Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 106-minute Thursday evening teaching, Geshe Kyab explores how to reduce and ultimately eliminate anger through Buddhist practice. He begins by distinguishing between two strategies: reducing anger through patience, compassion, and forgiveness (the method-side of practice), which are skillful means but cannot fully eliminate anger; and true healing, which requires wisdom—specifically understanding the selflessness of persons and phenomena. Drawing extensively from Śāntideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Chapter Six on patience, Geshe Kyab walks through multiple analogies showing why blame is misplaced: just as we would not resent fire for burning or the sky for containing smoke, the aggressive person’s harmful actions spring from their own mental afflictions, not from any inherent nature of harm. He then turns to karma and personal responsibility, explaining how past actions produce present suffering and why this understanding shifts blame from others to our own conditioning and body. Throughout, he emphasizes that anger and desire are the hardest mental poisons to uproot, and that only the combination of compassionate methods and the wisdom of emptiness can genuinely transform them. The final section addresses meditation on selflessness, clarifying common misunderstandings about what emptiness meditation should feel like and how to sustain it. Pitched at practitioners familiar with Buddhist vocabulary and serious about contemplative practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2017 03 30.mp3
UUID: 7d364d21-f681-4863-83aa-92548d90619a
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Thursday Patience (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2017-03-30
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 106.1 minutes
Words: ~8,254
Good evening, everyone. Good evening. Please, page thirty four. English. I go for refuge until I am enlightened in the Buddha, Dharma, so we may accomplish the practice of giving and other perfections.
May I become a Buddha that benefits all sentient beings? English. May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering in the causes of suffering. May all sentient beings be inseparable from happiness that is free from suffering.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for friends, hatred for the enemies. English. Livingly I engage with my body, speech and mind. Living beings, I dedicate all my own merits and those of all others to great enlightenment. Page ninety seven, please.
This ground strewn with saffron, strewn with flowers, adorned with the continents, sun and moon. Imagine this as a Buddha field and offer it. May all living beings enjoy this pure land. Compassion, the BHRУМ in the sky, vajra dharmakaya wisdom, please release the rainbow of profound Dharma, precisely in accordance with those to be tamed. Mantra please.
Thank you. So, this class is healing anger. How to heal the anger. So, in order to heal the anger, there are ways one can be able to heal the anger. First meditation is that we need to meditate on patience and tolerance.
So it’s love and compassion. These are very important in order to heal the anger. But love and compassion and patience are the antidote to anger, yes. But love compassion cannot eliminate the anger. Two different things.
Healing anger can be confusing sometimes. Healing anger can be healed. One is reducing or reducing the anger. The second one is the real healing anger, which is eliminating the anger. Totally, completely eliminating the anger.
In order to eliminate the anger Thank you very much. In order to eliminate anger, wisdom is very important. Okay? Wisdom understanding emptiness, wisdom understanding selflessness, the wisdom understanding selflessness of a person, wisdom understanding selflessness of phenomena. Other traditions, selflessness of the person and selflessness of phenomena may have a different the selflessness of a person may be a little gross selflessness, but the selflessness phenomena can be the subtle level of selflessness.
But then the highest Madhyamaka perspective, highest school of Buddhism, which we call Prāsaṇgika Madhyamaka, Prāsaṇgika Madhyamaka’s perspective, selflessness of the person and selflessness of phenomena, both are subtle. There is no one is gross or another one is subtle. Only different is two selflessness the base. One is the person, one is the phenomena, which is the belonging of the person. So that’s called phenomena.
Other than that, just the selflessness, the point view of selflessness, not that much gross and subtle. But other traditions, other schools’ perspectives, they are different. The point I’m making here is that in order to completely eliminate anger, wisdom is very important. Without wisdom, we cannot eliminate anger. However, patience are tolerant, so love compassion, which is very important.
But these are the skillful means, methods, and Buddhist practice. So patience, tolerance, forgiveness, love and compassion can be able to reduce anger, cannot eliminate anger. Two different things, Okay? So that’s why the healing anger is the beginning. We need to heal the anger, we need to reduce the form of the anger.
So that’s why here in this book, Śāntideva is giving us many, many different ways, many different techniques he was giving us to reduce the anger or reduce the anger. Then eventually, of course, we need to meditate the selflessness or the emptiness. Then we can be able to totally heal the anger. Okay? So that’s why this particular class is chapter number six, which is the patience out of the ten chapters by Śāntideva, a great Indian master.
So I will review last week a little bit, because last week, were some of Śāntideva’s teachings he cited from Asaṇga’s Compendium of Knowledge, which is very, very important, generally speaking, in Buddhism. In Buddhism, everything is generally on arising, so that means causality, you know, its cause and effect. Things arise from their causes and conditions, So that is very, very important in Buddhism. There is no intrinsic existence. There is no inherent existence.
