Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. “Get one dollar and you get one self-grasping; get a hundred dollars and you get a hundred” — that equation anchors Geshe Pema Tsering’s roughly 105-minute commentary on the third dharma in the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva: giving up attachment to the households of family, friends, and sponsors. Working through the root verse and quotes from Śāntideva, Lama Atisha, and Gyalse Togme, Geshe-la shows how craving for material gain and fame degrades study and meditation, and traces this craving to grasping at an inherently existent self. A closing Q&A addresses weakening attachment by contemplating an object’s faults (a car is the running example), distinguishing genuine loving-kindness from distorted attachment toward family, and the key point that what must be abandoned is attachment itself — since motivation determines whether any action brings suffering or benefit.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2008 07 27 37 PoB.mp3
UUID: 83c937cb-7e63-47bc-8a5d-292d64f38d86
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: 37 practices of a Bodhisattva (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2008-07-27
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 104.9 minutes
Words: ~6,268
It is like that. It is like that. Once you practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as you have indicated, even the Tathagatas rejoice. Bhagavan having thus spoken, we shall rejoice that the Bhagavan, Mahāsattva, Arhat, Deva, those surrounding their entirety along with the word of gods, humans, asuras, and were rejoicing, highly praised as spoken by Bhagavan. We move on to the next page, extensive spanning off of hindrances.
I and all surroundings and ancient beings go for refuge with the Buddha, go for refuge to the Dharma, go for refuge to the Sangha. We prostrate to the great mother Prajñāpāramitā surrounded by all the children, by all the assemblies of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions. By depending on my prostrations to all of you, may these words of truth be actualized. In the past, the deva king Indra dispelled the maras by reflecting on the profound meaning of the wisdom gone beyond and reciting the profound words in daily recitation. In that same way, I also reflect on the profound meaning of the great mother Prajñāpāramitā and recite the profound words in daily recitation.
May all diseases, spirit harms, bad conditions, and negative conditions, that which happens due to past karma and immediate conditions, may all these be dispelled, may become nonexistent, may be pacified. Oh, yeah. So so we’re studying the thirty seven practices of bodhisattvas. We’re studying the the four dharmas the four dharmas of of of many divisions of practice of has to engage in. And we yeah.
We’re approaching the third one of those four dharmas, is giving up attachment to the benefactor’s household. And the root verse of the thirty seven practices itself goes something like this. As quarreling back and forth in order to gain honor and wealth, degenerates activities of learning, reflecting, and meditating, it is the practice of Bodhisattvas to give up all attachment to the household of to the households of family, friends, and sponsors. English, was just briefly explaining translating the the Tibetan itself into a more colloquial Tibetan, which in English, it comes out as basically the same thing when whilst we occupy ourselves debating or arguing over wealth and fame and so forth, then our our virtuous activities of study, our contemplation of the teachings, and our meditation upon the teachings, all these activities that they generate. And again, it is then the practice of bodhisattvas then to give up any attachment for the the households or the what so the so called the possessions and the wealth of of family, friends, and sponsors and some benefactors and so forth.
And Geshe-la is explaining to us that the main the main recipient of such a teaching, started explaining excuse me. The teachings were mainly directed at the renunciates. Excuse me. So monks and nuns. I mean, I mean, a renunciate, a monk or a nun on any level.
They they rely solely on the benefactors and sponsors and family and friends for their subsistence. So, again, it is it is related to their vows and their commitments to study and practice and so forth that this advice is given that they should not be attached to whatever it is that is given to us to them. And for example, take for example, a meal. If they’re given a nice meal, again, you shouldn’t develop letting any attachment to that because that would then hinder their studies, their contemplation, their meditations and teachings. And then I was going from the commentary to the root verse and the commentary is just saying basically very much the same thing.
