Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The image Geshe Pema Tsering reaches for in this 87-minute commentary is war: self-cherishing has occupied our being the way an invading force occupies a country, and beating it back is the only path to genuine bodhicitta. Working through the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva at the transition to beings of greater scope, he traces the sequence — equanimity, loving kindness and compassion, then the mind of enlightenment — and insists that “great” compassion must cover every sentient being, not merely the people of Australia. He also corrects a common misunderstanding: realizing emptiness is not a prerequisite; training the mind to cherish others more than oneself produces bodhicitta, which then makes realization of selflessness easier. The session closes with Q&A, including the hard illustration of extending compassion to one who has killed your father.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 2006 10 29 37 PoB.mp3
UUID: f97d01b4-ea68-4ff1-b827-7fe2e550ca43
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: 37 practices of a Bodhisattva (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006-10-29
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 87.3 minutes
Words: ~5,998
Is telling us to give rise to a good motivation and then wishing to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, we then are going to study this text on on mind training, and then we are going to practice accordingly and then in this way, aim at enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. So then we we keep on going in in the verse that introduces then the meditations and teachings for beings of greater scope. We stopped last time in a sentence which was telling which was telling us how how shameful it it is to just strive for the sake of of one’s liberation alone and and whilst living all mothers all mother sentient beings suffering in cyclic existence. So we are told that it is very shameful, and then and then the text follows on saying that because because it is so very shameful, then we should then strive for the sake of liberating all sentient beings, all limitless sentient beings without exception, from cyclic existence, and then so then so then in order to accomplish that, we must previously then give rise to the to the to the mind of enlightenment, we give we give rise to the mind of enlightenment, and and in order to give rise to this to this mind of enlightenment, we must develop than previously, we must develop, how to say, love, loving kindness, and compassion.
And then we are told lastly that this then this is the way that the bodhisattvas train give rise to the mind of enlightenment. So then the text the text goes on to to say, so then one must give rise to the mind of enlightenment in order to accomplish that that enlightenment. And then Geshe-la went back again to the part of the sentence which refers to to previously, before giving rise to the mind of enlightenment, one has to give rise to loving kindness and compassion. And then Geshe-la was then saying, so then the text is telling us that without loving kindness and compassion, we cannot produce the mind of enlightenment. And then, on the other hand, if we have produced, generated within our mind streams, loving kindness and compassion, it will be much easier It will be very easy to develop the mind of enlightenment.
And then, Geshe-la then explains, so then, loving kindness, what translated as loving kindness is then the wish to have all sentient beings endowed with happiness and its causes, all sentient beings without exception. And then and and compassion is then the wish to to have all sentient beings free from suffering and its causes. And then guess I was then saying, then they are the the these two minds, they are complementary in that producing if one generates one of these minds, if one generates love and kindness, then eventually compassion will naturally come about. And or on the other hand, also, one generates compassion, then naturally, and kindness comes about. One is just the wish to free all sentient beings from suffering, and the other one is to endow all sentient beings with happiness.
So in this way, they are complementary. They they are how to say, they synergize with each other. Okay? So then, with respect to loving kindness and compassion, it is when the text is referring to loving kindness and compassion, is not just talking about wishing for a hundred, a thousand, or a few thousand sentient beings to be happy. It is not just as Geshe-la was saying, it’s not just to to wish all every people in Canberra to be endowed with happiness and its causes.
That is loving kindness, there is certainly a virtuous mind, there is certainly very virtuous, but there is not great, what is called great loving kindness. And the same with with compassion is is is not just to wish all people of Australia to be free from suffering. That that is compassion, that is greatly virtuous, and is really is really, how to say, praiseworthy, but it’s not the the compassion that’s being referred here in the text. The the compassion that’s being referred here in the text is great compassion, and then it’s a compassion that refers to all sentient beings. If you wish and if you wish if you wish only the people of Australia to be free from from suffering, then you’re living you’re living out of of your scope of meditation.
You’re leaving out all hell beings and and hungry ghosts and animals and and goats and so forth, and all other people of the world, of course. So so it is all good, but it’s not the great love and kindness, a great compassion that has been referred in the text. So then, again, with respect to loving kindness and compassion, even even a young child has loving kindness and compassion. Even any any ordinary being has a level of loving kindness and compassion. Now the the loving kindness and compassion that is being referred here in the text, again, is something that refers to all sentient beings.
