Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute session, Geshe Pema Tsering opens with a vivid image: being thrown from a rooftop by the three poisons — attachment, hatred, and ignorance — is far worse than actually falling, since the former can plunge one into lower realms for eons rather than merely break a bone. From this he presses two practical points: maintain watchful self-monitoring in all activities, like someone carefully checking their footing at a cliff’s edge; and never postpone practice, since impermanence makes tomorrow uncertain. The verse commentary then closes chapter two of the Bodhisattva Deeds text, completing the four forces of purification — the heartfelt pledge to apply antidotes to non-virtue and the formal vow to abstain henceforth. A Q&A covers the distinction between harmful attachment and wholesome family affection, how to console oneself through loss by accepting saṃsāra’s nature, and shepherd-like bodhicitta — dedicating all accumulated merit to others’ enlightenment before one’s own.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 16 BD 2002 03 14.mp3
UUID: 61297d6d-63f3-46b7-8baf-19572b0b0790
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-03-14
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.6 minutes
Words: ~3,304
Great disease. And due to this, one doesn’t understand. For example, like a fever. If one has a little fever, one can understand and go through on this had a fever and so forth. If one really gets really, really strong fever, the person have a feeling like illusions and so forth, and then just wandering and raving and so forth, and that one doesn’t understand that he has a huge fever.
So, likewise, we are badly diseased by the three poisons. And due to this, we don’t understand it. So but but if one give a very good thought for oneself, turn one’s thought inwards towards oneself and give a really give oneself a really nice thought, one will understand and see that that one has a huge disease of three poisons. So the word illness or disease, in Tibetan it’s called ne. It’s translated as illness or a disease.
But the word ne — the definition of ne — is that the ne is something which produces unwanted sufferings. So so this is why we translate the self illness or a disease, but the the actual meaning of ne is the one which produces or give the un unwanted and sufferings. So if one give a really give a nice thought, then that those three one has been diseased by the three poisons, because it is blinding us. So in in every each and every actions one take, one should always, you know, make sure that the a part of the mind is correcting what one is doing. For example and be aware of what one is doing.
For example, like, some for example, like, one is walking on the edges of the cliff, and one is still walking on the edges, but at the one one thought of the mind is being very careful looking, you know, make sure making sure that one will not fall from that cliff. So likewise, each and every actions one does should should not let all the mind involved in that leave a part or the corner of the mind to look inwards and checking what what one is doing and making sure it’s doing the right thing. And then, for example, like, one is walking on the roof of the house and at the very edges, you know, and one so a part of the mind is will make sure that one is doing the right thing and, you know, not step over and fall and means correcting and checking one’s step and so being very careful. And but and it is good that one is taken careful. But even if an accident slips and fall down from the house, it won’t do much and probably break one’s arm or a leg or some little injury.
It’s not that big injury. So just falling from the roof, it just caused a little injury, just broke a hand or a part of the body. Whereas if one is being thrown from the roof of the house by the three poisons — the attachment, anger, hatred, and the confusion or ignorance — that would not just cause a slight injury or broken bones, but it it will lead one into this to suffering in hell realms or the hungry ghosts or or the animal realms for eons and eons. It is that is more serious than just falling off from the roof. Yeah.
And at this stage at this stage stage, what we are doing is completely opposite, that we pay more attention, more careful, and walk walk and walk through the edge of the roof, you know, very careful, whereas about the disturbing emotions and so forth, not aware of it, completely not aware of that. So what we are doing is completely opposite. So it is very I want you to be very careful not to fall off the cliff of disturbing emotions or three poisons. And to fall in the cliff of disturbing emotions and so forth, one does not necessarily need to climb up the roof and walk. You know?
Even just having in a good, beautiful snooze in the bedroom, you know, one can still fall in the the cliff of disturbing emotions. Yeah. It is like this. Say one just happily and comfortably lie down on one one’s bed and then letting one’s mind think on all these disturbing emotions, you know, cultivating all these bad thoughts. By doing so, one falls from the the cliff from.
One falls in the cliff of disturbing emotions just by each and every thinking one goes zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom down. And so this is how one falls in the the cliff of disturbing emotions or three poisons. Instead, if one if one lets one’s mind think on a positive side or on other side, like cultivate just lying down in the bed, think of bodhicitta, love and compassion, renunciation, so forth, then happily lying down, not only that, one also bringing oneself up from the cliff of three poisons. So therefore, you know, one should not wait or postpone one’s practices. One should straight away instantly on the spot, engage in the practice of of doing positive actions.
So she never wait or postpone one’s practices by saying she will do tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes, day after and after. And and by doing so, then we’ll one day, we’ll be late to practice. Yes. And should not postpone one’s practices and do the practices straight away without waiting a single moment.
Reason why one has to do so is because it it is unpredictable when when the the the the when the impermanent or impermanent will approach. So now don’t ever push one’s practice for tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow because because we can’t guarantee that for example, like, everyone here, we can’t guarantee that we will all be here together tomorrow at the same time. If we ask one, everyone might think, I’m quite sure that I won’t die tomorrow, but it is still unpredictable. So and it is the the the thought of pushing one’s practices tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow is a very, very bad thought or it’s very bad.