Again, when one when we when oneself becomes attached and starts debating over the the wealth and possessions of sponsors, benefactors, and and family and friends, and so forth. Again, with that being who who have having engaged in the Mahāyāna path, and when he starts to to argue or to debate over over those those things, again, practice of study, contemplation, meditation, and so forth, all the so called holy Dharma practices or pure Dharma practices. Again, they will all degenerate because of that. And that being the case, again, it is the practice of Bodhisattvas then is this is how the Bodhisattvas practice giving up attachment attachment to the benefactors and the sponsors and so forth and and family and friends, households, and and material possessions and so forth. So, again, Geshe is explaining in the commentary, the word that was used that was previously translated as as as benefactor in the root verse.
Again, it refers as to to sponsor. And Geshe-la is explaining, look. It’s not just the benefactor. It’s not just the sponsor. It’s anybody who is giving anything to that renunciate.
It’s anybody who is offering anything to the renunciate. Again, in in in relation to all those people and to the possessions of all those people and to everything that is given, to anything that is given from those people, again, that this attachment should be avoided. Because when the attachment develops, then again, the the activities of this renunciate, which were supposed to be dedicated exclusively to the accomplishment of the dharma. So those activities will start to degenerate because by the force of that attachment, a person will start to debate. A person will start to get involved in ways to obtain those things that that that he or she is attached to and so forth.
And, again, his or her activities will be then become involved with concern for his or her own profit, or how do you say, concerned with the things of this life. And in this way, his whole Dharma practice degenerates and it doesn’t become is not called anymore a pure or holy Dharma practice. And this also applies to everyone. Just I was gonna say, if the renunciates themselves and the sponsors themselves. Attachment is something which is harmful for everybody, Geshe-la says.
Again, due to the by the force of of attachment, again, one will engage in all sorts of activities in order to obtain whatever it is that one is attached to, and there’s no guarantee that one will obtain it. One might obtain it. One might not obtain it. And, again, in the activities that one engages in, most of it are not They’re very destructive. And in this way, it can hurt.
It can damage everyone’s interest. And Gestai explains just two two Tibetan words. One is nipa, which refers to material possessions, to anything which is material. Any material possessions, money, cars, whatever whatever it may be. So guess I’ll explain this word.
And then the other word which is kurti, which is refers to power or fame, anything which is regard as important in this life, but it’s not exactly material in this sense. So, again, these two things are the two things that one is is to give up attachment for. These are the two things that one shouldn’t hold on to them and grasp on to them so dearly and so tightly. So again, Geshe-la explains that those those things, those material possessions, fame, and so forth, says they are not they have no no essence of themselves, and they are not really anything of benefit. Geshe-la was explaining it.
So in in terms of if you think in terms of this life alone, then, again, we can see how they might they might be seen as a prophet because you gain power, you gain fame, and so forth, and those and those things are regarded as as good and important in this life. But due to that attachment, and, again, once actions become solely motivated for one’s own profit, one’s own benefit in regards to this life and and this sort of motivation leads leads one to activities to engage in actions to obtain those things, which are which are, again, as as was said before, the destructive. In in the process of obtaining those things, one accumulates many, many causes for future unfortunate rebirths or to experience a lot of suffering in the future because of that. So in in the long run, actually, I wasn’t saying, they they they are quite damaging. This attachment to those things, it can be quite damaging.
Those things in and of themselves have no real substance or no real essence. So it is important then to having understood this that we diminish our attachment, our our how do you say? Our used used the word literally. We should not we should not like them or we should not like them so much. And then we read that we are given a quote from the Sūtra of of the supreme intention or the supreme resolution, which says, again, you should be watchful of gain and honor since they produce attachment, or you could say since attachment is arises in dependence on them.
You should be all you should also be watchful of gain and honor since they destroy mindfulness or, again, since mindfulness deteriorates in relation to them. And Geshe-la is explaining with regards to the word mindfulness. Geshe-la says mindfulness can deteriorate in relation to them. And it’s just not any mindfulness because generally speaking, have mindfulness even for the things that we are attached to. So we have mindfulness for the things of the world, for the worldly possessions and so forth.