Because of that, it is extremely difficult to give rise to. And Geshe-la says, if one can give rise to such great loving kindness and great compassion, then, again, the mind of enlightenment will come out of it naturally. And then because it is great loving kindness, it is great compassion, it is not just the compassion and loving kindness that any ordinary being has, So then it is something which is said to be, how to say, exclusively Buddhist in the sense of scope of meditation. Okay? Is explaining how to give rise to love and kindness and compassion.
Then one must first understand that just like oneself does not wish for any suffering and wishes only for happiness, and all other beings are just the same, just like oneself. And in this way, recognizing the the great kindness of all other beings, then one develops the wish, then on this basis, the wish to to to have all sentient beings free from suffering, from every suffering and endowed with every happiness. Geshe-la is then saying again, this is something which is very difficult to accomplish. There is a danger that we might think that we actually have loving kindness and compassion within our mind streams. And then he says, it’s very easy for us to develop to have, how to say, this mind of loving towards our very close friends and relatives.
But as we widen the scope of our meditation to include more people and more sentient beings, then we see that all of our kindness grows weaker and weaker, and then it’s very difficult. It’s not as I say now to talk about all sentient beings without exception, it’s very difficult to accomplish. We hardly we hardly ever can ever can even think can even think about it. So then, again, it is something that is very difficult. It’s very easy to say it in words, to speak it out with one’s mouth, but it’s it’s actually to generate the actual mind of of loving kindness and compassion with regards to all sentient beings.
That’s that’s really difficult, Geshe-la says. And then Geshe-la says, we all we all meditate like this. Like Geshe-la was saying, so may all sentient beings have happiness and its causes, and may all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes. But as soon as we think of someone that we dislike, then that person is out of that of that meditation. And that’s that’s not alright.
And and and when when that happens, then the path to love and kindness was has has been immediately blocked. So Geshe-la is saying, so then, this person dislike, that we might think and might might whilst we think of this person, we might block our path, the path to to to to the development of loving kindness and compassion. This person this is this is what usually happens with us, isn’t it? But then we shouldn’t allow this thought to come up. We should actually understand that, again, this person is just like ourselves.
And then not only that, but as soon as this person does something which is nice or something that we we like, then we change our minds about that person. We start thinking that this that person is is a nice person, a good person, is our friend instead. So then we have we we should we should not allow, how to say, our our averting thoughts to come about. So then Geshe-la is so then what Geshe-la has been explaining to us, Geshe-la is saying is refers to equanimity, to developing equanimity, which is very which is necessary in order to be able to give rise to loving kindness and compassion. So then one, again, has to understand that those the or she who we called enemy, then, then again, it’s just the same as ourselves in that that person also does not wish for any suffering and only wishes for happiness even though it has harmed us, even though it might be Osama bin Laden, even though it might have killed might be our father, they are just the same in that they they wish only for happiness and they do not wish for any suffering.
And it might might even be the person who has killed our father, and, again, that person just the same does not wish for any suffering, only wishes for happiness. And the the person in this life has killed a father, in the next life, it will be one of our parents. So it is they are all the same in this sense. And Geshe-la was saying, so then this this is what is called equanimity, and it’s very important to develop equanimity. So then so then this is very important.
One have to understand how people are the same in this way. One has to understand how how how very kind all these people, all all the sentient beings have been to to us. Us. And then in this way, with this thought of equanimity, then one can can generate loving kindness and compassion. And but and then on the other hand, Geshe-la says, without this mind of equanimity, one cannot there’s no way to generate love and kindness and compassion.
And without then love and kindness and compassion, there’s no way to generate bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment, so there’s no way to enlightenment. So then, in Spanish, then as a prerequisite, so then we have to give rise to to this mind of equanimity. And then having having developed this mind of equanimity, we then engage as in the text as the text explains, we engage then in love in developing loving kindness and compassion. And then having generated this wish to free all beings from suffering, then and we understand that we can only accomplish that with full enlightenment. And then in this way, with from this understanding, we then generate the the authentic wish to free all sentient beings to to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, to free all all sentient beings from suffering, and that is how it will ever happen.
