Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 44-minute session, Geshe Pema Tsering opens by asking why Buddhist practice begins with suffering rather than happiness. Drawing on Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects, he traces how recognizing samsaric pleasures as suffering gives rise to renunciation, and how renunciation expands into bodhicitta — the wish to free all beings, not oneself alone. He then explains the Four Noble Truths’ counterintuitive teaching order — result before cause — before examining the first truth in detail: the five contaminated aggregates as the primary example of true suffering, each checked against four features: impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness. A distinctive digression on karma and lifespan explains how long-life initiations can recover unused karmic years when a person dies prematurely. The session closes with a practical reminder that maintaining kindness in ordinary daily activity counts as genuine Buddhist practice.
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File: 01 4NT 2002 06 22.mp3
UUID: fd3fbd4c-c20c-44fa-9b2f-782643c789ed
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: 4 Noble Truths (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-06-22
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.1 minutes
Words: ~3,528
The great master Tsongkhapa in his text called the three principal aspects of the path.
And saying that the the beings in beings in the beings in the cyclic existence are are are are always cultivating the the the happiness this happiness of this samsaric happiness or samsaric happiness. And therefore and without having a proper renunciation. Therefore, in order to So in order to abandon the wishing to cultivate the cultivate happiness of saṃsāra or cyclic existence, one needs to have proper renunciation. Without renunciation, one can’t get rid of the wishing to cultivate the happiness of of cyclic existence. So therefore, the the renunciation is very important here because because because renunciation renunciation or the wish to free from cyclic existence is is the one which sees the disadvantages of cyclic disadvantage of the cyclic existence, which sees that all the happiness and enjoyment of this saṃsāra or the cyclic existence are are also the suffering.
And the reason so in order to do so, first, develop such first one needs to investigate investigate how those investigate or should recognize how those the enjoyments and the happiness of the cyclic existence are suffering. That is the reason the Buddhist teachings very often set forth the teachings on on on on suffering. It is because the self yeah. So therefore, we all do not wish suffering. And and and yet we all do not wish suffering.
And renunciation is the one which recognize the suffering. So all the enjoyments, the pleasure of the cyclic existence, which at this stage, we don’t see them as suffering. So in order and and this is how we undergo through the suffering. So in order to recognize so we in because we do not wish suffering, we should first recognize what what are the sufferings. So by by recognizing suffering as a suffering so that so then we can we can abandon the the the sufferings.
So so as we say that the the pleasure or so happiness and enjoyments of the cyclic existence are suffering, in order to see them as a suffering, the renunciation is required because renunciation is the one which sees the suffering as a suffering. And then through this, by seeing how one’s oneself has been been tortured by the sufferings and by recognizing so, then we one should one should one should convert thought like oneself, other motherly sentient beings are also undergoing true sufferings. So by knowing that both self and others are are are, yep, undergoing through sufferings, so and developing a thought here, instead of of developing to free oneself from the suffering, one should one should instead of that, one should develop a wish to free entire sentient beings from the suffering because that such a thought is more important than just a thought to free oneself because the sentient beings in example, even in numbers, they are more in numbers and they are more important to serve majority. And also, if one work for the work work to free entire, you know, entire sentient beings from the suffering and one by doing so, one also of of working work yeah.
Working free oneself from the suffering which comes indirectly. So therefore, the working to free entire sentient beings from the suffering and bring them to the state of ultimate happiness is very important. Therefore, it is what one we should hear, try to cultivate. I want to develop a wish to free entire sentient a mind which wishes to free entire sentient being from suffering. And and and in order to do so, which is free free sentient beings from the suffering, yeah, to to do so, one needs to attain the state of enlightenment or Buddhahood because the yeah.