There no acceptance of autonomous like that. So this perspective in Śāntideva was edited from the Asaṇga’s text called Compendium of Knowledge, which states that Buddhist doctrine of causality has three principal characteristics. The first one is that there is no acceptance of an autonomous creator. So that means there is no autonomous creator in Buddhist perspective. So this one is the first characteristic.
The second one is that anything which is a cause must itself be of a transient nature. It must be impermanent. So that means every product must be of a transient nature, so must be not last, how we say, long-lasting. Everything is subject to change. The third one is that there must be a correspondence, a unique relationship between the cause and the effect.
So this is the last week we discussed a little bit more this last one. So that means cause and effect must have a unique relationship between the cause and effect. That’s why the product produces. Last week, we talked about consciousness producing another consciousness. Consciousness cannot produce matters, other phenomena as matter, things like that.
So the phenomena of matter cannot produce consciousness because of two different products. So that means both its cause and effect must be a unique relationship. Means that. Okay? So last week, we talked about the human being cannot produce animals.
Animals cannot produce human beings because these are not unique relationships. A human being can produce another human being which makes a lot of sense because that human being and the cause of human being both do have a unique relationship. These are one thing that’s very important to understand. The point is that these three characteristics in Buddhist doctrine perspective, it’s very, very important. So that’s why these are also considered one of the most important Buddhist views, depending on arising and emptiness like that.
Then the next, verse thirty eight, we talk about that one mainly in Buddhist conduct. Meaning, thirty eight:one is even if you may not feel compassion towards angry men and women, but at least say, Don’t get angry towards them. Even though you may not feel compassion towards those people who are very much enraged, nasty, but at least don’t feel anger towards them, which is also good. This is the Buddhist conduct. Why?
Buddhism generally is divided into two Buddhist conduct and Buddhist view. Buddhist view, I just mentioned before, Buddhist conduct is the Buddha said to help other sentient beings. First, help other sentient beings. The second one is, If you cannot help, at least don’t harm them. That’s Buddhist conduct.
So see, if you feel compassion towards those, you know, aggressive people, aggressive people, wonderful. You are helping them. Wonderful. But if you cannot feel compassion towards aggressive people, then at least don’t feel anger towards them, which makes a lot of sense. So that’s why now all of these many, many, many different ways Śāntideva was giving us some idea of how to really control and protect one’s own mind from anger.
Today, the thirty nine verse thirty nine. If you do have this textbook, you can look at verse thirty nine. Even if acting violently towards others, the functional nature of infantile people still it would be as unfitting to get enraged with them as it would be begrudging fire for its functional nature of burning. One is the analogy, and the actual one is the meaning of this verse. So even if acting violently towards others where the functional nature of people, still it would be as unfitting to get enraged with them.
It is same as it would be for begrudging fire for its functional nature. the nature of infantile people. So this verse is like, as it would be for begrudging fire for its functional nature of burning. Okay, this can be translated in a few different ways, but I will check this translation. If those who are like wanton children by nature prone to injuring others, what point is there in being angry, like resenting fire for its heat.
Fire is already very, very strongly burning the wood, but then why should we begrudge or resent it? There is no point for that. Some of the childish people, of their nature, let’s say their nature, if they are very aggressive or enraged, then why should be they are already suffering in pain. Let’s say they are already suffering in pain. Their mind is enraged, unhappy, aggressive because it’s a childish mind.
Here, one is the wanton children, like that. Then what is the point that we are also enraged or upsetting or angry towards them. There’s no point for that, because their nature is something like that. But this one is another way, if I explain to you, saying, If you are a Buddhist practitioner, we are supposed to be in this kind of situation. When you meet people like that, much enraged and aggressive, nasty.
This is the point in Buddhist perspective. We are supposed to be practicing love and compassion. One of the mind training teachings, I think, Seven Points of Mind Training, says that when you see or meet some very unfortunate or poor people. When it says poor, it can be anything poor. Doesn’t necessarily mean no money.
Mentally, some people are very poor. Even though they must be very rich, they are very aggressive and very nasty. Poor can be translated in different ways. When you meet a person like that, it says good to hold them as dear ones, this, very much like this. Almost like you found a very expensive treasure or gold or silver or diamond.
When we find something like that, we will hold very dearly, isn’t it? Oh, I found a very expensive treasure or gold. Something like that, the book says, the mind training book, when you meet someone, the situation is very bad, especially you’re aggressive. I think we’re supposed to be practicing patience. Love and compassion is like that.
Instead, really replying them back, Oh, you were so bad for me. You criticized me. You were very aggressive on me. Now I will do the same as you. Which is totally not the practitioner way.
We shouldn’t be doing that, but we should be totally the opposite. Even though their nature is such a thing like this, very violent, very much aggressive in rage. Otherwise, it is same as that the begrudging fire for its functional nature of burning. Fire is burning the wood very strongly, already very, very hot and very, very heated. But then now why you should be holding such a thing like that, why you are possessing There’s no point for that, which is one way how one can be able to reduce the anger.
