Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 88-minute teaching on the Eight Verses of Mind Training, Geshe Kyab introduces a foundational Kadampa text by Geshe Langri Thangpa and explains why mind training is essential to Buddhist practice. He opens with the distinction between seeking mere comfort and pursuing enlightenment, then outlines the core problem: since beginningless time we have accumulated negative karma through ten non-virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind. The remedy is to train an untamed mind into a purified one. Geshe Kyab then unpacks the first verse, emphasizing that all sentient beings—friends, enemies, and strangers alike—are supremely precious, more valuable than wish-fulfilling jewels, because without their kindness we cannot survive or progress spiritually. He explores the three projections (attachment to friends, hatred of enemies, indifference to strangers) that distort our perception, and introduces equanimity meditation as the foundation for genuine compassion. The teaching weaves practical examples, encourages practitioners to take small steps at their own pace, and addresses audience questions on desire, reputation, harsh speech, and the relationship between motivation and ethical speech. Suitable for practitioners beginning serious study of Mahāyāna mind training.
File metadata (for organising)
File: The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation 2016 09 22.mp3
UUID: 809439f3-8e12-4c11-a767-c3e429a3fae5
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Eight Verses Thought (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-09-22
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 88.8 minutes
Words: ~9,004
Please take your seat. Good evening, everyone. Okay. You have a Guru Yoga mantra. Sorry.
Guru Yoga mantra. Okay. Please look at page thirty-four. Taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, Tibetan. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
By the practice of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. The four immeasurables. Tibetan. English. May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May all sentient beings be inseparable from happiness that is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity free from attachment to friends, hatred toward enemies. Seven-limb prayer. Thank you.
Reverently, I prostrate with my body, speech and mind. I present clouds of every type of offering, actual and imagined. I declare all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time, and I rejoice in the merits of all holy and ordinary beings. Please remain until the end of cyclic existence and turn the wheel of Dharma for living beings. I dedicate my own merits and those of all others to great enlightenment.
Om. Okay, before we go to short mandala offering, there is a long Avalokiteśvara mantra. So we are going to do this one. Usually Avalokiteśvara mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, only six syllables. This one is the long one.
It’s good to do. Okay? One more. Okay, short mandala offering. I send this jewel mandala to you, precious gurus.
Prayer is finished. Now, teaching. The eight verses of thought transformation, eight verses of mind training, actually. Mind training teaching. Training the mind.
Of course, every Buddhist teaching, as I mentioned in my last class, Buddha taught eighty-four thousand scriptures. Both Theravāda vehicle, so-called the foundational vehicle, and Mahāyāna, which is called the great vehicle. Buddha taught eighty-four thousand scriptures. Eighty-four thousand scriptures are meant for individuals, each of us.
Learn, first listen, second one is to contemplate the teaching, third one is to meditate the teaching, and eventually achieve enlightenment. So, the point is that if someone really wants to achieve enlightenment, you need strong motivation. It’s called the spirit of enlightenment, bodhicitta. Very strong motivation to achieve enlightenment. However, if your motivation is just to feel good day by day, it’s okay, not bad, you know, but that’s a very small motivation, you know.
Just feeling good, my perspective, I don’t think you really need to meditate. Just feeling good, you can go to a nice restaurant, you can eat something, you feel good about it. Also, you can go to the beach, you know, lay down there, sunny, if there is sun, feeling good. Or you can talk to someone who makes jokes. Feeling good, see, just feeling good, you really don’t need to meditate.
The main thing is that meditation and practice are meant for — really our target is achieving enlightenment. There is no other achievement like enlightenment, no. Even though some practitioners, as I mentioned before, there are two vehicles: Theravāda vehicle and Mahāyāna vehicle. Even though some practitioners only achieve half enlightenment, you know, only want to free oneself from suffering and pain. Of course, we all want to be free from suffering and pain, but that’s not enough.
Achieving full enlightenment is not only freeing oneself from suffering and pain, also the others. Because the great vehicle is mostly really for others. Theravāda vehicle is mostly oneself. For instance, when I say great vehicle and the Theravāda vehicle, two vehicles, so, also this divided into three different categories. It’s called hearers and solitary realizers’ paths.
Two belong to the Theravāda vehicle, and Mahāyāna is the great vehicle. So, altogether, three vehicles: hearers and solitary realizers. Both belong to Theravāda vehicle, and Mahāyāna is the great vehicle. Actually, Maha means in Sanskrit great. Yana means vehicle, great vehicle.
Okay? So why do we have all these different, different Buddhist paths and teachings and different vehicles? Because of the teachings and students. Some students want to learn more advanced Buddhist teachings. Some students want to learn a little lighter one.
According to the students’ interest, Buddha taught different, different, different teachings for different vehicles. For instance, someone is very much interested to learn the advanced teachings, you cannot teach them very light one because they’re not interested. They already learned that. So that person or students need same as what they are interested. I’m talking about insight, not just superficial interest, no.
Really insightfully, you know, if they’re really interested to learn advanced Buddhist teachings, you need to teach them advanced Buddhist teachings. But some students, they are interested to learn only the lighter one, you know, more basic. You need to teach them basic Buddhist teachings. You cannot teach them advanced one because they cannot take it, they cannot absorb. It’s too much for them.