That will lead one into into till not doing any practices till the end of the time. So therefore should not do that because if one push pushes again and again, but act actually, one day, the time will come, and it is guaranteed that we we can possibly say that none of the people in Adelaide City can stay for hundred years. So and so by doing so, then when if one were to stay in a hundred year, it will come. So and at that time, it will be very, very late. So therefore, should therefore, should never raise such a thought of pushing the teachings away practices away.
And should do more one’s practice straight away and never without pushing it away for for even for a moment. And and and also one should not let one’s mind indulge in indulge in the the the the the happiness of the worldly happiness because there is not much point chasing after the worldly happiness because or the samsaric happiness. It is because because up till now, we had experienced numbers of the happiness that we we had been we we had opportunity to be yeah. We had our chance to being a universal king and have big celestial mansions, kingdoms, and, you know, so forth, and how all the enjoyments one has received. There is not a single happiness, well, samsaric happiness that one has not experienced.
So therefore and and and the more one indulge in happiness of the worldly happiness, the more one needs, and there is no satisfaction. And but it has no essence or use. It has no essence or use. So therefore, one should not because because because they won’t stay forever because we had all this happiness in the past that had all our experiences. And at the moment, they are all like a dream.
Still, they don’t exist at the moment. And and this and this is the one reason that because of having attachment towards the happiness of to the the towards the samsaric happiness, And by by having so, one cultivates the numbers of non virtuous actions. So, you know, should not pursue the the the saṃsāra of happiness like happiness of one one’s own happiness and happiness for those dear ones, relatives, mom and dad, brothers, sisters, and so forth, and should not have strong attachment towards them because because of having huge attachment with those relatives and oneself, and one cultivates numbers of of nonvirtuous actions, and that leads into this saṃsāra. So so while it the the rest of this the verses explains that that one should one one recalls the misdeeds of the past and now saying that one will not and and it implies one should not have huge attachment towards the samsaric happiness, individual happiness, and and of those dear ones, etcetera. So and and and here, one is also making a pledge here that that from today onwards, and I will not accumulate any kind of nonvirtuous actions, neither on one’s own purpose as well as on others.
And, yep, and also making pledge pledge that that I need or it is important and one needs to accumulate the positive actions like cultivating altruistic intentions and so forth and making pledge that one will do so. Sure. So here it’s here up till here, we finished the first subdivision of the first subdivision of the second of the third, isn’t it? Third forces, which is is that yeah. The the force of antidote.
So to finish the first subdivision, which is the reason why one needs to apply antidote. And now it’s to a second one subdivision, which is actual antidote. And we started with sixty-three, isn’t it? Is it fifty-four? No.
Sixty-five is the last one. Yeah, verse sixty-four, which is I humbly confess it all to this and so forth, is the the the only verse which shows the the second subdivision of the third force, which is actual antidote. And what the meaning of that verse is saying that now in from the beginning, let’s still making a heartfelt petition towards the protectors saying that and up till now from the beginninglessness of time that due to my confusion, I have confusion or ignorance, I’ve been cultivating all these non virtuous actions without knowing. And now I have actualized all these and making pledges pledge pledge here that I will not accumulate such actions again. And the last verse is which shows that ends the the chapter two, isn’t it?
The which is which teaches the fourth the forces, which is the force of refraining from non-virtuous actions. And saying that now So, yeah, the the the the fourth forces, which is force of refraining from the non virtuous action is that the recalling all the non virtuous actions in the past and now making pledges that the one will refrain and not cultivate any any sort of non virtuous actions ever again. And that is the the fourth one.
Fourth forces which force of refraining from the non virtuous actions. So here conclude the four powers or four forces. So from next week, we we start from the chapter three.
Any questions? Geshe-la says raise your hand. Yes, please, Chris. Sorry. Yeah.
It is this way, like, you’re saying, they should not accumulate or attach attach towards the the relative, the dear ones. And there are different types of attachments one can do. For example, like, what you hear in the the the present text, what he’s saying is and one one needs to one can have the the attachment with compassion and lovingness and and for the good purpose. And what it means is not one should not do, like like, you know, because of the attachment, you know. My dad dad needs to eat meat, and I’m gonna kill the sheep, you know, you know, sheep and and to that sort of attachment.
And and I need to feed my baby, therefore, for that reason, I’ll I’m stealing it. You know, I steal something to feed my baby. So that is the wrong attachment. You should not do that. So here we said, do not have attachment.
So that is not one should not misunderstand. It is very important to have affection and the patience in family like kids or wife or partner so forth, and that is very important. If one has if the partner or one has the the the mind of affection to caring and patience, then it’s guaranteed that there won’t be any problem between any kind of family or relationship. So that affection, which here means the affection, there is the lovingness to to the the the partner of kids or wife and so forth that that showing one’s love and and caring that towards the person. And and and the patience here is then undertaking, you know, even if something done wrong by the partner and she or he accused you for doing such and such, just even though it’s not your, you know, it it is not your fault, but maintain it.
