Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 98-minute teaching on the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, Geshe Kyab establishes equanimity as the essential foundation for Mahāyāna practice. He explains why sentient beings are fields of happiness, using concrete examples like an orchard to show how ultimate happiness depends entirely on cherishing others rather than self. Geshe Kyab then teaches the meditation on equanimity in detail: moving from reflection on friends and family, recognizing their impermanence and past lives as enemies and future change, then gradually extending equal love to strangers and finally to those who harm us. He situates this within the broader Mahāyāna path—covering the distinction between Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna enlightenment, the role of great compassion and bodhicitta, and the six perfections—while emphasizing that ethics is the foundation for all Buddhist practice. The session closes with practical guidance on how to handle conflict with family members through patience and spiritual example. Pitched toward serious practitioners beginning the Lamrim path.
File metadata (for organising)
File: The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation 2016 10 06.mp3
UUID: d870491b-aecc-4db4-8b9a-a2b4cb1ce082
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Eight Verses Thought (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-10-06
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 98.2 minutes
Words: ~9,303
Good. Okay. Please look at the page number thirty four. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, Sangha, the Three Jewels. By the practice of giving other perfections, may I become Buddha.
Sentient beings. May all sentient beings have happiness in the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering in the causes of suffering. May all sentient beings inseparable from happiness that is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for friends hatred for enemies.
Reverently, I prostrate with my body, speech and mind. I present cloud offerings actually arranged. I declare all my negative actions accumulated since the beginning of time. Rejoice in the merit, all holy, ordinary beings. Please remain until the end of cyclic existence.
Turn the wheel of dharma for living beings. I dedicate my own merits, among all other great enlightenment. Short mandala offering. One minute. Okay, next time maybe.
Okay, now this mantra. Thank you. The eight verses of thought transformation. The eight verses of mind training teachings. Lojong Tsig Gyema means only eight verses which is beautiful, you know, by Geshe Langri Thangpa Dorje Sengge.
This particular one is translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Mind training, training the mind. This particular mind training and teaching belongs to Mahāyāna. It’s Mahāyāna teachings. My perspective, generally speaking, every Buddha’s teaching is considered mind training.
Especially this one is Mahāyāna mind training and teaching. It doesn’t mean that we are already achieving Mahāyāna practitioners. It depends, you know. Of course, you need to learn the teachings, the Theravāda teachings, Mahāyāna teachings. Whether you approach Mahāyāna practitioner or not, you need to judge that.
You need to understand. If you do attain great compassion, then you’re really engaging in Mahāyāna. Great compassion is the door to enter Mahāyāna. I would like to say that great compassion is the border between Theravāda and Mahāyāna. Of course, Theravāda practitioners do attain compassion, but here we are talking about the great compassion, Nyingje chenpo.
So that’s only Mahāyāna that can be able to possess or achieve. In order to achieve great compassion, you need to practice Mahāyāna teachings, the six paramitas, especially you need to meditate on the mind of enlightenment. So, you know, different different minds of enlightenment and how, you know, in order to achieve the bodhicitta or mind of enlightenment, there are many different methods of teachings and six paramitas which are very, very important. For people who want to engage the Mahāyāna path, then six paramitas are the most important. Of course, bodhicitta is very important.
So, this point, as I mentioned, a few weeks back, I think, in Buddhism, generally speaking, there were two vehicles, Hīnayāna vehicle and Mahāyāna. Among these two vehicles, they divided fifteen different paths, different stages. Also, we call lam, sa lam. It’s earth and path. sa lam.
Grounds and paths. So Hīnayāna vehicle does have ten grounds and paths. So these are distributed to hearers and solitary realizers. So there are two different practitioners. One is the hearer, and one is the solitary realizers.
So both, you know, do have five different grounds and paths. So names are the same, only the realization is different. So path of accumulation, preparation, path of seeing, meditation, no more learning, for hearers. Same thing with solitary realizers. They have the same five different grounds and paths.
Same title, path of accumulation, preparation, seeing, meditation, and no more learning. So these are the ten grounds and paths that belong to Hīnayāna practitioners. Then Mahāyāna also same thing. Mahāyāna path of accumulation, preparation, seeing, meditation, and no more learning. Once you achieve Mahāyāna, no more learning, there are a few levels.
Finally, you achieve enlightenment and you become Buddha. That’s called fully enlightenment. But then, Hīnayāna practitioners can be able to achieve enlightenment, but not fully enlightenment. Their enlightenment is the partial enlightenment. Once they, you know, approach the, whether it is a hearer or a solitary realizer, no more learning, so they achieve their own enlightenment, but that enlightenment is not fully enlightened, not Buddha yet, but they are partial Buddha.
That’s called partial enlightenment. What is the problem now here? The main problem is that they have not yet gained great compassion. So it is the bodhicitta. Okay?
That’s a big problem for them. But it doesn’t mean that they will still need to go through pain and suffering. So now when I say pain and suffering, I’m not talking about gross pain and suffering. Of course, they already eliminated gross pain and suffering. Of course, but now subtle, the respective pain and suffering still they have not eliminated it.
Because of that, they are not yet fully Buddha or fully enlightenment. In order to eliminate completely pain and suffering, the subtle one is that they must practice Mahāyāna. They must practice Mahāyāna. Although the Hīnayāna practitioners are called arahat, know, foe destroyer. They destroy the foe.
