Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A single moment of anger toward a bodhisattva destroys virtue built over countless lifetimes — Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 42-minute session with that claim as he begins Chapter Six of Śāntideva’s text, the patience chapter. He first draws a key distinction: renunciation aimed at personal liberation obstructs bodhicitta, while the same renunciation upheld by altruistic intention becomes its cause. Turning to Śāntideva, he maps the chapter’s three branches — abandoning anger, meditating on patience, respecting other beings — then works into the first: anger’s costs (lost merit, lost peace, and disrupted sleep), the objects on which patience is trained (oneself and loved ones under criticism), the eight worldly concerns Nāgārjuna lists in Letter to a Friend that must first be relinquished, and the opening taxonomy of willingly accepting suffering. Suited to practitioners following a Mahāyāna study program.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 49 BD 2002 08 01.mp3
UUID: d35b3300-b9a6-48fd-89f6-225d66745e52
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-08-01
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 42.3 minutes
Words: ~2,514
You know, as for the mind which wishes for the self-purposes could be found in many of the minds of the hearers and the solitary realizers, who are practicing to attain individual liberation is also this the mind fulfill self purposes as well as the minds of the practitioners of the lower scopes, like wishing to attain higher rebirths and higher rebirths as well as and and to have a happy and to gain wealth and happiness within this life. Those are all those are the mind which wishes for to accomplish the individual wishes or purposes. And in in general speaking, the mind which wishes for the higher rebirths as well as enlightened individual liberation, arhathood, are the are very are very good to develop. And and but here, the master wishes not to develop such mind is because though even though the those minds are good, but they all become the the to to obstacles to develop a altruistic intention or a bodhicitta.
So this so for that purpose, for that reason, great master wishes not to produce such mind to attain, like, accomplish individual purpose. To make it a bit to clarify here that in general, even though the those high wishing for higher rebirth in the in attaining a liberation state are good. And and and as we said earlier, that master the reason why master made such a prayer is because they becomes the obstacle from yep. Become obstacle to develop an altruistic intention. So in terms of speaking of this, when we say they become obstacle for the attainment of of developing a bodhicitta here and as well as for the enlightenment.
Here, we need to differentiate two sorts of renunciation that in in in general, also, the renunciation is very necessary, you know, inevitable to attain enlightenment. But the reason why here, the master says such that those renunciation becomes a obstacle to the enlightenment for to develop an altruistic intention is here speaking of the renunciation, a type of renunciation developed by the Hearers and the solitary realizers practitioners because they they only wish for this individual. And and and the renunciation who could renunciation developed by the Mahayanists practitioners. They are not the obstacle for the enlightenment or to develop the what’s called the altruistic intention. So we are differentiating the renunciation.
And so as we said, those becomes the obstacles to develop bodhicitta or to attain enlightenment. But the renunciation and striving for renunciation as well as attain wish you to attain higher rebirths and so forth, the higher rebirths. If those minds are those minds are uphold by the mind to fulfill others’ purposes, then those renunciations and the wishing to have higher rebirth are not obstacle for to develop a bodhicitta. So, therefore, you know, therefore, the the wish the renunciation which is wishing to attain free from cyclic existence and wish and the high wishing to attain higher rebirth in the next life, those are inevitable to attain enlightenment. And if and and if if those mind, like the renunciations wishing to attain higher rebirth, they are uphold or or been developed conjunction with the altruistic intention or wish to the the wishing to complete others’ purposes, then those minds are becoming a cause to the attainment of enlightenment.
So therefore, we shall hear we should hear try to develop the altruistic intention. And and the altruistic intent altruistic intention is the mind which only wishes to to to to work for others or wish wish to fulfill others’ purposes. And this is the mind which we need to develop. In to develop a to develop a ultimate bodhicitta or the very superb or very fine or ultimate bodhicitta that we are wishing to attain enlightenment for the sake of motherly sentient beings. And one has to have all the the the the yeah, dev development of those minds like renunciations, bodhichitt.
