Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 87-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab explores how to respond to harm with patience instead of anger, drawing directly from Śāntideva’s wisdom text. He opens with a review of attachment as the root of anger, then presents Śāntideva’s vivid analogy: just as a condemned man freed of execution by losing a hand has made a wise trade, so too is enduring small present suffering worthwhile if it prevents the vastly greater suffering of hellish realms caused by retaliatory anger. Geshe Kyab emphasizes that responding to injury with patience and forgiveness stops the karmic cycle of escalating harm—contrasting this with the immediate, automatic retaliations that damage both victim and aggressor. He then extends the teaching to sickness and hardship, introducing Tonglen practice (taking and giving meditation): when ill, mentally take on the suffering of all beings afflicted the same way and offer them your wellbeing. This shift from resentment to compassion transforms pain into spiritual practice. Throughout, he stresses that we have choice in this moment: we can change our future through deliberate action, not passivity. Aimed at Buddhist practitioners with some familiarity with Mahāyāna ethics and meditation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2017 05 18.mp3
UUID: 9057bc09-5e17-4707-a268-d65e6550289c
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Thursday Patience (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2017-05-18
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 87.7 minutes
Words: ~4,220
Before I start today’s class from session number seventy two and seventy three, NAB four and five, which is going to be today’s class. Before that, I will review the last week class that we talk about some verses, basically those verses that the, all about the, that the Śāntideva was emphasized the importance of dealing with attachment, which is the root essentially of hatred and anger. Śāntideva was emphasized very wisely, actually the desired attachment is the root, you know, of hatred and anger. So, because of the desired attachment, then the red light starts, so is the other Some desired attachment is not so bad as other desired attachment, and some desired attachment is really very much thoughtful. For instance, Śāntideva was talking about the, normally the, all the sense perception very much involves the, in order to create this desire, this attachment, then in order to feel attachment, of course, we need desire to attach something, and desire is also the cause of attachment.
Also, is also the, arises from the, desire is the, basically the mental, mental, you know, how do you say it, is feelings from the mental, but desire, it is mental feelings, but desire also, you know, arise from the, you know, sense perceptions, eye sense perception, ear sense perception, nose, palm, body sense perception, then the desire, you know, feeling as a desire, then because of the desire, then we desire something, we attach, feel attachment. Then the next to the attachment, then the anger arises. So that means all this sense, five sense consciousness, are very much involved. However, individually, all this five sense consciousness are not that much powerful if you say just only the mind sense consciousness sees some object, and we may feel some desire on that object, in fact they’re just finished, you know. So I use the ears, sense, consciousness, nose, tongue, body, however, but in all this sense, you know, involved and together, so then we, this, then creates one very strong desire, so instead that strong desire also creates another strong attachment, which is the sexual attachment, which I mentioned last week.
It’s a very, very powerful attachment because of the old senses involved. Then second one is the desired attachment towards money also. Desired attachment towards money, although, you know, we cannot talk about the attachment, looking at the form of money, etc, but basically, also, desire towards money is also a, or other senses, you know, evolve. You see something and you need money to buy it, you smell something, or you hear some beautiful music, and you want money to bite. If you look at it that way, also desire towards money is also powerful, little different than the sexual desire, but still it is powerful because of the desire towards money also really brings so many dangerous problems, you know, people kill each other, look at it, sometimes because of the money and desire, people kill each other, people rob each other, stealing things, so many of that is happening.
It is also offer of desire. But the Śāntideva also mentioned in the last week teaching, because of this desire, then we eventually raise anger, then if you don’t put down that anger, then anger can be spreaded, then anger can grow, then eventually it is very difficult to put it down, for instance, the example I was giving here is burning a house. If you don’t put it down as quickly as possible, then the, you know, this fire, one house already burned, but then this fire can be spreaded to another house, then the another house, then the another house, which happens all the time. So similar like our anger, something like this, in the beginning, you know, if you don’t put it down, then it will really grows, it’s much easier to put it down, so it’s better to less desire attachment, that means less, you know, attachment which is giving you to practice detachment. So, the beginning, if you do practice detachment, then that part of the relay result as an anter will be disappears, must focus to more detachment than the attachment.
If you do that, then it is much easier to defeat the anger then you know, in future, less anger, less emotion, less jealousy, which is much better. These are the last week we talk about it, so then the today is the from verse seventy two and seventy three, I will go to do this together, okay, If you look at the textbook, seventy two and seventy three, Why would a man about to be put to death be unfortunate if by having his hand chopped off, he were free? So, why would I be unfortunate if, through human sufferings, I were, you know, spread joyless realms? Joyless realm is considered, there is the hell realm. If I am unable to bear even this minor suffering of the present, then why don’t I ward off the rage that would be the cause of hellish realms, which is the lower realms.