Not eliminating how to reduce the anger. Changing to verse forty. Even if these faults fleeting and limited beings were flawed by nature, we still, it would be as unfitting to get enraged as it would be for begrudging the sky for the smoke that was arising in it. And if their faults are fleeting and contingent, if living beings are by nature wholesome, it’s likewise senseless to resent them as well as be angry at the sky for having clouds.
This one is another example of giving you sometimes when you look at the sky, maybe today, you know, very much cloudy, although these clouds are temporary, but sometimes if you are upset, it’s pointless. These are just temporary, sort of, you know, smoke this one is clouds, and this one is saying smoke. It’s the same thing, clouds or sometimes bushfire occurs and so much smoke on the sky. But these are just temporary, isn’t it? They are not necessary to be upsetting things.
Same as people who number forty. Yeah. Here is the And even if the fault were temporarily Yeah, here is the temporary stress. Yeah, that that makes sense. Temporarily, in those who are by nature reliable, it will still be incorrect to be angry, for this would be like begrudging space for allowing smoke to rise in it.
So even though it is temporarily, you know, Yes, it is just temporarily. If you think it is just temporarily, still it’s not good to get angry or upsetness or taking revenge, retaliation. There are many, many, many words. So it’s not a point to do that, because these are just temporary. Because in Buddhism, in the Buddhist perspective, all these false obscurations or sometimes, let’s say, mental afflictions.
These are just temporary. Mental afflictions, let’s say anger, desire attachment, aversion, and ignorance. Let’s say these are the three poisons. Buddhist point of view, the three poisons are just temporarily within us, in our mental state. These are with us in our mental state, but just temporarily, this can be changed.
Buddhist perspective can be changed, can be disappeared, can be eliminated. So that’s why one thing is much unique in Buddhist teachings. There are ways that one can eliminate the three poisons. Once you eliminate the three poisons, you can eliminate the suffering That’s why the Buddha’s third noble truth, which is the Buddha taught us the cessation of suffering. Suffering can be ceased.
Of course, suffering can be ceased. In order to cease the suffering, you need to understand suffering and pain, which is very important. Without understanding suffering and pain, suffering cannot be ceased. How does suffering arise? What is the cause of suffering?
That’s why the four noble truths Buddha’s first teaching taught us the noble truths. When Buddha was teaching us the four noble truths, which is the first wheel of Dharma, Buddha turned, when he was teaching us the four noble truths, he wasn’t talking about bodhicitta or bodhisattva. Emptiness is there. Forget it. Far away.
Even if he wasn’t teaching us bodhicitta like that, until the second wheel of Dharma, when he turned, then he was very, very much detail about the bodhicitta. Because the first noble truth I mean, I’m sorry, the wheel of Dharma when Buddha was turning, Buddha made things very generally speaking, of course it’s not simple for us. Generally speaking, really it’s a simple way because suffering is very much relevant with us. Buddha was teaching us first, suffering should be understood. Suffering and pain should be understood.
If you do not understand suffering and pain, then it’s difficult to eliminate the cause of suffering. But if you cannot eliminate the cause of suffering, you cannot cease the suffering. You cannot cease the suffering, then the suffering and pain would be almost like a permanent. Although suffering and pain is not permanent. It’s just temporary.
It’s impermanent. That’s why understanding suffering is most important. Also, feel pain in suffering. Many, many, many, many different suffering. Sometimes, things that you didn’t do as you wish, we feel pain and suffering.
Sometimes you desire greatly, but when you couldn’t get it, you feel pain and suffering. Sometimes other people harm us, people criticize us, other people treating us, also pain and suffering. There are many, many, many, many different ways we feel pain and suffering, but it doesn’t matter which way you feel pain and suffering. But pain is suffering. We feel that.
But these are temporary, as long as this body contaminates five aggregates, this body and mind. As long as this body exist, we will continuously suffer, which is very important to understand. Why must be free from suffering in pain means we must be free from contaminated five aggregates, which are the real saṃsāra. However, we can reduce it. Yes, now we can do that.
Understanding the Buddhist teachings, understanding all these Śāntideva, such beautiful verses and commentaries. Beautiful, beautiful, one by one, gradually, gradually, if you really adopt it, then if you really think, insightly, contemplate, and meditate, then you can reduce the suffering and pain. One day you can eliminate the So then you can heal the anger. Usually anger is one of the worst emotions than any other negative emotion, Śāntideva says. But desire is also really not as simple as you think.
Desire seems to be beautiful When you feel desire attachment, it seems to be more pleasant and we feel lots of pleasure, but we didn’t realize that beneath that desire is so much pain and suffering. Usually, we don’t check that way. Although I don’t have a dictionary here, the definition of attachment beautifully says, when you’re just feeling desired attachment, it’s beautiful. It’s blossoming. Wonderful.
