Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute commentary on Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva Deeds, Geshe Pema Tsering opens with a reassurance that counters a common worry in Tonglen practice: giving away all one’s virtue to others does not leave the practitioner depleted — it actually strengthens the practice. He adds that pairing Tonglen with emptiness meditation — seeing the cherished self as merely imputed, not inherently real — deepens the practice further. The talk then turns to the second of the four powers of enthusiastic effort — self-confidence — working through verses 46 to 52. Three types of constructive pride are introduced: pride of actions (the courage to work for all beings without yielding to disturbing emotions), and pride of strength (holding firm antidotes, illustrated by a crow that spots a dead snake and briefly flies as boldly as an eagle). Suited to practitioners following a close textual study of the text.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 67 BD 2002 09 12.mp3
UUID: 5100c7cb-1e4d-444b-9d4c-40858036aa0d
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-09-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.9 minutes
Words: ~2,755
The great master Chekawa Yeshe Dorje in his mind training text — which comes under the section that practices equalizing and exchanging self and others — It’s about the practices of Tonglen, which is taking and giving, that making wish and prayers, that wishing all the entire sufferings of the sentient beings to ripen on myself, and all my virtues and the results of those positive actions — which are happiness — to ripen on other sentient beings and and may all sentient beings be in or with the happiness for all the time. So these are the prayers, wishful prayers made by the great masters or great practitioners. So likewise, we also should train our mind in the practices of all the mind trainings and should make put effort to make wishful prayers like the great masters did.
They’re not just wishful prayer not just thinking, should also not not just dedication, but also should practice as well, wishing that all the negative actions and the results of the negative actions of the entire sentient beings to ripen on oneself, and dedicating or giving one’s own virtues and the results of the positive actions to ripen on entire sentient beings or or will be used by the entire sentient beings without remaining any. And and this so this the so by doing so is the practice of mind training that to develop the bodhicitta, there are two ways of developing bodhicitta. One is through the seven-point cause and effect instruction, and one is through training one’s mind in the practices of equalizing and exchanging self and others. So this is the second way of developing bodhicitta — training through equalizing and exchanging self and others. These are the practice to to eradicate the self-cherishing attitude or yep.
self-cherishing attitude. Because we make these prayers — wishing to take others’ sufferings, all sufferings upon oneself and giving up one’s happiness and one’s virtues and the results of the good actions. By doing so, even even if we we do so, but due to our self-cherishing attitude, sometimes we have, a bit of a worry or a doubt thinking that, well, if I do so, I’ll probably give everything and nothing will remain to myself. And that thought happens, comes due to the strong or so familiar, so familiarized with the self-cherishing attitude. But it is a wrong wrong way of thinking that when one give up all the virtues or dedicate all the virtues for others, thinking that there’s nothing left for oneself, this is not the case.
By doing so, instead of instead of instead of losing one’s virtues and the results of the virtuous actions, instead of losing them, by doing so, one one’s practice become more powerful and one attains greater positive or virtues. So because one is not losing anything, instead it’s becoming more powerful and effective. So therefore, you know, it is very, very important to to make such, to do such practice or a mind training.. So like, so should practice, you know, all, dedicate one’s virtues and the results of the virtuous actions. By doing so, then they such practice become an antidote or opponent to the self-cherishing attitude, and and it it help one to reduce self-cherishing attitude or or it damage the self-cherishing attitude.
On top of that practice, if one also meditates on the freedom from inherent existence — by thinking that not only is one giving up the self-cherishing attitude, but also by meditating, thinking that this self-cherishing attitude, this particular self, does not really exist. It is just a mental imputation, fabricated by the mind, and due to this it appears to exist. As a result, under the influence of ignorance, one happens to cherish that self. So by thinking on the emptiness view — by thinking that it does not exist inherently, that it is free of inherent existence —
By doing so, then one’s practice becomes very powerful and profound practice. So we shall do a short meditation here on the altruistic intention by by dedicating that that one’s entire giving one’s entire virtues and the result of the virtuous action to ripen on other sentient beings. And due to this, may I, by doing such practice, attain enlightenment for the sake of entire sentient beings. So now we last week last week started the four powers of enthusiastic effort, and the first one is aspiration. And today, we’re beginning the second one, which is the power of self confidence.