It because the Buddhahood or enlightened yeah. Buddhahood is Buddhists are the Buddhists can can Buddhists only can do such yep. Can fulfill such such such wishes or such mind. So without, yeah, without having so in order to benefit sentient beings or freedom from the cyclic existence, saṃsāra and the sufferings, one needs to attain enlightenment. So should develop a mind, a wishing mind which wishes to attain enlightenment for the sake of motherly sentient beings.
And such a mind wishing to attain enlightenment for the sake of others is called the mind of altruistic intention or bodhicitta in Sanskrit. So we shall do a very should do a short meditation here on on bodhicitta or altruistic intention. And in terms of altruistic intention or a mind of generation, it can be done in many ways that one can wish to attend enlighten yeah. attain enlightenment to free all the motherly sentient beings from the suffering and bring them to a state of ultimate happiness. Or in other terms, one can one can yeah.
One can also develop a altruistic intention in thinking that I shall first bring entire sentient beings to the of state of ultimate happiness. And then at the end, I will let and one oneself attain enlightenment. Or the other way of developing the bodhicitta is to to to work yeah. That to bring both self and others into the state of all doing happiness in the same time or same period. So whatever, whichever way one can do either way, but should here now do a short meditation on bodhicitta wishing that I shall attain enlightenment yeah.
attain enlightenment for the sake of motherly sentient beings or whichever. For that purpose here today, receive these teachings. Yeah. So when we do the when we do the meditation, that we should do attain enlightenment for the sake of motherly sentient beings or to help them. And they are so one doing this on meditation, you can dedicate that wish that up till now, because there’s numbers of Buddhists and Buddhists have have been passed and and numbers of virtuous works of Buddhas.
To attain a Buddhahood and to become a Buddha, one needs to complete the two collections, so called the collection of wisdom and collection of merits. So those Buddhas has perfected all the collections which, yeah, all those collections, and therefore, it is to be sure they have cultivated a number of virtuous, the immeasurable. And then one should not feel miserly towards those the virtues of the Buddhas. They are inexhaustible. You can make use of you can make you can use them as much as one can.
So, therefore, wish that through the power of the virtues cultivated by Buddhas, Buddhist practice, as well as my own virtues I have cultivated up till now or merit up till now, through the power of those, may I attain enlightenment for the sake of all motherly sentient sentient beings and as well as and I should and in as well as in order to fulfill such in order to attain such a state for the sake of all motherly sentient beings, I shall here also engage in the practices of listening and so forth. So on such thought, we shall do a short meditation. So have you cultivate a proper altruistic intention of? So should he now listen to this teaching of Four Noble Truths with a motivation that in order to bring in order to help the sentient beings here doing the practices of listening to teachings of Four Noble Truths. And yeah.
It’s it’s quite hard. Yeah. One might find it a bit challenging here. It’s got have to be a little bit of hardship, but it’s worth doing it. So the teaching on Four Noble Truths is very important because the four Four Truths are are at the root of the Buddhist teachings or practices because it it such that practice of Four Noble Truths includes the practice of so called abandonment and the taking, which means the things which are to be abandoned or or like non virtuous and those which are to be taken are like virtuous actions.
And so therefore, the four noble truths out of the four noble truths, which are yeah. Those four noble truths are the suffering of the origin of the so true suffering true origin of the suffering, cessation, and the true path. And first two are the are abandonments, abandonments which are to be abandoned or eliminated. And and the next two are to be taken now, to be practiced. So and as we said, there’s out of those four nobles the Four Noble Truths.
The first two are the are to be abandoned and next two are are to be cultivated. The reason why it comes to in in pairs is because because for for yeah. For the both the to be abandoned and to want to be cultivated are are are the cause and effect that that each and every results have their cause. So therefore, the first two are the the true origin suffering and the true origin are the cause effect and the true path and cessation are also cause and effect. So the first two, the true origin and the two so true suffering and the true origin, they are cause and effect.