That means they are already free from the saṃsāra, which is cyclic existence, but not fully enlightenment. It means because they still needed to be eliminated the karmic imprint or tendency or karmic propensity, which is very, very difficult to eliminate it. In order to eliminate the karmic tendency or propensity, sometimes the translation is the karmic imprint. You must engage in Mahāyāna because karmic imprint is very difficult to be eliminated. Because of that, you need very strong teachings and practice.
At this point, the Mahāyāna teachings include both Sūtrayāna and vajrayana, is typically called Tantrayāna. It’s very, very important in order to eliminate we are as a normal human being, but still, you know, they have not achieved Mahāyāna fully enlightenment. In order for them to achieve fully enlightenment, they must engage in Mahāyāna. Many Theravāda practitioners are satisfied. I have no pain and suffering, and they do their own practice.
They feel like I’m okay, you know, because of the Mayanese teachings and practices are very, very difficult. Because of that, they feel like they are okay to just achieve partial enlightenment. But some, they wanted to really engage with the Mahāyāna in order to eliminate karmic imprint. At that point, they engage in Mahāyāna. First thing is they need to practice great compassion, which is very important.
It’s called the seven causes and effect, one of the meditations in order to achieve bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment. There are like that, six paramitas. These are what they need to practice. It’s very important to practice those six paramitas, which the English translation is the six perfections. Now, this particular one is, as I mentioned before, the Mahāyāna Theg pa chen po’i.
It’s a Mahāyāna mind training teaching. I’m so happy that I can share these teachings to you and are also very fortunate to hear these kind of teachings. Both of us, it’s wonderful that it’s really the depending arising, you know. I’m happy because of the I’m sharing these teachings to you. If you are not here, I cannot do these teachings.
So that means this happiness that I am receiving, actually it’s from you. Same thing also, you are having these teachings from Geshe la and you feel good about it. That happiness coming from me. So that means really depending on arising is unbelievable. It’s beautiful.
At this point, don’t know how much you understand the teachings, but effort is very important. Effort. You know? And the which I mentioned last time, first, you need to listen carefully what I’m saying here with this text. The second thing is to try to really think about it.
Contemplation is called contemplation. It is very, very important. Then meditation. Next one is meditate. Every teaching must be meditated.
So when you meditate the teachings, then really this will help you to control when negative emotion arises. You can be able to control it. When you meditate, meditation will help you to understand the core of the teachings. So, at this point, you can be able to practice. Now, look at Theravāda Buddhism and Mahāyāna Buddhism.
I give you a very, very important part of the Buddhist teaching, different enlightenment. So if you really want to learn the sutric grounds and the path, so now we need to learn this separate teaching. Have also in Tibetan we call it sa lam, and also there, FPMT already translated. I think Geshe Sopa or someone is his name. He stayed in India many, many years.
He translated the Sūtra Grounds and Paths. So you need to learn this separately, maybe once a week next time. At that point, you will understand, as mentioned, all the titles are the same, the accumulation, preparation, seeing, concentration, no more learning. But they have different different achievements and different different realizations, different different stages. Hīnayāna and Theravāda do have their own different achievements or different realizations, so the Mahāyāna do have different realizations.
Once you engage Mahāyāna, of course, compassion is very important. Then if you really engage with Mahāyāna path of accumulation, that means you are a Bodhisattva now. You are Bodhisattva. You are Bodhisattva but you are not the noble Bodhisattva yet. You are ordinary Bodhisattva.
Path of accumulation and preparation. Practitioners who obtain the path of accumulation and preparation, these are called the ordinary bodhisattva. Next path of seeing, path of concentration, no more learning, that’s called noble bodhisattva. That’s higher. Also, there are ten bhūmis.
I know it’s too much. It’s too much. They call it sa chu, from the path of seeing to no more learning. We need to talk about the ten bhūmis, which means ten grounds and paths. Those are very important.
You don’t need to know now. I’m just giving you that maybe now if you hear a little bit, you can be able to build some karmic tendency. Maybe next time when you hear, oh yeah, I remember Geshe-la was talking something like this. So it’s a little easier for you. So I’m just giving you oral transmission a little bit now here.
Today, are not talking about the ten bhūmis. Bhumi means it’s an earth the grounds and the paths. Different grounds. But now we are at the first verse. First one, is it the first or second?
We are the first, yes. Today, I will give you last week, as I mentioned, how to meditate equanimity. This is very important. If you don’t know how to meditate equanimity, then it’s very difficult to practice this first verse, Determine 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. This a very difficult practice if you don’t know about equanimity.
First of all, I will make it a little easier for you to know why other sentient beings are very important. At this point, I would like to make it a little easier. First of all, I will give you one example. Example: consider a big field. People plant seeds in the field, Different different seeds, you know.
Also, that field must be — nowadays we talk about the non-GMO kind of things, lot of things, you know, good ones, organic. We are talking about that field, is it not. It’s totally the pure organic field. Then we plant the seed on that field. Not enough just planting the seed.
What you need to do nourishing means very, very important. You must nourish well that field. You need to love that field. Then eventually, will get some sprout from the field. Again, you need to put some water and you need some sun and then finally, you know, that sprout will grow and eventually become a tree.
Let’s say this point is the apple tree. Think about that one. Eventually, can get the apple. So once you get the apple, you got the fruit. The result is an apple.
How does this apple you know, arises? There are many processes needed to go through. For us, it’s very easy to go to the supermarket, pay a few dollars, buy an apple. But you need to go through the process of the apple. How does this apple grow?
I don’t think apple grows inside the supermarket. I don’t think so. I don’t know. Maybe Australia may have some apple trees inside the supermarket. I don’t know, but not in America.
