Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 114-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab leads practitioners through the second of seven points of mind training: generating bodhicitta, or the mind of enlightenment. After reviewing the first point (preliminary practices covering precious human life, impermanence, refuge, karma, and the nature of samsaric suffering), he focuses on how to cultivate bodhicitta in two forms. For conventional bodhicitta—the entry-level aspiration to attain enlightenment for all beings—he teaches meditation on equanimity (equalizing self and others), exchange of self and others, the sevenfold cause-and-effect sequence, and tonglen (taking and giving practice with the breath). He emphasizes balancing healthy self-interest with the antidote to self-cherishing, and warns against narrowing compassionate practice to only favored individuals. He then introduces ultimate bodhicitta, which arises when a bodhisattva directly realizes emptiness on the path of seeing, and explores the philosophical tension between bodhicitta as the widespread path and emptiness as the profound view. Throughout, he stresses that understanding the empty nature of all phenomena—their dependence on causes, conditions, and conceptual labeling—is essential to sustaining genuine compassion and joy. The teaching weaves doctrine with practical examples drawn from daily life, monastic experience, and contemporary Western references, and closes with a guided self-inquiry into the nature of one’s own identity and titles.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2016 11 24.mp3
UUID: e2867bbc-a0a3-453c-a1f1-8d8a34e45cf9
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Seven Point Mind Training (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-11-24
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 114.0 minutes
Words: ~10,082
Good evening, Good evening, Page thirty four, please. English. May all sentient beings and happiness in the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and 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 for their friends and for the enemies. Seventh prayer. English. Reverently I prostrate my body, speech and mind. Short model offering.
English. This ground, anointed and perfumed with a flower, adorned with Mount Meru the four continents, sun and moon. Imagine this is the Buddha field and offer it. May all sentient beings enjoy this pure land. Idam Guru Ratna Mandalakam Niryatayami Mantra please, a single one.
Thank you. So seven point mind training, seven point mind transformations. So this one you have here. And there are many translations. So, Nyendo Gyatso.
So first point is the preliminary practice. Preliminary practice, that’s the first point. And today we are going to do second point. Second point is the generating bodhicitta or mind of enlightenment. Okay.
And also you have this book also. So sometimes, you know, we have some different translations. Anyway, first point is the preliminary practice. Nyendo Gyatso, which is the last week we did it. I will go a little review.
Some of you missed last week’s class. Preliminary practice is the, as I mentioned before, basically the practice that belongs to person of small scope and moderate. Another translation is the person of small capacity and moderate capacity. In the Lamrim, the Great Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, the Great Treatise, Stages to Path to Enlightenment, that one is called Lamrim. Lam Path Rim is the stages.
So that book teaches the three different teachings. Because there are three different students. So that point is the book divided three different teachings for three different students. So that’s why small scope, moderate, or the middle, or the great scope, something like that. So now here is the preliminary practice is basically the small scope and so is the moderate or the middle scope teachings.
So what would be, of course we cannot explain everything, if in order to do, then we need to go to teach the actual Lamrim book. So which is the, you know, the great stages of the path, are three volumes of the book. Second one is the most thick I think. Anyway three books we need to go through. It may take a few months or maybe a year.
So basically the practice is the last week we talked about the precious human life, precious human rebirth, eight leisures and ten endowments or ten freedoms. So we had that. And then the impermanence in the sense of meditating mindfully on death. That one is another thing we need to do because of the impermanence. We are going to changing moment to moment.
This book mentions also Geshe Jampa Tegchog mentions when you go to sleep tomorrow morning if you wake up, if you’re lucky enough to wake up, so little age. So same thing like that. It’s changing moment to moment. So this point is the impermanence. So we need to meditate the mindfulness you know, on the death or of the death.
So that’s very important to understand. Why it is important? Because once you’re born in this world, you know, one day we need to depart from this world, which is also the nature of the phenomena, the human nature or every sentient beings must be, you know, gone through like that. There wouldn’t be anyone alive permanently in this world. Doesn’t matter you’re poor or you’re rich or you’re famous or infamous, you know, one day we all need to depart from this world.
So then now questions would be the comes and what would be next life, what would be next or next life, and how my death would be. See, or if you want to die peacefully or joyfully, then now these meditations are very important, you know, to understanding the impermanence of the death, understanding the life is not permanent. Of course, then first one is the understanding precious human life. You know, I give you example also from the Śāntideva’s book, The Way of the Bodhisattva, you know. It’s very difficult to obtain human life, human rebirth, but all have this wonderful human rebirth.
So then now we must utilize this human rebirth positively, do something not only just the accumulating wealth and money, also the, you know, insight to do some spiritual meditations and teachings to make this life more unique and also useful. So that’s why understanding precious human rebirth is very important. So is the impermanence, you know, and the mindfulness of death, which is very important. Then the refuge in karma. Karmic law of cause and effect.
Know, karma is the escaping from the karma. Once you accumulate negative or positive karma, eventually negative and a positive karma will give you negative result as well as positive. Everything is the in the palm of your own hand. So how much you understand. So that’s why the understanding karmic law of cause and effect is very very important.
And also the, you know, have some faith in karma. That is another thing very important. Having faith in karma is really very important. karma is the action. That’s a karma.
Tibetan we call le. Of course there are various sorts of karma, but I don’t need to cover everything. But karma is the action. Right action, wrong actions. According to the right and wrong actions, the result will be good one and bad one.
So that’s also karma, also accumulates from body, speech, mind. Bodily karma verbally, mentally, like that. So this is the point, the gus sum. That’s what we call gossum, body, speech, and mind. Daily base must be vigilant, means that.
It must be awareness, you know, you bodily, how you take actions, and verbally how you speak, mentally how you think about about it. So this point is the ten non virtuous actions. So these are the must be the, you know, we must be aware of these ten non virtuous actions. Then as much as we can try to take ten virtuous actions which is the opposite of the ten non virtuous actions. So that’s another practice, preliminary practice.
