Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute commentary, Geshe Pema Tsering opens with a striking analogy: if you wouldn’t rage at the stick that strikes you, why rage at the person holding it? The person is just as helplessly driven by disturbing emotions as the weapon is by physics — an object of compassion, not retaliation. He works through three progressively difficult applications: harm done to sacred objects and the Triple Gem; harm to one’s guru or loved ones (reframed through karma — they are experiencing ripening results of their own past actions); and someone praising or helping your enemy. A second analogy handles this last case: resenting the helper is as counterproductive as refusing to pay a servant. The session closes by introducing a new section on maintaining patience when obstacles block one’s own wishes.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 54 BD 2002 08 08.mp3
UUID: ab35370d-1317-4c4a-ae40-330ed5268e12
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-08-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.0 minutes
Words: ~2,208
The stupas containing the relics of the Buddhas and so forth. Yeah. And so forth. Yeah, whoever the person does so, and it is — one should still not get angry to the person because the Triple Gem, the Buddhas, they are free of harms, and no matter what person does to the stupa or to the Buddhas, they are free of harms. Since they are free from harms, they can’t be harmed at all.
Instead so instead, those people who who demolish the stupas, monasteries, and and criticize, you know, disrespect the Buddhas, Instead of getting angry to those person, one should one should develop a compassion to the person because they are cultivating numbers of non virtuous and and which will bring harm to the person. So therefore and those people, no matter how much they cause destructions and harm or trying to harm the Buddhas and so forth, but those people are the object of compassion for those Buddhas and for the Bodhisattvas. They never be angry and disturbed by the person, and instead they will they have huge compassion to the person. So therefore, one, you you should not be angry to the per we should not be angry and instead feel pity for the person that that they that they are cultivating numbers of non virtuous actions. And and if you get disturbed and angry but because of their actions, then it will not harm the person.
What happens is you it will harm you. Yeah. So and likewise, also when when when others harm one’s guru, the one one’s masters, one’s the family members, brothers and sisters, relatives, or one’s dear ones, or one’s loved ones, yep, partners, so forth. So when when they receive the harm from others, we should not get angry to the person who is causing harm because because by doing so, it will harm you by by collecting numbers of non virtuous actions. So should should have should develop compassion to the person who is bringing harm, as well as recall the the the teachings of the karma thinking that my that the relatives, one’s guru and so forth, they received harm from the person and and and and those harms they received are the results of their actions in the past and and the results of their karma is ripening.
So therefore, should not be angry because because by getting angry, it won’t bring any help to both self and others. No. So so, therefore, should not get angry because because just just just by just by seeing one relative receives the harms or one dear one or close ones receives the harm. Because as for the harm, there are two types, you know, the the person and the and and and the weapons. So both are the same, which brings harm to the to your relative ones or to the dear ones because so so you don’t get angry towards the weapons or, like, sticks and so forth, even though they bring harm and then by the stick brings the pain and so forth.
And you don’t get angry to the sticks or the weapon and instead you and and so likewise, if you don’t get to the stick which brings the harm, why why why should you get angry to the person? Because the person has no choice. That person has been influenced or or controlled by the disturbing emotions, which makes person to do it. Eventually, it’s not the person, it’s the disturbing emotions. So therefore, you should not get angry to the person as well like you don’t get angry or hate the the weapons.
And so so instead, you should think that the the pity to the person who is cultivating lots of non virtuous actions or karma and and and and and see that the one’s relatives are receiving the results of their karma. So therefore, so so should not get angry and hate the person who brings harms because because because the the the people harm, it is because of the other the lacking the understanding of law of karma or or or ignorance towards the karma and and have huge cravings and attachment. And some person, of the anger, which makes them to harm others. So therefore, if if if you were to get angry and get angry to towards the persons, the the anger or the attachment, like disturbing emotions and not to the person just because they cause harm, because if it is okay to get angry, then you should be getting angry to both the person and the weapons which bring harms. Because since you can’t develop get angry to the weapon or a stick, so likewise, should not be should not should not be angry to the person just because the person brings the harm because the person is is helpless and do not either has huge ignorance or lack of understanding or law of karma or be influenced by the disturbing emotions like anger and so forth.
So therefore, you know, should not get angry at all. Ah. Should not get angry. And the yep. Should not get angry to the the person who causes harm.
And sometimes by thinking that, you know, there’s no reason for the person to harm me because I haven’t done anything. One may think that way, but it is it is not the case because they should that you have it is you have done something that’s have done something that that makes person to harm you, that it is even though you you think you haven’t you can’t acknowledge what you have done and think you haven’t done anything for the person to harm you, but they these are the results. Every anything happens to you, they are the results of karma which you have cultivated. And so since you have cultivated the karma and therefore, the all these harms and so forth, the results ripen on you and and therefore, you should should recall the understanding of the law of karma and and should not get angry to the person just by saying person causes harm because if you were to get angry to the person then you should get angry on yourself as well because you are the one who cultivate the karma and as a result of the karma you go through the suffering. So therefore, instead of getting angry and so forth, should have developed a great compassion and love and be friendly with the person who causes harm.