But in America, apple trees are mostly from South America, maybe somewhere in Texas and California area. I think in Florida, we have orange. Orange is very popular in Florida, but sometimes in winter, they get a lot of problems. Now, the hurricane is coming. I don’t know what would be.
I’m a little concerned with my students. Anyway, that apple happened to be after many processes. Somebody really put so much effort to grow the apple and then eventually, results in such a delicious sweet apple. But then how? Without the field, you cannot get the apple.
Thing, isn’t it? Without love or nourishment, you cannot get the apple. So there are a lot of things you need. But then the most important thing is the field itself. See, that’s called the Shing.
It’s very, very important. Now, for example, if you bring sentient beings sentient beings are considered as fields of happiness. That’s what you need to think about here in this point. Sentient beings are fields of happiness. If you really want to be, you know, feel happy or achieve happiness, especially not only just happiness, immediate happiness also is the ultimate happiness.
I’m going to tell you about both happiness, temporary happiness and ultimate happiness. These two happiness only come from sentient beings. Not only sentient beings, mother sentient beings. When I say mother sentient beings, I don’t want you to think about your own mother. No, we are talking generally mother sentient beings.
That means that without those mother sentient beings, we cannot achieve ultimate happiness even though temporary happiness is also very difficult to achieve without other sentient beings. Generally speaking, We all are seeking ultimate happiness, so it is temporary happiness. Wonderful! But then we are causing so many future suffering and pain. Why?
Because we neglect other sentient beings. That’s what we do. We are supposed to be cherishing other sentient beings, is supposed to be one’s happiness. Cherishing other is one’s happiness. In Buddhism, call it like that.
But we neglect other sentient beings. We cherish ourselves a lot. I, I and me, me, me. Only I, I, and me, me, me. Now look at it.
There are some contradictory. We are seeking ultimate happiness, but we are not causing ultimate happiness. Ultimate happiness is only when you achieve cherishing others, which we don’t we neglect others. In the United States, there are black people, Asian people, South American people, white people, gay or lesbian or this and that, people just discriminate like this, like tattoos, different shapes and colors like that.
Very nasty, isn’t it? Then, eventually, I am the best. That’s it. It’s a kind of, you know, I am the best. Such a self centered mind.
See? The ego. Is called ego. But now, does this ego help you? Absolutely not.
Ego is ruining your life, so it is the others. Then why do we do it continually like that? Because of the lack of understanding the kindness of other sentient beings. So, today, we really think very seriously. First thing is that you need to ask questions yourself.
What do you really want? What do I want? You need to ask these questions. It is very important to ask questions. From my side, if I put myself as an example, I want happiness.
I don’t want pain and suffering. Not just happiness. I want ultimate happiness. I want to achieve ultimate happiness. This is my answer.
What is your answer? What do you want? If you are the same as me to achieve ultimate happiness, that’s what you want, then now there are some jobs to do. Ultimate happiness wouldn’t come just by praying or simple meditation. No.
Ultimate happiness only comes from this big field from the mother sentient beings. Now we need to start. Don’t discriminate other mother sentient beings. Doesn’t matter who they are. Don’t judge them.
Don’t harm them. Love them as much as we can. If you cannot love them or help them, at least don’t harm them. That’s what you need to practice. Buddha never said you must help other sentient beings.
If you don’t help other sentient beings, you will go to hell. He didn’t say that. Buddha said help other sentient beings as much as you can, But then if you cannot help other sentient beings, at least don’t harm them. So now everything is our on hand. Whether you want to help others, you help other sentient beings?
If you can, do it. If you cannot help, please don’t harm them. That’s it. But we don’t do that. We cannot help other sentient beings, but we harm other sentient beings mentally, physically, verbally, this and that, this and this.
So ten non virtuous actions, remember? This is our fault. So that’s why today this book is your spiritual or dharma mirror. Look at this book. Know, then you can see the reflection of your own perspective, reflection of your own thoughts, reflection of your own discriminatory mind.
Think about it. So that’s why these kinds of teachings are great. Even though some practitioners think we are practitioners, sometimes we forget that when you look at the book, oh, mirror reflection, wow, my thought was so wrong. I shouldn’t be thinking like that. See?
It helps you. That’s why there is no teaching that teach you that the Buddha never taught us. Nothing. Teachings are mostly repeated. Different different different ways of repetition.
You know? There’s no teaching that are something that I can teach you Buddha never taught or that doesn’t include the eighty four thousand scriptures. Absolutely not. But then teachings, well, you know, mainly we need to repeat. So this point is not only just listening the one time of this particular, adversity of mind training.
You need to listen again and again. You need to contemplate again and again. This will help you. Once you listen, I know everything now. Probably not.
If you really know, then now the sentient beings are fields of happiness. If you don’t neglect other sentient beings, if you don’t discriminate other sentient beings, if you are cherishing other sentient beings, then maybe you don’t need this teaching. But it’s difficult, especially this kind of time, this kind degeneration time, it’s difficult. Sometimes we like to do some good things, but you know, that person may be not the same as us. As a normal human being, sometimes we really make many mistakes, isn’t it?
But my perspective is that making mistakes is not a big deal. If we do not make mistakes, who is going to make mistakes? Buddha? Of course not. We are not Buddha.
We are not bodhisattva. Of course, people make mistakes. It is not a big deal. But once you make mistakes, fix it. It’s very important just fix it.
