Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 86-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab guides students through verses 90–97 of Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva’s Guide to the Conduct, focusing on patience and the futility of seeking praise and fame. He begins by reviewing the previous week’s discussion on rejoicing in others’ happiness, especially the happiness of those we consider enemies—a practice central to Buddhist vows but constantly undermined by self-cherishing. Kyab then addresses the core verses on reputation: Śāntideva argues that praise and respect bring no lasting benefit to health, strength, or freedom from sickness; they depend entirely on one’s own karma. Using vivid examples, Kyab explains how clinging to fame mirrors a child’s attachment to a sand castle—when the castle collapses, the child weeps, just as practitioners collapse when their reputation fades. He emphasizes that the problem is not reputation itself but how it is grasped; the Dalai Lama, for instance, wields his fame with humility and service. Throughout, Kyab urges daily meditation on anger’s destructiveness and patience’s power, stressing that growth requires renouncing the eight worldly concerns—gain and loss, fame and infamy, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Pitched at Buddhist practitioners who have taken refuge vows.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2017 06 08.mp3
UUID: 06bbf985-a963-47a0-b8ee-6537b9a22903
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Thursday Patience (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2017-06-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 86.5 minutes
Words: ~7,050
Good evening everyone. Page thirty four please. Excuse me. I go forward to approach until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, Sangha assembly. By the practice of giving other perfections, may I become to benefit all sentient beings.
May all sentient beings have happiness, causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May all sentient beings inseparable from happiness that is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for friends, hatred for enemies. Reverently, I prostrate my body, speech, and mind.
Every type of wrongdoing I confess, particularly all my negative actions accumulated since the beginning. Ordinary beings, please remain until the end of the cyclic existence to the will of the dharma of living beings. Page ninety seven please. Short mandala offering. Mantra please.
Thank you. Sorry, today our class is a little bit late because someone had a little accident. We approach verse number ninety, chapter number six, which is the patience. Sometimes also translated Bodhisattva Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds chapter on, this particular chapter number six of Śāntideva’s where the Bodhisattva also called Subduing Anger. Sometimes also the chapter number patience.
So anyway, verse number is ninety, going to start today. Last week I will review last week a few verses. We talked about it, all about how important to really happy for other people’s happiness, especially the, you know, when your enemy is happy when somebody praises, somebody talks about good things about him and that the person was happy. But then you are, we are unhappy because of the, that person is considered as our enemy. Because of that we are unhappy when our enemy is happy.
But the Śāntideva was saying there are many different ways it does not make sense because first thing is somebody else praising somebody else. Secondly, our enemy is happy because somebody is praising him, somebody is talking good things about him. Because he was happy, also his happiness comes from his own past positive karma. He was the one who accumulated positive karma in past lifetime. Now he was having happiness when somebody praised him.
So that reason also, we should not be upset, or we shouldn’t be really unhappy for him. Good to be happy for, or happy, happy for his happiness. Then the anger for his happiness. Especially if someone practices Buddha Dharma, we have a big responsibility to really dedicate to the happiness for other sentient beings. Because we do say and pray every day, may all sentient beings have happiness and cause of happiness.
We do say the prayers, we do also pray, but then when you are actually facing someone really happy when somebody else praises him, then we are unhappy. So there is some contradictory. So there are many reasons we should be happy for his happiness. And then another thing Śāntideva was saying is that some people only want to be happy themselves. And also they wanted to be people to praise for them.
And they wanted to become more, know, from the people, more like a fame, you know, human being. Fame and reputation, you know. But everything else really happening and thinking something like that in our life is actually really, Śāntideva was saying, it’s mixed with self-cherishing. Because only thinking one’s own benefit. Not thinking other people’s benefit.
Only fame and reputation to gain something towards oneself. But when somebody else is happy, then we are unhappy. So there are many things Śāntideva was talking about. Another thing was Here is this hook cast by the fisherman. Distributing emotions is horrendously sharp, procuring me from them, O mind, the joyless realm’s gods will cook me for sure in the cauldrons of hell.