Then meditating on the faults and suffering of cyclic existence. So that’s the understanding as long as we are in the saṃsāra there is no really perfect life. It doesn’t matter wherever you are. If you are in America, USA, or Australia, or India, or China, South America, wherever is it, you know, as long as you obtain this contaminated five aggregates, which is the real saṃsāra. This world is considered as an outer saṃsāra.
Long as we obtain this contaminated five aggregates, aggregates of form, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors, and consciousness, but then these are contaminated Totally, you know, chemically unbalanced, up and down. Main thing is the state of the mind is not really stable, you know. Even though some practitioners, they may understand the teachings, they may understand how to practice, because of the ignorance of the mind, sometimes they ignore. So that much strong all these mental delusions. But then if you’re not practitioner what would be?
Totally the only one side, only the samsaric side, which is very sad. Then you know this precious human life is wasted. So that’s why understanding samsaric suffering and falls are very, very important. But Buddhism is not denying the enjoying samsaric pleasures, of course. But what Buddhism is saying is enjoy samsaric pleasures, but also at the same time also you need to understand the samsaric pleasures are actually causing future suffering.
So that’s important to understand. Buddhism does not say you shouldn’t have any samsaric pleasure. You shouldn’t be really having any desires. No, of course. Why not?
Desire, we all have a certain desire, you know. But then now, even though desire, good desire, bad desire. So bad desire, for instance, some people out of this greediness, They harm people, they kill people, they cheat people to make money and wealth. See? So that kind of desire is very, very much dangerous.
Other than that, you know, generally we love each other, you know, like our livelihood. We do things, we work, we make money to support oneself, friends and family. These are the needy desire actually, really. Need it in order to survive. That’s why the desire also needs some balance.
So is the selfishness also. Not every selfishness is bad. Here we are talking about the self-cherishing. So that’s very different, you know. When you have some desire, good one I’m talking about it, there’s a bit selfish ness there.
Self desire, that’s a selfishness. It’s not bad. But self-cherishing is the main thing here is the target. I I shouldn’t say target, then you do not understand. I will say target.
That’s what taught me. In United States, we are called target. R is very strong. Juju was saying, what? A target shopping center, target.
Oh no, Target. And I said, no, Target, you know, USA, Target. Because of the United States, R is very important. Every, you know, whatever there was they used, if there’s a r, you must have this strong, you know, sound. Same as like the first time where’s Lindy Lindy I was.
Lindy was saying suburb, suburb. You mean suburb? Oh yes, because you said suburb, you know? Now she was r sound, you know. Although they don’t talk about suburb, mostly apartment, condos, like that.
Anyway, target is target. But my point here is the, yes, real target is the self-cherishing. That’s what I’m talking about. That one is the enemy. And not just having some self desire.
You know, self desire is the, you know, we all do. I mean, little selfishness. I mean, you know, because in order to achieve enlightenment, you need some desire, see? Good one. Also you need some, you know, self desire, selfishness.
So that’s not bad, isn’t it? So we have now here for a couple of weeks, actually almost two months, I’ve been giving you these teachings about the bodhicitta. I’ve been saying achieving bodhicitta is very important. So that means there would be some self desire to achieve bodhicitta to become bodhisattva. So then what is wrong with that?
See? But self-cherishing is the only cherishing oneself, neglecting others. So that one is the problem here. Other than that, I think go for it. Some desire, no problem.
I think that’s I think you know how it’s difficult not having any desire or attachment. Then almost like a vegetable, not feelings. So that doesn’t make sense. So that means you need some balance. Think, you know, it’s very important to understand how much is too much terms of this desire.
How much desire is too much and how my desire, you know, giving me results. So these are the you need to check it out. If your desire is giving you so much pain and suffering, maybe that desire must be now vigilant of. Maybe the strong desire. So everything needed to be balanced.
These are the main things, first point which is the first preliminary practice. Now today is the bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment, second point out of the seven points. So these are all about how to generate bodhicitta or the mind of enlightenment. But here in the Tibetan text, so is the Yes, same thing also text. We have here, just check on the second point.
Having gained stability, received the secret teaching. Consider all phenomena as a dream. Examine the nature of unborn awareness. The remedy itself is released in its own place. Place your meditation on the nature of the foundation of all and the essence of the path.
In the meditation break, be a creator of illusion, it’s like a diamond and sun and the healing tree when the five degenerations’ flourishing transforms them into the path to full awakening. So this one is the ultimate bodhicitta. There are two bodhicitta, conventional bodhicitta and ultimate bodhicitta. But then some books say something is not correct, you know, because supposed to be first to start conventional bodhicitta, then ultimate bodhicitta. So next one is we are going to start first next one.
Banish the one object of every blame. Meditate on the great kindness of all. Practice a combination of both giving and taking, commencing taking progressively from your own side. Place these two astride the breath. So there are three objects, three poisons, and three sources of virtue.
Remember this by repeated recollection, practice every activity by these words. So that’s a conventional bodhicitta. Same thing in Tibetan also, the ultimate bodhicitta, then conventional bodhicitta. But now when I teach, I will teach first conventional bodhicitta, then ultimate bodhicitta. It’s much easier.
So the conventional bodhicitta is the ordinary bodhicitta. The bodhicitta, that path of accumulation and path of preparation, bodhisattva who possesses the bodhicitta, Bodhisattva is the person of bodhisattva who approaches Mahāyāna path of accumulation and preparation. So those bodhicitta or mind of enlightenment consider as conventional bodhicitta and what exactly the conventional bodhicitta. So how to generate this bodhicitta? At this point we need to talk about the same as I teach you the second principle out of the Three Principal Aspects of the path.
First you need to equalize. In a meditation on equanimity is very important. You must equalize all sentient beings as a loving one. All sentient beings are like your loved one. To equalize, which is very important.
Understanding the equanimity is very important. Then of course exchange self and others, you know. That exchange self and others I think this tradition is from the Śāntideva. Then another one is the sevenfold cause and effect. So that’s another, you know, how to generate bodhicitta.
