Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The “trip to India” analogy opens this 44.5-minute commentary: Geshe Pema Tsering observes that we prepare carefully for overseas travel yet make almost no arrangements for death — a journey equally certain and far more consequential. He traces this neglect to self-grasping, which keeps a “small corner of the mind” secretly hoping we are the exception. From this frank analysis of impermanence, he builds the graduated motivation that culminates in bodhicitta. The session then shifts to verse-by-verse commentary on Śāntideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (verses 6–10): why virtue is “perpetually feeble” without bodhicitta; how bodhicitta fulfils aspirations at every level of the path; the exalted title of child of the Buddhas conferred on those who generate it; and the image of bodhicitta as a gold-making elixir that transforms all ordinary virtue into something supremely precious.
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File: 03 BD 2002 02 07.mp3
UUID: 0b7d2757-f7a3-4718-b026-008ac7582b08
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-02-07
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.5 minutes
Words: ~2,464
So initially, we need to generate positive motivation in order to listen to, contemplate, and meditate upon these the teachings within the great vehicle by Śāntideva. So the aspiration that we need to generate in order to listen to these teachings is the aspiration of bodhicitta. And by developing bodhicitta, it’s, therefore, a motivation that would be of great benefit. But even in contemplating, the benefits of bodhicitta, one needs to comprehend the meaning of saṃsāra, what saṃsāra is. And then in thinking about saṃsāra, one must, discern what the individual sufferings of a being are within saṃsāra.
And in order to develop, an idea of the individual situations of sentient beings, then one contemplates, for instance, the nature of impermanence. So in contemplating impermanence, then one contemplates the momentary nature of impermanent entities, the fact that they’re destroyed in each moment. The fact that things are destroyed in each moment is the very nature of impermanence itself. All com compounds, all compounded composite entities have this nature, and especially ourselves as sentient beings have this nature. So here, the fact that we change is evident.
And by contemplating the nature of our change, we’re really contemplating the nature of death and impermanence and the fact that death and impermanence are definitely going to occur. And in fact, when we think about our situation, we see that we definitely will pass away. We definitely will die at some point when unable to say exactly when. But, definitely, if we’re asked, then we affirm that at some point, certainly, we will die. So then if we comprehend that, certainly, we will die, then the next question that arises is what arrangements am I making?
What preparations am I engaged in for this coming So for instance, if we had to go on a trip to to say Sydney or India or somewhere like that, then certainly in the beginning, we would need to make arrangements. However, even though death is approaching, it’s a journey we will definitely make. We tend to think that it’s not gonna occur today or tomorrow or soon. It will occur after some time in the future. And in fact, everyone has a similar approach to death.
So really this thought that I won’t die today, I won’t die tomorrow, that I’m not actually disintegrating moment by moment, being destroyed in each moment is a product of our strong familiarity with self grasping. So through self grasping, we tend to think we’re fixed in nature and that we actually don’t change. We’re not subject to death. So in fact, we tend to think that in terms of other beings, yes, certainly, every other being is going to die. We’re certain of that.
However, when we think about ourselves, there’s a small corner of our mind that has hope that perhaps we won’t die. Everyone else is, but perhaps it won’t So, really, this is a product of our strong familiarity with grasping at self. So even though we have a a general appreciation of the fact that we will die, still, our arrangements for our coming death are not very strong or detailed and so on. On the other hand, if we were to have to travel to Sydney or India and so on, we would definitely begin to make preparations. Preparations for our death are not as intense as a trip to India.
So, really, we have to contemplate this thought that tends to discount the fact that we may die today or we may die tomorrow or die soon. And in order to overcome that inertia, we need to think about the very nature of death, to contemplate death, and the fact that there’s no guarantee whatsoever that we will continue to abide for another moment. So in fact, we need, at this point, to contemplate the nature of death. So by thinking on the nature of death and the fact that I will die in this manner, then a certain degree of fear arises. So then if such fear does arise, then that’s a good sign.