So he, this particular verse, Śāntideva concludes by stating that this anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook, you know. So he was saying it is very important for us to make sure that we are not caught by this hatred of anger, by this hook of hatred and anger. If we caught by hook of hatred and anger, there is only one place we can be able to bond, which is the lower realm, especially the hell realm. So that’s why this last verse is all about better not to really be caught by hook of hatred and anger. So, but many times we do.
We do, you know, caught by this hatred and anger, hook of hatred and anger. So we must do many, many, many, many purification in order to really totally clean those negative karma and non virtuous actions that we accumulated in the past lifetime. So these are the last weeks. So there are many things. Also, better to enjoy other people’s happiness.
Rejoicing, which I put down on the screen. How important is rejoicing? Rejoicing is one of the seven limb practices. So rejoicing other sentient beings’ happiness. Rejoicing other sentient beings’ virtuous activities, rejoicing other sentient beings’ goodness.
Whatever they do, something is good. We should be rejoicing instead of feeling unhappy for them. Just rejoice. So that’s why the rejoicing is also the great, great virtue. Rejoicing also you no need physical activities.
Rejoicing also you no need verbal. Just mentally you are rejoicing somebody else’s virtue and happiness, as well as one’s own virtue virtues and happiness. Just only mentally. See? You don’t need to do many physical activities.
You don’t need to say many, many mantras verbally. Just thinking, just rejoicing how beautiful. So look at the on the screen, I put down what Buddha mentioned to the king. That king was asking, King Prasenajit asked the Buddha what Dharma he could carry out while still governing a kingdom, enlightenment of mind and dedication, those we too must practice rejoicing a state of mind free of jealousy and competitiveness. Like a competition, you know, out of the jealousy.
Overcome jealousy and just rejoice the other sentient beings’ goodness, their good activities. Not rejoicing the other sentient beings in bad activities or non virtuous. Rejoice rejoicing their virtues. But we sometimes rejoicing other people’s non virtues. Remember?
Sometimes when our enemies get hurt and we feel happy, we are rejoicing. When terrorists get killed, we are rejoicing. When Bin Laden is killed, many people are happy. Many people are very happy in this world. Many, many people.
Oh, I was totally shocked. People were happy. Oh, Bin Laden is now killed. We are rejoicing their non virtuous act. When you are rejoicing somebody else’s non-virtuous activities, then you are not accumulating any positive karma.
You are accumulating sin, negative karma. How can we really rejoicing somebody else’s unhappiness, somebody else’s non virtuous? How can we be rejoicing when somebody acts such a non virtuous activities? It’s unbelievable. So when somebody acts non virtuous activities, we must pray for them.
I mean, you know, what can we do? So just pray. When somebody else virtuous activities, rejoicing. That’s a wonderful thing to do. Instead of feeling jealousy.
But we are sometimes opposite, isn’t it? So that’s why these things we must be careful, especially if someone took vows. It’s very, very important. Sometimes we forget these kinds of things. Until you hear the teachings, then sometimes really surprised, sometimes shocking.
Wow, I was like that. I was sinking and feeling something like that. I supposed to be rejoicing when people are happy, when people are doing such good things, meditating, volunteer, helping in nursing homes, homeless shelters, Buddha house, and here and there, wherever they can do some volunteer, we must be rejoicing instead of feeling jealousy. But sometimes you feel such a thing like that, you know. So now, how important rejoicing is.
But today is verse number ninety, which is the press and fame. These shows of respect, won’t bring merit, won’t bring a long life, won’t bring bodily strength nor freedom from sickness. They won’t bring physical pleasure either. So this one is the see, sometimes we are expecting, fame and reputation and many, many things. Especially in this point of view, it’s the fame.
We like somebody praise us. We are hoping and we are sometimes maybe praying, you know, somebody else praise us. Somebody else put us up. But then somebody else prays somebody else, we are unhappy. But now here is the doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter if somebody praises you or somebody shows you much respect. So this won’t really help that much. Saying it won’t bring positive force, and it won’t bring a long life, won’t bring bodily strength, nor freedom from sickness. They won’t bring physical pleasure either. Nothing.