So these are mainly the conventional bodhicitta. So now I will go through this. Maybe some of you may not hear from me, you know, these teachings. First one is the equanimity. Although you know if you do have this book, Khensur Rinpoche very nicely, you know, here everything is one by one, very nicely put down why we need to generate bodhicitta in this book.
It’s from the FPMT and Geshe Jampa Tegchog who passed away. He was the former Sera Je abbot also. Equalizing self and others. Equalizing self and others, first that’s called meditation on equanimity. Equalizing self and others, if you equalize self and others, so then it’s much easier to exchange self and others so you can able to also generate sevenfold cause and effect.
It becomes more from bodhicitta. So that’s why this first equalizing self and others is very, very important. Now why important? Why equanimity is important? Because as I mentioned before, project usually three different projections.
One groups of the people as friends and family, then comes stranger next, then the enemies like that. You know three different projections. Three different projections happen to be because of the self-cherishing and self-cherishing is also caused by the grasping self. You know, grasping self or, you know, the grasping true existence or the grasping self as a true existence because with that self-cherishing develops. Because of the self-cherishing, then we project three different sentient beings.
So one side is too much attachment, and then the middle one is the indifferent feelings. Then the last one is the, you know, hatred. So that’s, you know, anger. We get angry, dislike. So see now, it’s come from our own self-cherishing mind.
So that’s why this equalizing self and others help us to understand that all these three groups of the people, they are also sentient beings, you know, and the I am also sentient beings. I am also sentient being. And we all have different feelings, but basically we all have same feelings wanting happiness, not wanting pain and suffering. That perspective if you look at that, it is the same thing. We have no different feelings.
Since the beginning is all these sentient beings are afraid to be hungry and cold and hot, you know. We all have the same thing, same Even though animals too. Summer we have this feeling, oh it’s too hot. I need air condition. In winter, too cold.
I need fire, heater, room heater. Because there is really a sense of dissatisfaction, you know. hungry, when you feel sometimes, you know, hungry. You feel hungry. No food, hungry, thirsty.
If you look at this perspective, that’s not different. We are different, different sentient beings, yes. But basically we all have similar sort of wanting things or the happiness, not wanting things are pain and suffering. So this is mostly here equalizing self and order. It is similar like exchanging also.
Exchanging self and order are These are similar. Of course first is we need to equalize, you know, then we need to exchange self and others. But these are all together actually, you know. I’m giving you all this together, you know. So if you want more details, then you can read it.
This book gives you everything here one after another very nicely. Also here is the, what we call the sevenfold cause and effect also. Then next one is the sevenfold cause and effect, recognizing that all beings have been our mother, recollecting their kindness as a mother, thinking how to repay their kindness, developing love, developing compassion, generating the special insight of benefiting all beings by oneself along and then generating bodhicitta itself. Sevenfold cause and effect. These are the everything is the Mahāyāna practice.
First one is the recognition. All beings have been or mother or father, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, whoever is very kind for you in this lifetime. Similar as other sentient beings also have been your father, mother, uncle, aunt like that. But many Buddhist books they put down mother, mother because mother is the most important part of our life. But sometimes here in the West, some people do have problems with the mother.
So this particular first step can be difficult to practice. That point is that you can edit anyone, any of your family who are very kind for you. You can do that. Okay? So then now first one is a recognition.
Then the remembering his or her kindness. Then the third one comes repair kindness, repaying their kindness. Then love. Resolute will be going to be love. Then next to the love comes compassion and resolute thought, which is strong, enthusiastic.
I myself am going to, you know, achieve all sentient beings with enlightenment. I myself am going to do kind of a very strong thought. Then comes bodhicitta or mind of enlightenment. So that way. Okay?
So these are mainly the now down here in this textbook is banish, the one object of every blame. So this one is basically the blame, not blame others, blame your own self-cherishing mind. Meditate on great kindness of all beings. So practice of combination of both giving and taking. So this one is basically the Tonglen practice, giving and taking.
First give, then take. So this one also gives you here more details, which is tonglen practice. And also they will give you how to do this practice with the breath in and out. That’s what they call it. Means taking, giving and taking practice with a breath.
So first giving, then taking, you know, people’s suffering into you and giving all your good virtues. So is the, you know, anything that the goodness to giving others when you breathe out like that, know. Breathe out. When you breathe in, taking people’s suffering into you like this. Give them all your virtues when you breathe out.
Exhalation, you know, inhalation. When you breathe in, take people’s suffering into you so then your mind power can destroy the people’s suffering that you took from them. Because you have this kind mind, you know, you are generating bodhicitta and so you are meditating. Let’s say if I bring this with the ultimate bodhicitta. See, this is many ways you can do, but main thing is I don’t want to go more details and then people are confused.
Then they sometimes somebody asked me last week, why we are learning all these things? You know, sometimes people ask these kind of questions because sometimes they are difficult to understand. When you give, your breath out, you are giving them, think about the very much fine white color sort of, you know, how I say this, I shouldn’t say smoke, smoke is mostly not white, kind of white color, rays, know that’s considered as all your virtues, good qualities you are giving to them. When you take in kind of a smoky color consider as there is suffering, you are taking in. And when you take in, so then now because of your mind power destroying all this pain and suffering.
So like that, you know. So when you drew this one, so that’s where you are really generating bodhicitta, you know. Not only just praying or saying some mantras may all sentient beings you know, free from causes and suffering, which is wonderful. But now this one is actually you are taking the actions, which is more powerful than just praying, you know, from your, you know, empty mouth. Doing nothing, just praying.
I’m not saying prayers are bad. Don’t misunderstand. If you compare, action is the most important than just praying, you know. Pray. At the same time also, do take these actions.
Do this Tonglen practice. Give all your goodness to other sentient beings. Take their suffering into you. So this practice can be done, let’s say if you like to do, someone is you are very much loved, maybe your loved one, let’s say, or whoever is very much sick who really needed the, you know, help. So bring that person first in front of you, you know.
