, all this area are going to be contaminated, that’s not good for the people. Yes. South Australia may look like an outside very, very fancy, rich, you know, but you no need it. You are beautiful here, really. Whatever you have now, absolutely rich, very beautiful, all this nature, Wonderful.
But, you know, sometimes government thinks politics is strange things, you know. They they think that we do this for the people. I don’t know when they get all this money and, you know, really they were going to help people or not. It’s just questionable. How people speak?
Good. So see, good desire, I mean bad desire, good speech, bad speech — it all comes out of desire. It depends what desire was. Okay? Good.
Do you understand? Wonderful. Anyone? Do you think that do you eat really healthy? Does spiritually help you?
Is that what you’re thinking? If you do practice, then yes. But not like only eating good food is you will become enlightenment, that’s not my point. If you are meditating, if you are meditating well I mean, meditating, maybe then when you eat some good food, this will balance your your elements. But I’m not saying only good eating food will help you or or achieve you to the enlightenment.
That’s not my point. When you meditate, we need many, many different tools. Eating good food also helps you because bad food affects your body. So then once it affects your body, it affects your mind. The mind is the main thing needed to be meditated.
See? Because mind is bad food, because of all this bad food, it distracts you. You like to eat all the junky food. Your mind is everywhere like this. If you try to discipline your mind eating good food, which is good, Even though good food is not help your meditation, but at least it’s helping your health.
So that’s good also. Healthy body, healthy mind, isn’t it? Mind and body connection. Yeah. Anyone?
I have five, ten minutes. K. Krishna, when you do the breathing exercise, do do you have to close your nostril, or can you just imagine that you’re breathing in one side and out the other? You can do either one. It’s better to close.
When you close, this is going to be the only one side, you know? Because when you close one and you breathe out from the other, and when you close it, because this is your benefit is that you are circulating this way nicely. Like this way and another way, you know, see? You are circulating. But when you do this one, you are not really circling, just in and out, in and out, in and out like this.
But this one is like this, and another way this way. Sometimes a breath breath that the underneath or stomach or wherever, everything goes out. Also good for health also. You can do also just imagine, you know, like that. Instead of imagine, better to just do it than just imagine, I think.
Anyone? Maybe people are hungry, yes, want to eat lunch, then I will do dedication. Look at the page. This one. Page two forty six, May all beings everywhere, plagued by their suffering body and mind, obtain oceans of happiness and joy and virtue and merits.
May no living creature suffer, commit evil, ever fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittled, or drowned by depression. May the blind see forms, different sounds, and those born deaf hear sounds, and find repose. May the naked find clothing, hungry find food, the thirsty find delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth, those with sorrow find joy, may the forlorn find hope, constant happiness and prosperity.
May there be timely rains, bountiful harvests. May all meditate and be effective, wholesome prayer bear fruit. May who are sick and ill quickly be freed from illness. Whatever disease that is in the world may never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid, those bound be freed.
May the power less find power, and people think of benefiting each other. For long as space remains, for long as sentient beings remain, until they are made to remain, until then may I remain to dispel the misery of the world. Thank you very much. One of his holy words his favorite? This one?
Yes. Yeah. It’s from Śāntideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra. Yes. Beautiful, isn’t it?