Everything depends on the student’s interest. So Buddha taught eighty-four thousand scriptures for both students: great vehicle students and Theravāda vehicle students. Of course, everything is the student’s interest. That’s different student’s interest.
Same thing at the Buddha House, I came here, I just started my class last time. Buddha House has been giving so many teachings. So many teachers came here. They give you also some basic teachings, little advanced, more advanced teachings. So everything is how much students can take it, how much interest you have.
As I said in my last teaching, we are here for you, you know. So, if I see many people come to the class, oh, they are really interested, then we feel more, how I say, strong motivation to give more teachings. But if the students are, ah, sometimes yes, sometimes no, then we also feel, oh, maybe they’re really not that much interested. Okay.
Maybe we should do something else. Maybe singing and dancing, you know, like that. You know? Some centers do that nowadays, just make people comfortable. But I am not a good singer or dancer, unfortunately, you know.
Maybe I will learn. Go to another room, and they are teaching some dancing there, you know. Maybe go there and learn. I don’t know what kind of dance. Is it rock and roll?
Oh, okay. I don’t think I can do that. I can do monks’ dancing, I think, which is very slow. It’s perfect for my age also. Just kidding.
The point is, like that. It’s your own interest. So that’s why what I was talking about, this particular mind training, eight verses of mind training teachings, is teaching for great vehicle students. I consider you all are great vehicle students, okay? But you have to listen. First, you need to listen.
Every teaching is very, very important. But listening is only not enough. Next thing is contemplation. Then, next to contemplation is meditation. You have to take it insightfully, meditate and practice.
Teaching is first, contemplation, then meditation. Topa, Sampa, Gompa, that’s what we call it. Topa Sampa Gompa sum, Topa, listening first, then contemplation, thinking again and again, then meditate inside. Then when things fall apart, apply the teaching. See, how beautiful.
That’s what you need to do. All Buddhist teachings are meant to be, you know, to apply when things fall apart. So that’s exactly my point. Last class I mentioned, you could be your own psychologist. It means that if you do learn Buddhist teachings, you could be your own psychologist. You don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars, you know.
I had one student, long-term student, now she passed away. A wonderful human being. A little psychological problem, which we all have, you know. And one day, she came to me, “Geshe-la, your teachings are very good, but it’s very difficult to practice.” Of course, it’s very difficult to practice, but you don’t need to practice all my teachings.
You can just take something that you can be able to practice. Something, some part of the teaching. “Yes, I’ve been doing that.” She said, “La, if you don’t mind, I would like to go to one psychologist in Miami. She’s a very, very famous psychologist.” Okay, go ahead, do it. If you think it’s good for you, just go ahead and do it. She went there and came back after a few days. I said, “Did you get some help?” And she was just like this, you know.
I think now I’m getting what you’re saying. I think Buddhist teachings are more logical. Now she’s realizing more. She went there. She said, “How much did you spend?” “Three hundred seventy-five dollars per hour.” I said, “What?” My center was not charging. We don’t charge people. We just ask donation for ten dollars or five dollars for two hours teaching.
She went there for one hour, three hundred seventy-five dollars. I was shocked. That much money psychologists are making, unbelievable, you know. I asked that person, “I am considered as a psychologist if you really take it seriously. Our center was asking only just five dollars, ten dollars.” See, this is the one thing Western mind is very strange for me, you know.
When you put a lot of money, think, oh, that’s more value. Then, such a Tibetan Geshe was giving such great teachings, all this Buddhist philosophy not only just happened to be yesterday or a day before yesterday or a year before. Two thousand five hundred and fifty-three years before Buddha already taught all these ancient teachings. But sometimes people don’t see that value, only numbers. I asked my old director, “Oh, maybe one day we should put every teaching maybe two hundred dollars. Maybe more people may come,” you know?
Sometimes it’s a psychological problem. See, it’s very funny. Today afternoon I was watching National Geographic Channel. They are talking about the brain game. Perfect!
Two different cakes. One is the fifty-dollar cake, and another one is the fifteen-dollar cake. Different design. And they give it to the people. People eat. Everybody saying fifty-dollar cake is much, much more delicious than fifteen-dollar cake.
Fifty-dollar cake is much better. But after all, those both cakes are the same. I was laughing. That’s exactly, you know, see? Exactly she went to Miami paying three hundred seventy-five dollars, thought maybe more money or more value?
Ridiculous. I mean, all these Buddhist teachings, yes, beginning, little difficult, I can understand that. For me also, English is very difficult, you know, especially when you translate not only just talking English, when you translate from Buddhist philosophy to English, it’s very difficult to translate. We need two personalities. One is Tibetan all the time, one is the translator like this.
It’s difficult. But, of course, we are human beings. Just, you know, we need encouragement. I can do it. Why not?
They can do it. Why not me? Just, you know, you need this brave mind. So, something like this. Beginning, some of you may be a little difficult, confused if you are newer.
If you’re old students, you already know, you know. Newer one — don’t discourage yourself. Don’t downcast yourself. “Oh, they are so good. I couldn’t do this.” Please, as a human being, you must be thinking, I can do. I can make this wonderful life. I can achieve enlightenment. Not very fast, you know, slowly.
Actually, Australians are slower than Americans, you know, which is a good one. Americans are too fast sometimes. Not good for the heart also. I feel more slow here. I like it actually, really. I try to teach some of my Australians a little slower than Americans.