It’s a useful state for us to develop. Mhmm. So then in really gaining a feeling or some experience of our pending death, the inevitability of that, then also we transfer that understanding to other sentient beings who are similar to ourselves and the fact that definitely they also will die. So then one contemplates how definitely both myself and all other sentient beings, both of these groups will definitely die. And in fact, at the point of death, then there’s only two possibilities, either rebirth in the higher realms or rebirth in the lower realms.
So then in contemplating the the individual sufferings that one potentially will suffer due to one’s past actions, then one develops an aspiration to get beyond this situation, this susceptibility to future suffering. And one recognizes that the state in which one is completely beyond suffering is a state of an arhat. In that state, there is no suffering whatsoever. So then in developing such an aspiration in terms of oneself, one when one examines the nature of other sentient beings and sees that they’re similar in their own aspirations to attain a state of happiness and so forth, then one also can extend that motivation to include other beings. And then in developing that aspiration that all sentient beings like myself be free from all suffering, one then extends that motivation to the point of superior intention or this universal aspiration that all sentient beings attain the highest state and that I myself will achieve or establish that state of full enlightenment for all sentient beings.
So then having developed this very strong aspiration that oneself will take the burden of enlightening all sentient beings, that one has the potential to attain a state of Buddhahood, one will achieve the state of Buddhahood in order for oneself to liberate all sentient beings, then that itself evolves into the state of bodhicitta. So now we’ll just meditate for a few minutes on this aspiration of superior intention that seeks for oneself to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, that one oneself will achieve this. So we just contemplate upon it, contemplate the nature of that mind and how we develop it in the present. So we’re gonna go through the Bodhicaryāvatāra, so verse by verse. So I think everyone probably has access to the to the root text.
Alright. So now we’re dealing with oh, I marked the original text with It’s okay. No. It should be. So firstly, we start off with words about the benefits of the awakening mind.
So firstly, the text talks about the general benefits of developing bodhicitta. And then later, talks about the two types of bodhicitta that is aspiring or wishing bodhicitta and engaging bodhicitta, and then the benefits of each of these types of bodhicitta. And then also the benefits in relation to the person the person practicing bodhicitta, the special benefits that arise and so on. So initially, there Yeah. So initially, there are general benefits in the awakening mind.
And so there is benefits in relation to how it is a type of virtue that is exalted above all other virtues. And then there’s also a type of benefit in by which one changes one’s name. And then there’s a type of benefit in in terms of teaching the means. The third aspect here is teaching the means by which one is actually benefited. So of of these three, firstly, dealing with the first.
So here, the first one, how how this particular benefit of the awakening mind establishes it as being excellent above all virtues is that it’s able to completely suppress all the strongest and even the greatest types of nonvirtue or negative action. And then it also has the capacity to establish the supreme happiness. And, also, it has the capacity to establish any type of happiness that other beings desire. So the awakening mind or bodhicitta has these types of benefit. So here, in fact, we’re dealing with the third verse.
And the beginning. So now we’re starting here jumping through the first few verses on the verse number six. So here, as it says, hence virtue is perpetually feeble. So here, for those that have severed or are unable to practice virtue strongly, or have severed their root of virtue and so on, they don’t, have the strength of virtue. Okay.
Therefore, virtue for them is perpetually feeble. And the next line in the sixth verse here is the great strength of evil being extremely intense. So, also, not only is the strength of virtue weak, but the strength of non virtue is extremely strong. So that includes the, having committed in the past the five, heinous activities and accumulating various strong negative actions, and then having difficulty in generating, the antidotes to those, then those negative actions are established and strongly established and remain strong, and they produce a very strong maturational result of suffering, very strong and coarse maturation result of suffering in their wake. And so because we have this feebleness of virtue and this great strength of non virtue within our minds that produces great suffering as a maturational result, As it says, and except for the fully awakened mind, by what other by what other virtue will it be overcome?