Just be patient. Okay. You know, it’s mine, whatever, so forth. By doing so, then there won’t be any, you know, hardships in relationship. It is true that one feels sad and so forth.
But not only this, it’s not just because of the what is called attachment here. We have affection to the towards one’s partner. And and it is true that attachment produces the suffering, but but not so but at the moment, person feels certain sad and so forth. In terms of that, there is that affection as well. So on the affection side, one should also think that, you know, one is suffering at the moment of loss and so forth.
At the moment, well, you know, I do care in such such thought, but I can’t carry on. You know? That is the it’s the moment that one should console oneself, you know, if I carry on. And it is obvious because of the attachment, you know, one feels suffering of this loss and so forth, and you should have that affection towards the partner as well as oneself and consoling oneself that I can’t carry on like this because it’s quite dangerous, actually. If I keep continuing in the mourning for the loss, later on, it’s caused huge suffering to oneself.
So therefore, it is important to consoling oneself at that stage. You know? So there is a limit of mourning or a feeling sadness and so forth. For example, like like, you know, as I said, the previous one, the the suffering of lost, she got sometimes one one needs to cons console oneself like this is the nature of saṃsāra or sentient beings. One day sooner or later, the person has to die.
And like this, for example, like, seeing somebody suffering, you know, next door neighbor, you know, of the family, you know, the business, everything is going wrong all the time. They are under huge suffering. And once you’re sad to see that everything is going wrong in that family, but just by mourning and feeling sad, it’s okay for a moment, but all the time it is not, and there’s not not much point. Sometimes one needs to understand the reality of saṃsāra. Try one’s best, you know, or everything is going wrong there and see if whether or not that problem can be fixed or not.
If it can be fixed, try one’s best and help them instead of just mourning around or just joining the team, you know, like suffering. Right? But and by after after offering help and so forth and then still suffering is there, then there’s still not a point of worrying because it can’t be fixed. So just take it as granted, you know, like the nature of saṃsāra. Good.
Good. Yeah. It is the connection or relationship is always there, entire sentient beings. It’s also in certain depends on one’s prayers and so forth. Probably the closeness of relationship could be there in the future lives as well.
But but theoretically, the Buddhist teaching said that every sentient beings are your mother, the motherly sentient beings. For example, Geshe-la stated here that you have been Geshe-la’s mother for hundreds and hundreds of times and as well as he does the mother for you for a number of times. The connection is always there. So entire sentient beings, you know, you have been kept for a thousand times and so forth. So likewise so because due to this, you know, there is huge relation, and there’s a parent and the child relation is the huge relationship that that can probably the most ultimate relationship you can have, closeness.
So, therefore, this entire sentient beings has huge connections. And this this is the main reason that what we, in Buddhist teachings, urge these beings to practice love and compassion towards sentient beings. Right. So this is why the teaching of sevenfold cause and effect instruction comes, you know, the first the very first which is recognizing entire sentient beings as one’s mother. So and yeah.
Have you understood? Yep. Yeah. It is because of previous karma or the the latencies. Like and and it can be anything.
Sometimes there’s nothing. You just see something in front of you as well. So these are all the illusions or the or the visions you can see which are not true or you’re not seeing it. And and does everything what you have just said is because of the karmic latencies from the past. Presumably.
Yep. So all this type generation of bodhicitta is mainly strengthening one’s practice or one’s, you know yeah, strengthening one’s practice to accumulate the strong merits. That’s the practice of accumulation of merit. So it is quite sure and obvious that one can’t bring sentient beings to enlightenment before oneself. But what what what what one is doing here is that developing all dedicating all the virtuous actions what one has cultivated, dedicating them, wishing, like making prayers because of all these powers or the merits I have gained, may all sentient beings be enlightened before me, and then I will enlighten after that.
That’s how and this is the the strengthening, making oneself brave, forsaking oneself for the sentient And and this is how it works. And that’s the main purpose the main purpose of developing such more yep. Such motivation is to accumulate the numbers of merits. And such a bodhicitta, know, bringing all sentient beings into enlightenment state first and oneself till till the very end. And such the motivation bodhicitta is called the shepherd like bodhicitta.
The shepherds, they take all the cattle and the sheep first up in the hills and then reaches the destination oneself last. So for example, like, for yourself, guess what I said, you know, that you you have calculated numbers of merit and so forth. You know? And and just dedicate, you know, think that all the virtues and so forth you have accumulated, that is for the sentient beings, sentient enlightenment. And don’t worry about myself.
You know? You know? Just do it that way. Still still, it’s okay to do such practice because you are accumulating numbers of merits at this stage. You know?
And and and it’s still fine to do so. You know? Don’t worry about myself. You know? I’ll just dedicate all my, you know, virtues for the sentient beings’ enlightenment.
Yeah. Yeah. Okay.