In order to fix the mistakes, you need this kind of Dharma mirror. It’s very important. Then fix it and don’t make the same mistakes again. You see, look at the sentient beings, field of happiness. Our problem is that we cannot able to practice to bring all sentient beings as friends and family.
We cannot do that at some point. Why we cannot do it? Because of this narrow mind, ego mind, or self-cherishing, or self centered mind. Because of that, all the time, we hold something inside, which is I, I and me, me one, it’s very difficult for other sentient beings to come. That’s why last week, as I mentioned, the practice of equanimity.
That’s very important to practice. Today, I will give you how to meditate equanimity. Now, if you do this meditation, you can be able to treat other sentient beings equally. There’s no discrimination. You can treat other sentient beings equally.
There wouldn’t be any, know, we call enemies like that. Real, real, you know, enemy is our own anger. Absolutely. This one, inside. No anger inside means no enemies outside.
The real enemy is the anger. Anger is the nasty one. Hatred is very, very dangerous. So this meditation equanimity helps us to develop more closeness with other sentient beings. First of all, I did say this before.
Today, I repeat again. In this world, there are three groups of people. One group of people we call closer friends and family. Second one is considered as a stranger, neutral beings. Third one is what we call enemies.
The third one is the worst one enemies. But now these three different groups of people, Our mind projection is three different mind projections. One side is what we call closer friends in the family. We are very much attached to those people. The second one is that we have indifferent feelings towards strangers, indifferent feelings.
The third one comes and that’s dangerous hatred. It invites anger. We get angry. The third one is the question. Why is this happening?
Why? The answer the first one. Let’s say I love my friends and family. I feel attachment towards them because I love them. Why I love them?
Answer is they love me and my family so that’s why I love them. This is the only answer. I love them because they love me. Now the second one is the indifferent feeling. Indifferent feeling towards strangers.
Why? You don’t feel any love or hatred? Indifferent feeling because the same answer is stranger from the stranger side also an indifferent feeling to you. Your answer is an indifferent feeling to them. Now the third one comes hatred.
Why? Because the answer is the enemy harms my friends and family, so my reaction is to harm them. I feel hatred. So these are the answers we get. But if you look at the worldly perspective, it makes a lot of sense, know, worldly perspective.
But then now we are saying we want to get out from the saṃsāra. We are seeking ultimate happiness. So that perspective is the now this one is the wrong. It doesn’t make sense. They’re two different perspectives.
Generally, worldly perspective makes sense. Someone loves you, you must love them. Someone doesn’t love you or doesn’t harm you, you have the same feeling towards them. Someone really harming you, of course, you know, you feel the same thing. What is that?
Eye for an eye. That’s one of the western expressions. Eye for an eye. Yes? I think there’s a movie also like that when I was in the United States.
It’s a very famous This woman is very, very wonderful. She played a very old movie. She was in a movie called The Flying Nun, actually. It’s the same woman. She was so very, very good.
Whatever she does. I don’t know the name of it. I saw in the television with my friend. Yeah. This movie is something like this.
Eyes in something, you know. That’s not in Buddhism. We don’t talk about it like that. Absolutely not. Buddhism means that somebody is the fire, you must become water to put down the fire.
If the world becomes fire, there are so many sparks. Then there will never be an end to it. It’s difficult. Anyway, here is the answers that are not like the world’s side. Now the spiritual side is very different now.
Here is because we all are seeking ultimate happiness. So this perspective is now you need to ask another question and you need to give another answer. Okay, let’s say friends and family, you love them because they love you. That’s your answer. But if you really look at it very carefully, your friends and family all the time would be friends in the family, they are prominent friends in the family, Now, then a little doubt.
No, absolutely not. Sometimes friends and family are worse than enemies. See, they become your enemies, isn’t it? So, it’s very important to understand. If your friends and family, not prominently friends and family, can change, then the same thing other stranger can be changed.
Stanger could become your friends and family, so the enemies could become your good friend. The enemies are not all the time enemies, they change. But if you look at this perspective, everything is going to be changed. Everything is impermanent moment to moment. That’s one thing.
Within this lifetime, I don’t know how many are you going to experience. There must be beginning some people, maybe your friends and family, your good friend, but then after some time they may become your enemies. You may dislike them. But here enemies don’t necessarily be a terrorist. Enemies can be somebody that you dislike, somebody that you feel like hatred, it can be your enemies.
Enemies don’t necessarily need to go somewhere in the Middle East. Enemies can be anyone. But if you look at that one perspective, there is no such solid concrete friends and family, so is the enemies. No, or it’s dangerous. Everything will be changed.
But that’s one thing. Now, more than that, if you do believe reincarnation, if you do believe reincarnation, then we had many, many, many lives before this life. There would be many, many lives after this life. But many, many lives before, your friends and family must become your enemies. Enemies must become your friends and family in a past lifetime.
At some point, because of our karma, karmic game is very complicated. At some point, this lifetime, certain groups of people became enemies, and certain groups of people became friends and family, so others are in danger. But in previous lifetime, those enemies that you call now became our friends and family. They became our friends and family. The moment when they became our friends and family, they helped you, they helped your family, they did so many kind things. Because your answer was why you feel hatred towards enemies because they harm you and your family, yes, But now in past lifetime, they help you and they really did so much kindness.
So now same answer that you had, I love my friends and their family because they love me and they did so many good things for me. Same thing applies in the past lifetime. They helped you. They became your friends and family. At the moment, they really helped a lot.
