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 memorable image: just as creatures living under cow dung feel perfectly content, beings in saṃsāra mistake suffering for happiness because ignorance has always obscured their perception. He argues that genuine renunciation must precede authentic bodhicitta, then moves to verse 211 of the ongoing Bodhisattva Deeds commentary, examining patience toward praise and criticism. Praise, he shows, helps none of the five livelihoods — long life, strength, health, comfort, or merit. Chasing fame resembles a child weeping over a collapsed sand castle. He ends with a counterintuitive point: practitioners should feel grateful to those who criticize them, since critics unwittingly help dismantle the reputation that anyone seeking nirvana must abandon.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 57 BD 2002 08 15.mp3
UUID: 5f32a7ef-c66d-4cfb-906d-53bb3c228c87
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-08-15
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.1 minutes
Words: ~2,945
The Geshe Langri Thangpa in his Eight Verses of Mind Training said that at all times, one should examine one’s mind and always be very mindful and examine one’s actions without mental wandering. And the actions should examine the actions of body, speech, and mind. So examine here, it refers to the actions of body, speech, and mind.
If whenever one come to know that the the come to know if the actions of the body any of body, speech, and mind is is performing or is is negative or non virtuous, instantly should apply antidote and not let one’s oneself to go through negative actions. Because by by committing non virtuous actions or under the influence of disturbing emotions, that will that will cause harm or bring suffering to to both self and others. So, therefore, whenever the non the disturbing emotion arises instantly on the spot, one should apply an antidote and with huge enthusiastic effort, get rid of those disturbing emotions, because if one does not do so, then one will become under the control of or influence of the disturbing emotions. And due to this, one cultivates numbers of karma which will lead one to circle in the cyclic existence. So yeah.
So if one does not instantly get rid of those disturbing emotions, and as a result, that disturbing emotion will lead let one to cultivate numbers of the negative karmas in which will lead one to to circle in the cyclic existence. So by by circling in the cycle of existence, then one keep cultivating a non virtuous or the causes, yeah, wanders in the cycle of existence, and doing so will become a struggle to the liberation or or prolong or push one’s attainment of liberation a bit farther. So therefore so therefore therefore, it is very important that one should always examine one’s mind. And and and whenever the disturbing emotion comes, you know, right away, one should try to abandon it. So therefore, once you try to understand all the the the faults and disadvantages of the disturbing emotions and cyclic existence.
The the fault of the disturbing emotion is that is one will one will be born in cyclic existence. So that’s the fault of disturbing emotions, because the disturbing emotion will take one to the cyclic existence or saṃsāra. And the fault of the saṃsāra is: after having been born in saṃsāra, then there is no a single moment one does not go through the suffering. In all after being born in cyclic existence, then in all the time, one has been tortured by either of the sufferings, the suffering of change, suffering of pervasive conditioning, and suffering of suffering. So even if one thinks that one is not suffering, but the reality, one is being one is being tortured by the suffering.
And so, therefore, once you try to develop the the wish to a mind which wish to free from such existence, And and and by developing that wish to free from cyclic existence, then then one it it will become easier for one to develop a a wish, that concern for sentient beings wishing them to be free from — yeah, free from the cyclic existence and the sufferings. And by doing so by having developed such mind that wishing a concern for sentient beings, then it will help one, yeah, one it will help one to develop so called the bodhicitta that is to attain enlightenment for the sake of other sentient beings. So therefore, the developing a uncontrived or the proper renunciation is very important because if one does not develop a uncontrived or a proper renunciation due to this and wishing to free sentient beings from the suffering will be so so. And then and because of those, then the bodhicitta, that is enlightenment for the sake of the entire sentient beings, will be a mediocre bodhicitta, not a very proper bodhicitta. So from the very beginning, developing a very uncontrived renunciation is very essential.
So up till now, we haven’t developed a proper or uncontrived renunciation. So in order to develop such, it is because we have failed to see the suffering nature of samsaric existence. Once we’re born in samsaric existence, one only goes through the sufferings. So therefore, in order to develop a proper renunciation, one should try to see the disadvantages and the suffering nature of cyclic existence through many through many doors or many perspectives. Because when we say that the the one when yeah.
In saṃsāra, one is being tortured by sufferings all the time. When we say such, you know, it is sometimes very difficult for us to accept such logic or theory, because we always — I mean, everyone has a thinking or has a thought that, oh, I’m happy, and inside their mind, they think I’m happy, not suffering. And and not only just in the thought, they sometimes they speak that, oh, I’m happy. You know? Yeah.