And then this is then the mind of enlightenment. This is then bodhicitta. So then Geshe-la then explains. So then Geshe-la was reading for the last sentence of of of this paragraph, which is then saying that that this is the way that the the bodhisattvas practice giving rise to the mind of enlightenment. So then this is the way the bodhisattvas go about it, but it’s not only the bodhisattvas, the text is telling us that we also have to follow their example.
And even though we are not able might not be able to accomplish that right now, we still have to plant the imprints in our minds. And then we have a quote then from the ornament of sutras, which is telling us that giving rise to the mind of enlightenment means wishing for true and perfect enlightenment for the benefit of others. And that’s that’s if I shall explain it, this is the defining characteristic of the mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta. And and then we are told we are told then that the the the nature or or, let’s say, the essence of of the the mind of enlightenment of of of the Mahāyāna mind of enlightenment has as its object of intent, then striving for the welfare of others, accomplishing the welfare of others, how to say, has its intent accomplishing the welfare of others by striving whilst striving to attain the complete enlightenment. And Geshe-la was explaining, so others, this very small Tibetan sentence, so then Geshe-la is explaining that the word that refers to as others, then it’s referring to all other sentient beings.
Then the welfare here, again, is is to free all sentient beings from every suffering and accomplish every happiness, endow them with every happiness, and accomplishing that through the perfect complete enlightenment of a Buddha. So then when we talk about the mind of enlightenment, this is what we to to think about. This is these are the thoughts that we have. This is how we have to think about the mind of enlightenment. And then Geshe-la says, but but we cannot give rise to such thoughts, nor can we?
And the reason we cannot give rise to the mind of enlightenment and to loving kindness and compassion is because it’s because of our self-cherishing mind. And then so then in the very how to say? In the in the very depths of ourselves, then we have the the the self grasping mind. And together with that self grasping mind, you have the self-cherishing mind. And these those two together, they take over they take over they take hold of our of our being, and in this way, they do not allow just just like the Chinese have taken hold of of Tibet and does do not allow the Tibetans freedom to come and go.
So, again, this the the self grasping and the self-cherishing minds, take hold of our beings and do not allow for loving kindness and compassion to come and go about. So then again, Geshe-la Sen says again that giving rise to the mind of enlightenment, to love and compassion is very difficult. And then so then because because of this self-cherishing mind, and unless we subdue this self-cherishing mind, then there’s no way we can give rise to love and kindness and compassion. So then this with respect to self-cherishing, this when we’re talking about subduing or or transforming it, so then we we talk about something which is very difficult to accomplish because it has to be done because self-cherishing is mind, then it has to be subdued or transformed with mind. There’s no other way we can deal with it.
So then if it a thing, an object, then there are many ways we can handle an object and alter, transform, or get rid of it. But mind can only be handled with So then, Geshe-la then explains, so then, generally speaking, there are when we talk about self-cherishing, then there are two self cherishings. So then there is cherishing oneself and cherishing self of others. And then Geshe-la was then explaining, so then with respect to cherishing others, then we should always we should always train in cherishing others. And then with respect to cherishing oneself, we should at all times avert it and and stop it.
So then as as for as for cherishing the self of others or cherishing others, then Geshe-la says this is this is a correct mind, a correct consciousness, and then it is is the it is as if it were our our ally. And then the more you meditate on such a mind, the the the better it gets, and then up all the way up to enlightenment. It it leads us all the way up to enlightenment. And then on the other hand, the self-cherishing mind is a mistaken, erroneous consciousness mind, and then there’s nothing good about it. There’s no good coming out of it.
And meditating, the more we get used with it, the the worse the worse it gets. It it only gets worse. Okay? Okay. You understand?
So then Geshe-la is then saying, we usually we do not see the good qualities of cherishing others, and and we actually not and also, whilst not seeing the bad qualities, the shortcomings and faults of self-cherishing, we keep on believing that I, this I, regard ourselves as very highly, as very important, as very good, as endowed with good qualities. And we think of ourselves, we think of our I as being, how do you say, virtues and and and with good qualities and so forth. And and whatever, Geshe-la was mentioning, whatever whatever faults there might be, we think immediately, we think that that is because the fault that that is the fault of others, that others have put onto ourselves or created onto us and so forth. So then Geshe-la then explained, as for the self-cherishing mind, there’s nothing there’s nothing good about it. We one has to get completely rid about or completely rid of it.