Same thing. These lifetime friends and family helped you and they did so many kindness. These are the answers. If you look at that kind of perspective, things are a little complicated, isn’t it? This one is the daily basis you need to bring in your meditation again and again and again.
One day, when you try to discriminate people, in the beginning, you hear something, Oh, I shouldn’t be. This is wrong. Yeah, now these people seem to be I dislike them, but really in the past lifetime, they became my friends and family. At the moment, they helped me a lot. So only the times are really the change.
I don’t think time is that much matter, isn’t it? Time changes. Different lives now. Other than that, activities are the same thing. So this is the one thing that is simple.
I am giving you a very simple meditation of equanimity. If you meditate on this daily basis, there will be something that will be movement. I am not just saying what the book says, no. It is my own experience. Remember, I am a normal human being.
I do practice, but I do have feelings sometimes. Sometimes I feel disliked. Things happen, why not? I am a normal human being. But since I practice this meditation of equanimity, helps a lot, especially when I was in the United States.
Were so many discrimination everywhere. Black, Asian, Indian. Good thing is that they are not talking about Tibetans because they do not mean Tibetans. Otherwise, are But you saw the news, even though you look at it nowadays. Look at when Obama became president, Donald Trump asked his birth certificate.
Can you imagine? It’s shameful, isn’t it? It’s very shameful. That’s the way he was looking at his color. From my perspective, Obama did a very, very good job.
Think Mr Bush destroyed the eight years. When Mr Bush became president, it was the first time I arrived in the United States, then Iraq war, all these eight years. Anyway, that’s not our business. The point here is that people look at other people’s color, their genders, and who they are, and they judge and they discriminate. This is that, this is that.
So that is very, very dangerous. That’s a big problem around the world. I’m sure here in Australia, of course, same thing. So it’s India. Muslim, Islamic, Hinduism, Buddhism, and these.
Now, religion discrimination is All these are happening in their mind, because of the self-cherishing, egotistical mind. That is the main problem. Now, this meditation will help us to understand something that is really profound in understanding how important treating other people equally. Starting from your own never, that’s where you need to start. You don’t need to go very far away.
Your neighbor. If you do have a never, somebody you dislike, now you need to start this meditation. Your neighbor is also a sentient being. He or she may be a little nasty or maybe something is a little bit different. But think about it — if you cannot deal with your neighbor, how can you practice mah sentient beings?
How? First, you need to deal with your neighbor. This is the one thing I like about the ten commitments. One is your neighbor. How beautiful.
I like it very much. So that’s where we need to start. Okay? So then, this way, you need to expand this meditation, you know, another neighborhood this way to your area, then finally your town and your city, then more expansion is going to be your state, then your country, then international. This way, that’s what I call peace.
That’s what I call peace. You know, this way you need to really expand the peace. You cannot just bring peace by writing some banner, Oh, world peace. Okay, wonderful! Planting is here.
If not, it doesn’t matter how big you write down peace or even on the stone, there’s no peace. But peace is within us. First of all, I must be peace myself. Then, I need to teach other people how to become peace. Then, that person is going to teach another person.
This way, we need to expand the peace. Then, one day, world peace this way. Otherwise, world peace. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s okay. But yes, this is good, and the same thing we individually try to be a pure human being.
That is why Buddhist teachings are very unique, especially with all these meditations. Anyway, now I will have a breakfast. Go ahead, ten minutes, and then come back. Beings abide in the equanimity free from attachment for friends and hatred for enemies. So that’s the equanimity.
Free from attachment for friends and free from hatred for enemies. But in order to free from attachment for friends and so is the hatred for enemies, so that’s the meditation that I mentioned to you before. A few different levels of the meditation. Daily base, you need to bring that meditation, you know, towards the friends and family first. First, you need to reflect the friends and the family how you feel about it.
Check it out. You cannot just right away meditate to free hatred for enemies. You cannot do that. By step, first friends and family, then maybe stranger, then gradually, you know, then you can able to meditate equanimity then free from hatred for enemies. It’s this way, you know, gradually.
The first thing is to be closer friends and family. Even though closer friends and family, we call them friends in the family, wife, husband, children. But sometimes, this mind is very much fragile, you know, there would be some unease feeling, there would be some discomfort, there would be some hatred feelings. So that’s why it’s better to meditate and reflect your friends and family. I think it’s much better.
Then, if you do this meditation continually, you are planning some profound seed for happiness. Eventually, it will reap and you will get results. You reap what you sow. You harvest what you plan. No effort, no results.
Effort is very important. In order to reap something, you need to sow something. Remember, as I mentioned before, apple seeds. Because karma is totally there’s no mistaking. karma has no mistake.
Whatever karma you accumulate, you will get results. It’s totally unmistakable. karma is totally like that. Gradually, you can be able to extend this meditation first across your friends and family for a while. Think first, you know, stay with your friends and family to do this meditation.
Then move on to the strangers after some time. Then check it out. Then maybe you know, finally, enemies. Okay? Then one day, free from attachment for friends and hatred for enemies.
So that’s called abiding in equanimity. May all sentient beings sentient beings abide in equanimity. So that that’s how you’re you will be achieving this equanimity. How beautiful. Then I think once you achieve equanimity, then now you need to practice the meditation of the mind of enlightenment, the bodhicitta.
That’s what you need to do. Without equanimity, if you cannot meditate on equanimity, it’s very difficult to meditate on the mind of enlightenment. You cannot generate the mind of enlightenment. Then, of course, six paramitas, I mentioned before, Very important. Because of one, it’s the Mahāyāna teaching, Mahāyāna Lojong, mind training.
