Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A dream lasting a hundred years and a dream lasting a few months both vanish on waking — Geshe Pema Tsering uses this analogy to anchor the central argument of this 46-minute commentary: that no span of life justifies anger or attachment to worldly standing. The session opens with Tsongkhapa’s dedication verses, explaining why a realized master still composed aspiration prayers for precious human rebirth, renunciation, and bodhicitta, and how practitioners should dedicate their own merit accordingly. The bulk works through twelve verses on patience, dismantling each excuse for anger in sequence: the body-mind closeness argument, fear of lost reputation or wealth, and the reasoning that future purification practice justifies present anger. The session closes on patience when the Triple Gem or close ones are criticized or harmed.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 53 BD 2002 08 08.mp3
UUID: 09488287-64d9-4d84-9c48-5fedd00568c5
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-08-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.2 minutes
Words: ~3,316
The great master Tsongkhapa has stated that the text — yes. Good, yeah. Master Tsongkhapa has made his wishful prayers. So the and so the the prior the previous verses to the one which we are going to explain here, the great master has made prayer to receive the precious human rebirth in next life. And now this verse, what he says is that, so after having the moment I receive the precious human rebirth, may I not be attached to the the pleasures and enjoyment of the cyclic existence and instantly have a great have enthusiastic effort to cultivate the renunciation and bodhicitta in order to attain liberation and enlightenment.
So the the text from great master Tsongkhapa has made numbers of wishful prayers for for himself. He didn’t need those those wishful wishful prayers because, yeah, himself, he didn’t need those prayers, but he composed that because so it’s teaching us what and how to make the wishful prayers. And and and this is the text, excuse me, we recite in monasteries. So therefore so we we should dedicate all the virtues and the the merit we have attained for for yeah. To to become, yeah, become a cause to attain enlightenment and for the best within this life.
If not, one makes dedication prayers, wishful prayers of one’s merit to to the that one should receive a precious human rebirth in next next life. And on such basis within that life, may I be able to and make wish and prayers to be able to develop renunciation bodhicitta and to attain enlightenment for the sake of others. Even if one fails next life, may also wish to to be able to attain enlightenment after the next life, or the life after the next life.
So whatever the positive actions or merit one cultivate through giving teachings or listening to the teachings, reading text, and any positive action one perform, wish and dedicate those prayers to attain enlightenment for the sake of motherly sentient beings and also to wish to attain the continuous rebirth of precious human rebirth. And through on such basis, one and through or on such basis of precious human rebirth, one attains enlightenment or liberation. So if one can dedicate all the entire virtues of oneself as well as other sentient beings and other great practitioners who are in the five paths. So dedicate all the merits and rejoice with their virtues and dedicate them that May I, through the power of all these positive actions, be able to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, on the basis of such a mind of altruistic intention.
We shall do a short meditation. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So now we’re for the second division, which is the maintain I want to maintain patient for those who for those who brings harm or contempt to you. Right?
So and that has been explained in the next twelve verses. So could be, I think, verse from fifty two since my mind is not — physically, in Tibetan. Page seventy one. Yep. One two three four five six seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve till sixty three.
And what it means is that when whenever one receives harm from others, one should not retaliate or or take retaliate or take action and and instead to maintain patience because if instead one should guide one’s mind, that controls one’s mind, and and by controlling one mind, maintaining maintaining one’s mind to be undisturbed, then by guiding one’s mind, no matter how much harm it comes, it nothing can harm or bring disturbance to one’s mind if one guides one’s mind, because the mind is not a form — it’s formless. Therefore therefore, it cannot be harmed if if one looks after or controls. If it has a form or if it is a form, then then then the weapons or sticks, weapons like sticks, so forth, can harm it.
Since it is not a form it’s not a form and it it is a formless, it cannot be harmed if one subdue or control one’s mind. So and if asked, because one’s mind and mind and the body had a strong connection and my mind and when mind so attached attached to the body and then and received the the body received the harm through through through weapons like sticks and so forth. And once you and the that you want to if one says that it is suitable and it is okay to be to be angry or to be angry when when when when my body when I yeah. I receive harm to to my body because my body and my mind has a strong connection. Because when because of this strong connection and the weapons and so forth attacks or hurts my body and so due to this, it is okay because of the strong connection and the relation, it is okay for me to be angry to the person.
If one says like this, then this is not a valid statement just by saying there’s a strong connection and and mind being disturbed or angry because of the body receives the harm or fault. Because if you say so, then if somebody used the harsh words, hurt one’s mind by saying harsh words and complaints and criticisms. Body never receives any harm, whereas the mind receives the harm and get angry and disturbed. So and and if you put the relation of the mind and the body for the reason to get angry, then when the harsh words and speech comes and your mind get hurt and disturbed, but your body never gets angry or annoyed because it didn’t receive any hurt. So likewise, so when so what likewise, one should not be angry by saying when one’s body receives the harm or so forth.
