Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 54-minute commentary, Geshe Pema Tsering opens with a key distinction: contrived bodhicitta — the deliberate resolve to achieve enlightenment for all beings — must be cultivated through forceful, repeated meditation on reasoning until it eventually arises spontaneously. He identifies self-cherishing as both the very obstacle these vows are designed to defeat and the chief reason they are so hard to keep, noting candidly that out of a hundred practitioners perhaps only one avoids the first two root downfalls: praising oneself and belittling others. He then walks through all eighteen root downfalls in sequence, from withholding Dharma and material support to destroying a community or abandoning bodhicitta entirely. Audience questions address whether the sheer number of downfalls should discourage practitioners, and a brief exchange explores the obligation to treat even a single written letter with respect as a potential vehicle for Dharma.
File metadata (for organising)
File: Bodhisattva Vow Commentary part 2.mp3
UUID: fa93a79f-82f0-451b-bbae-58ca942de2da
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva vows commentary year unknown (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 54.4 minutes
Words: ~2,388
So that that is that’s so that is the vows of the mind of enlightenment. Is it making sense? Okay? That is the vow of the mind of enlightenment. Yeah.
So then so then the mind that is is thinking, I’m going to bring all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment. Enlightenment. In order to do that, must achieve enlightenment myself. And then then this mind is how do you say? Things of of all this the the root vows, the the root downfalls, and and the and the four black karmas and the four white karmas, all those practices of those trainings of bodhisattvas.
It seems that I this mind is thinking, I’m going to abandon all these root downfalls, and so forth, and the black karma and so forth. So then so then the mind then thinking that I’m going to abandon all these downfalls in order to accomplish the benefit of all in order to achieve enlightenment to accomplish the benefit of all beings. And that is is the vows, the mind of enlightenment. And then now now we have we have this we we have to, how do you say, we give rise to this contrived mind of enlightenment or to this contrived mind, but then but then when we can give rise to it spontaneously in contrived manner, then that is the actual, the real mind of enlightenment. So then that is the actual mind, the real mind of enlightenment.
But and then we have we have taken all these vows. So now what we have to do is to protect them well, to to keep them well. So then so then we have having taken these these vows of the mind of enlightenment, then we we also we we have a how do say? We have obtained So then we will be able to attain the result of a human body, for example. So then we have we have to to keep them, to keep all these vows very well.
If we cannot keep these vows well, then then great big faults will will come. Then again, I’m saying that that now there are many there are many vows. There are the eighteen root vows, root downfalls, and the the forty-six secondary downfalls and and there are many other trainings and vows and there are too many to know we do not we cannot know all of them but the main thing the important I would say the main point to practice is that first that we should how do you say? To cause no harm whatsoever to other sentient beings and then to cultivate those beneficial minds the minds the minds that would wish to benefit other beings like for example loving kindness and compassion. These are the main the how to say the principal points.
So then all those, for example, all those those eighteen root downfalls, for example, what what are the purpose and what are their purpose and their meaning? The purpose and the meaning is to completely to completely abandon any harm to other beings, not to cause any harm whatsoever to other beings, and to act towards them with loving kindness and compassion. So so now, Gela is saying that we we should finish here today, the teaching. So if you have any questions? It’s okay if we stop here today?
Yes? Next Friday. That’s it. Unless the program changes. Up to the it he says it’s up to the SPC.
I think if people are eager and he sees that people are eager and yeah. Yeah. So anybody has any questions? Yeah. Everybody would like.
There are the two first vows. One is the first two vows of the eighteen root downfalls. The first one is to praise praise oneself, and then the the second one is to belittle others. Yeah. Yeah.
Those are root downfalls. Right? So so can I say that those are are very difficult and and not be able to to do it all, to explain it all? So he’s saying that that out of out of out of So out of one hundred people, there is a comment. Maybe maybe there is one person who who does not think highly of oneself, that does not that does not praise oneself and others.
So it’s very, very difficult. Very difficult trainings. So then he’s saying that the the the the purpose of those all those vows and so forth is to is to defeat the self-cherishing mind. And then, also, on the other hand, the the reason why we cannot accomplish protect those vows well is because of the self-cherishing mind. So not being able to to give up that self-cherishing mind, then we’ll it’s gonna be very difficult to to keep the vows and so forth.
It is it is very difficult to keep the vows. I’m I’m going to ask. Yes. So then either if he says it’s not necessary, but if if you if you the mind that realizes emptiness, and also if you have that that uncontrived mind that that that of enlightenment, then it’s not difficult to to keep these vows. Then if you have either either of these two minds, you you have you have this great liking for keeping the vows.
You this great enjoyment in keeping the vows. Yes? So he says, no, we are not. I mean, what we have to do is to practice not to harm others and to cultivate those those beneficial minds, those minds that, how you say, want to to achieve the benefit of others, like loving kindness and compassion. And like like I said, that’s the main practice.
That’s the essence of all those vows and everything is is this this two two things. Downfall. And Carl was just saying that’s not the same as abandonment. So a downfall. If if if you are afraid of being reborn in hell, you shouldn’t.
You should you should you should think of it is alright if I’m reborn in hell, and then may may may that be a cause for for how do see? Yeah. Yeah. How do say to to maybe this for accomplishing the happiness of all other beings. Yes.
Yeah. Forgot. What what did you say? I forgot what you said, Daniela. What you you made a forgot what you said, we a distinction between the contrived and the uncontrived mind.
Oh, yeah. Okay. So yes, in order to be able to achieve that uncontrived mind, then we have to engage in this we have to, how do you say, do this forceful meditation on bring about this contrived mind. Yeah. And then meditating, I would say, always always meditating on this, and then we will be able to give.