They used to tell me that, you know. Anyway, what I try to say is just have some brave heart, don’t downcast yourself. It’s not good. Have some self-confidence, you know, when you meditate, when you learn, whatever you do. Self-confidence is very, very important, okay?
And effort is very important. Most important thing is patience. Patience is very, very important. But just when I teach here, maybe one and a half or two hours, just take some part of the teaching, and, you know, absorb some part of the teaching, then go back to your house and contemplate that. Not everything is difficult to take all the teachings.
Just try to do something, “Oh, this is what I would like to do.” Go back to your home and contemplate. Again, again, think. You wrote down there, not just throw in the air, just read it. That’s called contemplation, thinking again and again, reading.
And eventually, it will stick here, then meditate. Then really, really, after some time, you will really, really find something is there. So that’s called now, you are really getting there, you are practicing. So this is the way you need to learn, okay? Anyway, today’s my class is the great vehicle teaching.
Also the author of this particular Eight Verses of Mind Training is a Kadampa, Kadampa master. Kadampa means oral instructions. Also the Kadampa tradition is founded by the great Indian master Atisha Dīpaṃkara Shrijnana. Nine or ten centuries, yes, ten, nine, ten century, he was invited to Tibet and he came to Tibet.
Tibetan, they call him Jowo-je Palden Atisha. I think you have an Atisha Centre here, you know? Yeah, yeah, that’s called Atisha. So Atisha’s full name is Atisha Dīpaṃkara Shrijnana. So, Kadampa tradition is founded by Atisha Dīpaṃkara Shrijnana also in Tibetan Buddhism.
And Atisha came from India, Indian great master. He was a great, great Indian master. He came to Tibet in the tenth or eleventh century, and he taught so many teachings. After that, there are many, many Kadampa masters. Dromtönpa, Geshe Dromtönpa, Geshe Chekawa, Geshe Potowa, like that.
Great, great, those century great Kadampa masters. And Kadampa, we have new Kadampa and old Kadampa. But I wanted to make this very, very carefully. Nowadays you can hear New Kadampa problems. We are not talking about that one, okay?
That’s just some years before. We are not talking about that New Kadampa here. That’s why I try to make this name very strongly because Kadampa is — how can you compare this New Kadampa to the past Kadampa? Like Lama Tsongkhapa, you cannot do that, but they do this. I’m not talking about that nowadays when you hear New Kadampa, remember?
I’m not talking about that one. I’m talking this is the century, centuries before Kadampa. We are talking about it here. Tibetan master, Geshe Dromtönpa, Geshe Chekawa, Geshe Potowa. This particular Geshe Langri Thangpa is a student of Geshe Potowa, a great Kadampa master.
He taught and wrote this teaching, Eight Verses of Mind Training. Only eight verses of mind training. Now, it’s very important to understand this mind training. As I mentioned before, all Buddhist teachings are meant to be mind training. But especially the mind training teachings are the great vehicle teachings considered as mind training.
Of course, any teaching, generally speaking, is mind training, you know. Why are these teachings very important? Since beginningless time, we had such a bad habit. Buddhism, we don’t talk about the beginning. There’s no beginning.
We talk about the beginningless. Because in Buddhism, there’s no beginning. I think scientists, they talk about the beginning as Big Bang or something like that. But Buddhism, we don’t talk about the beginning because even though the Big Bang is the beginning of this universe, they said that, but what we are saying is the Big Bang also needs causes. Causes caused Big Bang. Without causes and condition, there wouldn’t be Big Bang.
But that cause and condition need another cause and condition. Buddhism is everything is dependent arising, you know. Everything arises depending on other factors. So Big Bang also happens to depend on other factors. So that means Big Bang is not the beginning.
So at this point, the Buddhist universe is beginningless. So that’s what I’m saying here. Since beginningless time until today, we had such a bad habit. Bad habit from body, from speech, from mental or mind. So these are the core ten non-virtuous actions.
Ten non-virtues. Bodily, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct. Verbally, lying, divisive speech, which is slander, then idle gossip, and harsh speech, very strong speech. Sometimes people use very bad words, harsh speech. Lying, divisive speech, idle gossip, harsh speech.
Mentally, covetousness, coveting things, attachment, harmful intention and wrong views. So now these are called ten non-virtues. We had this bad habit, taking all these bodily, you know, taking these wrong actions, verbally saying bad things, mentally thinking, covetousness, harmful intention, wrong views. Okay, I will explain to you first. Killing, bodily killing.
Generally, human being, that’s the main thing. Of course, animals too, killing. Some other sentient beings, if you kill, that’s called killing. Stealing, something that not belongs to you, somebody else’s things or property, if you take it, stealing. Sexual misconduct, adultery.
These are called killing, stealing, sexual misconduct. Verbally, lying. You are saying something, but that’s not true. It is totally untrue. So that’s called lying.
Divisive speech, because of jealousy sometimes people do — people go to one side, talk something there, and go to other side, and sometimes this couple, they separate. Sometimes two friendships, sometimes between teacher and student, you know, talk here, talk there, and then that’s called slandering. Idle gossip, not so bad, you know, idle chatting, not so bad as other non-virtue. But still, sometimes idle gossip can be a problem because, let’s say, someone is meditating.