Yep. And to explain that, it has two divisions called the explaining in general and explaining in particular. And first one, to explain in general, it has been explained in the next three verses, starting from the third line of verse forty-six and forty seven and forty eight and then forty nine. Yep. So the meanings are that as it stated in the sūtra of the vajradhaja.
Yep. What’s we set forth that, for example, the I mean, sun shines, but the sun does not there is no sun and never shines inside the cave or or or the cave which is facing opposite to the the sun will never will never see sun inside the the the cave. And likewise, for those who are blind, sun the sun shines, but for them, there is no sunshine because there’s no light because of being blind. So likewise, the the bodhisattvas, they benefit sentient beings, but they can’t benefit entire sentient beings. So they so like like the sun, sun will benefit entire sentient beings, but it can’t because where there is no way to the sun to go through like inside the cave, or for the blind person likewise.
Bodhisattvas have an intention to benefit entire sentient beings, but they can’t. Or they can benefit the sentient beings whose mental continuums are are ripened. So those mental continuum are right. For those, Bodhisattvas can benefit and bring them to the liberation state or to enlightenment. So here so likewise, it was set forth that one should develop a pride in the sense here the pride is not the pride stated in one of the six root delusions.
This pride is more likely to self esteem or confidence, that self confidence, thinking that I have a pride of that I can accomplish this task. And so before one begins any type of practice or any any task, first examine whether one can or cannot. And if one can’t, then it’s better not to start. And once one have started the once one started the tasks, then no matter what difficult one face, confront, should willingly challenge it and perfect or accomplish the task. Never, you know, pull.
So it is important for one to accomplish the the the any task one begin and make accomplish. But if one do not, then the the the if the the the the force of not completing one’s the task or a practice is that that that as a result of that, you know, it’s result of that in future, then it might it in the future lives also, it will happen one for not to accomplish one’s the one’s task. And and for the ripening result of doing so will be suffering. And then it also, because of that actions not completing, then in future, it will also affect one’s one’s practice to accomplish any other practices or a task one begins might not be able to complete as well. So so in order so whenever when one makes the promise to do so and should should undertake and keep that promise and and accomplish the any task one performs.
And in order to do so, the having the self confidence or pride is very important, and one should think: I can. If I do, I can complete. If I do this, I can complete.. And that task should be a positive action. So by thinking so, then should actual know the actual know the actual practices, and then by doing cultivating the positive actions and and the negative opposite side, which is the negative, the non virtuous, which are to be abandoned. So should should should should realize a way to way to engage in order to fulfill, accomplish that task and where what are to be abandoned.
By knowing this, then develop that self confident or a pride, that thinking that I if I do, then I can perfect or accomplish such task. So now to explain the second sub the second division, which is on, you know, the explain the first one explaining in general, and the second one is explaining in particular or individually. So so that one now the second one, explaining in particular, has three divisions, subdivisions, are pride of actions or the yep. Other pride. The pride, which is not the normal pride, which are comes from the six root delusions.
So the the pride of actions, the pride of strength, and the pride of disturbing emotions, there are three types of pride. And the first one, the the the the pride of actions is explained in the next ten verses. Okay. So we marked the forty ninth, but it’s actually not starting from the third line of the was forty nine. I should do it.
Yeah. Right. And two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, ten. I think verse fifty eight. K.
So the the pride of actions is is is actually developing courage, the mental courage, but thinking that I only, only I can or only I can fulfill or perform all the the serviceable actions of both the self and others. And so having such a courage is called the the pride of actions. So so having developed such a courage or a or a pride that only one can benefit or perform all these positive actions or serviceable actions of the entire sentient beings. So by thinking so, then should think that should that I should not let one’s myself lose my independence and to the disturbing emotions like attachment, hatred, and so forth. Because if I let myself under the influence of the disturbing emotions, then then then then I can’t yeah.