Six paramitas are also very important. The practice of generosity or which is giving, the practice of morality, practice of patience, then effort, then concentration, then practice of wisdom. Six paramitas, six perfections are very important. You need to understand the form of generosity. What does it mean by generosity?
How many categories of generosity or giving? What does mean morality, which is the ethics? How many what is the definition of the morality or ethics? How many categories of ethics or morality divisions? Point is divisions.
So it’s patience, effort, concentration, wisdom. That’s one huge package of the teaching. In Buddhism, are called Sum. Three. Training the mind on ethics or morality.
First one is the second one is the concentration. The third one is the wisdom. Retraining the mind, is very important in Buddhists. Most of Buddhists, it’s Sūtrayāna or vajrayana or Tantrayāna. These three teachings are very, very important.
Ethics are the foundation. Without ethics, it is very difficult. One big problem for a normal human being like us is ethics. The practice of morality is very important. I mean, that’s lacking.
Ethics are the foundation. At this point, many Buddhist books, especially in the Lamrim, talk about the ten non virtuous actions again and again. Even among the monks and nuns, ethics are very, very important. Of course, ethics are very, very important. Physically, mentally, verbally, you know, how to react.
Sometimes, is, you know, I mentioned before, his or her motivation may not be bad. You know, sometimes verbal speech, if you don’t control it, sometimes, you know, accidentally, you may say something that could hurt other people. This happens. So which is gossip, idle gossip, you know. I do chatting sometimes.
Sometimes people do this gossip, you know, raising the bad motivation and intention, but some people just, you know, split out things like that. So that’s why you need to zip it sometimes, know. Very important. Otherwise, know, like this sometimes. I’m just giving you a simple example.
Generally, idle gossip is not so bad as other non virtuous actions, still sometimes. Of course, cheating, divisive speech, all these are very bad. Dividing people, talking here, talking there. Of course, physically also, killing things, stealing things, mentally, covetousness, horrible intentions, and wrong views. Ethics are the foundation.
If you build this foundation, ethics, or practice of morality, I think it is much easier to develop the concentration. The first concentration is what I would consider as shinne, śamatha. Know? Is the first thing you need to meditate. Of stabilization meditation, or sometimes translated as calm abiding meditation.
Sometimes they translate it as tranquil abiding meditation. Many, many different translations. Single pointed meditation. Actually, is shinne, Shiwa Nepa, a calm abiding meditation. Very, very important.
The next one is calm abiding, Vipashyana, lhaktong. Penetrative insight. That is more wisdom. Wisdom. See?
More analytical meditation. calm abiding is the stabilizing meditation. That means calm abiding meditation will help you to stabilize your mind because our mind is the monkey mind, you know. Very jumpy. calm abiding meditation will help us to calm or is is help us to calm.
That’s called stabilizing meditation. Once you stabilize your mind, then it’s very easy to analyze. The second one is the analytical meditation. It’s more wisdom. Now, ethics is the foundation.
Then, of course, calm abiding meditation. Then, wisdom, which is Vipashyana. I think nowadays you can see everywhere, even though non Buddhists talk about Viphyasana, I have a little doubt about you know, but I don’t know. Buddhist textbook mentions calm abiding is the first one. Shine is common to both Buddhism and non-Buddhism.
Both Buddhism and non Buddhism does the first one, is Shine or calm abiding. But Vipashyana, the second one is really only in Buddhist tradition. Used to be, but nowadays everything is changing. There are a lot of things. And Viphyasana is more insight than just, you know, feeling good physically or mentally.
It’s more insight meditation that’s called penetrative insight. It’s more analytical meditation and more serious. In order to eliminate the mental afflictions, you need both methods of teaching. Both meditations are very important. Without Vipashyana, there is no way you can be able to eliminate the mental afflictions, both subtle and gross.
calm abiding will help you to see the wall hanging thangkas or wall paintings, but you cannot see that painting very clearly. Something is fuzzy, something is very clouded, you know. But then now second meditation, Viphyasana bring you more light, like a high definition. See now, nowadays television especially when you get older, it’s good to be high definition. I’m thank you, you know.
If you watch television, it’s much better to pay a little more money to watch high definition. Although it’s not so good for eyes. Sometimes, you know, like this, you know, even high definition, can look even near is okay, especially my eyes are not so good. That’s why Viphyasana is like high definition. It gives you more light.
You can see the wall painting very clearly as high definition. That’s Viphyasana. calm abiding is okay. There are some paintings. Feel good about it, beautiful, but you need Viphyasana to project more light to see those wall paintings.
So that’s Viphyasana’s power. So that’s why the calm abiding and Vipashyana both are very, very important. But then now you can meditate both even though you are not yet achieved calm abiding Viphyasana. You can do this both meditation But different ways you can do it. It’s little complicated, but today, actually, this is not my teaching.
Maybe one day, if I could, I will give you more details. Even with calm abiding and viphyasana, you can also do this meditation with a vajrayana perspective. Is very different, bringing those deities also. But for the achievement perspective, first, you must achieve calm abiding, then Vipashyana. First, you must achieve calm abiding, Vipyasana, then together union with the calm abiding, and Vipyasana can be able to destroy the mental afflictions.
You must achieve calm abiding. Now biting, there are nine levels you need to go through. Nine levels, you know, but I will not teach you nine levels today. Nine levels you need to go through. Setting, continuous setting, etc.