Then same time also when you do this practice you can include all other sentient beings, those who are in the same kind of situation. You can do it that way also. But generally, really, don’t need to do any special for someone you love. If you do this practice, just dedicating all other sentient beings, that means all your loved ones are also included, which is more powerful. But sometimes some people, their own satisfaction, you can also do this practice.
Let’s say your loved one name is Mary, Mary and all other sentient beings. I’m giving you all my goodness and Mary and all other sentient beings soften I’m taking into me like this. You can do that. But don’t do this practice. Only Mary, only John, only this, no.
Then even though your practice is also becoming more self contained or self-cherishing, you know, like that. Actually you are practicing such a generating bodhicitta, meant to be, but then only one person. So that means actually you are not really the generating bodhicitta at all. Absolutely not, because only just one person. Because object of bodhicitta is the other sentient beings, not John or Mary.
No. Other sentient beings beside yourself. But many times we have different culture and tradition. This is I am understanding, or I want to dedicate all this morning practice to my mother. That’s wonderful, you know.
My mother, just one mother, you know. If you say mother sentient beings, that becomes more powerful than just my mother, my father, my children, so just a few people. You are dedicating only a few people. Better to dedicate all other sentient beings, that means your mother is included, your father, aunt, brother, sister, everyone is there. It becomes more powerful than just making some kind of a, you know, collecting one person, making something special for the one person.
See? But culturally sometimes people do that. I hear this many times. I say don’t do that. Used to tell people don’t do that.
Just dedicate for the other sentient beings. So that means everyone else there. Same thing, this Tonglen practice is also the, you know, dedicate other sentient beings, giving to other sentient beings all your own good qualities, taking all the sufferings from the sentient beings. But as I mentioned before, you can make it some special one and same time also must be include the other sentient beings, John and all other sentient beings. Mary and all other sentient beings, you can do that.
If you feel this more comforting you, you can do that, which is not wrong because there are already other sentient beings out there. But you wanted to do this particular one person because to make it a little special for that particular person. Then are including the other sentient beings. Just the name you are picking some special name, which is also I think it’s okay. Don’t do this practice only specifying only one person.
That’s my point here. So that’s a Tonglen practice, you know, extract with breath. Then there are three objects, three poisons, and three sources of virtue. Remember this by repeated recollection, practice every activity by these words. Now here also gives you the seven fold causes and effect.
Also each of these divided, and this book very nicely here, if you read it. Think this is from the FPMT. Think, you know, it’s from FPMT. Do you need to pay or you can just give them donation, I think? Donation.
Yeah. I think. Yes. It’s the same thing. This book says these two should be made to write on the breath.
Yeah, here you see. Place these two straight which is okay. Anyway, different translation, but there are three objects, three poisons, and three sources of virtues, pleasant, unpleasant, and the neutral feelings. These are three objects. Pleasant, unpleasant, then the indifferent feelings, three objects, and three poisons, attachment, aversion, or ignorance attachment, anger, or ignorance and three source of virtues.
Now through objects, the pleasant, unpleasant, the neutral feelings. Pleasant feelings, when you feel pleasant, we feel attachment. When you feel unpleasant, we feel angry. Then the neutral feelings, we ignore kind of a, you know, just neutral feeling, just ignore. These people are the stranger, we just ignore.
Love on one side is we feel pleasant, isn’t it? Then the other side, the enemy side is we feel unpleasant, we get angry. Neutral people, stranger point of view, we feel indifferent feelings, so there’s no really pleasant or unpleasant. We just ignore them. That’s why we are accumulating the three virtues, opposite of the three feelings.
Those are the three virtues. In short, Now the term, there are three objects, three poisons, three sources of virtues. Okay, remember this by repeated recollection. Practice every activity by these words.
Here is the instruction to be followed in short is to be mindful of practice in general by taking these words to heart in all activities. So that’s the conventional bodhicitta, actually, yes. And I have here another translation. They are translated not like this way, very nicely. Here they translate it in a very nice way.
Each of the words they cut out everything. Alternatively practice taking and giving. These two should write the breath. Three objects, three poisons, and three roots of virtue. In all your activities trained with these words begin the sequence of taking and giving with yourself.
So they just cut out everything, small things. They put all things. Actually, it is same, you know, same meanings or everything is same, but sometimes because of the translation, sometimes some translations make much easier to understand. Some translation is little difficult. Anyway, now the beginning.
So this one is now ultimate bodhicitta. Having gained stability, received the secret teaching. Consider all phenomena as a dream. That’s giving you an example. First of all, after you gain stability, conventional bodhicitta, which is the first bodhicitta.
Once your conventional bodhicitta is now firm, it’s good, then they now say receive the secret teachings, consider all phenomena as a dream. Secret teachings are the teachings about the emptiness. That’s mainly here. This point is the okay? Then the noun, consider all phenomena as a dream is the noun giving you example.
Examine the nature of the unborn. Awareness. The remedy itself is released in its own place. Place your meditation on the nature of the foundation of all, the essence of the path. In the meditation break, be a creator of illusion.
It is like a diamond, the sun and the healing tree. So these are the examples. If you look at this book, it gives you everything. When the five degenerations flourishing transforms them into the path to a full awakening. So now difference between conventional bodhicitta and ultimate bodhicitta is the bodhicitta is the unit to meditate more selflessness.
Ultimate bodhicitta is the associated wisdom understanding emptiness. Tibetan we call Dondam Changchub Sem. Starting from the path of seeing, So that’s a third Mahāyāna, third path of seeing, which is we call thong lam, thong lam. Because that moment you are going to realize emptiness directly, So then that bodhisattva, his or her bodhicitta is dondam changchub sem, which is the ultimate bodhicitta. As I mentioned this before, there is a teaching you need to learn sutric grounds and paths.