So then it is not this kind of mindfulness that will deteriorate, but it is the sort of mindfulness that is involved with Dharma, with spiritual practice, that is involved with virtue, that is with our studies and so forth. This sort of mindfulness can deteriorate by the force of attachment to these things. And, again, we proceed with the quote. Again, in the same way, you should be watchful because they produce shamelessness and forgive me if my pronunciation is wrong, immodesty, which which immodesty. But you can say this arrogance.
And Geshe-la was explaining again, if if one lacks this shamelessness and this, I have to say, conscientiousness or this this lack of Again, one one is is subject to engaging in all sorts of of non virtuous activities, and and one is subject to allow all sorts of other afflictive emotion and conceptions to arise, and jealousy, envy, anger, and so forth can arise because because of the this lack of of these two watchful mental factors. And Geshe-la was saying how this is this is actually the case, isn’t it? We we can all see for ourselves and from our own experience how we, for the sake of obtaining money or anything that we regard as profitable. Again, we engage in all sorts of of deceitful means even to obtain to obtain them. We deceive, we cheat, we we we even, for for a lack of a better word, I will say, we even lie.
We say that something is when it is not. We say that something is not when something is. So we we use all sorts all sorts of means of misguiding and so forth and so obtain whatever it is that we regard as profitable, we do that ourselves, isn’t it And again, again, with regards still with regards to gain and honor, again, we have said they make you regard the houses or the households of friends and and as places for alms. They make you miserly and make you abandon friends, give up on your friends, and then again be unfriendly. And again, we we there’s another quote from the same text in this in this in this way, a bodhisattva should examine all shortcomings related to gain and honor.
Having investigated them, he should decrease his desires and should not gather and should not gather anymore. And Geshe-la is saying, again, when when one investigates one’s mind in this way, gives up, lets go of these things, material possessions, on and so forth, and attachment to those things. Again, Geshe-la was saying. One is able then, one is capable then of of accomplishing great greater virtues. And I think I was just going for the the last two little sentences.
Again, one one should then having understood, have investigated those those phenomena, having investigated their qualities or or the lack of qualities, if they are actually good or they’re actually harmful. Again, understanding the shortcomings that are inherent in those in those things. Geshe-la is saying, again, one one then diminishes one’s desires in relation to those those material possessions and so forth. And, again, one also diminishes one one stops accumulating those those things or gathering those things. And we’re giving still some more quotes.
Again, someone with few desires lacks all such shortcomings. For that one, there are no hindrances for the teachings of the Buddha. And then I guess I was then saying, again, with regards to the expression that translates as having few desires. The words in Tibetan give give room to many different interpretations. So Geshe-la was first first was then saying so then desires, the word that is translated as desires could also be referring to attachment itself, more specifically to attachment itself.
But, also, Geshe-la is explaining that there are two ways to understand this desire here. So first of all, is to have your desires. As to all the wealth and possessions and fame and so forth. To all those things that worldly ordinary beings regard as important. To all those things, we should have few desires.
We have we should diminish our attachment. We should diminish our desires. And again, and the on the other hand, again, to all those things which are liberation from suffering or freedom from the conditioned existence. To liberation, enlightenment, toward all the causes that lead to enlightenment, liberation, and freedom from suffering, and attainment of every happiness, of lasting happiness, and so forth. Again, that we should have great great desire for those things.
And and then and then I’m careful here to use the word desire, not attachment, but we should have greater desire for those things. And Geshe-la was saying, so then the people the person who has few desires, and was being specific that the verses may is is saying few desires, but here, the person who has few attachments has no hindrances for the teachings of the Buddha. On the other hand, a person who have greater on on one hand you have few desire, few attachments. On the other hand, you have great great desires to obtain the causes of liberation and enlightenment. And again again, following from the still from the same text, another quote, having understood the benefits in this way, they learned should, in order to give up all honor and gain, abide sincerely and be content with few desires.
