Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 80-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab continues his detailed commentary on the patience chapter of Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, focusing on verses 24-26 and their practical implications. He begins with the immediate response to harming others — purification practices like bodhicitta, which should be done daily to cleanse unintentional harm caused by lack of mindfulness. He then expounds on the core pledge: not to harm any being, and to delight the Buddhas through patient restraint even if beaten or mocked. Geshe Kyab emphasizes that Buddha-nature is fundamentally compassionate and that all sentient beings have the potential to become Buddha; the teacher cannot transfer realization to students, but instructs them in how to cultivate it themselves. He illustrates patience’s fruits with concrete examples: a beauty and perfect faculties in future lives result from practicing patience rather than anger. The session concludes with reflections on anger as a destructive force in politics and global conflict, and the importance of inner transformation as the foundation for world peace.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2017 08 17.mp3
UUID: c74a9c6f-0e9f-4752-9561-ece1af4cf1a8
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Thursday Patience (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2017-08-17
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 80.9 minutes
Words: ~2,468
Okay. Lastly, process number twenty-five and twenty-six. So we did talk about the you know, without any without having any knowledge sometimes we do harm other sentient beings, other sentient beings, you know, could be animals, could be Sometimes you know, some practice even though people do practice regularly but because of this monkey mind and lack of mindfulness sometimes we may hurt other sentient beings but then now verses number twenty four was said it’s very important when you harm other sentient beings there are many different purification, which is wonderful. I did mention this before, great master Atisha when he was journeyed to Tibet and then the time to time he asked his students, okay now stop here and then he just got out from the horse, generates a great negative karma so it’s the results going to be not so good so that’s why he does this immediately he did bodhicitta, arising mind. A lack of mindfulness, a lack of patience even though you really didn’t want to harm others but sometimes this happens but then this purification is appropriate to do this purification practice so that’s why I will repeat again if you do purification practice every morning three times how much you understand purification how much you you have belief in purification so it’s dependent.
Then the next verses that we talk about the in order to which is we need to do instead of harming them. So moreover, the next verse is the goal of all that. If you do not harm other sentient beings, so that means So I shall not injure anyone back. Let the guardians of the world take delight. So that means if you do practice patience, that means the Buddha will be glad, wanted you to help other sentient beings.
Buddha would not be happy if you do harm other sentient beings. The same thing. Now here is if we are talking about the Buddha, you know. Because we are not gods, then what is the prayer? Two different prayers.
One prayer let’s say, we do prayers in so many here, in books, so many prayers, in we do say that we are supposed to be praying. These prayers are the main duty reminding us to practice everything is the Buddhist prayers, in practice this will help us to mindfulness, to grow our mindfulness. Many of all these prayers. Both of these are The second prayer is that we do pray Buddha for a mutual long life, good health and you know successful and etcetera. Properly from pure heart, know, then we will going to get the blessings. However, best prayer is to help other sentient beings.
If you do help other sentient beings, then if you do pray Buddha, I think that he will communicate to us. Even though you are not praying just helping other sentient beings, nobody can you know there is no equal as Buddha so that’s why the Buddha do have such a power so that’s why the if you do pray from pure heart so then Dharma protector sadhana recitations. Why we do that? Because Dharma protectors do have great power especially the high-level Dharma protectors. Because we are very ordinary normal human being, it’s difficult to accomplish or dream for welfare of the sentient beings.
So that’s why we need to ask and send goodwill that will From now on, for the sake of delighting he, thusly born Buddhas, I shall act with definite restraint as a sovereign to the world. Let mobs of people kick me in the head with their feet or beat me to death. I shall not injure anyone back in return. Particular teaching he was explaining, there’s no doubt that those with a compassion self nature have taken all wandering beings to be the same as themselves. Buddha’s nature is the compassionate self-nature because the main thing here is they’re talking about the every sentient beings true positive within nature so that’s the main thing here but it doesn’t mean that the Sentient beings are not yet Buddha but Buddha do think.
Sainte Devo was saying there’s no doubt about that. Buddha will think the all wandering sentient beings Every sentient beings do individually, they do have potential to attain Buddha. So that means we one day all sentient beings become Buddha. Once they have eliminated the mental afflictions, then they will become Buddha. Sentient beings, like a Buddha, they are so kind, you know.
I became Buddha because of the sentient beings. If there are no sentient beings, then I cannot be Buddha. Why? Because then I cannot generate bodhicitta, then I cannot develop the compassion, so then how can I able to attain Buddhahood? Because if there is no great compassion in bodhicitta, there is no you do have this potential to become Buddha.
It’s your own practice. It’s your own responsibility. That’s what I was telling us. I was same as you. However, I did meditation, I did generate bodhicitta, I helped sentient beings as much as I can.
You know, I never harmed any other sentient beings. Know so then I generate with the cheaper compassion etc, so then maybe you can achieve your goal. So now I’m giving you all these instructions to you. You have all of these instructions and also you do have most important thing is your inner nature so you do have this potential to achieve Buddhahood now everything is found in your hand. It’s your own responsibility you know.
I cannot make you I cannot make you to achieve Buddhahood or I cannot just cure you touching my hand on your head or I cannot move my realization to you know you or in your mind. I wish I could. I wish, but I cannot. Why? Because of it, everything is in karmic terms.
There is no something that we can share or we can move each other’s karma or each other’s realization. I wish, but I wish, but that fact of the matter is I cannot move my omniscient mind to you. If something like that is possible, we all would already have attained enlightenment. Of course, whether it’s a great his I cannot cure or purify sentient beings’ suffering just by touching them or putting my hand on their head then their coarse mind becomes omniscient mind but that’s the last thing then here today, Śāntideva above again explained in different ways just this is just this is what brings pleasure to the Thus-Gone Buddhas. Just this is what perfectly accomplishes my own end as well.