And and this is natural, and it happens because because we are obscured by the ignorance from the very beginningless of the saṃsāra or the yeah. Mhmm. Of of the lie, the saṃsāra. And and due to this, we don’t we’re mistaken in in the suffering as a happiness, and this is how people say, you know, think they are happy, and they also speak say that they are very happy as well. It happens because said because of the ignorance from the beginning of the cycle of existence.
For example, like I mean, we can see for example, like, we can see that we can see the suffering of those organisms in in, like, little ants or or, you know, the and the creatures in the in the toilet hole in the you know? Or Geshe-la just said that under the cow dung — you know, probably have not seen this many times in India. And, you know, there are little creatures there, but for us, we can understand and we can see they are suffering. But for them, they they don’t think they are suffering. They are very happy down there.
It’s because of the ignorance. Therefore, this is how developing a proper renunciation is very important from the very beginning because without having developed a proper renunciation, concerning for others and working for others, the altruistic intention won’t be that yep. Like, similar like the renunciation. So in order to develop a proper altruistic intention or bodhicitta, it is important for one to develop a what’s it called? Develop a proper uncontrived renunciation.
Yeah. So so like oneself, other motherly sentient beings are also tortured by the sufferings and lacking happiness. So therefore so in order to in order to free those motherly sentient beings from the suffering and bring them to the state of ultimate happiness as in here yeah. Yep. So yeah.
I shall here attain enlightenment in order to benefit the sentient beings. For that purpose, shall he listen to the teachings, meditation, and contemplate on such mind or a motivation of altruistic intention, we do a short meditation. So now last week, we stopped at the second of the second subdivisions, which is maintaining patience. The maintaining patience towards the obstacles for this to attend to this one’s own and one’s relatives’ wishes. And that that that session has been explained in the next twenty two verses.
Verse ninety. Two hundred and eleven. So it is the meaning is that one should not do such that, you know, when one and one’s relatives and close friends receive the praise from others and feel happy, and when they receive criticism or complaints, then one becomes angry and disturbed. So it is not appropriate to do so because, for example, there is no point in being very happy and delighted when one’s relatives and friends receive the praises, because those praises will not help any of the five livelihoods of sentient beings. The five livelihoods — the first one is that it will not help one to have a long life span, and that will not help one to increase one’s strength, and it will not stop — that is, the praise will not stop one’s illness or diseases, and it will not make one’s body happy and comfortable. And then it will not help one to increase one’s merit or virtue. So because, you know, in reality, praise does not help in any of those five livelihoods of sentient beings. And and and and and so for that reason, there is no there is no particular reason that one should be very happy when one receive the receives oneself and and for one’s close ones when they receive the the praise or admiration.
And if one say if one say, no. This is not true. It is okay to be delighted and feel happy when one receives the the praise because when at the for temporarily, at the moment when we receive the praise, they one one is one receives certain temporal pleasure or happiness. And if one says such thing and they’re taking the the temporal happiness for a reason, then in that case, then but doing so, then one then if one says so, then they will come a danger or one should then one should do perform, you know, be with another’s wife or a man or the other’s husband, or with intoxicants, because they give temporal happiness as well. But so you should not do something by saying the reason is that it will give certain pleasure for a temporary moment. Doing this, then we would be supposed to say, well, it’s okay to be with the other’s wife or husband and, you know, be with the alcohol all the time because they give pleasure as well.
And and some people, you know, they spend all the possessions and huge amount of wealth in order to collect or or gain some reputation or fame. And for the worst, some people in the name of, you know, bravery, isn’t it, called the very brave person or something, then they, you know, fight with each other, and then and as a result, they got killed. So what is the use of the particular name, the single the title or a name which gives a fame for the person? And and and it it is not appropriate to do so because but just for the name of the fame of being famous or reputation, it will not help anything at all because because yeah. Yeah.
It will not help at all instead, you know, having been killed in the war or a combat or a fight with others and due just to collect the fame or reputation yep. Fame. And and and as a result, one got killed and and and the killing the the death is not the final journey of the person. One has to still go through the next future life. And as a result of being you know?