Is that okay? Is that understandable? That first part of the text. Oh, yeah. So then we move on to this the next verse, the seventh verse, which states, all the Buddhas who have contemplated for many eons have seen it to be beneficial, for by it, the limitless masses of beings will quick quickly attain the supreme state of bliss.
So this verse here is illustrates or teaches the capacity of bodhicitta to establish supreme bliss itself. So here, this verse teaches the great benefit, or the great strength of bodhicitta in being able to establish the greatest level of bliss, the greatest level of attainment. So here, it it mentions that for eons, have contemplated this state. The Buddhas have contemplated this state of bodhicitta for eons, this the the awakening mind. And they’re having seen it to be of great benefit of being able to produce the greatest state of bliss, and that also for sentient beings who are vast in number and so forth, it’s of great benefit.
It’s what they need to establish. Then it’s recommended It’s taught to be. It’s taught to have the capacity to benefit others in a supreme sense. So then the the next division here is is just how this how also the mind of bodhicitta establishes all the desires of sentient beings and so forth. So here, dealing with the next verse, that is verse number eight.
So here, it’s also dealing with the aspirations of the intermediate scope beings. Mhmm. That is beings who seek to overcome the root of suffering itself, saṃsāra itself. So this verse is those who wish to destroy the many sorrows of the conditioned existence, those who wish all beings to experience a multitude of joys, and those who wish to experience much happiness should never forsake the awakening mind. So here, generating bodhicitta not only establishes in its wake the the state of full enlightenment, also, it establishes the goal of those of the intermediate scope, which is liberation liberation from saṃsāra.
Also, it establishes the goal of the lower scope, which is future higher rebirth as a human or rebirth in the in the god realms and so forth. So, in fact, all the particular aspirations of specific sentient beings are included or established by bodhicitta. So, therefore, we should never relinquish the state of bodhicitta or the thought of bodhicitta. So then the next verse or the next part of the the actual text deals with the benefit of of obtaining the meaning of the name itself. So so then the the next verse is verse number nine.
And as it says, the moment of awake an awakening mind arises in those fettered and weak in the the quagmire of cyclic existence, they shall be named a son or daughter of the Sugatas and will be revered by both men and gods in the world. So here, for those who actually engage in the practices for generating aspiring and engaging bodhicitta, this this precious mind. And when they eventually attain this state within their continuum, then they become worthy of praise. Within the three realms, they’re recognized as being very brave and courageous beings who have taken on this great responsibility for liberating all sentient beings. And so they obtained this special this exalted name of the sons of the Sugatas, the sons or daughters of those gone to bliss.
So this is recognizes then this great achievement, this very brave achievement of generating within a continuum the mind of bodhicitta. So then we move on to the next section, which is teaching by means of examples, the the qualities and the benefits of bodhicitta. So firstly, teaching by the example of a of being like gold. And then the second one is teaching the benefits or the great meaning of bodhicitta through the example of being precious, and then teaching the the increase or this the potency of increase of the mind of bodhicitta through the example of a tree, a fruit tree producing fruit. And then by the example of the of one who’s brave I mean Oh.
Oh, yeah. And then also by the example of the fire at the end of the eons. So there are, in fact, six examples by which the benefits and qualities of bodhicitta are taught. So here, we’re dealing now with the next verse. So this the verse number ten.
So the first part of this is dealing with teaching the benefits and qualities through the example of a gold or a golden elixir. So as it says, it is like the supreme gold making elixir for it transforms the unclean body we have taken into the priceless jewel of a Buddha form, therefore firmly seize this awakening mind. So here, if we were to have an elixir, a nectar, which were to transform things into gold, then we would regard this as supreme, and this would transform all our ordinary objects that we had into something very precious. Like this, all the ordinary virtues one has are transformed into supreme virtues by the presence of the awakening mind, being conjoined with the awakening mind by through cause, the causal process, or even being by its nature mixed with the awakening mind, then all of these other, virtues become, precious and supreme. Look