So renunciation, love, and compassions, and, yeah, and to attain higher rebirth should be developed prior to developing the altruistic intention or bodhicitta. So without without having developed renunciation, love, and and great compassion, so forth, there is no possibility one can develop a pro proper altruistic intention. Because because in all the to to develop the bodhicitta, which is wish to free other motherly sentient beings from free from the suffering and bring them to the state of ultimate happiness, in order in order to develop such mind, first one has to see to to realize how oneself is in the cyclic existence and goes to the suffering of being tortured by the sufferings of cyclic existence. Without knowing once how oneself goes to the suffering, it is impossible for one to see the others going through suffering and and wanting to free them.
So this is how the renunciations and so forth are necessary to to develop before before before the altruistic intention and they because they become a cause to develop a bodhicitta. So, therefore, we shall develop a altruistic intention and meditate on the bodhicitta that that that I that I shall, yeah, I shall attain enlightenment for the sake of motherly sentient beings. So for for the therefore, I should engage in all the practices of listening and so forth and dedicate that that that that that merit one have or one gain and the one have dev developed the merit one have cultivated and will going to cultivate become a cause to attain enlightenment, a cause to attain enlightenment for the sake of entire sentient beings. And we shall do a short meditation here. Yeah.
So today, this is the beginning of the sixth chapter, the of Śāntideva’s patience. And it has two main divisions. The first one has three subdivisions: how to abandon anger, how to meditate on patience, and how to pay respect for other beings.
And the the third second one is how to meditate or how to meditate on patience. And the third one is how to pay respect for other beings. And as for the first one — how to abandon anger — it has been explained in the first subdivision, in the next ten verses, beginning from number one to ten. Anger is very bad, and it destroys all the positive merit one has cultivated — the virtues or merit cultivated in numberless, limitless eons by practicing generosity, maintaining ethical discipline, meditation, making offerings to the enlightened beings or Buddhas, making prostrations, mandalas, and so forth. So all those virtues, one had worked so hard in the numb the numberless of eons, and those merits will be destroyed by a single moment of anger — a moment’s anger towards a bodhisattva. Therefore, it is very bad and dangerous to to develop being angry. And so, therefore, should not dev the yep. Develop any anger because it destroy one’s entire virtue as one have cultivated in the in in the numberless of eons. And it is set forth that there is no greater destroyer of one’s virtues than hatred and anger, which obstruct the realizations and the path; and out of all hardships or practices, the patience of not retaliating or or not to take revenge or, yeah, retaliate towards the anger or to the harms is the great greatest hardship, which means it has the very a huge benefit.
The reason why one cultivates numbers of virtues or merit by maintaining the patience is because it’s the opposite of the patience, which is anger or hatred, is by developing those hatred and angers, one cultivates huge negativities as well as destroys entire virtues. So because of this, because its opposite has a huge yep, huge non virtues or negatives, therefore, by maintaining patience has huge benefits and cultivates great virtuousness. Okay. So, therefore, for that reason, and I should try to maintain or meditate maintain patience or cultivate patience in many ways or in all the time. And because because when one when one is when one mind has been controlled by the hatred and the anger, then there is no happiness at all.
It is like, you a person has a very sharp and, you know, severe pain in the body due to the illness or diseases, it is it is very sure that person goes through his suffering and there is no moment of peace and happiness and and relax. Likewise. So when the hatred and anger comes into yeah. When hatred and anger come, the the person will will never be in peace and relax and as well as if if it’s very bad, then a person may not. It will destroy entire sleep that one can’t even sleep during the night.