And then as for the the self grasping mind self grasping And then as for as for the eye, Geshe-la is saying there are then two eyes. Okay. So then one is the conventionally existent I, which has existed since the beginning of this time, and that is is there is alright. There is a correct mind, a correct consciousness. Now there is another I which refers then to the self grasping, which is then that assumption that that the I exists from its own side, that it that it inherently inherently exists from its own side, and that, Geshe-la says, that is completely wrong, mistaken, and there is absolutely nothing good about it.
Then again, you have literally translated into self-cherishing of oneself and the self-cherishing of others, or or cherishing the self of of oneself and and cherishing the self of others. And then so then one is correct, and the other one is mistaken. Now the all everything that we do, all this everything that we do in order to accomplish our happiness and to to rid ourselves of every suffering and every activity that we engage in, we do we do all that because of this self-cherishing, which is then which is then okay. Which is then which then comes about because of the power of of of the self grasping mind, which is the the ignorance of self grasping. And then so then everything that we are doing, we are doing out of of a mistaken, erroneous consciousness, and and and still, we cannot see the shortcomings in relation to it.
So we keep on we keep on doing it. Then if we can then subdue and transform or transform this self-cherishing mind, then we will be able then to produce to give rise to love and kindness and compassion. And then we’ll be able we’ll be able then to regard all all other sentient beings as more precious and more important than oneself. But right now, we cannot do that. We we regard ourselves as more important than other sentient beings.
Now a bodhisattva is somebody who has already reversed the situation within his mind, is somebody who has already who already regards others as more important than oneself. And so that’s that’s what we have to do. This this reversal is what we have to accomplish. Then I was I was just I had a doubt myself about what Geshe-la was saying. I was asking him I was asking Geshe-la so then because he was saying that in order to to that that the self-cherishing of oneself is is overpowered.
So then Geshe-la was then explaining, and he was explaining that in order to give rise to loving kindness and compassion, we have to stop this self-cherishing self-cherishing and develop cherishing others. And but then one’s self-cherishing comes about because of the ignorance of self grasping. So then I I thought then that’s according to what he was saying, I believed then that that one had then to to realize selflessness before being able to destroy the self-cherishing of oneself. And Geshe-la says, no. That’s not the case.
All all that has to be done is is reverse the the how to say? The thinking? Reverse the thinking with respect to the to the to the cherishing others. So all one has to do is is train one’s mind in a way that the cherishing of others will be more developed than the cherishing of oneself. And one will start then seeing the importance and the relevance of cherishing others and seeing the shortcomings of cherishing oneself.
And then with this one can develop the mind of enlightenment, one can go up to the mind of enlightenment, and having developed the mind of enlightenment, one can easily realize selflessness and emptiness. So Geshe-la says this is like fighting a war. It’s like it’s just like the China has has then invaded Tibet and taken over Tibet and then arrested all the freedoms of of the Tibetans. In the same way, so then our our being is is is taken over by this the self-cherishing, one’s own self-cherishing. So then we have to fight we have to fight against that.
We have to to start a war, how to say, wage war against it, and then take over our our country, our our being, and then put this self-cherishing in the prison. Keep it there. So Geshe-la so then Geshe-la was using the word Tibetan, which is then really to to fight a battle, to wage war against this one’s self-cherishing. And then, Geshe-la was saying, so then, ordinarily, we when we fight wars, we use weapons and and and we hurt other people and so forth. Now this is this is a mind war that we have to to fight.
And Geshe-la was then saying, so then we have to the way to fight this war with one self-cherishing is then to see to see the faults, to understand, to meditate on the faults of cherishing oneself, and meditating on the and meditating on the benefits of cherishing others, and then understanding that everything that is bad, the the self-cherishing, one’s self-cherishing is the root of everything that is is evil and bad and suffering, and then that and then that cherishing others is actually the root of everything that is good and and beneficial. And so this is the way that we have to fight this this this mind battle. Then this this this war is is something it’s a very difficult war to fight, isn’t it? So then so then but we but still, we have to fight this war. And if if if if we if we really wish to be able to give rise to the mind of enlightenment, there is no way to go about it without there is no way we can attain it without going through this battle, this war.