One is the example giving you, one is the actual one. So Śāntideva was two things, here he is talking about two different angles in this particular, know, two different verses, one is that Śāntideva was giving us wonderful example, and second one, actually, he was teaching us how to really stop the, this, you know, when somebody harmed you, when somebody harmed us or somebody injured us, that they not to respond harm for the harm, instead they respond the patience, tolerance and forgiveness. So that’s now he was giving us wonderful example. So, and this book was the verse, Why is a man condemned to death not fortunate if he is released after having his hand cut off? Why am I, who am experiencing human misery, fortunate if by that I am freed from the hells.
If I am unable to endure even the mere suffering of the present, then who, why, then why do I not restrain myself from being angry, which will be the source of hellish misery, cause of hellish, cause of hellish, hell being suffering, which is the, you know, generally speaking, the, if you respond, the harm for the harm, so then we are really accumulating new negative, very strong negative karma, so eventually that negative karma will give us the negative results in future, which is the hellish misery. So, now here is mainly the Śāntideva was talking about the better, you know, for instance, somebody harmed you, or somebody injured you normally, or, you know, response would be the retaliation to harm back, which is we did talk about this last few weeks. But then now, when you do that, if you respond the harm for the harm, what Śāntideva will say, that response will not gonna help to cure your own injury or something, you know, maybe wounded, not going to cure that, absolutely not. However, also, on top of that, yes, on top of that, you are causing future suffering. You are not only causing future pain and suffering, you are causing future, huge, great pain and suffering, just for little, you know, intolerance or just for little things that you could not tolerate or could not patience.
Very minor pain in the suffering you could not sacrifice. Contributing much, much greater suffering than any other realms. Within the hell realms also do have many, many different part of the hell realms, different levels. There are sixteen different hell realms, so there are sixteen different sufferings. Some hell realm sufferings are much greater and greater than other hell realm sufferings.
But if you look at it this way, then we are really causing the sufferings of hell realms just for little suffering and pain the present. You know? So that’s Śāntideva was mentioning, we have put on sacrifice someone is committed huge crime, now he committed the crime, and that crime is now the government, they announce him to be penalty, let’s say. The, you know, this poisoned, the injured, just warps a little bit like this, and dies. Some are already you know, death penalty now, but some point, okay, we will going to cut off your hand, and we will free you from the death penalty, which one is better?
Better to cut the hand, isn’t it? That’s much better. He is free from death penalty. He spread it. He spread now.
He he is free. He wouldn’t die if you compare, I’m not saying the cutting hands are minor problem or small problem, of course it’s huge, but if you really compare with this legal injection, which is the kill them, or just chop or cut one of his hand, it’s better to sacrifice his hand for his death penalty, Isn’t it? So, that means sacrificing, know, cutting one hand inherently will help him not to get death penalty. He will survive, he will live. Same thing here is the, if you sacrifice minor hand suffering, That is the point in his flow versus if you sacrifice minor hand suffering, which are when somebody harmed you and your family, somebody injured you, if you endure, but even though if you really do this positive response to somebody else’s harm, I think then you are really sacrificing these small problems for greater results, which is the hell being suffering, which is very smart.
I think Śāntideva is really, really so wise and so smart, even though his examples are really very unique, actually, you know, it’s very unique. So see, that we can be able to do that, just sacrifice small problems when somebody harms you, don’t respond harm for the harm, instead, practice patience, tolerance, forgiveness, forgiveness. Which is then what would happen to a little, you know, discomfort in you, which is okay, Especially, I would like to add it, especially this one is the also, let’s say, sometimes we feel a ill, illness, sickness, kidney problems, joint problems, stomach and heart problems, and so many sickness and illness, illness, and that is of course about life. Of course! Of course, you can do this, how you say, you can prevent the sickness, you can avoid the sickness, you know, for instance, you can eat good food, healthy food, don’t eat those fast food, oily food, and fat food, and meats, and do some exercising things and yoga things to keep healthy, you can prevent getting sick in the future, you can do many things, isn’t it?
However, sometimes, even though we try to take care of our health, eating nice food, exercising things, do yoga things, unfortunately, sometimes, sometimes because of our karma, sometimes we get sick. Instead of responding negatively. See, just in that that moment, I think, the really now needed to sacrifice to think my sickness, my sickness, my illness, I will substitute for others, people who are sick and ill, same as me. See, if you think this that way or respond positively, I think this is the one great thing we can do, because we all get sick sometimes. But if you don’t know how to take this positively, your own sickness and illness, then people feel anxieties, then people feel sometimes angry, then people get angry towards their doctors, and people feel angry towards other people.
