Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using the image of hell-realm beings who see horse-headed guardians due to their own karmic imprints — and respond with anger, deepening their suffering further — Geshe Pema Tsering dismantles the rationalization that a brief stint in lower realms is manageable. In this 44-minute commentary on Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva Way of Life (verses 23–27), he explains why precious human rebirth is both rare and urgent, then draws a precise doctrinal distinction: self-grasping attitude (clinging to inherent existence) blocks nirvana, while self-cherishing attitude (prioritizing only oneself) additionally blocks Buddhahood — the two likened to employer and employee. A Q&A closes the session, including Geshe-la’s firm rejection of the idea that rebirth can be gifted by Bodhisattvas: in Buddhism, each practitioner must work out liberation through their own sustained effort.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 12 Guide 2002 05 09.mp3
UUID: bc8cb780-8519-4823-b4a9-daa53c370fda
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-05-09
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.6 minutes
Words: ~2,939
Yeah. Before one leaves this this precious human rebirth, one should try one’s best to cultivate the positive actions or practice as much as one can so that one can receive the precious human rebirth in future lives. If one does not, if one fails to do so, then it is very pitiful that former life has worked so hard and all the hard works done the former life has been wasted in this life. And it is it is also possible for some people may to think to think that, oh, it’s alright, you know, I might go go to lower lower lower realms for a couple of years, and then I I go through the sufferings and and and and receive all the results of non virtuous actions and purify everything by going through the suffering for a couple of years. And after that, I’ll be back in the the good the happy migration or good migration and then do something.
And it is very, very it is it is a very mistaken thought and should not develop. So and such thought is not possible because because after after having born in the lower realms, and it’s very hard to be free from the lower realms because because due to the karma and the appears different all the time and according because according to their karma and they tend to collect numbers of actions, you know, like disturbing emotions like attachment and hatred, so it comes, it brings suffering to suffering and suffering to suffering for many lifetimes. For example, like being being in hell realms, because of as a result of non virtuous actions, one’s been born in the hell realms and and within that lifetime, and because of their karma, karmic results, you know, they see the hell guardians like, like the human form with the horse head, comes to strike these beings so forth so forth. Yeah. And and and and then they it doesn’t exist, but the person sees because of their karmic imprints.
And then by seeing those the hell beings, they tend to develop anger and so forth, and then collect the different non virtuous actions and that result from hell to hell. So likewise, for example, like the animal realms, and we have, you know, dogs, cats, sheep, etc, and one can see they’re very good at developing, you know, like attachment, anger, and and hatred, like, and confusion, so forth. So probably very skillful and and they can they can almost perform same as the we human do. And in terms of collecting positive actions, it’s very rarely they can do. One or two animals are exceptional case because of being of the the having a according to the special fields, like, in being blessed by the great masters or Buddhists and who and who circumambulate the stupas and so forth are the exceptional case.
Case. And now to the third subdivision, which is the importance of being very conscientious. I can’t figure out that. Anyway, by thinking about yeah. The thinking that it is it that one needs to cultivate or work hard to cultivate positive actions while one has one has received the precious human rebirth.
And that it and the next five five verses from twenty three now. Twenty three, four, five, six, seven shows Yes. So this precious human rebirth is very, very hard to obtain, not only hard and hard to attain attained and by and but if one receives such precious human rebirth, he has a great use. And so therefore, should not try to wait should not waste this precious human rebirth when when one have yeah. When one have received it for once, and and and should not try to fool oneself because we always deceive once ourself because and because of thinking not today, not tomorrow, so and so.
And for example, like, because of our previous life, hard work of previous life, as a result of their practice and hard work, we receive this precious human rebirth. And if at this stage we fail to practice, we’ll lose this precious human rebirth and that is one’s own fault and one deceive oneself. So but thinking about this, what what our great master, Lord Buddha Śākyamūni, that said was very true that you yourself is your enemy as well as you yourself is your you are your own master, and you are your own enemy. That’s yeah. Mhmm.
So, yeah, we we under we have received this precious rebirth, and we understand that we have received the precious human rebirth, but still we we some can’t practice even though they know they have received the precious human rebirth. It all this happens because of the confusions or ignorance, and and and that happens because one we everyone has ignorance and and have Confusions, but they don’t realize it. And due to this, we some they realize that it is hard to attain this precious human rebirth and and one understand one has one has received the precious human rebirth, but still can’t practice. So that the the the confusion or ignorance offsets us to practice all these precious sort of positive actions, and and and that offsets us. And instead, it helps one us or one two to develop those three poisons like attachment, desire, and, yeah, hatred, so forth.