As a result of those non virtuous actions, that will lead one in the lower rebirth and and goes through the more sufferings. So therefore, should not cultivate just should not feel delighted or happy feel happy when one receives a praise and then get angry and and yeah. Angry or agitated when complaints or criticisms because doing so has no no essence. Like, working so hard to attain the fame is like it has no essence because that action is like a little kid. Little kid cry when the the the the sand castle and castle built out of sand.
Building a castle on a sandy beach, isn’t it? So, you know, build the sand and then suddenly, you know, boom, collapse and little kid cries. So it’s just and there’s no point to cry because the the sand castle sand castle has no essence at all. It will never stay there. It will just go.
Therefore, they’re doing such the things like, you know, killing and arguing and spending heaps of money in order to gain the fame and so forth. It’s like like the kids crying after the the destruction or the demolition of the sand castle. And also and and I should not feel delighted just for the sound of the praise, you know, because some people and I like the sound of that. You know? So should not get attached to it and should not be very placed for just for the sound because there is no point of crying because the sound that sound has no mind or or yeah.
Can’t think anyway. It’s like it’s it’s like being like to the sound. It’s like being like into a piece of rock. So yeah. And and also, once you’re feel delighted or saying that, you know, it’s okay to feel delighted because, you know, the person who receives the praise or admiration will be delighted.
So just by saying so, for example, like, say, one of the person, third yeah. A person who praises one of your close friends or your relatives, and you feel happy because, you know, the the receiver, the who who has been praised, been feel rejoice or or delighted. And therefore, it is okay to be the happy. So if one says so, it’s still not because because because there is no point. You know?
One will nothing will nobody will gain any benefits out of it because the one who the the person who offers the praise will not receive anything, and as well as oneself does not receive anything from the praise. So yeah. So they they they so therefore, the just in the taking the reason that the person Yeah. So because because the pleasure of the other person who received the praise can help can’t have anything for one’s benefit or sorry, for your happiness. So one might likely to say, yeah, it gives me some pleasure and I’m happy because the person goes receives the praise and happy, and that pleasure will give also gives me pleasure because because because seeing the person is happy or, yeah, is happy, so forth.
If if one says so, then it should be the same by seeing other entire sentient beings when they they are happy, you should be happy, but this is not the case. It doesn’t happen that way. No. You know? So what it means is one should not be attached or be happy towards the praise and for the fame and good reputation, because there is no benefit of being attached or being so keen to receive all those fame and so forth, because they have no essence.
It is for example for example, like example, like, in the for the yeah. In the protections of one rep one’s reputation and and the fame and and one one may one may get get angry towards the person who who who disrespects you and who criticize or complains you by saying to others that that you are not a good good person, for example. And then, yeah, for example, like, you are not a good person and saying that you are not educated or a dumb person, so forth. And and when person says such things, you know, and we get angry, but in reality, there’s no point to get angry to the person. And because getting angry for that purpose is just to maintain one’s fame and one’s reputation.
And and for the mere and that is for the mere name, a mere pleasure of this cyclic existence or or within this in in this current life. So it is because the reason why it is not appropriate to get angry to the person is because by getting angry, one will receive nothing. Instead, being attaching to those name and reputation and so forth. Because of those, in order to protect them, it will make one to engage in the non virtuous actions like generating attachment and hatred and then sometimes pride. And and and in in to protect all those fames and names, you know, one may fight with others, argues, and so forth as a result of committing all those non virtuous actions.
So instead of helping instead of those names helping you, that will lead you that will help you to to cultivate those non virtuous actions and as a result will lead you to the lower existence. Therefore, oneself is a person who wishes to attain arhathood or nirvana.
Therefore, because one wishes to attain nirvana, all these fame and reputation, the offerings, the gifts and so forth, the praise — those are the objects of abandonment for those who wish to attain nirvana. And so therefore therefore because those those objects are to be abandoned, yeah, abandoned, therefore, instead of getting angry to the person who who criticize by saying, like, you are not qualified and you’re not really educated, you are a bad person, so forth. The person who criticizes or complains, who disrespects you, instead of getting angry at the person, one should actually be happy for the person because that person helps you to abandon all those fame and reputation, because that person criticises you and it hurts your reputation and so forth.
And those reputations and good fame and praise, those are the objects to be abandoned for the one who wishes to attain nirvana. So therefore, the person is indirectly helping you to overcome those fames and so forth, so therefore, should be greatly grateful for the person instead of being angry. Excuse me.