The true origin of the suffering is the cause, and the sufferings are the result a a result of the suffering is the result of origin of the suffering. So so even though, yeah, the cause and effect in terms of the the the in terms of experiencing the the cause and effect, the cause always comes front and effect comes later because effects are the result of the cause. But in but but but yes. So therefore, the true origin of the suffering is the cause and the origin of the suffering is the result of the true the origin of the suffering. But even though this the the the true origin of the suffering comes first in reality and the suffering comes next, but when we does when we do the practice of say so called the mind training or giving teachings, the the result, which is the the suffering always taught first or be be be be be yeah.
Become a first subject of the mind training. So in and and and as for the next pair, which is to cessation in the true path are also the same. The cessation is the result of the path, but in terms of practice, the the or training the giving teachings and the the mind training, the cessation, which is the result, is taught first. And then comes the cause, which is the true path. So so therefore, now out of Four Noble Truths, the first teaching comes on teaching on the the true suffering.
And now to start with the self the first noble truth, the suffering. And if so which is the suffering or which is the true suffering than the the so we which one to recognize as a suffering, true suffering? Here, the example of that is given one’s own five aggregates, which are like the contaminated one, contaminated five aggregates, which, for example, like form, feeling, recognition, compositional factors, and consciousness. So the five aggregates of the ordinary beings or or yeah. For ordinary beings.
For example, the five aggregates are the the aggregates of form, feeling, recognition, compositional factors, and consciousness. So and and the reason why we say the contaminated part aggregates is because the the five aggregates of the supreme beings are not the suffering or not the true suffering. So so speaking of this, then the our the the the body yeah.
So the, yeah, the ordinary being itself is suffering. So when we recognize the true suffering, you know, the suffering set forth the the the the the five aggregates of the ordinary beings are the true suffering and so forth. The and they are the four features of the true suffering, which are which are the impermanent suffering and you have emptiness and the selflessness. So a phenomena which is consists of all four features, which are the, I repeat, impermanent, suffering, emptiness, and the selflessness, then that that phenomena is singular, isn’t it? That’s right.
Phenomena. So that you can example that phenomena as a imperm sorry. The the the example of true suffering. So when we apply these four features to the the object of true suffering and out of those five aggregates, it is rather easier for us to start from the cause yeah. Cause one, which is like the aggregate of the form.
It’s a bit easier for us to understand. So we can demonstrate or or or do investigation on our aggregate of form, whether it has it is consist of four features of the true suffering. The first one, which is impermanent, that our form the the form aggregate is is the impermanent because it it changes momentarily. If we give a rough thought whether our the the aggregate of form is impermanent or not, we can we can we can understand it is impermanent. It changes.
For example, we can think that how our body look when we were young and now and and how much changes happen up till now. So we can we can understand it is changing, but the process of changing, we don’t see it. So because because it is our body, the aggregated form has a cause, so it is in the nature of change or you’re momentarily changing. And because a moment the result of a cause been produced, the cause ceases. And that result produces own result and that cause the result the first result becomes the cause of the second result and the first the causes diminish or comes into cessation.
So this is how the the process of changes come. And the yep. And so therefore, every time when we think of the the changing or the momentarily changing change, should think it it is changing because because because of its causes, because the because it has a cause, it changes. The reason why it changes is because the result itself become a cause to produce some produce the next step. And when the next step has been produced, the first one comes into cessation.
And in terms of process of changing, it’s very subtle that it’s set forth that that the the the sixty seconds no. No. It can’t be a second. Sixty steps or moment of change has been happened within the period of a finger snap. So therefore, it is very subtle.
So that for the very beginning, then how our rebirth or this the the aggregate of the form has been the very first stage of that aggregate of the form has been formed or becomes a result. And the the the cause of that form, the aggregate of the form, are actually the actions and the karma, which are the cause for the aggregate of the form and which which yeah. Which which which has been which have been cultivated by our previous life that it it the the action because of this because we have received the precious human rebirth. So the the the action is is is the actions are the positive actions which are cultivated though mixed with disturbing emotions. So and the the the strength Got it.