If you talk like this, you could interrupt other people’s meditation. Or sometimes, idle gossip can be when you say some words from your mouth, maybe you’re not supposed to be saying. Because too much chatting sometimes we don’t think, and sometimes spit out some bad words. Maybe unintentionally, maybe, you know, but it could hurt some other people. Although idle gossip is not as bad as other non-virtues.
Then last one is harsh speech. When you talk, sometimes people use very, very bad words. People harsh and traumatize others. We have some people, big, big men, American big men. You may have here too.
When they talk, they just — it’s very — they oppress others, you know, and they make you scared, I mean, like this, because of the harsh speech. It’s not good. So these are the verbally non-virtues. Now, covetousness mentally, coveting things, it’s part of attachment. Like craving, you know, craving.
This point is, I would like to say, covetousness is very tricky. Sometimes we think covetousness is good. Let’s say, wanting things and needing things. I’m just giving you an example, okay? There are many things we need.
We need decent house, we need food, we need clothes, and we need water. These are the needy things. The wanting things are not really just needed. Wanting means from my perspective. Let’s say, if I give you a good example, ladies.
Ladies’ bags, for example. You’ve got one, maybe you’ve got two, but when you go to see a mall, you want that bag. You buy that. I’m not just saying this one. I saw my student’s house. Oh my, looks like a big shop there, you know?
Unbelievable. And these shoes, how can you wear them? I don’t think they wear all these in their lifetime. All these shoes look like a small shop. When I was in America in two thousand and one, I was shocked, wow, people here need so many clothes, so many sweaters. Then I ask, “How many times do you wear them?” “Maybe one, maybe two.” That’s it.
Then it sits there, years and years and years. Then one day, they need to throw everything. I mean, unbelievable. Because wanted, really no one needs it, but wanted. If you look at the kitchens in America, now I’m here, I’m going to check your kitchen too.
There are many things, you know? Many, many, many things. Most of these are wanted, but you really don’t use them. Maybe one time, twice, but then you put them there, sometimes you couldn’t see it, but you buy another one, then another, and push back. After a year, if you look at it, there are a lot of things on the backside there.
There are many, many things like that, wanting things, wanted. So I think that’s mostly coveting. It’s craving, you know, desire, never satisfied. It’s called suffering of dissatisfaction. If you have one thing — but I’m not judging you.
Of course, it’s your money, it’s your bank balance, whatever you need to do, that’s your choice. But what I’m saying here is I’m giving you the teaching. Something, covetousness in essence, something like this. Needy things are needed. We need food and clothes, little decent house.
Of course, in Florida, without a car, it’s very difficult. I would like to say that a car is also needy in Florida. In New York, you don’t need a car. They have very, very nice public transportation. In Australia, I don’t know your public transportation now.
Maybe you need a car, maybe you want it, I don’t know. But everything is checking out how much you really want it. So see. So that’s why the wanting things and needing things need to be balanced. If you really don’t need it, don’t buy it.
Save that money, eat nice food. That’s better than having so many things, so many items. What can you do? On December twenty-fifth, my birthday. Sometimes people give you these things like that.
I must say, what can I do with all these things, kitchen things? I mean, it’s ridiculous, you know. What can you do? So many things. I mean, I wish if I took all these things to India and gave them to some poor monks and poor people, but how can I do that?
It’s difficult to bring to India also. But I did a few times some clothes, you know, took it and gave it to them. But otherwise, it’s very, very strange sometimes. So many things, so many things everywhere. Anyway, very, very careful check it out.
Whether you need it or really you want it. If something is really you want it, think about it. You know, see, coveting is something like this. Covetousness, that’s called — harmful intention is so bad. “Oh, he or she did this and that, now I’m going to take revenge, to harm.”
Avenge or revenge, which is a very, very bad thing to do. Can you do it? Somebody is a Buddhist practitioner if you try to harm anyone, even if it includes animals too, it’s very bad. It’s harmful intention. Wrong views.
Two ways I can give you wrong views. Typical Buddhist perspective wrong views are, “Oh, there’s no karma. If I do good things, there’s no good results. If I do bad, there wouldn’t be any bad results. If I do practice the four noble truths, there wouldn’t be any good results.” This kind of view is considered as wrong views. Then now, other wrong views are, “Oh, drinking alcohol is okay, needles, drugs, heroin, marijuana, or whatever you call it, is okay. It is part of their life. Smoking is okay. Just I feel good.” Kind of views are considered as also wrong views. Or “Killing animals is okay.” I mean, no. These kind of things are considered as also wrong views, I think.
So now, ten non-virtuous actions. We have been taking all these ten non-virtuous actions since beginningless time until now. When you do that, then now same time you are accumulating negative karma. Once you’re accumulating negative karma, that negative karma eventually gives you negative results, which are pain and suffering. Nobody wants pain and suffering, but we’re constantly causing future pain and suffering continually. So that’s why we are sometimes a little strange, our mind is.
So that’s why the mind training comes here. So this is exactly the mind teaching. Mind, now we need to train our mind. I mean this untamed mind, now make it pure mind. Change to change the mind from negative to positive.
This is called training the mind, or mind training. So, mind training, there are many, many specific mind training teachings. There are one hundred and eight different mind training teachings. I heard it before, Venerable Thubten Dondrub gave you another mind training teaching. It’s called the Wheel of Sharp Weapons.
Wonderful teaching. Mostly, you know, karma and its results. So, he already gave you that. So, now, today, eight verses of mind training. Next, I will teach you another, seven-point mind training.