Now that’s very difficult because the the cherishing of oneself, the mind that cherishes oneself has has been has been there since beginning of time, and it’s it’s very strong and powerful. And now the cherishing the mind that cherishes others is is something it’s a very small army, as was putting it. So this is a very, very difficult, yeah, battle to fight. So then it’s like I say, so then, yeah, if if we if we were able then to to fight this battle and win this battle over cherishing oneself, then we will be able to give rise to loving kindness and compassion. But since it is not so as as soon as we think of loving kindness and compassion, as soon as soon as we give rise to a thought of loving kindness or compassion, then then by the power power of this self-cherishing, the cherishing of oneself, then immediately we’re overwhelmed by attachment or aversion or pride and so forth.
So then if one if one then and starts thinking about one’s self-cherishing and thinking thinking how this cherishing of oneself is the source of of of all sufferings and everything that is bad and how how it has caused all the sufferings of oneself and sufferings for also all the sentient beings. And if one can start thinking in this way, then one will be able to then to how do you say? Well, I don’t know the exact word in English for that, but when we start, as opposed to regarding it highly, how do you say? Regarding it highly, when we start to regard oneself lower and lower, look down, start to look down on it.
And then and then and then one if one can train one’s mind in this way, and that’s that’s that’s good. That’s that’s the way to to win this battle. And, again, I was reading again through that quote from the ornament of sutras, which is then saying, so then the object of intent, which is then attaining the welfare accomplishing the welfare of others through attaining enlightenment, a complete enlightenment is then this is this is then the nature that which has this object of intent is then is then that that is the very nature of the mind of enlightenment. And this is what you should think about. And this is this is how one should think about it.
Geshe-la wants to stop here today. So we have time for questions and answers. Can you just ask? I can’t I didn’t hear the defining characteristic of the mind of enlightenment. Oh, is this again, it’s oh, it’s it is the mind of enlightenment is from the ornament of sutras.
We have the mind of enlightenment. Giving rise to the mind of enlightenment means wishing for true and perfect enlightenment for the benefit of others. And then we are given right after the sentence, what is the nature of the mind of enlightenment, which is again, is is it is accomplishing striving for perfect enlightenment in order to accomplish the welfare of others. Yes? So then, Geshe-la was going to explain.
So then developing this this mind that cherishes others more than oneself, well, it is it has it’s a work that has to be done within oneself, and it is just it is just about seeing the faults of cherishing oneself, and then seeing the qualities, the benefits of cherishing others. So then seeing seeing how every happiness that we have experienced depends has come from others and seeing how how for example, how every every suffering that we have experienced came from our own self-cherishing. And this is the work to be done with within our own minds. We have to work in this way. Then this cherishing oneself, it is that the mind that cherishes oneself is that mind that thinks thinks highly of oneself, thinks of oneself as being important, more important than others, thinks and wishes in this way than wishes to accomplish happiness for oneself and to free oneself own alone of suffering.
Now the mind that cherishes others is the mind that that understands how others are more important than oneself alone. It’s it’s a mind mind that sees, how is it, the benefits, how kind how the great kindness of others. And then from that mind, there’s only benefit from developing that mind, the only benefit will ensue, will follow. And and on the other hand, from holding on to self-cherishing, to to cherishing oneself alone, then only faults and shortcomings will come about. And this is the way one has to go about it.
So then the self that we are destroying with the realization of selflessness or emptiness, it is what is called the self grasping mind, which is a mind that conceives of oneself to be to exist inherently from its own side. And the self-cherishing mind, the mind that cherishes oneself, is the mind that regards oneself as more important than others, and in this way, wishes for happiness only for oneself and free only oneself from suffering. Mind that cherishes oneself alone and it regards oneself highly and and as something more important than others, there is something that we have been habituated with since time immemorial. Immemorial. And then Geshe-la was then saying, so then, if that mind was actually able to accomplish any happiness, we would have accomplished it by now.
But it has not been so. It has not given us any happiness whatsoever. We’re still experiencing suffering. So then we can see, we can understand how faulty it is. And then on the other hand, if we can then accomplish the mind that cherishes others as more important than oneself, then we we would be able would certainly be able to accomplish happiness.
And then to the same measure that we can give rise to just a few little thoughts of cherishing others, and to that measure we accomplish this we accomplish this little little amounts of happiness to ourselves. But that’s very difficult, Geshe-la says. So then it’s like this. The mind that cherishes oneself is more important than others. You you can call it ego if you like.
Okay? But in Tibetan, we’re using distinct words. Okay? Mhmm. You can you can choose to call it, it doesn’t matter.