Just this is what dispels the world’s suffering true. Therefore, let it be just as that always that I always shall do. Thus-Gone Ones.. If you really want to be truly happy, to have all the sentient beings. Just this is what perfectly accomplishes my own aims Dharma protectors, deities and so forth.
So that’s another thing, know, in order to free the world from suffering, so we need to help others and the beings. World, So this is exactly the world peace. World peace is the when sufferings are free from the world, then they only be achieved world peace. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any world peace. However, in order to achieve world peace, but then now individual of course individual you or we must be peaceful and the listen point of view is that you and me must be peace and calm, try to eliminate the pain and soften, then we can able to extend this peace.
One to order, order to order. If you are not a peaceful human being, then you cannot just bring yeah this one is the mainly the just this is what perfectly accomplishes my own end as well. Here is the my own end as well is the let’s say if you are only seeking to reborn the highest status human being or the demigod and god realms. Even though if you really are seeking to reborn again human being, so this one is also the justice is mean also you need to help other sentient beings so here is the if you want to become more handsome beauty. See, if you really want to reborn beauty, looking face and body, you need to practice patience.
Whatever powder you put in your body, because you are happy, are happy, happy mind, happy body in the next lifetime because of the you already caused this beauty by practicing patience, the next lifetime you will be very The second is not just human being where all faculties are perfect and we can hear well, we can see well, we can talk, we can walk everything is our mental state is still alive. Especially, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe-la, Sogyal Rinpoche, all the Buddhist religious masters and teachers are good and wonderful Westerner of teachers are alive. In your area then state then the the nation quickly then then the goes out from the country or overseas then sometimes in the world See? Anger does destroy the world. Look at it nowadays.
They are talking about the nuclear war or something could be part of the war. Look at it because of the anger. Somebody’s anger destroying the world. World that we all built together beautifully. But because of the anger, now it’s really destroying.
How difficult to bring the world together. It’s wrecked. And you must depend for yourself to push them back which is understandable and also in ancient times they were not that much connected everybody is just We all are very much dependent on each other which is very true. So then now I think the long road is saying if you’re the other country, actually you are destroying your own country, the power of self. That’s made a lot of sense.
Wow! It’s very true! Politically that’s very true. But how how I’m saying what I was saying is the anger is the main thing you know so that’s why we now, the Dalai Lama was mentioning is very important to understand this is a great opportunity to practice patience so it’s also generating bodhicitta. Then the most important thing is the meditation on Anger has no any valid, you know, support.
Nothing. Anger is the only nasty one. Anger will be destroying yourself, your family, destroying the world. So these are prayer, I think that’s the best prayer actually if you pray let’s say you invited your friend to come to your house for dinner. But now you are inviting your friend to come to your house and you are cooking dinner for him, let’s say.
But then now, regularly you like very much spicy food chili peppers, you like very hot peppers, Your friend does not like spicy food chili peppers. But now he came to you, you invited him for dinner. If you cook for him as what you like instead what he likes, you know, when he eats the food, he may not like it. Because what happened was, you cook for him food that you like. But then if you didn’t cook for him, something that what he likes to eat instead of what you like to eat, if you sacrifice your own you know this food for him and that’s called really really good friend.
So now Śāntideva was saying here it’s in Buddha at least we must what my spiritual friend like? Does he like anger, hostility, hatred? No. Anger fully sometimes you may have this little selfish mind at least try to really not to really know explode it you know just do this at least make them happy in the beginning Really, to make them happy. Sacrifice your own selfish mind.
Okay, this is the time I must sacrifice my spicy food chili pepper because you know good friend, good deeds that’s a here you see you know good friend sacrifice their own you know desires, bad friend don’t care so King sent some of his people to go out there and harm it, sending some people and King’s command comes and harm the people but then now there are some people who you know can able to harm bad people independently but they don’t do that. Why they don’t do that? Because they are king’s man isn’t it? They have some fear that yes, I am able to beat them but they cannot because of it they are the king’s men. For us is the you know let’s say somebody harm you so don’t harm back you can’t harm back you can able to harm back you can able to take revenge back, you can do it. You have this power to really harm back or able to harm back but you must stop it.
Why? Because of the karma, let’s say. One thing is the Buddha wouldn’t be happy. Second thing is the, if you harm back, think about, you are accumulating negative karma, that negative karma eventually give you results of lower realms, hungry ghosts. You must have some fear to reborn lower realms because of the indications, because of the hostility, because of the hatred, because of the great anger.
For that one acting like this is not alone. In the contrary, the king’s power and might are his military forces. Likewise, some loyal person creating harm is not to be condemned. Because we need to be very much vigilant because of karma. karma is to cause not results.
Okay? I did say this last time. Sometimes people talk, Oh this is my karma, that’s my karma. Actually not. This means that are your karma results, not karma.
karma is to cause. karma cause When you are saying this is my karma, that is my karma, that’s a really mistake. Karma results. Karma is the action that you when seed grows, becomes sprout, sprout is the result of the seed, sprout is not seed, seed is already gone, no more. Okay, that’s now mainly yes.
For his armed forces are gods of people. Okay. And once you harm other sentient beings so then he now if you go on in the hell realms for his armed forces are the guards of the joyless realms and all the compassionate ones so like they are totally, what you say, their mind is very poor mind, think about it, their mind is totally poor mind, they are totally, how you say, Questions? Chapter number one, part of the one of the commentary is the one hundred and fifty-six verses. Still not everything is in it.
And this particular topic the idea one examination I’m very familiar all about the Buddha-nature because of the it’s called Okay? Okay. Thank you very much.