That’s why mind training teaching is very, very unique. We must train our mind. Our mind is like a wild animal. An animal can be trained, let’s say, monkeys. How difficult to train monkeys?
In India, there are so many monkey trainers. After the monkey becomes very gentle, this trainer tells the monkey, “Sit down,” and he sits, “Stands up,” and he stands up. “Okay, now dance.” And the monkey does that. How difficult to train a monkey, but a monkey can be trained.
A monkey can become a gentle monkey. If a monkey can become a gentle monkey, why not our monkey mind? Why not? We are human beings, isn’t it? Think about it very seriously.
Little by little, baby steps, you know. If an animal like a monkey can become a gentle monkey, why not? Think about that. Only you need to do. You need to do this action.
Practice is totally individual. I cannot practice for you. You cannot practice for me. I need to practice myself. But I can help you to teach how to practice.
We can do that. But I cannot practice for you. My karma and your karma are totally individual karma. But there are some karma we talk about, collective karma like that. Let’s say sun and moon, and this we all share together, considered as collective karma.
We all had kind of karma when we all enjoy sun and we all enjoy some weather. Those are considered as collective karma, group karma. But other than that, generally speaking, karma is individual. Karma is individual, so that means practice must be individual. I cannot practice for you, you cannot practice for me.
Okay, now, I would like to take a little break for ten minutes, then come back. Yes. Okay. Now, please look at the eight verses mind training text. Langri Thangpa is the author of this teaching and Geshe Langri Thangpa is tenth century.
I wrote down somewhere. Yes, ten fifty-four to eleven twenty-three, age sixty-nine, he passed away. It is the tenth century. Ten to eleven years. The Geshe Langri Thangpa himself was a student, is a Kadampa Geshe.
The first line is, “Determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit from all sentient beings who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel, I shall hold them most dear at all times.” And another translation is, “May I always cherish all beings with the resolve to accomplish for them the highest good that is more precious than any wish-fulfilling jewel.” Different translation. Otherwise, you know, meaning is the same. To obtain the greatest possible benefit from all beings.
First thing is that this practice is that you need to — okay. I shall hold them most dear at all times. I — but this “I” does not mean — doesn’t refer to the author. This is each of us. We are talking about each of us.
Okay? So and here is the sentient beings, benefit from all sentient beings, benefit from all sentient beings. There are three different sentient beings in this world. Each of us. Three.
Some sentient beings are closer friends and family. One part of the sentient beings are closer friends and family, and another part of the sentient beings are what we call enemies. Then another part of the group of sentient beings are neutral beings. So I mean friend, enemy, and stranger or neutral beings. There is no fourth group of sentient beings for us.
If you look at this way, maybe very much, you know, small group of sentient beings for us is what we call our friends and family. The same thing, small group of sentient beings may be what we call, you know, enemy. And then the major sentient beings are really neutral beings. Strangers for us.
So that’s called all sentient beings. So now this particular verse really the meaning of this one. It’s sometimes very, very difficult to understand here in the West, you know, but as I said before, if you really learn very carefully, I mean, very step by step, then you will get all this. Long time ago, I heard something like this. At that time, I did not — it doesn’t make sense, but now, yes, this happens.
Same thing when I was learning this one in the monastery when I was young. “What is this? Why only other, other, other?” But then as much as you learn, as much as you contemplate and meditate, as much as you practice, then wow, these words are unbelievable. The main thing is the supremacy of others.
We are putting other people before you. That this one is okay. So that’s — you know this particular verse is really respecting others more than oneself, cherishing others more than cherishing oneself. Also, they give you an example, “who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel.” Such a jewel may exist or may not, but this is just an example.
Let’s say if you, you know, received some wish-fulfilling jewel, what would happen? We all would be very, very happy. “Oh, I have this wish-fulfilling jewel. I can pray. I can wish now to have whatever I wanted.” So we will be very much happy, isn’t it? But now here he is saying that he is determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit for all sentient beings who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel.
“I shall hold them most dear at all times.” It’s very unique. Remember, without other sentient beings, we cannot exist. Whatever you do, whatever you wear, whatever you eat, somebody did it for you. Just picture it. United States, I will give you an example there. Someday I will give you an example here, but now I’m new here, you know. I don’t know many things about Australia.
It seems to be very nice. United States, we have so many problems with Mexican people who do farming. You know, California area, people criticize people saying, “Oh, they shouldn’t be allowing to come to our area, farming.” They — most of those are not all Mexican, but there comes South American, Meso-American, Mexican. Very, very hard job.
Many, many hard jobs. South American people do, grass-cutting things. Then one day, I don’t know which year, when I went to buy tomato and vegetables. All sides, we call it Publix. It’s a grocery shop.
Tomato price went up. I said, “How can it be like this?” A week before, it was almost double. Then I asked one of the ladies, “What happened?” “Monk, you must watch the news.” I said, “What is going on?” “They are now chasing all these farmers to Mexico.” So that’s why now many farmers couldn’t come to the United States to do farming. In my mind, wow, everything is Buddhist practice, dependent arising. We are very much dependent on those people who do farming.
Without if they don’t, you know, plant those seeds, vegetables, and tomatoes — now look at the oil prices went up. How kind they have been doing for us? We didn’t realize. So that means we are totally dependent on those farmers. Without their kindness, we cannot eat. Look at it. There’s a small village. Beautiful grocery shop. I went to shop there.