I mean, so just it’s it’s nonsense, isn’t it? But instead doing that, if you do think, and also the Tonglen practice, this point is, if you can do taking and giving Tonglen practice, how do you say, the, you know, substitute your sickness for the other sick people who are, you know, sick, same as you, they are, you know, undergoing so many difficulties, think about that, because you are already sick, you know, and also the, of course, there are many different ways you can do this practice, and then you dedicate also, you do some dedications, you can also think about yourself as a representation of those people. They do not have sickness, but I already have these problems, I can take it, they are suffering in, you know, in a knee, I can take it, are suffering in the knee, you can just take their suffering and dedicate all the sentient beings’ normal and and be, free from their illness. I think that’s a great thing to do, because then you are sacrificing your own this little illness, this sickness, to or for the, you know, great and dangerous results, because of the you are practicing, you are thinking positive, you are not thinking negative.
Otherwise, normally, when people get sick, their response so badly, isn’t it? You can learn and you can read it and you can model it. So here is the purify my negativities committed in the past, one can also use the opportunity for the practice of Tonglen, taking and giving practice, which is the Mahāyāna practice of giving and taking. For that, when one undergoes the experience of pain and suffering, one thinks, may my suffering, what he gave is the exactly a substitute, may my suffering substitute for all similarly types of suffering that sentient beings may have to undergo. May I, I, it is in this able to save all other sentient beings from having to undergo the same suffering one way.
I’m a little pain, might maybe not, but I will be tormented, I will sacrifice this pain, okay? So, in this way, one takes others suffering upon oneself taking, and use the experience of hardship I’m saying many things here. I don’t know my students much your practically do that. Try to prevent, there are many many preventive that you can measure it, to not get sick, many things you can do, don’t smoke, don’t smoke, don’t respond the harm for the harm. That’s exactly here.
If you do that, then the, in the future, we will continue to get big consequence, which is still not so good. Now stop it, better to respond, patient tolerance forgiveness for, you know, harm from the others. That’s exactly now the practice that we can do and we can stop it, see? You can change the karma, you have choice, but we are lazy, we are very much lazy, sometimes maybe we are misunderstanding the meaning of the karma. Action is the one’s responsibility.
If we, I mean, did take so many wrong actions in the past, so that’s why now we are having so many results which are not good in the present. Now we can change that, once you understand that, we can change the future. Of course, you cannot change the past because past is already past, nobody can change it. But you can change your future in this moment, in the present time, understanding the past history. So, that’s the example here, is the action must be changed now.
This is the choice. We can choose, we have, you know, choices that we can choose, but when I say choose, choices are out there, but problem is that when you choose the right path, then people totally mess up like that. So then now, sometimes because of laziness may involve, sometimes maybe they’re confused, sometimes maybe they just don’t care, sometimes maybe there’s no faith in karma, these are the choices here, almost like a Chinese buffet, you know, everything is on the table, you can choose which food you want to eat. We have been careless, but now maybe think about, okay, I really want to start from today. I think sometimes good to be some commitment, otherwise, if it is not today the event, tomorrow comes, both there are tomorrow, then like this, but just have some commitment, I will start from today, you know, Of course, it’s not easy, but if you do take some commitments, at least then it will be more mindfulness, or I took commitment, I would try all my best.
Sometimes What am I in future? Happy life or the, you know, dangerous life or the what? What I am seeking in future? Mostly, are seeking happiness. Nobody wants born in animal or hungry ghosts or hell realms.
Nobody wants born in a lower realm in the future. If it is true, then this is the only medicine, or you can call it medicine, or you can call it practice, this is the only tool, you can call it tool also, this is the only tool we can fix it. There’s not any other, you know, alternative tool or practice one can do. That’s the new tool. This is the only you can do.
I mean, you need to do to stop. This is the great, I mean, you know, opportunity that being born as a human being, since I hear this kind of teachings, I was taking it seriously, I know I am also a human being, I am not saying I do practice this every day, I’m trying for my best, sometimes I, you know, my practice is great, I’m fast, sometimes I, you know, I get fail, but getting better, but I have all this monkey mind. I’m trying all my best. It’s working. It’s working.
Really working. I mean, you know, but you have to do, you have to do, you must take the action, you cannot just wait, or maybe tomorrow I will practice, or maybe next year or next month, absolutely, that is the one big, big He was using animal bear or yak, I don’t know, yak or bear skin to keep warm himself. I’m talking about the this Lama was meditating in Himalayan Mountain. So much snow, but he tried to keep himself warm, that’s why he had it one skin from bear or cow, I mean, a yak, I don’t know. You know, so that’s why you need to do this practice when you feel to do, you cannot just wait, just do it.
As I said, first time maybe in fail, it’s okay. What is the big problem? Next time maybe there will be some progress get better, and better, and better, and better this way. Okay? So that’s why I think this is very important, how to practice taking and giving Tonglen practice, which is the, this is the general, traditionally the Buddhist lamas give you the technique of taking suffering upon oneself from the older sentient beings, and give them all your virtues and good qualities, but it doesn’t mean that you are fearful of of taking, literally taking their suffering into you, it doesn’t mean that.