If you do learn that teaching, sutric grounds and paths, then you will understand now what I’m saying here, the path of accumulation, Mahāyāna path of accumulation, preparation, seeing, concentration, and no more learning. Five paths. So conventional bodhicitta is the first two path of accumulation and preparation. Those Buddhists do possess the conventional bodhicitta. After you achieve path of seeing, concentration is no more learning.
So when you achieve path of seeing, which is you become noble bodhisattva, higher bodhisattva. Repeat again, bodhisattva is the person who possesses the bodhicitta, which is the mind of enlightenment. Once you achieve a path of seeing, so you become noble bodhisattva, then your bodhicitta would be the ultimate bodhicitta. Why? Because you realize emptiness directly.
You understood the wisdom understanding emptiness, which is you understood the emptiness directly, which is we call wisdom understanding emptiness directly, not like indirectly. So that’s why their bodhicitta would become ultimate bodhicitta. We are not saying the ultimate bodhicitta is the emptiness, I mean wisdom understanding emptiness. No. We are not saying that way.
What here is the saying is the ultimate bodhicitta is to associate with the wisdom understanding emptiness. Like that, you know. So this point is that there would be many, many debate now because bodhicitta is the bodhicitta, you know. Buddhicitta is the kind mind. It is kind of a mind.
It is the, how I say it, that’s what we call it. It’s kind mind. The wisdom understanding emptiness is the understanding emptiness kind of a wisdom understanding emptiness. But then now problem is the bodhisattva, if you are a bodhisattva, must be obtained bodhicitta. Doesn’t matter if you are ordinary bodhisattva or the noble bodhisattva, you must possess bodhicitta.
But let’s say now you are achieved path of seeing, you realize emptiness directly. When you meditate emptiness, you are meditating, you are focusing emptiness. At the moment, when you are meditating emptiness, yes. At the moment now, if that person, you know, do have a bodhicitta obviously or not. Because if your bodhicitta must be supposed to be if your bodhisattva must be very strong bodhicitta.
You must have this mind very strongly. But then when you are meditating emptiness, you are focusing only emptiness. You are understanding the emptiness. At that point, this meditator, which is the bodhisattva, keep it that in your mind. So then now what would be his or her bodhicitta?
It is, you know, do they possess bodhicitta or not? So that perspective is the mini mini debate in the monastery. Some Buddhists, monastery is saying, know, someone say at the moment when he or she was meditating emptiness very strongly, some saying there is no bodhicitta. See, there’s no bodhicitta. Then the other saying if they have no bodhicitta, how can they be bodhisattva?
Bodhisattva without bodhicitta is impossible. But then Sera Je debate master, is saying, yes, they do possess bodhicitta, but not obvious. It is the, how you say, bakchak. It is the sleep. bodhicitta is there, but not obvious.
It is hidden, still there because the or she is bodhisattva. So that’s a debate comes, you know, because it’s true. If you’re a bodhisattva, how can you say no bodhicitta? You know? But then it makes sense because he or she was focusing very strongly on emptiness.
Emptiness is the profound view. bodhicitta’s path is the widespread path, not profound view. So that’s, you know, sometimes confusing. Even though some people who debates well, it’s very confusing sometimes, you know, bodhisattva without bodhicitta. Then if you say he or she poses bodhicitta, then how can it be?
Because at the moment, the very focusing emptiness is the profound view. There are two different paths, profound view paths and widespread paths. They call profound view path and widespread Also there are two different activities. Profound view activities and widespread activities. So two different practitioners also.
Same thing, you know. When you do these meditations, miraculous meditations, so this point is that you need to meditate all those different different lamas, different, different, you know, gurus and lamas. There are so many profound view masters and the lamas like a Nāgārjuna, Candrakīrti, you know, all these, you know, Madhyamaka lamas. There are also the widespread activities, W I D E, I think, widespread lamas and also in other side. So same thing, there would be two different teachings, profound view teachings, widespread teachings.
So there would be two different paths. In a widespread path, so it’s the profound view path. And bodhicitta is the widespread path. Emptiness is the profound view path. So this point is when Bodhisattva meditating the profound view which is the emptiness, views of the emptiness, and he was focusing emptiness.
So then now very difficult to say he possess bodhicitta. Then if you say he does not possess bodhicitta, another against because of the he or she were, you know, she was in bodhicitta. So, you know, anyway, I’m just telling you this one. Anyway, their bodhicitta is the ultimate bodhicitta. Ultimate bodhicitta is something like this.
Ultimate bodhicitta is the bodhicitta associated with wisdom understanding. Emptiness directly is the ultimate bodhicitta. And then the other one is the conventional bodhicitta. Wisdom understanding is emptiness directly. Actually, I shouldn’t say just emptiness.
Wisdom emptiness directly. So ultimate bodhicitta is that you can only achieve when you approach the path of seeing, Mahāyāna path of seeing. That’s it. Before, no. But for us, as you know, first we need to generate the conventional bodhicitta, which is very important.
That’s the best thing. Otherwise, this monkey mind is stable yet for us, you know. Our mind must be stable first. So that’s why the conventional bodhicitta is very important to first we must generate. So that’s why the first we need to meditate the equanimity.
Meditation of equanimity is the most important equalizing self and others. So it’s the exchange self and others, sevenfold cause and effect. These are very important for us. Then we need to move on next. Once or, you know, this particular bodhicitta is very much stabilized, it’s firm, then we need to meditate the ultimate one gradually this way.
However, bodhicitta is the Mahāyāna achievement. So now this is how I say developing bodhicitta is also the person of great scope, person of great capacity can able to do that. So that’s why the first point out of the seven points that I give you basically the person of small capacity and the moderate. Most of their paths are the first point. Then our second point is the person of great capacity.
Their paths. Developing bodhicitta. At the same time also, you know, first the conventional bodhicitta. The second one is ultimate bodhicitta. Ultimate bodhicitta is associated with the wisdom understanding emptiness.
So at this point you need to understand the emptiness. So we will talk about emptiness. I did this before. I will going to do a little bit maybe after coming back from break. Ten minutes break.