Like this way. Are nine levels. Finally, you will achieve śamatha. Once you approach level nine, there will be two moments. Then you will get such pleasure from your bodily pleasure as well as mentally.
So and also book saying saying says the Samādhi book, also you can get some sort of miraculous power. You can fly. You can go under the water, there are many things also, you know. So that’s why some people take advantage of this, some practitioners. Once they achieve the calm abiding, and they think now they already attain enlightenment, you know.
And sometimes they use this power for negative purposes. Sometimes this is possible. That’s why it’s very important you must meditate on the second one, Viphyasana. Without Viphyasana, you cannot see those particularly. Remember?
Now, all these different meditations that I mentioned, the main foundation is ethics. Without ethics, yes, you can meditate, you can get some knowledge, but not inside knowledge, just knowledge. But that’s really not important. We need inside knowledge, which is most important. Okay?
I think that’s it. So many information within these two hours is not good, you know. This happens sometimes with a teacher when you start something, especially when I teach Westerners, I feel like I must give them a little more information about this and that. Otherwise, you are just giving them an appetizer, you know. Actually it’s good to give a little appetizer.
Maybe next time you may come to eat actual lunch and dinner, you know. But I’m a little bit more generous to giving you appetizer and also a little lunch, a little dinner too. I’m just kidding. Go, please. Any questions?
Go. Good. Yes. There’s two different meditations for bodhicitta. One is the lineage from the Śāntideva, one is the lineage from Atisha.
So see, all Buddhist teachings are very much relevant. If you look at any Buddhist teachings, some Buddhist teachings books give you so much details, but the foundation is very similar to most of these. Even though it the most admiring of is only the most important. I try to do this a little detail. Yes.
You need to meditate first. You must be, you know, equalize every sentient beings as one’s friends and family first. That’s very, very important. Tibetan, we call it tang nyom. Tang nyom means equanimity.
Once you do these meditations, if you really feel that all sentient beings are the same as my friends and family, then now this is a little realization there. Really, there’s really no different other sentient beings and my friends and family. It’s the same thing. We all are just human beings. There’s no really different.
Yeah. Geshe-la is wearing a monk dress and sitting on a throne. Just a protocol and a custom. I have maybe I may I may have a little more knowledge than you, but other than that, we all are same, but you have so many knowledge I don’t have. We all have our own kind of talent, you know.
So how can you treat other sentient beings? Oh, I am this, I am that, or they are nothing. I mean, all this, you know, has been happening because of the egotistical mind. Mind is very strange sometimes. That is why the equanimity is the first step in order to achieve bodhicitta.
Once you do this meditation of the equanimity, you think that meditation is good, then you need to move on to the of bodhicitta mind of enlightenment. You need to generate more bodhicitta now. There are two ways which I mentioned. One is the lineage from the Śāntideva and one is from the Atisha. We call seven causes and effect.
One is called exchanging self and others. Like that. So this will become especially in my Lojong class. When I teach the second principle, I think next we’re going to do the second principle which is the bodhicitta out of the three principles. So at that point, we need to talk about a lot of all these things.
Yes, you’re welcome. Yeah, you can do that. Remember, as I mentioned, the Buddha never said, you must help other sentient beings. He never said that. He said help other sentient beings as much as you can.
If you cannot, at least don’t harm. If you hold dearly, you are not just harming them, also you are holding them more than just not harming them. Actually, indirectly, you are helping them. Sometimes, we do have a certain understanding. When you say help, we just feel like we’re physically helping, something like that.
But mentally, you can help people. It depends on your motivation, your intention, everything needs to be involved. If you do have a correct and pure motivation, though you couldn’t help them physically, but if you really want to do this meditation, it’s called taking and giving meditation like a tonglen, that’s good. I would like to say you are indirectly helping them. It’s wonderful but I will not suggest you to just hold one person.
Maybe it’s better to hold all sentient beings if that person is dear. If you just hold one, your mind becomes very small and only one person. When you hold all sentient beings, let’s say that person’s name is John, John and all other sentient beings, then that becomes more powerful. You are not only just holding the person that is in your family, but also you are holding others dearly, dearly holding other sentient beings as well. That becomes more powerful.
Do you understand? Okay. That’s good. You can do that. Okay.
You can extend this mind. But I will give you the the next week or next week, I will give you how to do tonglen practice. And giving. Okay? Anyone?
This is noisy. You need to fix this.. Yeah. It’s not good to get close to people? Say that again?
Do you think it’s not good to get close to people? It depends. What what reason? I mean, you are talking generally? Yeah.
I’m talking about friendships, having really close friends. Is it is it healthy and not to let people get too close and not to Yeah. Everything is dependent, you know, on how how much close to be with them, how much, you know, you’re allowing them to be close with you. You have to check it out. If they are too much close with you, what would be your your reaction?
Am I happy or am I on? You have to check it out. It’s difficult to say. There’s no perfect answer for it right there. Buddhism is not only just black and white, you know.
There would be gray all the time. Middle there. Middle one is there. So everything depends on how, you know. If you are close with someone, you feel there would be some problems arising or whatever it is.
Then you have to figure out not so close. There is no particular medicine for this one. Everything is individual to individual, and also how much practice you do depends on that also. You have to check it out. How you feel about if you are close with people.
Generally, Buddhist spiritual perspective is the closeness. We talk about closeness. I think now what I’m understanding from you is closeness is that you are talking about physically closeness, meeting here, there are kind of things you are talking about. Yes? The one between attachment and non attachment.
Okay. That’s very different now. Attachment and detachment is kind of a thing that’s very different. Okay. That’s different now.