So if one maintains the patience and control one’s mind, so like like the criticisms, the harsh harsh speech and so forth cannot harm one’s body. And one’s mind can also be undisturbed and not harmed if it’s been if it has if one maintains a huge patience and control one’s mind. Because when you receive criticism and so forth, if one maintains patience, the criticisms and harsh words and so forth cannot harm this body, this mind, and it cannot harm in this life, it won’t and by maintaining patience, that that criticism or complaints cannot harm your cannot will cannot harm your you and your mind in any ways. It can’t harm in this life neither neither this life nor next life. It cannot reduce your virtues or practices.
So therefore, it is it is it is appropriate to man maintain patience for any harms or any cause. And if one says, no, but the the harsh word and criticism complaints will harm in this life because but all this, it will destroy my reputation and it and it will destroy my yeah, they will destroy my happiness, my enjoyments, my incomes, or my jobs, so forth, by receiving complaints and so forth, and it it harms my reputation, etcetera. So therefore, it is suitable or appropriate to get disturbed or or angry. If one says so, this is it’s still not a it’s not a good reason or one should still not get disturbed or angry because because because of the because of one’s reputation or one’s enjoyments, the wealth or incomes. Because because whether whether the person criticize you or complains you or not, your possessions and so forth always, I mean, will never be with you all the time.
Whether you receive complaint or not, one will still lose all the possessions and so forth at at the end. There is no way that you can keep your possession for all the time. Eventually, it will. One day, you have to give up everything. You have to leave all the possessions.
So therefore, it is not okay or it is not appropriate to get angry towards the harms or for the criticisms one receives. So therefore, it is not therefore, one should not get angry and disturbed because because by by getting angry and disturbed, then one instead of getting a profit or a gain by thinking, you know, I should keep my reputation and and should not challenge for those criticism and complaints because by if I if I do not challenge, you know, it will hurt for my income, my possessions, my reputation, so forth. And by doing so, then instead of help, one will get one one receives loss because whether one receives complaints or not, eventually one one has one one one has to leave everything at the end sooner or later or one day. By getting angry to protect all those possessions, everything and so forth, By getting yeah. If one gets angry, the loss is you have to leave all the possessions one day.
And additional to that, instead of having those, one cultivates a number of bad karma or non virtuous actions. And at the time comes, one leaves all the possessions and all you have left is the bad karma or imprint, bad imprints of the negativities on one’s continuum and that will bring suffering in future. So therefore, it is not a good reason and not appropriate to get angry on harms or losing one’s possessions and so forth because instead of giving help or a benefit, it will bring harm. So should not retaliate and get disturbed or angry to the harms. So therefore, the one should not get disturbed or angry to any harm even if you know that that you are going to die in a couple of days’ time.
Well, I’m going to die soon and I better take revenge or get angry and, you know, do something back because I won’t have a time, but thinking that you only have two days left. And so it doesn’t matter how many days you have left, even if two days should not still not retaliate or get angry because by doing so, you cultivate numbers of non virtuous and that will be with you all the time and then and brings you further downfall. And and and should not get angry at any time and all the time and not just get disturbed or angry. Also, you know, should not hold any grudge by saying, you know, he and she caused me harm such and such time and and calling it and clinging on that harm forever. And once, you know, one day, I will do something bad, should not hold any grudge on any harms.
Very amazing. Very nice. To mention patience and should not have attachment towards one’s relatives and close and dear ones and and and have anger towards the enemies, so forth. Should not do so because because but yeah. It doesn’t matter how long you stay.
If you if you have a long long life span of hundred years or you have a few months life span left, doesn’t matter in all the time. Whether you have long or short life, still should not get angry or or, yeah, hold the angry anger towards the to enemy and have attached to the relation the relatives and so forth because it is it is for sure no matter how long we have remained for our lifespan, but it is for sure for everyone at the end has to go through the suffering of suffering suffering of death. At that time, then one one one has to one one will eventually leave everything at the time of death. And and only and if one has developed anger and so forth, and those bad karma or negative action will bring sufferings. So so therefore, whether it’s a long run or a long lifespan or a short months remain, you know, should not have any angry at all or in terms of saying for the the pleasure by saying, well, I should maintain because I have a long lifespan and and there’s still a long way to go.
I should get angry and challenge for all these criticisms because I have a long run to enjoy happiness, of worldly happiness for this many years left. So it is not okay to say because, for example, it’s like a saying when someone has they had had enjoy happiness in the dream who has spent hundred years in the dream and enjoy all this happiness of hundred years in one dream, and somebody who has the same who has a dream and had enjoyed for the few few few months of life span in the dream. So there are two types. One is the same dream, but one has the enjoyment of one hundred years and one has few months. But at the moment they get up awake, both the the the happiness of the hundred years dream and few months dreams it’s both are gone.