It could be towards people or other people’s bodies, or it could be some things, or it could be anything. In the beginning, it seems to be wonderful, you know? But we didn’t realize that beneath the desire is so much pain and suffering. It really does. It does it.
Then, of course, is upsetness, anger, jealousy. Name it now. Other mental afflictions will be there for you. Sometimes you humiliate yourself in front of people. See?
This happens. That’s why, yes, anger is much easier to understand than it is nasty. Because when you get angry, we all know how much anger obvious, isn’t it? But desire attachment is very much hidden. Really, it’s very hidden, you know.
Until you really feel pain and suffering, then you really realize how much desire attachment is ruining your life. But we need to meditate. We really must analyze it. That’s why Buddhist teachings are practical. Course, it’s not that much practical, but generally speaking, it is practical.
If you really do have a certain understanding of Buddhist teachings, then that’s what we need to do. Detachment. Detachment is very important. Contentment is very important. We must be content.
Otherwise, suffering of dissatisfaction continues. It doesn’t matter how much you get from others or external things, but still you are hungry. hungry, hungry, hungry. Sometimes, I think, we need to stop it. Otherwise, you will be like a hungry ghost.
All the time hungry, all the time. Very much want it, really. Not need it, but want it. So see, anger is really, really easy to understand. The desire attachment is we must really take it seriously.
It is not easy. It doesn’t matter what kind of desired attachment is. It’s difficult sometimes. Okay? So then the Okay, now forty one.
Having set aside the actual cause of my pain is a stick or the like, it becomes enraged with the person who will eat it. Well, he, in fact, was incited by anger, so he is secondary too. It would be more fitting to get enraged with his anger. Forty one. This one is.
Okay. I become the same verse, but different translations, if I become angry with the wielder, although I am actually harmed by his stick, then since he too is being in turn incited by hatred, I should be angry with his hatred instead. Although indeed it is the stick that hurts me, I am angry at the one who wields it, striking me, but he is driving and impaled by anger, so it is his wrath I should rescind. This one is also giving you an analogy and another one is the actual one. Let’s say someone hits you by a stick.
Just an example. Okay? When he or she hits you by the stick, when the stick touches your body, at that moment you feel pain, isn’t it? But then we get angry. We get angry towards the person.
What this one is saying is that if you really want to get angry directly, then you’re supposed to be getting angry towards the stick, not the person, because that stick was really makes you pain. That one directly hits you, not the person. But then if you really get angry, then you should be getting angry with his or her hatred or anger, not the person. Why are getting angry? Which is the person?
One is if you really want to get angry, not the person, but his stick. So if you want to get angry indirectly, his anger or hatred is not the person. But another one is saying, pain and suffering that you got from person’s her stick. This one is also the combination of both that person and your own body. If your body and mind are not contaminated, aggregates, you cannot feel pain and suffering even though they are very much aggressive towards you.
But the point I’m making here is this pain and suffering, feeling pain and suffering happens to be both your own body, this suffering body, so it is the person from that other person also. Both sides. So then why are blaming the person? Only blaming the person? Why do we do I know this is not easy.
Actually, really, if you meditate, it’s very difficult, actually. But it makes a lot of sense, actually. Really does. Our problem is that we are not deeply meditating. We do understand teachings, but mostly we understand intellectually, myself.
Understand intellectually, that is the problem. If we try to understand insightly, if we take this insightly, I think it is one of the greatest teachings and practice that one can ever do such a thing like this. It’s very true. This pain is a combination, actually. Not only from the outing on a single side, like one side, you know.
Because of our bodies, because of this flesh, this body contaminated five aggregates. Because of that, also we feel pain and suffering. So the main thing is directly getting angry towards the person or indirectly towards the person. If you’re directly getting angry towards the person, actually it is not the person, but it sticks indirectly, one is the hatred, not the person. So this is the one type of meditation and practice that one can do, and then to reduce the anger.
So this point Okay, I will read it first. Forty two. Previously, I must have inflicted such a pain on limited beings. Therefore, it is fitting that harm comes to me who has been a cause of violence toward limited ones. Here is this translation.
Forty two. Previously, I must have caused similar harm to other sentient beings. Therefore, is right for this harm to be returned to me who is the cause of injury to others. So this is easy to understand. Think I did this one when I came here first.
Here Am I? Or maybe not. The will of sharp weapons, one of the mind training teachings. That’s exactly the same thing as this one. If you do believe in previous past life and future life, Buddhism is everything that whatever is happening in this lifetime, everything comes from the past lifetime karma or actions.
We are the ones who accumulate many, many negative karma as well as positive karma. So that’s why all those positive and negative karma we carry in this lifetime, then everything is coming back The results are coming back to us. The first thing is that we accumulated positive and negative karma in the past. Then all these positive and karma, resist it. We resist it in our mental state.