See, that’s why everything as I mentioned before, it’s depend. It means that Buddhism point of perspective is that we must be close with other sentient beings. It doesn’t mean that you need to cook and bring them to the food every day or you invite people into your house. We are not talking about something like that. From the mental closeness, like friends and family, you are close with your friends and family.
You love them. Similar notion, you need to be towards strangers and enemies. In order to do so, you need to have some detachment towards friends and family. You need to cut out hatred towards enemies. These are the practices you need to do.
How to do? At this point, you need to come once a week here. You need to listen to all the teachings. I cannot give you everything right away, remember? So there are many many antidotes, there are many many applications that need to be applied in order to be successful in detachment towards friends and family and in releasing hatred towards the enemies.
Generally, in Buddhism, closeness is very important. We are talking about it today. Equanimity here closeness. Very important. Okay?
Go ahead please. I know. I hear this again and again especially as I said, the family is the big problem. That’s why we don’t need to go when we say Vietnam is you know, too very far, you know. I think one best practice is the patience.
Tolerance and patience. So it’s the forgiveness. If you are a regular comer here in the buddha house, okay that means you hear many many teachings which is a good one. It’s much easier for me now. My answers are much much easier for you.
Patience, tolerance, forgiveness. Because you need to think about I’ve been going to a Buddha house. I’ve been listening to many Buddhist teachings. Now time to practice. They don’t.
See, I must be different than them. If I react as the same as like them, then what is different now? What is different? I’ve been going to the Buddha house and listening to all these teachings for many years. So what for?
Geshe-la says Buddhist teachings are the application. Buddhist teachings must be applied, not just knowledge, you know. Insightly, you need to learn and insightly, you need to understand, then apply the teachings when things fall apart. That’s all about the Buddhism. So then now I must be doing that.
Otherwise, what is the difference between me and them? I must help them now, you know. If I do practice patience, tolerance, forgiveness, if I try to become myself, maybe one day they may ask you why you are so calm. Then you can help them. See which is a good way to help people.
You cannot just go there or come here, I learned something from Buddha house. I will teach you. They won’t listen to you. If you show them the kindness, you know, compassion, you know, show them all these beautiful things that you learn from here. Then one day they will see you.
I’m not kidding this one. This happened in the United States many times. My students the same kind of questions they ask. I even give them the same answer but really sometimes you know of course some people you know and because they have no karma how to change. Some people ask questions why you are so calm, Ivan so bad for you.
And they give them answer. After some time, these people come to the center also. I have some ten years, twenty years they have been coming. It’s sometimes, you know, surprise people, you know, but but practice is the individual. As I mentioned before, you are buddha house student.
You hear many many teachings from many many teachers. So now time to make a difference. That’s you need to do. But then if they I want to make I want to make sure this one is sometimes people are misunderstanding. If they really threaten you, if they try to really harm you physically, I don’t mean to be tolerant.
Let them do that. That’s not my point. Then you need a nice stick also. I’m just kidding, you know. Maybe yes, maybe not.
Then then you must be ready to get out from the air or or or or or, you know, need to self defense yourself. That’s a real good self defense. Otherwise, you sometimes people misunderstand. Buddhism all the time intolerant, forgiveness, patience. Okay.
Maybe let them do whatever they want. No. Because that’s a foolish then. And it’s very doesn’t make sense. But that point is that you may need to kick them out.
So I think sometimes, I think here it must be noticed that nowadays young ladies learn kung fu also, you know, trying to protect themselves. I think that’s a good idea. Actually, fu is supposed to be the to protect oneself from the thief actually in ancient Indian time, think. But nowadays, the and people do this kung fu is to harm others, you know. Actually, they just protect oneself.
Self defense actually. Maybe you need to go to learn some kung fu also. So this is what you need to do. Make a difference, you know. Show them who you are.
Very nice way, kind way, spiritual way, show them, not in a prideful way, then I think things will get much better, I am sure. Now dedication, please. Page two forty six, please. May all beings in every way plagued by the suffering of body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy, from virtue and its merits. May all living creatures suffer, commit evil, evil, for evil.
No one be everything. Believe it. With my brain and depression. May the blind see forms, the deaf hear sounds, may those with disabled bodies be restored, may the naked find clothing, the hungry find food, the thirsty find water.
Delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth and prosperity. May the sick find medicine. May all be benefited.
May all who are sick and ill quickly be healed, and whatever diseases there are in the world may they cease. May those who are frightened be freed from fear, those in bondage be freed, and may people think of benefiting each other. Long as space remains, long as sentient beings remain, until they are made to remain. Look at page one hundred twenty. Lord Buddha, make me an instrument of your peace.
When there is hatred, let me ask a lot. There is an injured, pardon. There is a discord, unity. There is a doubt, faith. There is a error, truth.
There is a despair of hope. There is a sadness, joy. There is a darkness, light. A divine master, granted I may know so much seek to the console. Happiness for the ego and so counsel.
To be constituted 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 that we are born to eternal life.
May all sentient beings effortlessly attain the transcendent and peaceful state of omniscient Buddhahood. Now, here is the Buddha house book in dedication and prayer down here. Page thirteen please, long life prayer for His Almighty Dalai Lama. Lord of Dharma, who is the acquaintance with the virtuous disposition of those to be subdued, masculine in the light of your well spoken advice.
Siri Gandhi tradition, essence of the Buddha’s teaching, Promise the holy lama to you, Srini, O Lama, please, please live long. Thank you very much.