When somebody praises you. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be pressed, but this is the individual practice. Individually, if you are expecting praising from the others, if you are expecting some fame and a reputation, even though you get some fame in your reputation or somebody pressing you, what Śāntideva was saying, not that much benefit. Then instead of having some benefit, when you are not praised by some other people, or if your reputation or fame went down, then we will be much more hurt because this selfish mind was so strong. This is exactly the gain and lose reputation and infamy.
These are the out of the eight worldly concerns. Supposed to be avoided. Eight worldly concerns supposed to be avoided. Eight worldly concerns supposed to be avoided because of the eight worldly concerns must be renounced. Renunciation, fully renunciation, is the avoiding eight worldly concerns or eight worldly dharmas.
Different translations. Okay. But then we are adopting eight worldly concerns. We are adopting. See?
Totally opposite in how we can be able to fully renouncing. How we can be able to do fully renunciation practice. There’s no way. Without renunciation, fully renunciation practice or achieving fully renunciation, we cannot achieve bodhicitta. We cannot achieve bodhicitta, or we cannot become bodhisattva, then what about emptiness?
Realization of emptiness is very, very far away then. It’s very difficult. First thing is the renunciation. Just a simple example. Here we are talking about the fully renounced session.
In order to achieve fully renunciation, we must give up eight worldly concerns. That’s a fully renunciation. But just simple teachings, simple meditation, in order to have simple teachings and simple meditation, we need small renunciation. We need to give up something to come here, listen to the teaching. We need to give up some time from your busy time.
You need to give up something there and do meditation. See, you need to do a little giving up in order to listen the teachings. Do some meditation. Without giving up sometimes, how can you come here and listen to the teachings? How can you meditate, you know, how can you meditate without giving up any time?
How can you do? See, little renunciation. Renunciation is the giving up. You know, give up. So great renunciation is the eight worldly concerns.
Thus we need to give up. That’s called avoided. All these outwardly concerns must be avoided. So that’s why people go to those areas, some rural areas, remote areas, to meditate. So they give up friends and family, society, husband, wife, children, everything they give up and they go to those areas and then they meditate.
That means they want you to give up outwardly concerns. Within the family life, within the society, having so much wealth and fame and reputation, you cannot give up outwardly concerns. But I’m not going to recommend something like this for you to do because you must be ready to do that. But I’m giving you these teachings how important renunciation practice is, really. But here we are adopting fame and reputation, and everything we are adopting totally opposite.
So that’s why Śāntideva was saying if you do have a strong ego to adopting fame in the reputation, as Śāntideva was saying. So there is no, how do you say, if you get some fame and somebody else presses you, or somebody respects you, it won’t bring positive force, won’t bring a long life. You wouldn’t be long life when somebody presses you. It won’t bring bodily strength. In order to get long life, you must cause to be long life.
Somebody else pressing you, respect is not the cause of long life. No. Also the strength, bodily strength, you need to go to the gym to get some muscles, not somebody else praise you. That’s not causing you either. Or freedom from sickness.
Freedom from sickness is that you need to eat the right food. Of course you need also the cause of good karma not to get so much sickness. Not that somebody else praise you or respect you cause not sickness. No. Everything depends on your own karma.
Also here, they won’t bring physical pleasure either. When somebody presses you, if you have some reputation in the fame, if you use your reputation in the fame positively, maybe different now. See, that’s a very different case. For instance, Dalai Lama, although Dalai Lama no need any fame and reputation, but he do have fame and reputation. But he does use his fame and reputation very smoothly, gently, honestly, humble way.
He goes like this. See? He no need to do that. He can go like this, you know. Like this.
Isn’t it? But he doesn’t do that. He all the time doesn’t matter. Even though higher as an American president, he does like that. Lower as a beggar, he goes like that.
Dalai Lama’s point of view, there’s no difference. American president or that poor beggar, same human being. That’s good. That’s beauty. So the Dalai Lama wasn’t expecting any reputation and fame.
Of course he has a reputation and fame, but he was applying his reputation and fame so beautifully, gently. I don’t think anyone in this world can see someone who has such a family reputation, very humble, very much going down in front of the people. I have not seen absolutely, really. Maybe Mahatma Gandhi. Yes.
Mahatma Gandhi was like that. Unbelievable. Mahatma Gandhi. Really. Or Mother Teresa.