It’s beautiful. Wonderful. Those vegetables. Look at all these vegetables. I don’t think shop owner did all these vegetables. No. Some farmer. I don’t know where is the farmer, you know. They did it for us. So that means those farmers are so kind for our life, really, but we didn’t realize that.
They are so precious. And our clothes — somebody really did it for us. We just go there, buy a few dollars, it’s very easy. Otherwise, if you need to make these clothes, what you need — first thing is you need thread, need some kind of design, you need to buy everything. Just go there, pay a little money, you can get all these things. That’s called — I mean, everything is there. Really, somebody else did it for us.
So at this point, other sentient beings are so kind, generally speaking, even though we call them enemies. Yes, in this lifetime, they became enemies, but in the previous lifetime, they also became our friends and family. They became farmers. They did so many good things for us. If you look at it this way, other sentient beings are very important in our life.
Without them, we cannot survive. No. How can you survive even though, you know, you have multimillions of dollars full of this house, Australian dollars. What can you do? You cannot eat dollars, isn’t it? You need to use these dollars, but now there’s nothing you can use it for. There’s no farmer. There’s no one else. So then what can you do even though you have all these dollars full of this house?
So at this point, other sentient beings are so important in our life. Very, very important. So this is the point where all happiness comes from other sentient beings. But then we have been neglecting others, only cherishing oneself, such poor mind, and very narrow-minded. We knew other sentient beings were so kind, but we still neglect them. So this is the point now.
These lines are saying other people are very much more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel because wish-fulfilling — let’s say there is a wish-fulfilling jewel that exists, but that wish-fulfilling jewel only for one lifetime benefit. After this life, there is nothing you can do. They can get mainly wealth. What can you do after this life? But then helping others, cherishing others, helps you not only just this lifetime, but also next life, next to next life until you achieve enlightenment.
So that’s why on a daily basis as much as you can try to develop love and compassion towards others. As much as we can. It’s very, very important. Also, as I mentioned before, three groups of people. One group of people we call friends and family.
The second one is enemies, the third one is stranger or neutral beings. But then now if you look at these three people, why do we have strong desire towards friends and family? That’s what we do. Why do we like them? Why do we have this strong attachment?
The answer is, “Oh they love me, they help me, so that’s why I have this attachment towards them.” That’s the only answer. Second one is why do we feel such hatred towards the enemies? “Because they hurt me and harm my friends and family.” But then the third one comes in different feelings.
No hatred, neither love. Stranger, we don’t feel any bad or or no good. That’s called stranger. Why? Because the strangers, they have no — we have no good or bad feelings for them.
So this is the point we have these three projections: strong attachment on one side, hatred towards another side, and indifferent feelings on another side. Three different projections. Because of these three different projections, we become biased. Yes, discrimination. We discriminate.
This is the problem now. That is why it is called meditation on equanimity. This meditation is the base of developing bodhicitta. I will give you more details in next class. I would like to go a little slowly.
Sometimes, there is so much information. There are many beautiful and wonderful information. Sometimes, within one class, it is very difficult to absorb. Now, these three projections make us biased. We discriminate.
That is called discrimination. That is why we just read from this book, why we do this recitation every, you know, beginning of the class. The four immeasurables. “May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.” Beautiful.
“May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.” “May all sentient beings be inseparable from the happiness that is free from suffering.” And last one is “May all sentient beings abide in equanimity.” See? “Free from attachment towards friends, and hatred toward enemies.”
Of course, they put it here. Otherwise, we will become biased and discriminate people. “Oh, these are my people. These are enemies.” And that. When you recite this particular prayer, the four immeasurables, also you need to meditate at the same time also, you know?
So this point is the main thing is equanimity. “May all sentient beings abide in equanimity.” How can you do this meditation? Now another question comes. It’s beautiful. Yes. But how can I equalize all these sentient beings? How can I do this equanimity meditation?
So at this point, don’t know, remind me, maybe I will give you next week. As I said, there’s so much information here, so I need to go through a little bit more detail so you’re able to get everything. But now I will leave it here and time is running. I will take some questions but next week you must come if you want to learn how to meditate on equanimity. You need to come. Okay?
Go ahead. Any questions? Please go. That’s my catch. Go. Anyone? Any questions?
Go. Don’t worry, you can ask questions within this teaching or any other also if you do read some books. Go ahead. Okay? Go, go, please.
Yes. Oh that’s a problem then now. Yes of course I mean if you benefit from them you can get benefit from them. That’s called we depend on each other. Let’s say I am giving you these teachings for you.
You are getting some benefit. When I give these teachings to you, I am happy from you. See, that’s the beauty of the Buddhist teachings. We are benefiting each other. As much as I teach, I feel very happy.
“Oh, at least I am helping some people” and you are getting something from me. That means we are arising dependently. That is the core beauty of the Buddhist teachings. Okay? I know.
A little bit confused. Also, you speak of the whole realm, the animal realm, human realm, the gods and the demigods’ realm. So where does the desire realm, the form realm, the formless realm, where does that appear? That’s good. Okay.
Desire realm first — desire realm, form realm, formless realm. Leave form and formless. Desire realm includes the upper three realms, lower three realms. Altogether six categories of realms. Lower three realms are animal and hungry ghost and hell realm.