So in Tibetan, you have one word that refers to self-cherishing or one’s self-cherishing, and another word which refers to cherishing others, and another word which refers to self grasping. Okay? And to do inherent conception of a self or ego. Now, what we are calling here, the mind that cherishes oneself, is that attitude that we all have, and we can all see and believe that we are more important than others. We are more important than dogs and cats, or we’re more important than women, or we’re important than men, or we’re more important than kids, or we’re more important than elders.
It doesn’t matter. It’s the the mind that thinks that we are more important. And the mind that cherishes others is the mind that sees how others are more important than oneself. And compassion is something that follows up from that. So then Geshe-la says we are all slaves to the mind that cherishes oneself alone, that’s more important than others.
We are so habituated with it. We cannot even we can hardly see it. We cannot that’s why so difficult to understand in the first place. We’re so habituated with it. We’re so readily overpowered by it at all times.
We we can hardly ever give rise to the to thinking of the benefit of others, the welfare of others, and we are immediately striving for the sake of of oneself because of that self-cherishing mind. We are immediately striving to to attain pleasurable things and avoid painful things for the sake because we are overpowered by this self-cherishing mind. So then again, this this this mind that cherishes oneself is is always like it’s telling us, you need money. You go there and you work. And then we immediately go there.
We work. We get the money, and we keep it, and we put it in the bank. And we all we do all that because we are overpowered. We are slaves to our our self-cherishing mind. Mind that cherishes ourselves is more important than others.
So if if we didn’t have that that mind that thinks highly of oneself, that thinks of oneself as very important, then we wouldn’t wouldn’t have any reason to go to work. Oh, that’s that’s cherishing of one’s the mind that cherishes one’s self is. But how do you survive? The birds. Like the birds, Peter.
I like the birds. So then that mind, Geshe-la is then pointing out to you that that mind which is thinking right now, oh, if I do not work, I won’t have money. If I don’t have money, I won’t have anything to eat or to wear, and so forth, that is the self-cherishing mind, Geshe-la says. Can see where it’s coming from. Yes.
And I agree. So then Geshe-la is giving to you now a couple of examples of the sort of reasoning that you can apply to the situation. Okay? There are many reasonings that one applies to to develop this equanimity and and and and how others have been kind to ourselves and so forth. Besides this thing, so then that person, for example, take take, for example, the murderer the murderer of one’s own father.
Okay? So that person so just like your father in this life has cared for you and has nurtured you and has brought you up and looked after you and been extremely kind to you, that person in one life, in in the previous life, has certainly been one’s one’s parent and has certainly shown just as many kindness as your present father in this life has shown. Not only that, just as your father do not wish for any suffering and wishes only for happiness, just like yourself do not wish for any suffering and only wishes for happiness, that person who murdered your father also does not wish for any suffering and wishes only for happiness. Even though he might not know the way to attain that, he certainly wishes that. So these are two examples of the sort of reason that you have to apply in order to be able to accomplish that.
So then we have to understand that other beings have been just as kind as parents have been immensely kind to ourselves, greatly kind to ourselves in this life, and other beings have been just as kind in previous lives, but not only in previous lives, but not only in previous lives, even in this very life, one can see how all beings are kind to oneself, and then how how the person who has given us money or food fifteen years ago has showed us great kindness, and how the the just just like the person who has given money to us today or food to us today has shown us great kindness. And not only today or fifteen years ago or this today and yesterday, and in this way, we we see the kindness of beings every day. And we have to understand how kind all beings are to ourselves in this way. And if you can accomplish these reasoning, if you can go through these and develop an understanding of them, then you will not be angry towards that person who, for example, has killed your your father, for example, in the illustration. And And then you understand how others are more important than oneself.
I know. I know. I’m just it was just an illustration. Yeah. So then, yes.
Yes. That’s correct. Well, Geshe-la is explaining that such a person has done what he has done because he was overwhelmed by afflictive emotions and conceptions, because he was ignorant of of the way things exist, and he was overpowered by attachment. He was overpowered by anger. He was confused.
And in this way, we can we can develop compassion towards such a person, and we can understand how just just like ourselves, that person was was searching for happiness and was trying to avoid suffering. So and just like what was said, in essence, deep inside, the person is certainly good. Okay. So, morning prayers, page. What is that?
Twenty six. Okay.