Yes. Mother Teresa was like that. But they all passed away. Mahatma Gandhi was like that. Mother Teresa was like that.
Nowadays, Dalai Lama is like that. Because those people must have a reputation, although they don’t need it. The point is, generally speaking, reputation will not going to help you. So that’s the main point here on this one. So now the next one is, If someone were aware of what is in their self interest, what self interest would there be in them, if just mental happiness were what I wanted, I should devote myself to gambling and so on, and to alcohol too.
At this point, some people might respond to say, yeah, this is just my own self interest. Some are in feeling good, let’s say. Maybe you know, feeling good. Something that your own self interest, when somebody praise you, somebody respects you, if you feel good, it’s just your own self interest, something that you are really temporarily you are feeling happy, then the Śāntideva was saying, then Okay, you can just go ahead and just like a mental happiness. If somebody really responds something like that, that reputation is I can justify having reputation because it’s my self interest.
Mentally I feel happy, you know happiness. So if you say such a thing like that, then Śāntideva was saying, Okay, then you can just go ahead and play some gambling things. You feel happy. Go ahead and drink alcohol. You feel happy temporarily.
Smoke. And you know, do all these things because all of these gambling things, alcohol, so will give you temporary happiness. Then you know, it’s the same thing. So that’s why Śāntideva was responding. If somebody else might say it’s my self interest, I feel good about it temporarily.
This is the Śāntideva was responding to somebody else when they responded verse number ninety. Okay? Now, next one is the ninety two. For the sake of fame, people would give away wealth or would get themselves killed. But what use is there with words of fame?
Once they have died, to whom will they bring pleasure? So this one is really for the reputation. For the sake of fame, people would give away wealth or would get themselves killed. Sometimes if you, because of to get some name or reputation or fame, if you give away your wealth, many people do that. But of course if you do give giving practice, practice of generosity, concentrating and benefiting the other poor sentient beings, of course that’s a great thing to do.
But sometimes people just give away their wealth in order to get some fame and reputation. Or maybe people may look at me as a great and kind human being. Or I may be, you know, get good reputation. So that’s why sometimes people do give away their wealth, and some people really, or would get themselves, you know, get killed also. So because of this sometimes when you try to get some reputation and you do so many strange things, Sometimes you could get killed.
It happens many times, you know, when you try to get some fame and reputation. Sometimes you go to the jail also. See, these are very common in this world. People try to become rich and famous, and they do all kinds of bad things to cheating other, harming other, killing other people. And after all they get killed sometimes.
And sometimes they really go to the jail, which happens all the time. In Florida, before I come, I left, a year before I left, Madoff, his name is Madoff, I think now they are trying to make this documentary. Oh, this man stole money from especially the older people who saved money for their old age. Millions, millions of dollars, millions of dollars actually he stole from them. But now he’s in the jail.
So what is the worth it? Eventually you know, when a or would get themselves killed. But what use is there with words of fame once they have died, to whom will they bring pleasure? Then what is the sense once a day died, and what can they do with their fame and reputation? Fame and reputation really changes.
Now no person exist after all. So then now, worst thing is when they were alive, they caused so much pain and suffering for their own future lives. So that’s that is the nature of saṃsāra. Also this one is, I think Dalai Lama used to mention self-immolation. Sometimes people, you know, name and fame.
I’m not saying everyone, everybody who society or kill themselves for their name, that’s not my point. But sometimes many people do crazy things in order to get their name in the newspapers and media. They kill themselves. Some people do self immolation. Some people like a suicide.
Just recently in London, you know, see, there are suicide bombers. They wear this jacket. They kill themselves and they kill other people for name and fame. You know, or gain something for their family also. People do that.
See? What is worth it now having fame and their names are already in the newspaper? What is the benefit? They’re already gone. They’re already, know, they’re killed now.
So that’s now the, there’s no reason to be doing such a thing like that. So the next one is talking about the childish, I think. Yes. If we are thinking such a thing like that, then so this is now ninety three is the example. At the collapse of his sand castle, a child wails and despairs.