And the strength of that positive actions are in varies because because of their strength and some people after having to receive the rebirth of the precious human rebirth human rebirth or or a precious human rebirth, according to the strength of the karma, the positive karma, one has a different lifespan and some stays hundred, some ninety or fifty and some even have a very short lifespan which is ten years now. So even though the the the strength of the karma is very strong or or has a capability of having a the the lifespan of hundred years, but it is not compulsory that person will stay until the the the age of hundred because it and they could and if the person can person can, what’s this called, be be be be cease or die at the age of fifty because of of having meet with the the very bad condition like act of somebody attempts murder. So so if if such a a thing happens, like a person has a lifespan of hundred years and then if at the age of fifty, somebody attempts murder and the person only lived for fifty years. But such things if such thing happened and but the the strength the karma is of that positive action is still not completed and they are not wasted as well.
It’s still the remaining fifty years are fifty years remaining still there. And even though the person dies, the person still have has the karma of fifty years, which we call, yeah, fifty years. And therefore, we may you may have aware of the practices we used to call the long life initiations and so forth. The purpose of doing so is if there is any remaining the lifespan of the previous life, like somebody has been murdered at your fifty and fifty years remaining. So the yeah.
So we do this prayers like sorry. The practices like taking long life initiations and so forth. Those practices are to to receive the blessings of the Buddhas and and and and bringing the the previous leftover remaining years to be added on this present lifespan and can prolong one lifespan in this yep. And this present life life. So therefore, we don’t know when the the strength of the karma, our good karma or yeah.
We’ll cease, you know, either today or tomorrow or or day after, which we which are unpredictable, we never know. So therefore because we don’t know when our when the strength of the karma will come into exhaustion, so therefore it is very important to think of or meditate on impermanence by thinking that the strength of the karma is unpredictable that which we never know when it will come into cessation, either today, tomorrow or the next day. And after if whenever it comes into the end that we have to pass and and that’s not the end of our end of our continuum, we still take rebirth. We have to born again. So therefore and after the death, there are only two two migrations we traveled, the good or the bad migrations.
So and good or the good and to travel, and the good or bad migration, it entirely depends on one’s the positive, one’s one’s karma. If one has in if one has a good karma, cultivated the numbers of good karmas, it will result one to be one to to to travel in the good migration. If not, then we’ll go into the other one which is bad migration. So therefore, the being recalling the impermanence and and and cultivating a good karma is very important. So therefore, because it is uncertain, the death is uncertain, one should fear the the dev develop a fear towards the the the fear of the death or the yep.
The the strength of the karma is unpredictable. It comes either to die, tomorrow, and so forth. So because of this and then produce practice yeah. Should should engage in the practice and never procrastinate one’s practices by thinking, I should do it today, tomorrow, or a month and prolong for procrastinate it for the year and so forth. One should not do this because the the death is in in in it’s uncertain.
You never know when it comes. So therefore, should should always practice straight away in all the time. And when we say speaking of practice, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one has to sit, bring one’s body into the meditation posture and sit down and meditate for in involve both the yeah. Bring both the body and the speech into the practices like in the meditation. So forth, it is not the case.
You know, when we say the practice, one can it entirely depends on one’s mind that always having positive thoughts, like, always taking refuge at all times in any actions, moving, sitting, and so forth, and that is the practice. So when we say the practice, one doesn’t necessarily sit in and do some meditation. So in Buddhist teachings, the main practice is maintaining a kind heartedness, and that is the main practice that always avoid harm to the others other or sentient beings and bring help to them, and That is the practice. And and now this yeah. So head so, therefore, the the, yep, the contaminated aggregates are impermanent.
And now to the second one, they are also suffering. And beco yeah. We’re yeah. We are going through the four features of the Four Noble Truths, the impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and the selflessness. So now the second one is they are suffering.
And it is be they are suffering because they are under the influence of disturbing emotions and the karma. They have no independent