Go. Yeah. Quiet. I’m okay. Consider all phenomena as like dreams.
So now when external objects appear to our mind, even though they appear to be truly existent, self existent, existing from their own sight, this is not at all the case. Therefore, they are likely to dream which also seems to be real at the time but are seen to be unreal on awakening. So that’s an example. Consider all phenomena as a dream. That’s an example they give you.
Is exactly a complicated, but intellectually it’s easy to understand, you know. All these appearances for us appear many, many different things appear as, you know, truly existent. But intellectually maybe saying, Oh, someone really did learn Buddhist philosophy. You may say, No, it does not exist truly. But that’s just a philosophy perspective.
But here we are talking about actually the insightly how you see the phenomena. So that’s why I’m talking here. When we see how you perceive all these things appear as a truly existent, independent, exists from its own side. And then the next we grasp. We grasp truly existent.
So that is the problem now. Similarly as a dream, when you sleep, you dream. You dream, dream, you believe into it. When you wake up, it does not exist. All dreams are gone.
So that means for us, know, don’t misunderstand. All these appearances do exist. But an appearance do exist but does not exist here is what you actually believe into it. Those things are does not exist. But appears is the kind of a mind, it appears, you know, kind of appears.
But here is those are exist, it appears. It’s a mistaking mind. Mistaking mind exists, but that particular mistaking does not exist, which must be rejected, which is to truly existent self. If you talk about the self, truly existent self. There is no truly existent self.
There is no truly existent watch. There is no truly existent flower. Yes, there is truly existent appearances, but we are talking about that mind exists. Does not exist means there is not truly existent, watch and self and book you just name it. Why?
Because all these things does not exist from its own sight. That’s the meaning of the truly existent, intrinsic existence, inherently existence, independently existence. Why does not exist like that? Because all these phenomena exist depend on other factors. That’s the last week we talked about it.
They exist from many other factors, which is some causes, some conditions, some parts. It depends on which phenomena are prominent or impermanent. So that is called emptiness. It means empty from its own side. Empty from its nature.
Empty of independent. Why? Because it is dependent. So that one is the way we are talking about emptiness here, like selflessness. Same thing.
If all these things exist independently, truly, which is the non existence, you know. So then all these things no need any causes and conditions in order to exist, in order to arise. No need for any causes and conditions. Geshe-la no need for any causes and conditions to become Geshe la. Maybe then Geshe la, since Geshe la is born in a mother’s womb, Geshe la is already Geshe la, but that’s not true.
Geshe la became gaseous because of many, many other factors. I was totally dependent on many other factors to be Geshe la. First factor is there are many factors. I’m just giving you a few. First factor is I must be a monk.
Second factor is I must study in the big monastery. Third one is I must study all the Buddhist texts. Then another factor is I must pass my examinations. Still I’m not Geshe-la. Finally, label, title, name monastery abode, valid title or name monastery abode would say now you are gasey.
At that moment, Geshe-la is just born and exist. Even though before this label as a Geshe-la or a title as a Geshe-la, or the name as a Geshe-la on me, I had it all my basis. I studied, I already became a monk, I studied, and all these five major texts all studied, but still wasn’t the, you know, Geshe la does not exist. Why? Because the most important thing is the nominal.
That is very important. Which is the point of view. Just from the mind, from conceptually not labelled yet. When labelled from the conceptual mind, then that moment Geshe la exists or born. So that’s exactly the example.
If Geshe la Geshe la no need all these different other factors, we all are Geshe la. Geshe la is inherent existence. Also here is the Geshe Jampa Tegchog was giving you a very nice example which we all love, you know. It’s about a cake. For example, we can figure out that a cake, it is not truly existent because we know it cannot be made without ingredients like fruits, butter, flour, and so forth.
But still the self grasping mind sees the cake like everything else to be completely, truly in existence and independent of any causes and conditions. Why? Because it appears as a truly existent. Something that appears as a truly existent, then we are as an ordinary being, then we believe into it. We believe into it and then we grasp a cake as a truly existent.
So that’s why it’s very important to understand what is the conventional truth, what is the ultimate truth. These two truths are very important to understand. I am already now all these things that appear. Let’s say what I have on the table, it appears. I may say intellectually all these things does not exist inherently, does not exist truly, does not exist independently.
All these things are depending, arising. Its nature is emptiness. I may say it, which is I’ve been saying that as a philosophy perspective. But then here in deep down side of my mind, still I believe into it. I believe whatever appears, in my mind would be grasping like that.
Same thing during the dream we believe into it. When you sleep, you dream, we believe into it. We believe, oh, I’m seeing this. I used to dream was flying, you know, all the time like that. I believe into it.
Once you wake up, there’s nothing like that. Same thing like a magician shows you magic during the period of time, one or two hours, we believe into it because that appears. Whatever the magician shows you, we see and we believe into it at that time, two hours. After magic is finished, we wake up. Then there’s nothing like that.
Only that two hours exist, same as like a dream. So that means we are almost like now dreaming, you know, similar like dreaming. So once you meditate emptiness or selflessness, when you realize emptiness directly, then that day is wake up. Then we are almost like now awakening, you know. That’s called awakening mind, wisdom understanding emptiness.
Then you will see the difference between the conventional truth and ultimate truth, which is the VR also approach ultimate truth. Now what is the problem grasping the true existence. What is the problem? That’s a big problem, you know. Because of the grasping true existence, you know, they help us not believe in the karmic law of cause and effect, not to believe virtues.
I’m talking insightly. Again, intellectually we say, oh I do believe karmic law of cause and effect and virtues, you know. But insightly then, because of their lack of understanding emptiness or grasping the truly existent, so that’s why these are the problems that creates that we ignore things. We ignore things. We don’t meditate.
We don’t really develop the love and compassion because of this grasping mind, self grasping or grasping in a true nature or grasping inherently existence. Because this mind really bringing us down. That’s called ignorance, which is the fundamental confusion. That’s called ignorance, you know. There are many different ignorance actually.