Similarly, at the loss of praise and fame, my mind shows the face of a child. So this one is almost same as like children when they go to beach and they build the sand castle. And when they built it, they were so happy, then after it collapsed, then they feel very unhappy, and they also cry. And similarly, at the loss of praise and fame, When you lose your fame and reputation, then we all are going to cry like a child that cries when the sand castle really disappears. So that here is disappear, actually, in different translation.
When their saint castles collapse, children howl and disappear. This translation, children howl and disappear, cry strongly. Howl and despair. Likewise, when my praises and the reputation decline, my mind becomes like a little child. So that is Śāntideva was giving us example.
We will be same as those children. So now ninety four, ninety five, ninety six, and ninety seven. So these are the, now ninety four is the because an imputed word is something lacking a mind. It is impossible that it has impossible that intention to praise me. But proclaiming the other one offering me praise is delighted with me if I consider that a cause also to be delighted.
So this one is the For instance, words of the praise. Here is the words of the praise, or the sound. Actually, words is something lacking a mind, because when somebody says how beautiful you are, oh, you lost some weight. You are thin now. You are thin.
Or you are slim. Sometimes people do that. When people praise that word is not mind, lacking mind, it is impossible that has the intention to praise me. What has no intention to praise? But proclaiming the other one offering me praise is delighted with me, if I consider that a cause also to be delighted.
So that one is talking about Because of the words, because of the words, the praising words, people are happy to praise me. They are happy. When they praise me, because of it, they are happy praising me. Happily praising me. Śāntideva was saying, what is the benefit if they are happy and praising you?
There’s nothing directly benefiting you. They are the ones who are happy. They are the ones who are feeling good. Then what should be So that’s exactly his or her mind was feeling good. These are the their own, you know, the feelings, not your, our feelings.
Why we should be that much and happy, you know, when they are happy. I mean, you know, what this one is saying is why really that much expecting such a heavy feeling? Why we need that? Why we need this fame? If somebody says, this one is the If somebody says they are happy, so that’s why I want all this fame and reputation and praising.
So that’s what we talking here. Again, this can be positive, this can be negative also. It depends on what context, what motivation, and whoever is pressing whom. And everything is dependent. But generally, if you say such a thing like that, even though words of pressing have no intention, or no any mind, or feelings.
However, people who are praising, they are praising because they are happy. So then their happiness belongs to them, isn’t it? Their happiness is their own feelings. Their happiness is not our feelings. Of course we must be happy for other people’s happiness, which is different.
Now here is the, this one is talking about the, yes, I want this fame and reputation. I want people to praise me because people praise me because people are happy to praise me. So that’s the main thing here. But then the problem is that when people praise you, if you don’t take this positively, then the we really mess up everything. And then the we or fame becomes more negative.
So that’s why now Śāntideva was talking about their happiness is if you say such a thing, if you respond something like that, their happiness is their own feelings. There’s nothing you can really share that because that happiness is in their mind. So the next one is the Well, whether it is towards someone else or towards me, what used to me is another person’s joy. That pleasure of joy is his alone. I won’t get even a share of it.
So if you say other people’s happiness, what used to well, whether it’s towards someone else or towards me, what used to me is another person’s joy. If you are really only thinking about other people’s joyfulness, then why did you not rejoice when your enemy was happy? At that time, you were unhappy. But now you are saying that you want this fame and praise from people because people are happy. People are happy, so that’s why you want this praise and fame and reputation.
And what happened when you were unhappy when your enemy was happy? Somebody else was pressing your enemy. At that time you were unhappy. Śāntideva was bringing little hypocritical questions and answers here. So then you must be happy for every sentient being.
What happened before you were unhappy when your enemy was happy? If I take pleasure in his pleasure with me, I must do like that in all cases. In fact, how is it that I don’t take pleasure when he has the pleasure of joy with another? So that’s a main thing is the enemy was talking about it. And the ninety seven, so joy is arising in me simply due to me, I am being praised, but there in fact, because thinking like that is just nonsense, It comes down to nothing but the behavior of a child.
It is the same thing. I’m happy because somebody praised me. Thinking like that is just nonsense. It comes down to nothing but the behavior of a child. That’s what Śāntideva was concluding.