When we pass away from the past, we carry on. Then, in this lifetime, when you meet the conditions and circumstances, everything is coming back. So if someone hits you by a stick this lifetime. So your karma is ripening now because of the previous lifetime. You may have it the same as this other person.
So now it’s coming back to you. It’s good to understand. Everything is happening here in the previous lifetime’s actions or the karma. There is no such thing as without doing anything by yourself. Nothing like that.
Everything is their responsibility. Buddhism is saying, Your future is the palm of your hand. So see, our future is in the palm of your hand. That means we need to control our future. Now, we should be understanding such a life that we’ve obtained because of the past he or she accumulated many positive karma, so that’s why we as a human being now, obtain this human body and mind, which is Buddhist perspective, we are very fortunate.
We did something right. Of course, we do feel pain and suffering. Sometimes we are unhappy. Why not? As long as we are in the saṃsāra, this happens.
But if you compare our suffering and pain and animal suffering and pain, so is the hungry ghost suffering and pain, we don’t need to go to the hell realm. It’s unbelievable. But just concentrate and focus on animals suffering in pain, and all suffering in pain. Our suffering and pain is really nothing. Even though when you feel pain in suffering, we have so many resources surrounded by so many wonderful people.
There are teachers, there are teachings, there are meditation teachings, there are many Buddhist centers, churches, temples. But what an animal do when they feel pain and suffering? Just hold it, just be tolerant, blindly. Nothing can do. Unbelievable.
As I said, this my juicy class, why did I really avoid cow’s meat and other meat? Many, many, many years before, I saw one DVD. Oh, still I feel such a goosebumps. This DVD helped me a lot to not eat animal flesh, especially cow meat. All these cow inside the slaughterhouse.
These cows, before they were taken there, they all were eating together, you know, just like this, just play around. But then eventually now, time to go there, one after another like this. And one cow puts inside this iron of gate, something very nasty. Then they tie the cow’s neck, but still, cow’s are just like this. They have no idea whatsoever what would be next, and they put, I think they call it a gun something like that here.
Unbelievable. Then, they open the gate, and they just fall in and shake. It’s so painful, isn’t it? So difficult. Still, we complain, Look at them, what can they do?
They didn’t have any idea what would be next. Unbelievable. Animals are like that. Some animals look at how difficult they need to drink water, those African animals. When they go to drink the water, that’s a big problem.
Then the crocodiles come and kill them. Sometimes, these lions are very, very smart. They hide inside the bushes. When animals go to drink the water, they jump and kill. It is scary, isn’t it?
All these animals are very scary. Then one animal eats another small animal. That small animal eats another small animal. That small animal eats another small animal. Even though, look at the bird, eats those creatures.
And that small insect eats another small insect. Life is like that. But still, we complain. Actually, we are in heaven, generally speaking, really. If you look at it that way, our suffering is not really that much, you know?
But still, we complain about this problem, that problem, insurance problem, government problem, this isation’s problem, or this person’s problem, we are a little spoilt, actually. That’s why sometimes it’s good to meditate on other creatures suffering and pain. Then look at the hungry ghosts. Their pain and suffering are all the time hungry. When they eat small things, when they eat it, when they slow down, they have a very, very tiny neck and throat.
Very, very tiny, big belly, big head, and very, very tiny neck. When they put goats down to their throat, fire comes out. From there, it burns. They die. Then they hear the sound saying, Get up.
You know, they reborn again there. On and off, on and off, eons, eons, eons, eons, eons, like that. How much suffering? Look at it. Sometimes, all the suffering, when you have some big pills, sometimes when you swallow it.
Very difficult to swallow, isn’t it? We complain that. I did too. I’m honest with you. Yes, I complain.
I ask, I would like to have small pills. Sometimes it’s difficult to swallow than big pills. It hurts. But we complain that. Just for little things also we complain.
See? Because we are not meditating. We are not meditating on the hungry ghost problem. The point is, I think these are the daily basis we really need to meditate on. Then, sometimes, it’s good to go to Varanasi.
Yes. Go to Varanasi near the Ganges River, sit down on that little higher area. I used to do that when I got there. But nowadays, it’s better to go during the day, not in the evening. There are so many people.
You couldn’t get to sit down and meditate. You can sit down and watch there. You can see there are so many people who are cremated. You can see that that is our final destination. It doesn’t matter if it’s cremation or a burial, but that’s it.
One day, we all must need to go like that. You know? Traditionally, some do cremation, some burial, some sky burial, but finally, that’s it. It’s good to go there and meditate. Impermanence also helps you.
So that’s why many people go to Varanasi, Bodhgaya, although these are the Buddhist holy places. But the Ganges River is really not a Buddhist place, actually. People go to Varanasi because the Saranath is the place that Buddha taught in Saranath. Saranath is inside, a little bit far from Varanasi City. But then people also go to the Ganges River to see those things, then really meditate, which will you.