This one is totally the ignorance I’m talking about the opposite of wisdom understanding emptiness. This particular ignorance is there. This is upon every teachings saying emptiness. Wisdom understanding emptiness is very important. Meditation on selflessness is very important, means that.
Then self grasping, another thing is the same thing. Self grasping, which then creates self-cherishing, ego grasping. See? Because of the self-cherishing, TV will be suffer. Because of the self-cherishing, there will be three different projections.
One side is the too much attachment, middle side is the indifferent feelings, and another side is the hatred. See? That comes from the self-cherishing. self-cherishing comes from the grasping true nature, grasping inherently existence, grasping the, what you call, the independent existence. Not understanding depending arising.
See? That’s why we neglect the other sentient beings. We cherish ourselves a lot, a lot since the beginning is we neglect others. Lack of understanding this emptiness, wisdom understanding emptiness, wisdom understanding selflessness. When the bodhisattva.
Bodhisattva considered as a peacock. We are as ordinary human, ordinary beings are considered as a crow. Now it’s saying I don’t know it’s true, now a peacock can digest a poisonous plant. Much as they eat poisonous plant, they will further grow. They can live in poisonous gardens where there are so many poisons.
They can live there happily ever. Those poisons wouldn’t affect them. Why? Because the peacock do have sudden stomach, very special stomach, can be able to digest the poisonous plant. Same thing like a bodhisattva.
Bodhisattva is like a peacock. They would live in the saṃsāra. Samsāra is considered as a garden for so many poisons around us. Bodhisattvas can live in the saṃsāra without, you know, having any problems from the all these different different poisons of the saṃsāra as attachment and ignorance or anger or jealousy, you just name it. There would be eighty four thousand delusions.
Bodhisattva would not you know, affect or form those emotions. They can able to digest well. Even though Bodhisattva can able to transform attachment as a non attachment. They can able to transform that because they have this power. Why they do?
Because of the they do understand the emptiness, especially the higher bodhisattva. Even though lower bodhisattva do, know certain lower bodhisattva do understand emptiness, but not directly, indirectly. But higher bodhisattva do understand directly. So this point is that they can able to live in saṃsāra. No problem at all.
Same as like a peacock Because of the power of their meditation and wisdom understanding emptiness, they may act as, you know, one of us. For instance, His Holiness, Dalai Lama, and the Lama Zopa Rinpoche, you know, they do acting as us. Sometimes they, you know, seem to be upset or sometimes they are a little bit sick, you know, having some, health issues, but they are showing us I am also the same as you. But then ultimately they have no sickness, they have no health issues, nothing. Because all these poisons would not affect them because they know how to handle it.
They can transform all these unfortunate things as fortunate or wonderful in a way. They can do that because they have this power, wisdom, understanding, emptiness. So that’s why the wisdom understanding emptiness is very, very important. I think first of all, all these teachings before you actually meditate or practice, first of all, it’s important to understand intellectually. It’s okay.
You know, try to understand intellectually all these teachings. Once you understand intellectually, then second thing is to now bring all these teachings in, you know, insightly. Then really think seriously. Even though it’s a very simple one, simple example, I think. This will help us, make us really much happier.
So also developing bodhicitta is another thing. It’s very, very important. If you develop bodhicitta, we can or death will be enjoyable. But now, be scared. Oh, I may die very soon.
I’m sick. Then now when I try to stop one of the in and out breath, then I scare. Would we see? If you develop bodhicitta, so is the emptiness. Even though you may not achieve bodhicitta yet, just generating and developing bodhicitta will help you.
Also your death will be a more enjoyable death. You are enjoying to die. Why I need all this old body now, you know, achy body, joint problems, just forget it. Just die. Come back again, fresh body.
See? Like that. But now we cannot let go. Even though we are not yet dead, still we are scared, fearful. Why?
Because of the lack of understanding all these teachings, and especially the death and dying, and then the bodhicitta or emptiness. And the bodhisattva, they pray and they ask All these problems I want now, this whatever problem in this world, come to me and I will take it. Let’s say someone is sick, you know, and they pray, My sickness. Instead they are just upsetting or sad or worrying. What they do, Okay, my sickness.
Now I will, you know, pray all this kind of sickness now come to me. I will take it, you know, and other people not to have this kind of a sickness. Bring me here. Like a bring on, you know, like this. Bring on me.
Now if you are very much strong, bring on me. So like that. They do that. So even though there is sickness, health issues, they think very positively. Actually this will come next week actually like that.
So all this power comes from bodhicitta, so is the wisdom understanding, emptiness, I think. That’s the main thing. Anyway, thank you very much. I can take questions now. Anyone?
Go. Okay, you are? I thought you were somewhere. Go. Okay.
How do we on emptiness? I think our best meditation on emptiness is first of all, you cannot meditate emptiness until you understand the conception of emptiness. Okay? You cannot meditate emptiness. As I said, first of all you need to understand the emptiness, about the emptiness.
Intellectually you need to understand all about the emptiness. Not only just the simple ones, really seriously try to learn that. Then the next thing is you need to bring that insightly step by step. You need to really best thing is just the oneself. To put example as oneself, as you know, like a gab, I am director, you know, so am Buddha house director.
So I got this title or name as director. So then now you have to check this title or the label, which is the director label, how much it affects you. This title, because of the name of the title, this title developing more emotions or not? You need to check it out. See, my title is helping me or my title really is increasing me more like a, you know, pride.
You have to these things are you need to ask the questions and answers. How this helping you? Insightly I’m talking, you know. Tidal level is not bad. It is just like a Geshe-la, same thing.
You know, Geshe-la, director, and president, and so and so. These are just titles. It’s okay. We get titles because we have this base of the title. You got this title of the director of the Buddha house because you do have a base.
Without base, you cannot get this title. Because you got the base, now you got the level, now that’s why you become director. So it’s like I got the base for the basis, then I got this title or label Geshe la. So that happens. But now we have to check this first.