Do you say it? The last one is the reply. So I don’t want to go too much down. Ninety eight. Okay, now we have a few verses today.
So most important thing here is, of course, everything is all about the practice patience. That is the principle, you know. But Śāntideva was teaching us in different ways. One thing is very, very important. We all went through, we all gone through such a thing like this.
When somebody else praising that unfriendly people, you know, unfriendly people. But we are there’s no gratification. There is no really feeling as happiness for him. Also the people who praise, We are unhappy even though not only just the people who are pressing or enami or feeling such happiness when he gets some fame and reputation from somebody else, sometimes we feel both sides. Of course we feel unhappy when our enemy is happy.
Also sometimes we feel unhappy people who praise our enemy. This happens very, very carefully, especially if someone has a bodhicitta vows, tantric vows. Big, big problem. Just the Buddhist people. If you took a Buddhist vow, then you are a Buddhist.
As I mentioned this before, if you are Buddhist, then what we do, we do say refuge prayer three times morning, three times afternoon, I mean mid time, three times mostly morning and evening, sometimes mid time too. We need to say refuge prayer, daily prayer. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma, and supreme assembly, by my practice of giving and other perfections. Giving, practice of giving, morality, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom.
Giving in other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings. Benefit all sentient beings. See, we do say this refuge in generating bodhicitta, this prayer, and also we pray. But then now, we are unhappy when our unfriendly people are happy. Not only just that, four immeasurables.
May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness? Wow. Then how can we exclude those sentient beings that we consider as unfriendly? We are not including those sentient beings. We are not including those sentient beings.
Then may all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. So then there must be three different beings in this world. Generally, Buddha being and sentient being. That’s it.
Only true beings. But then maybe for us, three beings. Buddha being, sentient being, and unfriendly being. Isn’t That for us is something like that. In Buddhism point of view, only two beings, Buddha being and sentient being.
That’s it. Sentient beings are all sentient beings. human beings. Demigod beings. God beings.
And then the animal. hungry ghost. Hell beings, these are called sentient beings. But then now our unfriendly beings are which part of the realm? We need to build a different realm.
Unfriendly realm like that. See? In Buddhism, only three realms. Desired realm, form and formless. But now, unfriendly realm for us is something like that, but there is no such thing as rum exists.
So see, if you are Buddhist, so these are the ways we’re supposed to be. May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. It’s huge, unbelievable. May all sentient beings be inseparable from the happiness that is free from suffering.
But then now, we are unhappy when unfriendly people are happy. It’s very much a huge mistake, huge mistake in the mind. So that’s why the best, best, best thing is from today, look at what Buddha mentioned, rejoicing. Rejoicing other sentient beings’ goodness. We must rejoice other people.
It doesn’t matter who they are. I think that’s very, very important. Rejoice. Share this happiness. Happiness for happiness.
Not anger for happiness. No. Absolutely not. Happiness for happiness. Must be happy for other people’s happiness.
I know sometimes it’s difficult. Sometimes when you’re facing actually the person that you dislike, But I can understand at the moment, you know. So that’s why we need to really, really base, we need to meditate, try to understand this form of anger. Try to understand this feeling of anger. Try to understand really what exactly the anger is.
When you feel angry, how you feeling what are you feeling? What would be your state of the mind? So these are the really we need to meditate. So this is the core meditation of disadvantage of anger, advantage of patience. Same thing, you need to meditate.
There are so many goodness in the practice of patience. Tolerance, forgiveness. These are the ways need to meditate on a daily basis. And anger has no any positiveness. Absolutely not.
Anger is the only negative. Anger is the worst negative action than any other negative action. One of the worst negative action. One of the worst non virtues than any other non virtues. But right away, eliminating anger is difficult.
So that’s why the daily base we call meditation, you know. Meditation of anger. You need to meditate anger. Try to check the feelings when you get angry. Also check our history, past history.
When you get angry, what was your state of mind? What was your actions at the time? What happened? It’s good to check our history also sometimes. It’s to learn from past mistakes.
I’m not saying when you just meditate and try to understand the anger, tomorrow you will be Okay, or anger free. That is not my point. But this will help you. This will help you to understand such a nasty emotion of this anger. So then someday it will really reduce the getting angry.