And in this way we we we are taught the very how do say? The faults, the shortcomings of of material possessions and fame and so forth and the the very benefits of having few desires. And Geshe-la is explaining how is pointing out to us how usually the the the way we actually think of those of such such people as as as who have few desires and who are not accumulating accumulating wealth or trying to obtain any any fame and so forth. And the the way we ordinarily think about those people is that we think we look down on them. We think they are not very good.
They’re not very capable. They may may be a bit lazy. And and that’s that’s how we we regard those people in our society and our culture as it is in in the world we live in. And then on the other hand, and those people who are, you know, wealthy and have all sorts of material possessions and they have authority and power and so forth, and we look up to them and we regard them as good people, competent people, and we have all sorts of good objectives to attach to them. Geshe-la is pointing out how Dharma practice, what we are being told here to practice goes directly against that way of thinking.
It completely contradicts ordinary thinking. And we’re given another quote from another sūtra, which is a sūtra requested by Kāśyapa, which says, the bondage of of view and the bondage of honor, gain, and fame are the most severe types of bondage for all ordained ones. So it is taught by all the noble ones. So so so it is taught by all the noble ones. Therefore, they must always be abandoned by the ordained.
And Geshe-la gives us a slightly different take on that verse. The first line of the verse in the Tibetan gives room to a slightly different interpretation. When it makes reference to the view, it also was saying so it is it is due to the fact that we are overwhelmed, we’re overpowered by this bad view of reality, this wrong view of reality, that then we get overtly attached to material possessions and fame and so forth. So Geshe-la was then saying again, and this bad view, this wrong view of reality is fundamentally is the view that grasps to an inherent existent self. By the power of that grasping to a real self, then again one gets overly attached to wealth, possessions, fame, and so forth.
And then out of that, all sorts of other afflictive emotions and conceptions evolve out of that from jealousy, anger, hatred, miserliness, all sorts of other affections arise out of that. And again, so then we are bound we are bound by that by the by that wrong view, by the bad view of reality. Again, we are bound to to all those things, to material wealth, possessions, fame, and so forth. And, again, we we should again, the noble ones, the noble means then advise us. They tell us that, again, we should give up attachment to those things.
And when there is attachment, anger, so forth in relation to those things, again, we should exercise a correct view of reality, give up the wrong view of reality, and then we can give up all those afflictions. And Geshe-la is explaining that here in the in the in the this quote, there’s a direct reference to ordained people. And this is all I saying, is so, just because at that time when this sūtra was given, when this discourse was given, it was given to ordained people. But in actual actuality, all of us, every sentient being must realize the correct view of reality. Every sentient being must attain liberation.
Every sentient being must attain enlightenment. So this advice is is is is given is actually relevant to all sentient beings, to all people. So everybody should realize the correct view. Everybody should give up attachment to wealth, possessions, family, and so forth. And we we are given another quote from the Bodhisattva Way of Life of Śāntideva, which says, quote, unquote, I have many possessions, and I am extremely revered.
And many people are fond of me. And Śāntideva says, if you are arrogant like this, after death, expect the onset of all your fears. And again, I just translated this literary Tibetan into a colloquial Tibetan, again explaining the meaning which in English comes basically the same thing. Again, if we are are so attached and and and so involved with all of this, our our possessions, our power, and so forth, then again, by the time we die, all our fears will will assault us. Geshe-la is saying how this is actually, again,, this is this teaching of Śāntideva is actually very true to ourselves and to our to our reality.
How we are always very happy when we obtain more wealth, when obtain more power, when we obtain more fame and praise. We’re all happy about it and we are all avoiding any blame or any complaints in relation to ourselves. And this is actually the case in all this whilst we are motivated by attachment and aversion. How it is actually so that again, in the end when we die, are going to be overwhelmed by fear because whilst we have been acting completely conditioned by attachment and aversion which are afflictive emotion conceptions which only give rise to more suffering, then again we can only expect that at the time we die, more suffering, more fear. And then there’s just, again, one the first line of another verse from Śāntideva, which says that people people have had people have abundant possessions.