It might appear those disturbing emotions at appears to be, you know, to be helpful to fulfill one’s purpose, one’s individual purpose, but in reality, they can’t perfect one’s own purpose. Not only that, because it can’t excuse, because it can’t help to perfect one’s own purposes, likewise, it if one goes through the goes under the influence of disturbing emotions then then it will not let or give any courage for one to fulfill both the self and others purposes. So by by so therefore, I should not let one myself under the influence of disturbing emotions. So likewise, and should do like like like other sentient beings, those the beings in the samsaric existence, they work so hard in order to cultivate the the three types of livelihood: food, shelter, and clothing. And they work so have huge apply huge go through huge hardships and have enthusiasm to cultivate achieve those worldly or their livelihoods.
So likewise, I’m not like those sentient beings, those samsaric sentient beings. I’m here to work or fulfill the the both the the the purposes of self and others, which is to attain enlightenment for the sake of the entire sentient being. So therefore, for the small matter, and how they work so hard, and I should be working even harder than those sentient beings. But think which is but my purpose is to far better than those sentient beings. And my one is to attain enlightenment.
So therefore, it is not appropriate for me to be relaxed and slow and rest, and instead should work very hard. So Got it. So that’s yep. So to make a promise that one will perfect the the the the accomplish the the purposes of both self and others. And by thinking that the others are working so hard and the activities, the hard works, other performs are at a very low level, the the actions which is cultivating all this worldly livelihoods like food, shelter, and so forth.
So I, my work is is a positive action. It’s far better than those sentient beings, which is to attain the liberation state or enlightenment for the sake of others. So by doing so, and so it should make courage that one will not be relaxed and and are taking it so not not so serious and relaxed, and and instead to work very hard to willingly to work very hard to attain the liberation stage and Buddhahood, and should not let oneself under the influence of disturbing emotions and and abandon all the the disturbing emotions or the pride of disturbing emotions. And now to the second subdivision, which is pride of strength or the power. And that’s been explained in the next eight verses eight verses in in single line.
Fifty-two. So I think we’re going way far ahead. Sorry. The previous one, the pride of action was not explained in the next ten verses. It was actually explained in the next ten lines.
So let me I hope so. One two three four five six seven eight nine. Yes. Yeah. It’s the fifty two.
So the meanings are it’s important to to have to to have the antidotes of the disturbing emotions or antidotes that counteract with the disturbing emotions when one encounter with the disturbing emotions. Because if one does not have the strength of the pride, then then the the antidote towards the disturbing emotions will be very weak. So so and and then one will be like a like a crow, which means that if if a crow sees a dead the lying dead body of the snake, then the crow can fly forcefully and fast like the eagle. It’s like the eagle.. Exactly.
Eagle eats snake, isn’t it? Yeah. It says that in we yeah. In Tibetan, it’s set for the king of the birds, you know. So anyway, so if the crow sees a dead lying dead body of the snake and it wants to eat and he can fly, you know, forcefully very fast like the eagle.
So likewise, if one does not have the the strength of the pride, then the the power, the strength of the antidote to the disturbing emotions would be very weak. And due to this, then whatever actions one performs and meeting with the very powerful very weak disturbing emotions, even a slight disturbing emotion can can obstruct one’s the fulfillment fulfillment or one’s practices, and it will obstruct one to and and effect one to, yeah, accomplish one’s practices and also, whatever actions one performs, it can cause you to lose one’s own principles or entire practice. So so therefore, you know, so the yeah. It will cause if the the danger of losing one’s purposes or one’s practice. So therefore, the having the pride of strength is very important.
Therefore, it is important, very important to have the strength of the pride and which and which also called the pride of the antidote. So encourage the pride of the antidote so that one can counter any of the disturbing emotions or the negative actions. So if one has a very firm and steady, strong pride of self confidence, the pride of strength or the antidotes,, then no matter should not do not need to mention the small abandonments, even those very heavy non-virtuous actions like the transgressions and downfalls — those are very heavy non-virtuous actions. Those are very heavy non-virtuous actions and very difficult to purify.
But if one has a firm pride of applying antidotes — the strength of the antidotes — then no matter how great the negative actions are, one can, with the firm power of antidotes, purify any kind of non-virtuous actions. So one should apply all those antidotes. And while meditating on those antidotes to the disturbing emotions, challenging and overcoming and purifying all the transgressions and the negative actions, So while meditating and applying all those antidotes, and if if it happens,