And at the time of death, none of those pleasures will will be helpful and will help at the time of death. Likewise, whether you have hundred years old and you have the happiness of hundred years lifespan and happiness of one few months lifespan. At the at the at the time of the death, both of them, both of the happiness are hopeless or useless or won’t be wouldn’t won’t be of any help. So therefore, just by say because of considering of long life span or short life span and be as excuses, and then I should be attached to my relatives and get angry to enemies and so forth, it’s not appropriate. You should not have any attachment as well towards the relatives and anger towards the enemies.
So should not get attached towards the enjoyment and the wealth and and and in terms of cultivating numbers of wealth so forth, one, you know, doing lots of activities. And doesn’t matter even if I, you know, get angry or collect the non virtuous actions. It doesn’t matter, and I I can still be angry and earn lots of money and so forth because by doing so, I will have a long life span. And in future, you know, I have all this wealth and so forth, and then I started when I’m rich, then I will start start my practices, you know, purify up all the non virtuous actions through applying the doing the confession or purification practice by applying four antidote antidotes and making offerings and so forth. And and if yep.
So forth. If one says so, and still not it’s still not appropriate thing to do because because because by by becoming wealthy and then enjoying all those enjoyment and so forth, is is because by doing so, one is making one is using whole post whole good karmas or positive actions one have cultivated in the past and using all the virtues within this life. And and and and by using so, sooner or later, that will come into into exhaustion. And all it remains is all the hard works you have cut, you know, all the negative actions or, yep, non virtuous actions you have cultivated while doing, while collecting all the wealth. It only the negative actions will remain.
And in future, you have no virtues left because all the virtues you have cultivated has been used and exhaust now and only negative actions or non virtues left, and that will cause harm. So therefore, should not think that way, but thinking in future, I I will do the purification prayers and so forth. That doesn’t work either. And so, yeah, it still goes that one should not get angry or retaliate and protecting one’s reputation and so forth and and, you know, retaliating the person’s harm for the person’s harm by saying, even if one is not after one’s wealth and possessions, but in order to in order to protect one’s reputation by saying, well, it is okay for me to challenge and and for the criticism or complaints because because if I accept those and let person do anything, then it will cause harm for the persons who have a faith and devotion and respect in me. So in order to protect their respect, faith, devotion in me, I should criticize, challenge the criticism and and and retaliate to the person.
By doing so, then then then it is it is not a good excuse to say so because so if one if that that is so important by thinking that you will lose your respect from your dear ones or your or your fell followers, then you should also think for the other person as well because other person is like your like yourself, that he or she still have have lots of people respecting the per them and have huge faith and devotion and trusting the other person by other people. So by retaliating or complaining or challenging the person, he or she will lose his people. So it is the same. So, therefore, it is still therefore, one should not take revenge and anger to the person or to the harm. So yes.
Yeah. So therefore, it is still the same that that one should not be angry to the person who who criticize you or complain you by saying that by by accepting or not challenging the person that it will hurt my reputation and my well, for and and people they lose my respect they lose the others respect in me and so forth because because if if if if that is the reason, then you should be you should get angry to the other person that that has anger towards the the the yeah. You should have you should develop angry or be anger be angry to the b person who is complaining the a person. So you are c now. A person because because the b person complains the a person, the a person is like yourself, he or she the a person lose all the reputation and respect from his or her dear ones or who who trust them.
So, therefore, that that’s still the same because you are losing your respect and so forth and other person’s losing the same, but you should you are not getting angry to the person. So both are saying the person is like yourself. Therefore so in in the name of guarding one’s the, yeah, respect and so forth, then you should not be angry at all. And then now we’re to the third division, which is that we should maintain patience when one’s relatives or the close ones receive harm.
And which is explained in the next two verse verses that it could be. Supposed to be sixty four, but doesn’t look like at all. Is anyone is following? Anything? Sixty five.
It’s not really some frames. Sixty sixty five. ? Yep. Sixty five and sixty six.
I was very close. Yeah. Sorry, because I’m not really reading English one. You know? Just to show you the numbers.
Sorry. Not two. It’s twelve. Next twelve verses. So starting from sixty five to seventy six, I guess.
Yep. So the the meaning is that, if one says, should not, they should not get angry when I receive the but it is suitable to get angry to the person who who who who criticize or destroys, who criticize or, yeah, complains to the Triple Gem, like the the object of refuge by saying, if one says so, they’re still not should should still not get angry and disturbed by saying by saying, you know, the person, you know, who has criticized