When many possessions arise or come one’s way, there’s just that little line in isolation. Again, with regards to all this, we shouldn’t usually, we are very happy when we acquire many possessions, wealth and so forth. So that’s the advice that is telling us is, again, is giving us is that we shouldn’t overly attached. We shouldn’t be overly happy. We shouldn’t like it too much because it it this all these possessions and so forth, they’re very fertile ground for the arise of afflictive conceptions and emotions, for the arising of a lot of suffering.
So we shouldn’t give in to attachment. And Geshe-la is saying again that if we if we think carefully about it, can see how all these things are actually true. Geshe-la was giving us a bit of a of an illustration. We should get one dollar and again we get one self grasping together with that. And if we get a you get a hundred dollars, you get a hundred self-graspings.
And out of that hundred self graspings, get a hundred attachments, you get a hundred, get a hundred a hundred angers, and so forth. And if you just think about it, we will see how this is actually so. It’s actually very true. So there’s a lot of harm involved in it, Los And again, Geshe-la points out to the fact that this is actually so this actually happens to us. Again, overpowered by this by this self grasping.
Again, engage the self grasp grasping in this in this emotion, afflictive emotion conceptions. We we act out of that. We we and the word is reference makes reference to the the word is we engage in actions, which is karma. We then create karma and and and all sorts of bad action, which is a source of bad karma. And, again, we we engage in all sorts of deceit, misguidance.
We we do actually rob and steal from people. In the end, it comes down to it. It doesn’t matter how subtle it may be, how sophisticated our actions may be. What we are doing is, by any means possible, obtaining what we regard regard as profitable without any regard for the consequences or whatever good and harm that is that is that happens to others. What Gesha says, in the end, what we are doing is stealing, and we are robbing from other people.
When when we take by any means we can of this deceit or misguidance or manipulation or whatever, and we we take away from others, we are stealing. And when we don’t even care about making it unknown that we are taking them, we are deliberately robbing people from that. So and all sorts of bad karma or bad actions then we engage in. And then we have another quote from Lama Atisha, which says honor and gain are tight chains for all the ordained ones. One who frees himself from this bondage is like a lotus within fire.
And mean, basically, I was just explaining again the literary because a very poetic words involved here in in the composition of this verse. And I just explaining again for for ordained people, for renunciates, again, the the the worst the the most powerful hindrances to their attainment of enlightenment and liberation are gaining honor, are this attachment to gaining honor. And again, when when a being such as as is free of this of this attachment, of this bondage, then again, they are like a beautiful lotus amongst, I would say, raging fire. And, again, we have another quote from Geshe Potowa, which is, again, just saying with regards to material wealth, fame, possessions and so forth that when they arise, again we should aware of our impending death, we should avert those things and avert attachment to those things specifically. As as we would avert, how to say, a a bee or a wasp.
Again, in the same way that we are afraid of being stung by by a wasp, again, we should and we try to avert it. Again, the same way we should avert those things and avert attachment to those things. Another We have another quote from Geshe Sharawa. Geshe Sharawa is saying, I cannot stand I cannot stand it if I see others becoming wealthy and famous. And and for some reason, this transition is not quite not quite quite right because the it’s just not any other, but other dharma practitioners.
So Geshe-la was giving the illustration. If if we were both dharma practitioners and saw me, for example, receiving something from a benefactor instead of him, then all sorts of jealousy or envy and all sorts of thoughts, negativity has come about. And then and then in this pointing out to the fact that, again, how how Sharawa disapproved of himself and and disapproved of praising oneself and and holding oneself, making oneself appear as a great practitioner and so forth for the sake of fame and so forth. Is saying so again, Geshe Sharawa was saying, telling us how evil such a mind is, how bad and how harmful such a mind is and how difficult it is to get rid of it. How difficult it is to watch over one’s mind and see what is going on.