So, therefore, one should not cultivate the hatred or the anger that because it has no benefits at all. So so should not develop anger or hatred because there has no benefits at all. Instead of developing anger, one should maintain patience and and meditate and cultivate the patience because because because by maintaining patience and and meditating on patience, it is like a person then the person who has who has who who has developed a patience and and and had destroyed all the anger anger and hatred, then the person will not only have the happiness in this present life as the person not only have happiness in this present life, he or she will always have have have the better rebirth with the better enjoyments and and happiness as well. So, yep. Now So those are the disadvantages of of of of developing anger or hatred and and that what happens when the when one develop an anger and and, yep, anger, and it destroys all the virtuous, loses all happiness and peaceful, so forth. And now to the second subdivisions, which is which is the the how to meditate or cultivate patience. And that that subdivisions, though, how the model of cultivating patience has two divisions, which is recognizing the object of patience and and and and how to develop actual med how to maintain actual patience. And so the first division, which is recognizing or establishing or recognizing the object of patience, which is explained in the next single verse, which which would be the verse verse eleven number eleven.
And so the the objects of patience are are are oneself as well as one’s relatives, close friends, and so forth. So which means that so whenever the oneself and others are like not the others’ relatives and friends, close friends and friends, so forth, receive the suffering and and being criticized by others, complaints, and and people gossiping about, you know, close ones and so forth. At that moment is the those are the moment or on such basis, self and relative so forth, one develops anger whenever those people encounter with the criticisms and so forth. So at that moment so those are the object. On basis of those, then one one should maintain the patience on on those people, which means should not be impatient towards others, which means the reason why one get angry is because in oneself, of course, others complain, for example, like, criticize oneself or one’s relatives, close friends, so forth, and you can’t bear with others gossiping about your friends, so forth.
So those are the objects of maintaining to maintain patience or object of patience. So in order to maintain the ultimate or the very qualified patience, then the one should person should be free of ill worldly concerns without giving up the ill worldly concern. Then the patience that want to develop won’t be a a a very qualified patience or the yeah. Proper proper patience. So, therefore, it is very important for one to give up or or yeah.
Yeah. Give up or abandon the worldly concerns. And the worldly concerns are are, yeah, are described by the great master Nāgārjuna in his text called the Letter to a Friend. And then the being being happy if one receives a gift and being unhappy if one does not receive a gift, which which are two, first two, and being happy if one hears good if people say good things and have sweet things, and being unhappy if one hears nasty things from others. And and and the the fourth and fifth one is being happy when one is in a happy state
Happy state and and being not happy when one one if if one receives suffering. And the third the the last two is being happy when one hears the praise of people if others admire or the praise, and and being unhappy if people criticize or put you down. So now to the second one, which is how to cultivate the actual patience or meditate on patience, which has two divisions. That is the the the the Right? And, yeah, being patient for the unwanted sufferings and so forth.
And being patience if towards the obstacles that obstruct you to fulfill one’s wishes. So if one is cultivate or trying to accomplish something and it’s going so well, and the obstruction comes. So being patient towards obstructions and obstacles as well. And and for the first one has four divisions, which is first one is meditation on the unwanteds, which yeah. The and this the and which has four divisions, which is being maintaining patience when one receives suffering for oneself, first one.
Second one is being patient when when one when one receives criticisms or complaints. And the third one is and being patient when others yeah. Being yeah. Maintaining passion patience when one’s relatives or a close one’s goes through the sufferings. Simple.
Yeah. And the fourth one is being patient when others do good things to or help one’s enemies. Your oh, yeah. Your friends. No.
Your enemies. Sorry. And being patient when other help your your enemies because when your enemies being very good and others helping him or her, you can’t bear it. You know? So it’s not much meant being patient patient.
And as for the first one, being maintain patience when one receives sufferings has three divisions as well. That is yeah, patience of willingly accepting Yeah. Willingly accepting sufferings and Right. So maintaining peace the patience of willingly accepting the sufferings and patience of of of of of I don’t remember that word. Have you heard of that?
She don’t use this. There are three types of anyway, I’ll I’ll just think about this for a moment. Which one? That one? Yeah.
Cultivating the patient. Yeah. Anyway, The second one is cultivating patience that is intent on dharmas, which is the object. The way the the explanation will come later.
And the third one is maintaining patience — not retaliating towards harms. And the first one, which is willingly accepting the sufferings, has been explained in the next ten verses. So probably — well, it’s been said in Tibet: riding a horse and going so quickly, you should be patient with the heat and cold. Yes.