So that ignorance helps one because because of that ignorance, one has the self grasping attitude or so called the ignorance of self grasping attitude. And that ignorance of self, yeah, grasp self grasping attitude encourages or or help one to cultivate those non virtuous actions. So this self grasping attitude or self-cherishing attitude, that ignorance of self grasping attitude in yeah. Help one to develop those attachment, hatred, and anger, so forth, and will never help one to to perform a positive action. And and that that self grasping attitude comes the this, in Tibetan, Dagdzin and Dagchak comes in Tibetan, which is saying one is self grasping attitude, and one is self-cherishing attitude.
And those two those two comes as as our protection and and and and yeah. A common comes as our protection and and and help us help us or or or make one to produce the desire, hatred, and attachment. Yep. And so should should should try not to let one’s oneself under the influence of self-cherishing attitude because if one let oneself under the influence of self-cherishing attitude, then that that they will let one to let one to cultivate those non virtuous actions like attachment and so forth. So if one let oneself under the con under the influence of self-cherishing attitude and just yep.
And cultivate, you know, yeah, cultivate numbers of non virtuous actions. And what happens is when the actual time of death comes, then one one it happened for one to die very regretfully because because at the time of the death, one will have different one can one can see the different signs of, like like, being born in the lower realms or hell or good a good rebirth or being born in the the Buddhist realm so forth, yeah, Buddhist realm or Buddhahood and so forth, one can have all the signs at the time of death. Right? So if one regrets at the time of death, then it is too late. So, therefore, it is very important for one to be very aware of all this how difficult it is to attain this precious human rebirth, and if one receives that it has a great use.
And by knowing so, and should should should try and one also know that by doing a positive action that will lead one towards good migration and non virtuous will lead towards the lower lower rebirths, but by knowing so they should not cultivate cultivate try not yeah, not cultivate non virtuous actions because because by being born in the lower realms, for example, like like hell realms, then the the suffering there is unbearable. At at this stage, one can’t bear the the pain from given a little prick, just a tiny little needle. And and and the suffering in hell realm is hundred times more than those. So like like the black the person who sends the black magic to person, and then the the the like black magic, you know, one becomes, you know, like memory loss or, yeah, memory loss or can’t think of anything so forth. And likewise, yeah, likewise, we deceive ourselves.
And and and and and and like that black magic words, you know, we deceive ourself and that is the self-cherishing attitude and the ignorance. And that that self-cherishing ignorance and deceive us and and and and obstacle us from knowing the the the the the practices of of of what is to be abandoned and what is to be achieved or to be done. Okay. Nice. Nice.
So therefore so we are fooled or deceitful self the ignorance and the self self self-cherishing attitude. So in order to so so as far as one is not free from this ignorance and the self-cherishing attitude, one will not attained attained attained yeah. One one will not be free from the yeah, attain nirvana. One will not attain nirvana. And yeah.
Okay. The so we said the self grasping attitude and the self-cherishing attitude. You know, yeah, one does not need to be free from self-cherishing attitude to to to attain nirvana or to yeah, to attain the nirvana, one one need to be free from ignorance and the self grasping attitude. And to attain Buddhahood, in addition to that, one one needs to be free from self-cherishing attitude as well. Yeah.
So so those two, the self grasping attitude and the self-cherishing attitude are the root which obstruct us from the nirvana and liberation and the Buddhahood. So so in order to free from self grasping attitude, one needs to realize realize selflessness. And and in order to abandon or abandon the self-cherishing attitude, one should practice the bodhicitta, which is cherishing others more important than oneself. So therefore so without without without possessing the the wisdom realizing selflessness of the selflessness, one will not get rid of the self grasping attitude. And without bodhicitta, will not, yeah, abandon the self-cherishing attitude.
Right. So, yeah, whenever one abandons those two, the self grasping attitude and the self-cherishing attitude, then one is very close to Buddhahood. So those two self grasping attitude and the self-cherishing attitude are alike, like the employer and the employee. Because the self-cherishing self grasping attitude, they grasp everything as as as a truly existent or or or self existent. And and and by doing so yeah.