Upper three realms are human being, demigod, and god realm. But they’re all desire realm. All these six are desire realm. Above the desire realm, form and formless realms. Like that. The six are the desire realm.
Three upper three realms, lower three realms. What does one actually do in the form and formless realms? Meditate. If we’re in this realm and we live as we are now, you talked about perfect rebirth and rebirth. Yes.
You know, form and formless realm also within the human body you can obtain their consciousness. I know this is a little complicated. You can be able to obtain form and formless realm consciousness. You don’t need to go somewhere else. As a human being?
Yes, as a human being. You can be able to get that. You can do that. But the human realm is the only way to achieve enlightenment — through the human realm, you can achieve enlightenment. Are there levels of attainment as a human being?
Yes. There’s levels of attainment too. Yes. Step by step there are levels. Yes.
So this is the point we need to practice both teachings, Theravāda and great vehicle. Altogether, there are five paths, fifteen levels. These are called path of accumulation, path of preparation, path of seeing, path of meditation, and path of no-more-learning. Each of these vehicles do have five paths altogether, five paths. But it depends on the student’s interest, as I said before.
Some students directly go to learn Mahāyāna path and teachings. Some students first they want to learn the Theravāda paths and teachings and they want to go this way. Some they go directly to the Mahāyāna. Even the Mahāyāna they need to go through these five levels of path. Path of accumulation and preparation, path of seeing emptiness directly, path of meditation, and path of no-more-learning.
Once they achieve Mahāyāna no-more-learning path, then now there are two moments. The first moment is still a sentient being. The second moment is Buddha. They achieve enlightenment. They become an enlightened being.
These are what needs to be taught separately. It is called sutric grounds and paths. I hope maybe in the New Year, we can do this. It is separate, all these paths. Sutric grounds and paths.
Anyone? Please. Once you’ve attained Buddhahood, you spoke of dharmakaya — dharmakaya body of the Buddha is the — rupakaya is the form body. Dharmakāya is the Buddha’s — how we say it is more mental state. Rūpakāya means more form body of the Buddha.
So these are the way we are talking about different types of Buddha’s body. Dharmakāya body of the Buddha, and rupakaya form body of the Buddha, and nirmanakaya manifestation body of the Buddha. So dharmakaya is the Sanskrit word. Sanskrit is called dharmakaya. Actually, is called — the English translation.
My English translation is also Chosku. Actual one is — okay. Anyway, I will check the translation. But these are we’re talking about different types of Buddha’s body. That’s what we call dharmakaya, rupakaya, and in English, in Tibetan we call it Longku, Longku, the enjoyment body of the Buddha.
One type of Buddha is enjoyment body called Longku. So that’s a different Buddha’s body. This has nothing to do with form and formless. Go, go please. That’s a good one, actually.
What is your name? Joe. Joe. Okay. Are you Indian?
Yes. Oh okay. That’s why. Good question. Your name is Joe.
Okay. It’s not my business. Yes, covetousness can be anything, but remember, it’s more not just desire because desire and attachment there are good desire and attachment and bad ones. So we are talking here is the bad one. Good one is we love our friends and family, children, house, car, or animals, and we like to have some desire to eat nice food.
That’s a good one. It’s living, you know. But there is another one that is more strong. It’s more, you know, it’s a very strong desire, very strong covetousness. That’s what we are talking about here.
Of course, you are coveting to do some dancing things, that’s life. It’s good. Why not? But sometimes, let’s say, you have this strong desire to dance. Sometimes, you know, you couldn’t do it, but still you, you know, push yourself, but still you couldn’t do it.
And sometimes when you fail, we get very much disappointed. That’s a problem. Why? Because of this strong desire. See?
But just having desire to dance is, of course, okay. But we’ve got to be very much — I will give you antidotes. Beginning, I think better to make some balance. Balance is very important, you know, and understanding the gain and the loss is very important also. Once you gain something, you could lose something.
We need to accept it. Acceptance is very, very important. That’s a big problem in this world. Accepting something. But I’m not talking about blindly accepting something.
I’m talking about accepting something logically after understanding. That’s smart. But if you couldn’t accept it, then that’s a big problem now. So that’s why Buddhist philosophy is very much logical, you know. But main antidote to attachment or covetousness is called ugliness.
There is something ugliness. It doesn’t matter. It can be people or it can be money or wealth or it can be anything or it can be any kind of doing things. But there would be some ugliness as I said sometimes you could gain, sometimes you could lose. So that’s what you need to understand in advance.
Then things will be much easier. You gain something wonderful but not gaining something. If you lose something, okay. I mean, you know, there is ugliness. In advance, you need this in your mind.
This will help you. But then if you don’t know the ugliness of gaining, the part of the, you know, thing, then when something like this happens, you will be shocked. “Wow. Why me?” Why me?
That comes — not only you. We all go through some difficulties, but people say, “Why me? I’m very good people. I’m a nice person. I’ve been doing this practice, that practice.” This has nothing to do with being nice people or doing practice.
Everything is — life is like a game, you know. It’s kind of a game. So but it’s very important to understand. Some ugliness is there. Because the world is contaminated. We need to accept it. Nobody can last long. Nobody can be all the time successful.