And then it will minimize sometimes, you know. Then after sometimes you can be able to really totally eliminate the anger. But at the beginning, it’s difficult. At the beginning try to reduce the anger. Try to less, you know, anger.
That’s what we can do in the beginning. Okay? That’s very important. So that’s why we need to meditate on a daily basis. Really think.
When you go to some beach or quiet area, just think. Meditation will not necessarily be that you need huge statues or lots of these equipments to do offering things. Of course, it’s good if it is possible, but you can meditate anywhere, wherever you go. Think. Meditation is done by the mind.
Just thinking, concentrating. When you are walking, of course, you can think, you know. Especially this point is the anger. It’s the we really must be targeted. Anger is the So we are not yet achieved ultimate happiness because of the anger.
Absolutely. But we feel happiness just temporarily. Let’s say when you are not getting angry, we are happy actually. But just temporarily. But that happiness disappears very quickly.
But here is the ultimate happiness. Okay, that’s it, break now. Yes. Child. Childish?
You have a See, that’s a problem. You need to look at this textbook. Can you show her? Mind of child, yeah. When a child goes to the beach, build this sand house.
And when sand house collapses, they cry. So they cry similar like our reputation and fame. If we are really that much ego towards reputation and fame, But someday if our reputation and fame disappears, we will be the same as that child, crying. So that’s just giving you an example. An example is childish.
So that means we must grow, insightfully. Know, grow, not like a child. That’s just giving example. But to have that strength. Strength, yeah.
Grow, don’t act as children. Not to collapse. Not to let them, yeah. No, even though collapse, what this one is saying is that reputation and fame is really not important. Because reputation and fame, if you are holding reputation and fame very greatly, if you are clinging very strongly.
When this ghost disappears, then we will cry, same as like a child. This happens because we are holding strongly. Like a child was holding the sand castle very strongly, but then you know, wave comes sometimes, you know, it takes away, and they cry. Something like that. Of course, having a reputation and fame is not saying it’s bad.
Buddhism is not saying having a reputation and fame is bad. But how you are handling when you have a reputation and a fame, that is the problem. Same as like having a computer is not bad. Having a cell phone is not bad. Having iPad is not bad.
IPad for all these things are just useful. They are very useful. But problem is how you use it. See? Same thing, reputation and fame is good, generally speaking.
But then how you apply and how you consider your reputation and fame, how you really actually take and using your reputation and fame towards the other sentient beings. Many times people use their reputation and fame like power, see? And they harm other people. I have a power of the president. Then they harm.
See? I have a power of this, that. So they use this power of reputation. That’s no good. But then, this one, was saying, if you have such an ego like this, then now he was saying reputation and fame.
When it disappears, you will be like a child. That’s when the devil was talking to us. But if are if our reputation and fame let’s say Dalai Lama has a reputation and fame, Dalai Lama’s reputation and fame disappears, Dalalama wouldn’t have any problem. He will be okay. He understands.
Of course his reputation will not disappear at any time, but I’m just giving you an example. But when our reputation and fame disappear, we will suffer a lot like a child. Why? Because we are grasping very strongly our reputation and fame. Strong attachment, that’s good for strong attachment.
Grasping, clinging very strongly. Holding like this. Why? Because we are not meditating on impermanence. We think our reputation and the fame is like permanent.
We grasp reputation as permanent. So that is the problem. But if you do practice, generally speaking, having a reputation and a fame is good. Sometimes it’s good to have some reputation and fame. You you can help many, many people.
Let’s say if I know this little name as a Geshe, who is going to come to me and listen to my teachings? Nobody. Because of having this Geshe name, and not only just helping me to teach other people, also the other people are also getting help from me. But if I use this Geshe name, if I really use negatively, then it’s not going to benefit for the others, not going to benefit myself. See?
Buddhism does not say reputation and fame are bad. How you really are handling the reputation and fame, that’s only here is the same as like a computer, things like that. And how you are handling reputation and fame. How you are using your reputation and fame. See?
That is the main thing here. Any questions? Good to see you. Absolutely. You can take advantage.