But this will mentally determination, mentally it will help you because of the first thing is, you are keeping positive and you are also not saying I I and me me me, you are also not getting angry because of it, are really substituting your own illness for the others, that the same illness some people are going through, if you look at it this way, then additionally, you are, you know, adding this own practice, wow, so beautiful, you know. Okay, don’t misunderstand. Mentally is a great determination. Then, of course, eventually, dedicate dedicate all these virtues, benefit for all these sentient beings. So this will also help you that when you are sick, you feel also much calmer, you feel much calm, you feel much maybe some of the minor pain may disappear See, these are the practices the Śāntideva was giving us, which is the remedy that we must be, you know, consider to do this practice in daily lives, okay?
Especially taking and I think I would like to add a little bit this point of view, also I wanted you to read the all about the karma and the law of karma, it’s very, very important to understand. So, last week, I think several weeks before, I mentioned, you got to read the mind training teaching book, Wheel of Sharp Weapons. That’s a beautiful Although, course, not every karma and its result in this book. However, that book are really many, many causes that give you the similar results. So that book is beautifully, that book contains all these wonderful particular cause and particular effect like that.
One monk, some of you already remember this, one monastery, Buddha was alive. One new monk came to the monastery. He became monk, and he got the one room, and then he got also the robes, everything. Your mom was night sleeping. He couldn’t sleep.
He can hear something from the wall. Remember? Wall. Next day, same thing, next day, same thing. Then of course he went to check outside during the day, there’s nothing in the backside, it’s empty, you know, like this wall, nothing in here.
He’s just wondering why I’m hearing exactly the sound coming from, they said this wall, then they asked to destroy the war, first they asked what kind of a sound is coming before they get destroyed, destroyed, huge animal. Scorpion? Scorpio. Yeah. She was my teacher.
How to say scorpio? She lost them. She told me, I forgot. Now I did that. This scorpion takes one ball, point brings this side like this, and puts everything on one side, and after that he puts back again on the side, left and right, like this.
Because this animal was one time monk in the monastery. What happened was, all these coins, he did fundraising, now he is walking inside the walls, you’re inside the wall, now he is very much attached all these coins moving from the right to the left and then left to the right, like that. That’s his life. Stories like this in this animal used to be a human being, but he was so sharp, his mouth was very much harsh, not bringing benefit to himself or benefit for others, but then, but since great benefits will be brought about in this, which is not even a fraction of that damage, only a little is endured in fear of suffering, discarding all damage to wandering beings. We have been lower realms like an animal, especially here is the hell realms, and during the hell realms, we had so much pain in the suffering in that realm, do respond positive, do more positive, don’t respond negative, so that if you do that, if you sacrifice your own small displeasure to bigger results, then the overall life will be in future joyfulness, only no pain and suffering, joyful rebirth.
Otherwise, it’s unfortunate rebirth. So that’s what this number seventy four and seventy five need to be like that. Okay, so point is the same as seventy two and seventy three, that we need to sacrifice the small and minor problems and pain for the greater pain and suffering, that’s what we need to do, we must be smart Thank you very much. It’s for his health and his long life. And his practices help increase that area so there is karma for the teacher to remain and continue to do so.
So because of the when you take suffering from others. Yeah. So which is I mentioned to you, you cannot take suffering from the others, you cannot do that. This is the, mentally, you are involving and getting a feeling of compassion and love to other, you know, sentient beings. But you need, what you need is you need it to have some faith on this practice, how important, you know.
You must wipe out the fear the, you know, the, like if somebody has a cold, if you go near them, you may catch the cold from him. Don’t do this practice, someone is sick and near you, maybe not that you are getting this very, very powerful practice. You’re no longer to worry for that. Absolutely. Not absolute, not at all.
Absolutely just this notion of your fear getting sickness from other just fading out. It’s impossible. Nobody can take suffering from your others. Even though you cannot give humanly worry, Oh, if I give my virtues and love and compassion to others, I will be empty. You may feel that.
Yes? See? That’s why I am also a psychologist, you mean that. You say, No, I’m just kidding. So that’s why the same thing, you know, you cannot give your virtues, your compassion, and your love to others, you cannot move them.
But this is the mentally you are involving. It’s a great practice one can do, you know. So, just cleaning out all this, catching and getting suffering from others, or losing your virtue doing this, I’m doing something right. You know, I’m serving something, you know, a needy sentient beings, which is the I’m I’m thinking I’m useful for other sentient beings, even the small way, you know. But you can, again, you can improve, get better and better and better, they help those people.
So this way, I think, do this practice, and also the, you know, try to stop, you know, negative, you know, responding things. I think this just stopped from today, just started. Even though, you know, it is a small way, it’s okay, you know, something we started, so then eventually progress, get better and better. Okay? Good.
Thank you very much.