Okay? So, This verse is good teach the Wheel of Sharp Weapons. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do it. But the Wheel of Sharp Weapons gives you the teachings. Each of the karma corresponds to a similar result as that karma, which is beautiful.
For instance, in Tibetan, I don’t have translation here, but I will explain the meaning of this one. When you get sick, it doesn’t matter any kind of illness. When you feel illness or sickness, why? Maybe you didn’t take care of your health, but these are the ones. The main thing is that here in Buddhist doctrine’s point of view, in previous lifetimes, we injured other beings’ bodies.
We injured animals. We injured people. We injured other sentient beings. Then now it’s coming back to us. We injure others.
Now Wheel of Sharp Weapons is returning back to us, you know, when it’s returning back to us, then we are now feeling pain and suffering. We are now sick like that. Once you understand this one, then what we need to do is we must stop injuring others, including animals. If you do that in a future lifetime, we wouldn’t be that much sick or illness. That’s the kind of idea or how do you say it?
Teachings teach us how to practice. See? In the past life we had no clear wisdom. Whatever we did, we did many good things, which is understandable. We are now human beings.
Also, we may accumulate many negative karmas. Because of that, we are sometimes unhappy, our minds are also not so clear, or our health is not good. We are very much depressed and stressed out, mental anguish. So many things, isn’t it? The mind is not clear when you meditate because of the past lifetime negative karma we accumulate.
But now, once you understand all these cause and effect relationships, now what we need to do is stop injuring others. We need to stop injuring other people’s minds also, making depression in others, making unhappy in others, we need to stop it. If we stopped it in a future lifetime, we wouldn’t have these kinds of results. That’s a smart way to understand. That’s why your future is palm in your hand means that.
You are the one who is driving your future. Buddha is not your driver. Nobody can drive you. You are the only driver of your own future. That means you must be smart.
Now, forty three. Both his weapon and my body are the causes of my suffering. Since he drew out a weapon and I drew out a body, towards which should I get enraged? I think I mentioned this before, it is similar. Forty three.
Both the weapon and my body are the cause of my suffering. Since he gave rise, he gave rise to the weapon and I too, the body, with whom should I be angry? So that’s a combination of our body and that weapon that really hits you, like a stick or anything. So because of these two, our own body and that weapon, a combination of that, we feel pain and suffering. Then why should we be getting angry towards the person or his weapon?
Of course, nobody is angry at the person. So can you be angry at your own body? Because your body is also involved. If your body is not the suffering body, then you shouldn’t be feeling pain and suffering. Because our body is also a suffering body, because of that, then the weapon touches our body, then we feel pain.
Only the weapon cannot feel pain. Both, it’s a combination. So that’s another thing. Why. Here is the with whom should I be angry now?
Your body or the weapon? So that’s asking a question. Śāntideva was asking us questions. Okay? Then the forty four, Blinded by craving, I have griped hold of a painful boil that is shaped like a human and cannot bear to be touched.
And so when it’s bruised, what should I get enraged? It is similar, actually. Blinded by desire attachment, The point this one is making is really This human form is like a running sore. Merely touched, it cannot stand the pain. I am the one who clings to it with blind attachment.
Here is the blind attachment. Whom should I be angry when pain occurs? The point is the blind clinging or attachment. We all do have this point is also good to know. In Buddhist point of view, good attachment and bad attachment.
So that is what we are talking about, the blind A good attachment is a sudden attachment we need in order to survive. We attach between friends and family, and between parents and children, between teachers and students, you know, this little attachment is not a big problem. However, this attachment also must be balanced. Even though this attachment not so bad, if we don’t balance, this attachment can grow and become blind attachment. Then the problem arises.
The point this one is making is that because of the contaminated five aggregates, we will continually feel this blind attachment. Desire, because of that, then we will feel pain and suffering. That’s the main thing here, really. Because of this blind attachment or clinging, we will continually accumulate negative karma. Once we accumulate negative karma, then the negative karma will give you negative results.
We already have all these results. One the most important things is that the body and mind are is contaminated, which I mentioned before. It doesn’t matter. Wherever you’re born, we will continually suffer. But there is opportunity to reduce the suffering and learning the Buddha Dharma, all these different teachings and doing different practices, one can be able to reduce all of these pain and suffering, whatever is mentioned in this book.
So that’s why the blind attachment is here in this mention, is the blinded by craving. So it’s the same thing, attachment. Blinded by craving, I have griped hold of a painful boil that’s shaped like a human and cannot bear to be touched. This human form is like a running sore, merely touched, it cannot stand the pain. I am the one who clings to it with blind attachment, whom should I be angry when pain occurs.
The point is that we must get out of the blind attachment. To do so, we must get out from the contaminated five aggregates form, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors, and consciousness, which are also the suffering As long as they are contaminated, they are already suffering. That’s why we need to practice the method part of the Buddhist practice, which is we need to generate more bodhicitta, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, and love and compassion, six paramitas, and sutras like that. So which will help us to, you know, those anger and mental afflictions, we’ll be able to put down. Not yet eliminate it.