If it is if it is, wanting to obtain something or if it is willing to let go of something and, you know, to watch out, to to watch over one’s mind and see what’s happening is something which is very difficult to accomplish and to give in to attachment and so forth is something which is very harmful, is very faulty. And again, Geshe-la is explaining how Geshe Sharawa was saying this so that we would stop, avert we stop ourselves out of attachment. We stop denigrating others and then praising ourselves so that we can profit with with any material wealth or or any fame and honor anyway. And all those very evil actions, they come about due to this attachment to gaining honor. And we have a quote from Geshe Nyangsurpa, which says that we should you should give regard to the notion of of honor and gain being like a trap or or a fishing net.
And we have finally concluding this chapter we have a couple of quotes from Gyalse Togme himself saying first of first quote is saying, since honor and gain bind you, cut your fondness for sense pleasures. Again, so cut cut your attachment to sense pleasures. Cut your attachment to gain and honor. And we have another quote from. Again, although you try laboriously to achieve all the perfections of this life, such as honor and gain, there is no certainty that you will accomplish them.
Even if you achieve them, your craving will increase dramatically. Just like a a a tongue of fire a tongue of fire increases when more firewood is added. And again, Geshe-la points out the fact how how this quote again is very true, and how it is so out of attachment to the wealth and possessions. We engage in all sorts of activities. We engage in all sorts of means to obtain those things, and is no guarantee that we will obtain what we are seeking.
And then the only only thing that is certain to to increase is our our afflictive emotions, our attachment, our aversion, our anger, and so forth. So we can see how how very harmful these these things can be. Our relationship to them can be. And then we have the last quote from the Gyalse Togme, two sentences. And the first one is is saying, possessing a mind of contentment is the ultimate wealth.
And saying again, is so, isn’t it? If you are content and you’re not seeking however much you have, it’s enough for you. It’s good enough. It’s good. It’s alright.
It’s okay. And you don’t need anymore. And the last sentence is saying being free from attachment to anything is the ultimate happiness. And again, I understand how, you know, how how we say, oh, I’m okay. I’m happy and all that.
So the ultimate happy feeling is that which is free freedom from attachment. And someone say and that is true, isn’t it? Lastly, we are told that this how Gyalse Togme himself practiced in his life, just as he taught in the same way he practiced. And this is example that we should follow. We should follow their example.
We should follow the example of all these teachers. Oh, yeah. Why. And is asking you if you have any questions. Yeah.
Seem to understand the importance of the importance of giving up all these things, how So Geshe-la was saying, yes, what you say is very true. It is very difficult to to give up attachment. And one of the main things that we that we do in order to avert attachment is to reflect on the object of our attachment. It’s important that we recognize the faults that the object of attachment has. Geshe-la did say, so take for example a car.
You know, we we we all familiar with with, you know, our desires and attachments for cars. So Usually we see all these good qualities. We think, oh, this is a great car, this is a good car, it’s a beautiful car, and we see all these good qualities to it. And we have to exercise, and this is a difficult exercise, actually, it’s very difficult to think that way. But we have to exercise our minds to start seeing the faults of the car, how the car is not in itself any any, of any real value, of any real, it is not gonna give us any real happiness.
It is it is it is actually and then we’re gonna get a little bit technical. what is called true sufferings of the four noble truths. Again, we it is true suffering. It is the car itself arose, came into being, into existence, out of contaminated actions, contaminated karma, and afflictive emotion conceptions. So in that sense, it is very much in the nature of suffering, and it is it is the fertile ground for the arising of more suffering, more afflictive emotions and conceptions.
Excuse me. So it’s important. And and points out time and again, and and this is how we have to think. This is how we have to exercise our minds to think in relation to to this phenomenon. But this is a difficult exercise.
It’s something that we’re not used to do, so we have to exercise those muscles from the very beginning. And like any exercise regimen, again, in the beginning can be really difficult. But this is the way to go. Yeah. And not only that, the fellow was saying again, he’s still taking the the the analogy of the car or the example of the car.
In a way, we have all this attachment, but then in a few years, we’re gonna have to, we’re gonna have to give that car up because the car is going to break down, is going to deteriorate in in one way or another. So we’re gonna we’re gonna have to give it up. You know? So all that attachment, again, becomes meaningless. And not only that, but one oneself will have to die, and we don’t know when we’re gonna die.