You can take that disadvantage as an advantage. This is the time now I need to really forgiveness, practice of forgiveness, practice of tolerance. Think about as you can transform, you can transform that when people put you down, you can transform that into a path. This is the great opportunity to practice forgiveness or patience and tolerance. Take this advantage, this advantage as an advantage, which is one out of the seven points of mind training.
Adversity, transforming adversity into path. See? So same thing, you are transforming adversity into path. That’s good now. If now people are putting me down, okay, you know, maybe I may cause something that need to put me down.
I am the one who cause. Maybe it’s good to, this time, to have that karmic result now. It’s better to have now. This small, you know, this uncomfortable feeling, I can avoid bigger, greater suffering and pain in the future. So this small pain in the suffering, I can avoid greater pain in the suffering in the future.
Why? Because now I am a human being. I have so many resources. I have so many things, good things I can do. I can listen to the teachings.
I can practice the teachings as a human being. It’s called eight leisures and ten endowments. I obtain that. But if I am born in the lower realms, and if I get some kind of problems, what can I do then? So that’s why I will consider this little in the suffering.
I will consider little pain in the suffering that I can be able to avoid greater pain and suffering in the future. So that’s why I will go to transform adversity into path. If you think about it this way, that’s a perfect one of the seven point mind training. Adversity, transforming adversity into path. That’s the best practice one can do.
Okay? Anyone? That’s what you mean. May all sentient beings be inseparable from their happiness that is free from suffering. Yeah.
Do mean happiness? Happiness is free from suffering. Happiness that is free from suffering. What is that? Yes.
Once you feel ultimate happiness, you are free from suffering. That’s ultimate happiness? Yes, ultimate happiness only. This one is ultimate happiness. How to achieve ultimate happiness?
You have to talk loudly because this fan is here. How one can achieve ultimate happiness? Okay, that’s called practice, practice, practice. Here, since the Buddha house exists, everything is supposed to be to achieve ultimate happiness. Peter was working in the office, Peter is coming to the class, meant to be to achieve ultimate happiness.
You didn’t realize that, yeah? Happiness, we feel happiness. We feel happy sometimes, yes. But that not so lasts long. It’s temporary happiness.
Ultimate happiness is the permanent happiness. You got it now? So this is the prayer we are praying. Peter has different ways of asking questions. I will look at the translation.
Say it again. What is that? May all sentient beings be inseparable from the happiness that is free from suffering. We are praying that all sentient beings must achieve that ultimate happiness. Something is totally permanent happiness.
Totally there is no pain and suffering. We are praying that we must achieve that. What is that? The English word is As inseparable from the happiness that is free from suffering. So that’s called the permanent happiness, ultimate happiness, which I mentioned to you.
Ultimate happiness means permanent happiness. Permanent happiness means no more pain in the suffering at all. No pain in the suffering. Even though there is no gross level of pain in the suffering, there is no subtle level of pain in the suffering. Suffering is totally long way gone.
But we feel happy now. But then, after changes, we feel suffering and pain. That’s why all happiness is temporary. Okay, that’s a good question actually. I would like to say the ultimate four immeasurables are only at enlightenment.
I would like to say that. Ultimate. Ultimate four immeasurables are the enlightenment, only after you are achieving enlightenment. However, but this one is also can achieve before fully enlightenment. Like the highest bodhisattva path, you can achieve that.
Especially once you realize emptiness directly, you can achieve that. That. But there is no, once you realize you see the reality now. You see reality. Achieve ultimate reality.
You are directly realizing emptiness. But you see the real the fact once you realize emptiness. So that point of view, then you know exactly what is the ultimate happiness, what is the temporary happiness, which is also called the ultimate truth. Two truths. Conventional truth and ultimate truth.
So this was the ultimate truth. But now we are talking about the four immeasurables. The ultimate four immeasurables are the only Buddha, but the highest bodhisattva can achieve this one. Okay. Anyone?
Buddha’s House Prayer book. Page thirteen, please. Lot of Dharma, who is convinced by the greatest disposition of those to be subdued, make clear in the light of spoken advice, Sakya tradition in essence of the Buddha’s teachings. Foremost holy Lama to you who are supreme. O Lama, please bless me Thank you very much.