By doing this, then self-cherishing attitude grasp it as a I or mine and so forth. So they just like employ an employee and which will obstruct us from the nirvana and the buddhahood. So, yep, we stop here and take a couple of questions. Yes, please. So if one think very carefully, one probably one can not entirely, but almost can guess what one what what is one how or where or what what is our previous life, that this precious human rebirth is not easy to attain, and it has a whole lot of hard work to do to to receive such human rebirth, such precious human rebirth because this precious human rebirth is a result of of maintaining a very good ethical discipline as the basis or main course and that is and substance supported or substantiated by the practices of generosity and so forth, six perfections and and help with the very good, yeah, stainless prayers or wishful prayers.
So so we but thinking so how difficult it is to attain this, and we have received this, but examining this precious human rebirth, then one can almost guess where what is one previous life. So whichever that that life is, it has done a great job and must be a very good good good good being or a person who who has who has worked so hard to for us or want to receive such a rebirth at this time. But it doesn’t necessarily be a very formal life, and it could be formless, or formal, and long long run as well. Possibility of all of this being human was. I missed the part.
If if we if we if there’s such a propensity to generate non virtue in the lower realm Mhmm. And and and we’ve spent enormous numbers of lifetimes there Mhmm. What So I don’t know whether I got the question right or not. The the in in in animal realms, you know, one has one cultivate the non virtues all the time and and stay there for a long time. So what can we do to preserve this precious human human rebirth in human all the time?
Is that what you mean? No. I can’t see how you could be a human. Yeah. Just get better first time.
Yeah. How does one get that chance? To receive this. Yeah. Yeah.
Alright. Once once you know, given given them spent so much time in that lower realm Yeah. And generated so much. Yeah. And So Geshe-la said that the answer has already been given from the very beginning that, you know, to receive such human rebirth, not just human precious human rebirth, for instance, that the causes for precious human rebirth are nothing less than good ethical disciplines and all this yeah.
They’re talking particularly with this specific rebirth, which is precious human rebirth with all these qualities. For instance, for that, to all the causes are have a good basis of ethical discipline, and that is supported by the practice of six perfections and the unstained or pure prayers and so forth. So Geshe-la said that those are the causes. So one one must have done this so you have received this. That’s assuming we believe it.
Or you’re talking about, for instance, you know, the rock was in the the lower rebirth and going through huge. So you’re then you’re asking, how come I’m back in human or I’m human? How could it be possible? Yeah. That’s yep.
That the question was such a. For example, shall I say you. Right. And we we all have been through the lower lower rebirth and going through huge sufferings, for example, like you. But not only have had numbers of rebirths, and definitely there was a you have a human rebirth in before as well.
No matter how much how many times you have spent in the lower realms and so forth. But at one stage during the human rebirth time, you know, you have done lots of positive actions and collected all the causes to have this precious human rebirth as a result of that. And you have you receive this precious human rebirth, but it’s not the beings in the hell realms or lower lower rebirth work. It’s the previous the human rebirth work. Okay.
The moment which is, oh, I shouldn’t be doing this or something. So what should you do at that moment? Right. So after that, when you feel that regression or something, for example, like, not the regret, but say, oh, I’m that’s just concern for myself and so forth. And you had already that regression or something that that what you have done is not a good one just concerning oneself.
So at that point, after having thought that, then should do the positive thing as much as you can and do not do what the things which you think is wrong. That’s good. You can continue with such thought. Yeah. Yeah.
So Geshe-la said that the simple way of saying everything we say is inside you, I, I, I, is self grasping attitude. And that one we says, I want this, and this is mine, and I own and I should have only I should have this and so forth is the is the one so called self-cherishing attitude. Yep. Yep. And that self-cherishing attitude wants all the good and all the happiness for the person, oneself, and and and it has no satisfaction.
And this the self grasping attitude is is the attitude which grasps oneself. You know? I’m the I’m the only person, you know, and simply the best. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. The last one. I can’t see. Yep. So briefly speaking, you mean that your rebirth is given as a gift from?
Which tradition you’re talking about? A bit confusing when you use the Bodhisattvas and so forth, the word. You know? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Superstars. Yep. Well, we in Buddhism, Buddhists, they don’t accept such a
Such system, such philosophy. Example, like, the Buddha Lord Buddha Śākyamūni himself, he worked himself, and and you are your own master. So he worked for his own, and he worked so hard himself. And and, yeah, because of his all his hard works, he perfected himself and attained attained Buddhahood. And he has showed us that all the works he has done to achieve enlightenment or become Buddha, and he shows us the path, but it’s not that he’s and he but he won’t he will show you the path to to to enlightenment the way he has traveled, but he can’t give you as a gift to receive human rebirth and so forth.
But so therefore, that theory, like, as a free gift and so forth doesn’t assert in Buddhist philosophy. Yep.