Then next, wisdom, which is the most important. Especially wisdom, understanding emptiness, selflessness, which I mentioned before. Then both these skillful means or methods and wisdom altogether, then you can be able to eliminate the mental afflictions. That’s why in Buddhism, these two methods and wisdom are the two wings in Buddhism. Two wings that the bird can be able to fly overseas, so we can be able to fly to That’s why both wings are very, very important.
Beginning the method part of the wing, then the next, then the wisdom wing. We need both to fly to enlightenment. That’s it. Thank you. Break.
Yes, but they are not meditating properly. That’s a problem. This has nothing to do with everyone of us. Some people meditate selflessness, they feel like there is nothing. They feel something like that, totally dark and empty.
That’s why they feel a little fearful, because they really did not understand to meditate selflessness. This is just for some people. Not everyone feels that way, you know. But if you don’t meditate properly, you see. That’s why, how do you say, I don’t have a book here.
When you do some tantric sadhanas, you can see this often. Everything is voidness, and after that there would be activities. Tongpa nyid le, like that. Tongpa nyid le, this, this, that, this, that. Nothing nothingness like this, or darkness, not like that.
There would be some activities. When you meditate selflessness or emptiness, then you are meditating selflessness and emptiness. That’s it. You are holding it. But it doesn’t mean that there is no self.
At that point, when you meditate selflessness, it seems to be no self. But ultimately there is a self. If there is not self, then who is meditating? Who is meditating then? There must be consciousness, because meditation is done by the mental.
Then what would be if there is no consciousness? Who was really meditating, actually? That’s why when you meditate selflessness, at that point it seems to be the no self. But that no self is not the regular no self. That no self is the no self that we grasp the self’s inherent existence.
That no self. Not like a conventional no self. It’s a different no self. Sometimes no self means not like a self does not exist. Nothing like that.
No self is no nature self, no true self. That’s a no true self, no natural self, no independent self, no intrinsic self. So these are the no self means that. There is self. There is self which is conventional self because self was meditating.
There is a person meditating. Meditating. There is being meditating. But during the meditation, you bring this idea that there is being meditating, because you totally absorbed the selflessness. Yes, some people do feel a little fear because of nothingness.
Is nothingness, totally dark. But I think that’s probably why they are not meditating emptiness correctly. Okay? Can there anger without the intention of doing harm? Somebody harmed me or you.
Can there be anger without? Okay, your question is a little bit for me. You’re talking about your own anger or another person’s anger. Which one are talking about? Can I get angry without intentionally You mean that?
Yes. That means you are just yourself. Yes? Without intentionally, can I get angry? Make it clear.
Can I get angry else? You mean that? Without intention to harm? Okay, that’s a good one. Can I get angry?
Of course, we sometimes get angry without intention. Sometimes we get no intention, but we get angry sometimes, just like this. Is that still still a bad event for us? It’s not good because once you get angry, even though you may have no intention to harm anyone, but you get angry, when you get angry, you get angry and you are upset. So that means you are harming yourself, And so you could harm somebody else.
Then the intention may be involved now. So it’s possible, you know, something like that. But I would like to say the tendency of this particular anger happens to be because of our tendency. We have a bad habit or the karmic imprint. For instance, sometimes we get angry when we sleep, also, in the dream.
That’s not our intention. We get angry sometimes because of the tendency. But it’s not to get angry. Even though you have no intention to harm someone else, but because of the circumstances, sometimes we are just like this. A little tricky.
Actually, it’s a good question, really. It’s good, actually good. But if I say it another way, there may be a latent intention, let’s say. It’s possible. But it depends on how you understand intention.
See, intention can translate in different ways. Some intention is obvious intention. Some intention could be a little hidden intention. Things like that in Buddhism, we have many, many things, but this one is the I will go either way. Say, no intention, still you can get angry, mean, no obvious intention.
Mean, that means to But if there is any intention, We need to think about that, because once you get angry, anger comes from the mental. Let me ask you questions. What exactly is the English word intention? Course, regularly we call it, Oh, I have no intention. But exactly, just go ahead, sir.
Is it motivation? Yes. See, Then, then, we call it kun slong. And then, after the motivation, the decision to act. Then act.
Then comes action next, yes? Yes. See? So that’s why I would like to say that particular anger may have no strong intention or obvious intention, but there is a small intention possible. Because anger itself is worse.
It’s really, really bad. Because of that, the small intention is possible. I will just open up. It’s then much easier. No obvious intention, or maybe totally no intention.
We need to think about that, Okay? When you’re shocked, when you are meditating or what? I after the shock. Was trying to work out what was going on. Shock from external activities?
Something that happened without a clue. Okay. Is it a good way or a bad way? It was good. It was very good, but I wasn’t able to hang on to that.