We all sometimes gain, sometimes lose, sometimes fail. Why not? That’s good. If you fail, then that’s how you can learn sometimes, you know. So these are — of course, there are many other antidotes, but if you want to make a balance, these are the things to keep in mind.
It will help you. Okay? Yeah. Welcome. Anyone?
Go. Please. On Tuesday, you talked about, like, desires. Mhmm. The hardest one to get rid of was, like, the desire for reputation.
Mhmm. What about if you have a strong desire for reputation for the benefit of others? That’s very good. That’s very good because you are taking this negative thought positively, which is good. I mean, yes, that’s very different now.
We are talking about reputation. When I say that — see, I must — I must give this more detail. When you teach, sometimes we cannot go into this detail. So see now, when you say reputation to use to benefit others. If really you want to benefit others, sometimes reputation is important.
If you think this way, if your motivation is having reputation to benefit others, that reputation is positive. Now see, otherwise, most reputations are negative. Let’s say His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, they have such a reputation. So that’s why they able to help so many people in this world. If there’s no reputation, who’s gonna, you know, look up to them?
Nobody follow them. But they do have such reputation so they’re able to help many, many sentient beings, but their reputation is — I know they know how to practice, but I’m talking about the regular reputation, you know, that kind of negative one. Selfish. Selfish. Exactly.
That’s a good one. I think you need to come every week. You’re learning something. Yes. Yeah.
You’re a young man because, of course, it’s important to come, especially young men and women. You guys are the future generation. If you do learn something, you can help some other people also. Bring some more young people. You go to college, bring more people here.
Tell them there is one funny Geshe at Buddha House. Yeah. Last question. Anyone? Please go.
Go. Please. I’ve got one about harsh speech actually. I’ve found in the workplace, being soft-spoken in our culture, people generally don’t listen to you. And in order to get the message across, you have to be reasonably forceful.
Strong. I’m just wondering where to strike the balance. I know. I’m sure it’s largely about the motivation behind the words because I know I’ve seen my boss several times just, you know, get angry and unload on someone. And you can tell that he’s motivated purely by — you know, he’s not thinking about them at all. He’s just
Mhmm. Doing that. But I don’t wanna be like that— I think your boss needs to try talking smoothly. I don’t think he tried that. First, because I know these kind of things I hear many times in America also, you know. But I am saying, I want to meet your boss. Maybe I want to talk to him. Why not should he try to talk to his workers smoothly?
You know? I don’t think it has to be that way. I don’t think so. But this is because of the system they built. Kind of a system, a culture, you know, strange culture in, you know, in the United States and maybe here too. You build kind of a culture and you believe in it.
“This has to be that way. Otherwise, they wouldn’t listen to you.” For instance, in our society, yes, there are some people who talk very harshly. When I was a disciplinarian, I was strong, but not harsh. Strong talking and harsh is very different. But you need to be strong.
As a leader, you need to be strong, and you need to talk. Make a point. But now here harsh is not only just strong talking, you use words, bad words that makes people get hurt. Upset. People upset.
People get angry, sad, you know. So that’s what we are talking here. But, of course, as a leader, you need to talk strong. I did when I was a disciplinarian. I had a few thousand monks under me.
I must be like that. Otherwise, I will suffer. But I never hurt. But I was strong. People were very surprised.
“Geshe-la used to be very quiet, very simple. Now he’s becoming like one of the Buddhist deities,” you know. But I didn’t have a choice. That’s the rules of the monastery. If I talk things peacefully, oh you have no idea, young monks are, you know, “Oh,” then they will make you very difficult.
Before they pull up their heads, I must be, you know, like this, much better. So that’s why I was successful. Next, after me, that Geshe is in Perth now. He’s at some center. After me, he was a disciplinarian.
I said, “Oh, now I need to go through one year all these difficulties.” He is in Perth at FPMT center. Hayagrīva? Hayagrīva? Yes, in Hayagrīva. Yes, you are right.
Sometimes it is difficult, you know, but everything is your motivation. Now this young man says, if your motivation is in the right place, reputation can be positive. If your motivation is in the right place, when you talk a little strongly, everything is good. But then, using words, you know, sometimes people use F-words, sometimes people use other things, they show their hands. Those are very, very bad.
I mean, you know, “I’ll kill you” or sometimes they do. “You look like a donkey. You look like this.” And sometimes men talk bad things about women, women talk bad things about men. Words they use. So when they use it, people are upset, they hurt people. So that’s why harsh speech is negative. Yes.
Do not use harsh speech. Do you use harsh speech with your wife? Sometimes, a little bit. Okay. Now stop.
Family life is not easy, I know. Thank you very much. Now, we are going to say dedication prayer. Yes, We are not going to say all dedication prayers. Just look at page number one hundred twenty.
Saint Francis one is beautiful. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. 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 in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying having practiced that we are born to eternal life. May all beings be happy. May all attain full enlightenment.
May all sentient beings effortlessly attain the transcendent, blissful state of omniscient Buddhahood.” Okay. Now please look at the Buddha House dedication prayer. Down here is Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his composition is Dalai Lama’s long-life dedication prayer, page thirteen. Okay.
“Lord of Dharma who is in accordance with the various dispositions of those to be subdued, manifesting in the light of your well-spoken advice, the secret and quintessential essence of the Buddha’s teaching promulgates the holy lamas. To you, most worshipful lama,
please live long.” Thank you very much and good night. See you on Sunday.