So, again, being attached to a car again is is of very little value or meaning. So, again, there is a there is no real value, no real essence to that car. Excuse me. And also oneself is not going to stay long. It’s not it is no one one is not going to remain here.
So there is no there is no real there’s no real benefit coming from that. Is that okay? You wanted to say something? I just wanted to say I can appreciate the non attachment to And this is a question that we hear very often. And again, Geshe-la is explaining.
If if and I’m going to put it in in in not in exactly the same I’m gonna use his words, but in in a different order. I’m gonna start with with the end of what he was saying. First of all, one has to in in with regards to our family and our loved ones, you know, one has one has to see first of all, one has to investigate if one is actually attached to them or if one is just, you know, have has a positive feeling or a genuine feeling such as loving kindness or compassion towards them. Some genuine concern which is not Geshe-la was making the distinction. If one has an affectionate feeling towards them which is not expecting any reward or any profit for oneself in return for one’s actions and so forth, you know, such things as love and kindness and so forth, then that’s alright.
That’s there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s a positive thing, Feeling. That’s a good thing. Now one has to investigate in one’s mind if one doesn’t have a distorted motivation, a deluded motivation, which then would make that into attachment, which in this context here is an exclusively negative feeling. It’s distorted.
It’s greed. Bad. And if it is attachment, and then per se, it is a hindrance to the attainment of any lasting happiness, and it is gonna cause us to only accumulate negative karma. It’s gonna cause us to only perform actions which are going to bring us suffering. So if it is attachment, then Geshe-la is saying, in this context of family and so forth that’s a sensitive case.
One has to see for oneself if one is attached or not and if it is attachment yes one has to give up, one has to give that up because attachment is harmful. And the same applies to wealth and fame and so forth. Again, if if one’s motivation is is you know, we need we need those things. We need a certain measure of of wealth. We see we need a certain measure of of a good image and so forth.
Those those are useful things for our for our livelihood, for for our survival or livelihood or whatever we like it. So we need some of it. But if we and they give us some some measure of contaminated happiness or some measure of samsaric happiness or temporary, temporal happiness. Now if all we do is strive for that alone, if our only concern is to work and strive to obtain those little happinesses, the very petty little happinesses. And, again, you know, our life becomes very, very small.
And those things have very little meaning, and we become we have this basic motivation which is distorted and we end up generating all sorts of suffering. Now on the other hand if we are working to obtain those wealth, possessions, and so forth. But if our motivation is to benefit others, if our sole motivation is to alleviate suffering and accomplish the happiness of others, then there’s nothing wrong with obtaining wealth and possessions when our motivations are such. And then there’s there’s no harm is gonna come out of it. Actually, only benefit will come out of it.
And again, so then just to bring it to a sort of conclusion, what it means is everything, the quality of our actions depend entirely on our motivation. So again, attachment is a distorted motivation, is concerned with only one’s own profit, one’s own benefit, I want this for myself, I want this pleasure for myself and so forth. That’s a distorted motivation. So it really depends entirely on one’s motivation. What is going to ensue from one’s actions is real happiness or suffering, it depends entirely on one’s motivation.
English a lot again is clarifying again. We we the whole text we hear, oh, we have to give up wealth, we have to give up fame and so forth. And what it really means is that we have to give up attachment for those things. It’s the attachment that we have to give up. It’s not that we have to give those things themselves, the money themselves, the wealth themselves.
Those things can be used with a good motivation. They can be used in in a in a wise way. But it’s the attachment that is important that we give up. Oh, yeah. Do you understand?
Yeah. Mark. Mark, right? Mark. Yeah.
Yeah. Mark. He is saying that he will make aspirational prayers on his behalf that he may attain a good rebirth and attain real happiness in the future. Oh yeah. Anything else?
Is that okay? Yeah. Yeah. I’m good. That’ll do.
Come, would you be so kind to to lead the dedication prayers? My voice is going.