And by doing so, by thinking person is going through cultivating a bad karma. And by thinking so, then then by doing developing great compassion and, yep, and bodhicitta and then, yep, and being friendly and harmonious, to live harmony, yep, with the person, then you cultivate the lots of virtues and which will help one to complete the the complete the yep. The accumulation of merits. So now to the fourth division, that is should maintain patience when somebody do a favor to yours your enemy. Right?
Which is explained in the next eleven verses. So I think that is from seventy seven to eighty eight, isn’t it? One, two, three, four, one second. Sorry. Eighty seven.
So and the yep. The meaning is that when somebody admires what your enemy or making offerings and say yep. Praise your enemies. And by saying the person, your enemy has great qualities and very vastly qualified masters, etcetera and etcetera. So when somebody does it, should not get angry to the person who is making offerings and making praise because of your because of your enemy.
Because by doing so, that will not harm your that your anger will not harm the person at all. So whatever still person will still make an appraise to your enemy who who for them, who for the person is very great quality and has huge knowledge and so forth. So instead of getting angry for his his or her offerings, you know, we should rejoice the person’s good work good work as well as by thinking, you know, well, you know, and also along with the person, join the team, you know, and make prayers for the person’s great qualities or qualifications and attitude. And by doing so, then you will receive collective numbers of good karma or positive actions. And and and and result of those, you will have lots of benefits.
Just and by getting angry will bring nothing except harm. So therefore, you know, you should not be angry to the person. Instead, rejoice for the person’s good work and and and admire his qualities and and develop a compassion and love to to your enemy. And by doing so, you you collect numbers of virtuous merit or positive actions. And also, your actions been because your actions been very virtuous or positive, the and and you become you will be admired or admired by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for your yeah.
Received congratulations from the Buddhists and Bodhisattvas for your good work. The so yeah. So it’s a yeah. So so it’s you should not be angry to the person who help or admire your enemy just because a person is doing a favor for your enemy. Because because because if so should not be angry by saying the person is doing a favor for your enemy and because your enemy and yourself are saying, still a person wishing happiness and not one suffering.
So so when somebody helps your enemy, you should rejoice to the person’s hard work and and and and and be happy for it. Because if if you say it’s okay to it it is okay to to to to get angry to the the the the person who brings favor, then then you should be angry to your your servant or your your your servant because your servant is doing a favor for you or your employees, you know, they’re they’re doing a favor for you, for your happiness and so forth. So likewise, you know, because you wish happiness and likewise your enemy wish happiness. So both needs a happiness, that is the same. So so if you were to get angry to the person who brings favor, then you should be angry to the person, to your employee or your servant because they’re mean, they praise you and they admire you.
So and but which you won’t do it because if you so, yeah, so you stop paying, you know, the wages for your employee or your servant so forth, then they stop working for you. And as a result, you don’t receive benefits in this life as well as in future. So likewise, if you hurt the person, then that will not bring any if you get angry to the person who brings favor to the enemy, it’s the same like not paying wages to the the servant or employee because by getting by developing anger, you will receive nothing. Nothing happiness or a pleasant will come in this life as well as in future. Instead, you receive the suffering.
So should not be angry to the person. And now to the second main subdivision. So I think we have to go back back back again. It’s it’s You might be thinking, you know, we just finished the fourth subdivision. And now this is the second one of you know, back backwards, the second division, one of the second main division.
That is maintaining patience towards the obstacles to one’s wishes, which means is that that that your that you yeah. Who the person caused harms or obstacles to to to to obstructs you to achieve your wish or object of your desire. Right, so making it not to get it. Geshe-la said just said that you were to go to Adelaide and you really wanted to go. You’re about to go and somebody, you know, cuts it like, know, and makes you not able to go there.
So it should, of course, harm and obstruct you to going there. So, yep, to maintaining patience to the obstacles, for example. Right. So So and which has two divisions now. So which has two divisions.
The first one is maintaining patience when you’re maintaining patience when your enemy receives the obstacles. Right? And and and and second one is maintaining patience when yourself and and the relatives or dear ones receives obstacles. So in general, what it means is the second one is quite easy. The first one is, you know, generally, you do not wish your do not wish your enemy to achieve, you know, be successful and so forth, and and and wanting person to receive all the obstacles and so forth, hindrances.
So here, which is maintaining patience, that that which is to the enemy, is not wishing enemy, should not have any obstacles and so forth. Right. Right. Right. Right.
So and the second one, the second subdivision, which is maintaining patience when your enemy receives the obstacles. That’s been explained by the next to the next three verses. Verses. No.