So then so then he says having thinking thinking of all many different reasonings and thinking of, for example, the kindness of all sentient beings and then giving rise to loving kindness and to to compassion, and then to the to the to the to the I would say that how do say that? That that special attitude that that wishes that wishes to repay their kindness and that to that to come yeah. The the you know, after realizing the kindness of and then giving giving and then thinking of this, again, all these reasonings. And then eventually eventually, the uncontrived mind will come about. You have to strive.
You have to strive, put effort in. All these reasons, and realize them, all these different minds. Not this one. This. So I thought I just asked Gela that when Gela said that the training of this eighteen root downfalls and and the secondary forty six vows and so forth is very difficult.
And I I had the impression. Okay. It’s my personal impression that when he said that, maybe some people were a bit discouraged. And he said, no. No.
It’s it doesn’t matter. The important thing, all these vows, how do say, it’s not absolutely necessary that you know these vows. What we have to what we have to practice is what he said before. So for example, the first five root downfalls is, for example, praising oneself, then not giving Dharma, then not giving Dharma, not giving, not giving material things. Taking back offerings for the Three Jewels and so forth.
Abandoning or despising, criticizing the how to say, the Dharma and the scriptures of the lower vehicles, basically Buddhas or Shravakas or Pratyekabuddhas and so forth. So then harming ordained people or causing them them to lose their vows. Then committing any of the five heinous deeds, you know, the the five killing killing mother or father, Arhat, to cause disunity among the Sangha and to harm to hurt a Buddha. Then cultivating wrong views is the ninth. Then destroying destroying a town or a village by by fire or bombs or whatever.
So then teaching voidness to those who who are not ready or those who are untrained So then, twelve, twelve is that of turning someone away from the Mahāyāna motivation, and then and convince them to achieve their own liberation, work for work for their own liberation. Yeah. Then then inciting others to abandon the the vows or the the vows of individual liberation is the thirteenth. Then So then then talking belittling the the the teachings of of of the the Hīnayāna teachings also. So then the the fifteenth is is proclaiming that one has oneself has realized emptiness.
So then accepting gifts as gifts material that was stolen from the Three Jewels, then causing those disrupting their meditation. And then and then the the the eighteenth one is actually to abandon the bodhicitta. So, yes. So it is it is is So then you understand this is it is it says, it is difficult to to protect them. But I don’t know.
You have to maintain well enough, because it’s stressful. You know, the tough charge is an extra thing. You have to maintain well enough, because it’s stressful. You know what mean? What about, you know, the carrot and the stick?
The the carrots and the stick. Stick. To take taking you know, taking a bow is like a hitting yourself with the stick. So yeah. Yeah.
I I told you this was it’s like a very powerful car. That’s what I told him. It was shivering, lightning, in no time at all. I said, yes. If you will be able to keep the this vows But being Yeah.
Yeah. That’s it. That’s what that’s what Yeah. That’s that’s that’s what I just said. I explained to him.
Yes. Yeah. Everything. Oh, no. This one didn’t get there.
No. I I stopped in the car. I have a question regarding the ones about the one about destroying a town. I’m assuming that includes if you destroy an ant nest or something like that. Ant nest?
What is it? Ten. I don’t know how to say recycling. The in the for example, I was using the the example of papers. Right?
So the fault of, for example, throwing paper on on trash and so forth. So then the the fault of, for example, throwing the paper away in the trash and so forth is is is the fault that is related to the to the precept, the training precept of the refuge precepts, refuge precepts of treating how do say? Not putting the Dharma, any Dharma, regarding any any even one letter to be an expression of the Dharma, and not treating this Dharma, I would say, disrespectfully always putting in a clean place, and not putting dirty places, and so forth. Even one letter, written like English or Tibetan, whatever. So then, yeah, you say, you have to yeah.
This is this is training. It says that even even even one letter, even one small letter is it have to be regarded as the Dharma, then we should be try we should we should treat it with respect. Respect. Because it is a part of an alphabet which can be used to teach the Dharma. To to to express the Dharma.
Yes. It’s because all this came out because I couldn’t express the the idea of recycling them. Exactly what you just said because people can learn the Dharma from that. Okay. On the essential points?
Yes. Yes. This one. This one. You have a question?
I understand. I’m trying to figure out how am I going to say in Tibetan. When the intention of achieving enlightenment gets stronger. Right? Well, I guess, again, I disagree with what you say.
What you say you said that as as the mind that is intent on benefiting others grows stronger, then the mind thinks oneself. The thinks highly of oneself grows weaker, grows less and less. Okay. So he says, yes, in the beginning, it is very difficult. It is very difficult to to to meditate on it, to give rise to it.
We have to do it again and again and again and again so many times. And then eventually, as we get used to it, it will become easier and easier, and will become clearer and clearer, and stronger and stronger. So then he says, thinking thinking of all those reasonings of why of how to say? Thinking of all those reasons that that that have to give rise to that mind that that, I mean, based on all those reasonings, give rise to the mind that that cherishes others, then that mind, together with all those reasonings, then we’ll be able it will actually harm that mind that cherishes oneself. Okay?
Yeah. This is it is it is very difficult if we are not able to if we are not if you do not meditate a lot, a very lot, it is very difficult. Yeah. It is very difficult to to harm that mind that thinks highly of oneself, that cherishes oneself. It is difficult.
So, yeah, what was the question? I’m not sure of the intention. I I will have to to excuse myself because I’m not sure I’m being able to convey the meaning to you. Just because just because just because I’m tired. It’s okay?