But this happened to be that you were not really meditating, yes? I was. Oh, you were meditating and just shocked? Yes, I was contemplating the situation. Okay, okay, okay.
It goes either way. If you are really meditating properly, if you’re meditating properly, selflessness, maybe you’re tested a little bit about the selflessness. Do you understand what I’m saying? You are testing. Test.
You’re really a little beginning, you know, So if you were meditating properly, selflessness, I don’t know how you meditate it. But on the other hand, are many, many how you say You know, there are so many mental, wandering things, Because of that, sometimes you get shocked. So that’s why I’m concentrating on that one. Maybe wondering so much. You’re sinking so many things.
You are wandering many things, which is also good to meditate. Because of that, sometimes things like that happen Because you hear many times the meditation of selflessness, how to meditate. Usually we ask people to search themselves where is the self. So you hear these things are many times before, and then now you are in the middle of the meditation. Sometimes you are wondering things inside your mind, and suddenly whatever shock that happened, then all these combinations of the two things, sometimes you lost.
You are lost and couldn’t find it. Either way is possible, actually. The first one is better than the second one, actually. How do I say how long you hold it. That’s the question now.
If you hold it quite long, good. That’s a good one, a good sign. Yeah, but remember, I really don’t want to give you any wrong answers. These are very much critical and very, how do you say, confusing, sometimes a misunderstanding. So that’s why I try to give you two different ways.
Because shock is the I don’t understand exactly what you mean shock, you know? So, you expect to give birth to a live baby if the baby is not alive. So, that’s a shock. Shock, okay. That sudden, nothing is as it seems.
Nothing is Yeah, but that shock is really not At that point, when you find yourself, I don’t call really meditating selflessness. But if you are meditating selflessness, actually you are meditating selflessness when you try to search yourself, first of all, my body hands are myself, my eyes, everything. Then if you go inside of your body, after that you couldn’t find it. So there is the moment, there arises a nothingness. There is no self.
So that one is now, as I said, you test it now. Okay, that shock is maybe you try meditate properly selflessness. Because of that, then you’ve got this kind of shock, or whatever you call it now. But when you meditate selflessness, actually you cannot find yourself. You need to understand that one.
When you meditate selflessness, you cannot find yourself. Also, wouldn’t deny yourself either. You cannot find yourself. You cannot deny yourself. It exists It between that.
But only you will find yourself after your meditation is finished, when you wake up, Oh, I’m here. I’m walking. I’m okay. You will find yourself. During the meditation, selflessness, you cannot find yourself.
If you find yourself, then you’re not meditating properly. It’s a little different than what Joe was asking. Some people, when you do this meditation, that’s exactly what Joe was saying. People feel scared. Nothing is there.
There’s darkness, there’s emptiness. That’s why the three principal aspects of the path are saying. How do you say it? Depending on arising in emptiness must be spontaneous, means that together. See?
Once you do understand and realize depending arising in emptiness without separating, then you really do realize the wisdom of understanding emptiness. I don’t have these words, that’s exactly the meaning of this one. When you meditate selflessness, you cannot find yourself. You cannot deny that you exist. Also, you shouldn’t have feelings of nothingness, which is a big problem.
So that’s why I heard it many years ago. One person said in America, I do have an understanding of emptiness. He said, I realize emptiness. Actually, that person was many, many years somewhere on the mountain. He was in Arizona.
I don’t know. He was meditating. Finally, he thinks now he realized emptiness. Then he came back. People asked him, How do you realize emptiness?
How does look like emptiness? He said, Emptiness looks like a little bit fading away, a little bit like a white color or something. But that’s how you can say emptiness looks like a white color. Sometimes emptiness looks like a dark color. There’s no color involved.
So that means they may be meditating a little incorrectly, even though they spend many, many years. But if you are meditating selflessness, you feel this kind of a little shocking, you couldn’t find it yourself, then I think you really start it. Now, that one is you need to hold it continually as much as you can. You need to hold it. Analyze it, analyze it, hold it, not lose that analytical meditation.
Then will progress continually. Then this will help you to cut out attachment, detachment. You will be in detachment. Of course, then you can reduce the anger. Someday you can cut out the anger.
Same thing, anger is also selflessness. See? Anything that you desire, whoever is it, whatever is it, selflessness. This will help you not to find that desired object, desired things. This will help you also, not only just yourself.
So that’s why this idea also you need to apply to other parts of the selflessness also, not only just yourself. You can apply this idea to others also. That’s why the selflessness of a person, selflessness of phenomena means that. They are two different. Thank you very much.
Dedication prayer. Buddha House Dedication Prayer book, page thirteen. Lord of Dharma, who is conversant with various dispositions of those to be subdued, renowned in light of your well-spoken, venerable, sacred Kangyur tradition, essence of the Buddha’s teachings, and foremost holy lama to you who are the supreme. O lama, please please live long. Thank you very much.
Tomorrow, Friday, meditation.