It’s very, very important. If you are this title is really increasing your negative thoughts, mind, then now that part is the, you have to reduce these negative emotions or negative thoughts that raise from this title. Then this point is my title as a director is not inherently existent, but I am having these emotions because of the it appears for me as I got some power. It appears. But actually this power’s nature is empty of existence.
It’s really emptiness. Does not really be permanent or does not really be, you know, it’s solid as a concrete. Eventually it will be disappears. But I get these emotions when I got these titles because of the lack of my understanding the true nature. Only I was thinking one side, which is only what appears.
But now Buddhists are saying that we shouldn’t believe in what is appearing, what appears. Instead, we should believe in what is the reality. Reality is the, oh this myself, so it’s my title does not exist inherently. I thought it exists inherently, which is my mistaking mind. My mind you know, mistakenly judged because of the ignorance of the mind, you know, ignorance of the mind.
Like that. Other than that, my title, myself, depending arising. It’s depending arising. It does not arise just born like this. It’s a depending arising.
As I said before, what is the depending arising? Arises from other factors. The factors are your basis. All your bases are your factors. So that’s why you got this title.
I’m just giving you this example, you know, just the easier way. I do this meditation, my own title, gaseous. Sometimes, you know, teacher also gets some, Oh, I’m gaseous. I’m lama. I sit on the throne.
People look up to me, people take prostrations. Sometimes problems arise because of the pride. So that’s why I do every day meditate myself so it’s my own name or title. This is just no more than degree actually really. It’s no more than degree Geshe-la is there.
Sometimes because of the reputation. Remember, reputation is the big problem, which is, as I said this before, one of the eight worldly concerns. Reputation is very, very difficult to give up. So that’s why when I meditate emptiness, I target my reputation and my name more than anything else. So that’s very much sometimes bothering me, you know.
So this was helping me to slow down myself. And then I feel much happier. Otherwise, you know, reputation and name and title, know, so I have no interest to become disciplinarian and master, but it happened. I try not to do it but insist. So, you know, I really didn’t have all this desire because much if you if your mind is not stable, if you get many titles and and and and reputations, then this increases.
Pride increases. Then emotions, you know, arise, which is the is the worth it really? Temporarily maybe good, but ultimately all these things are not going to help me. Only the bodhicitta and wisdom, understanding, emptiness will help me. Because one way or another one day we need to die.
So then reputation, all this going to be goodbye. I cannot carry on with me. Only I can carry on with me is my own virtue, you know, good karma. So I was thinking very seriously since I became the fully ordained monk, like since twenty two or three. Before that, cries in mind, even though you were a monk but still you know, you had all these negative thoughts and unbelievable sometimes, you know.
It’s very shameful, you know, mind is very much. After you become fully ordinary monk, since then thinking very seriously, all these things are really the yes, we need to survive. We need to live in this world. As I said, certain desire, we need it. A certain selfishness is of course, why not?
We’ve got to really check it out. You know, all these things must be balanced, must be balanced. But eventually, you really think seriously, all this natural emptiness does not really exist as a solid, as a concrete, really. Changes, things are really changing. So if you look at it that way, I think meditation of emptiness is very, very important.
In a small way, look at yourself. I call it Geshe la, I call it Gab, now check it out. Which one is the Geshe la? My hands are Geshe la, or my legs are Geshe la, or my hips are the Geshe la, my nose, tongue, body. If you look it that way, you wouldn’t find it in Geshe-la.
No. Or Geshe la’s full body is Geshe la? No. You wouldn’t find Geshe la. But then somebody says Geshe la, I respond like this.
Yes, you know. Why? Why I do that? Because of the I got this label on my base, That level is which is I was saying nominal, you know. I don’t know is a good way to say our nominal convention, nominal, you know?
This nominal or title. I got it. So that’s very important, you know, because with that, then the people recognize me. I recognize people. But then if you really search, you will not going to find the Geshe la.
So that’s exactly the Geshe la’s nature, really the emptiness. Geshe la is empty of being, truly existent, naturally existence, independently existence, because Geshe la is depending arising. So this way you understand. So that’s why they now, when they say other sentient beings are very important, Buddhist teaching other sentient beings are very important. Same thing because all my eating, drinking, wearing things, I’m totally dependent on others.
I don’t have any Chinese factory or company to build my own monk’s robes or the food or teas or the course. No, everything’s come from China. Chinese people are very important. They are the one who built it, made in China, isn’t it? So see, that means all other sentient beings are very important in my life.
Look at all these things that I didn’t do. Somebody did it for me. Even the simple mala I do every day, you know, reciting mantras, prayers. Somebody made for me. I’m totally dependent.
I totally depend on other factors, other sentient beings. So I’m not really the independent. If you look at this perspective also. That’s why the other sentient beings are very, very important. If you go a little bit more, then now the Buddhist book is saying, which I just read it, All sentient beings have been our mother one time in the past lifetime.
See now? Then now, mother is the mother. There’s nothing we can express the mother, how much she loves us, saved us. All sentient beings, past lifetime, they have been our mother. If you go that way, it goes a little bit higher in how important are the sentient beings, how kind are the sentient beings.
So you know, there are many ways you can do, but mainly I think maybe you can go tonight, search for yourself. If you find it Gabe, let me know next time. Yeah, really. I tried to find myself. I couldn’t do it.
I couldn’t find it. I think that’s your homework. Is it the first one to know? Yes, I want to know because I couldn’t find it myself. Maybe you are Buddha House director.
Maybe you could find it yourself. Just let me know. Maybe I want to learn that. But everyone else, just go back try to find yourself. Try to search yourself.
Like Googling, Google yourself. Find it yourself. Okay? Thank you. Anyone?
Thank you very much. I think now I will not take any questions. In the United States they call it time is flying, I don’t know. Anyway, page thirteen. Lord of Dharma, with accordance with the various disposition of those to be subdued, Mañjushri in light of your well-spoken advice, secure the Ganden tradition, the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, foremost holy lama to you who are supreme.
O lama, please, please live. Thank you very much.