Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A vivid image anchors this 45-minute session: the mind as a wild elephant, tethered by the rope of mindfulness to the pillar of virtue and trained with the whip of wisdom. Geshe Pema Tsering works through Śāntideva’s verses on why all suffering arises from an unguided mind, drawing on the hell-realm image of the Shalmali tree — beautiful at first glance, whose leaves become blades once you begin to climb. He then moves to the second subdivision: all virtue, too, arises from mind. His central example is generosity — perfecting it means not eliminating samsaric poverty but cultivating the inner mind of giving, illustrated through mandala offering. A Q&A closes the session, covering antidotes to non-virtuous thoughts, whether mindfulness must be maintained around the clock, and the innate self-grasping attitude that underlies attachment and anger.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 16 Guide 2002 05 30.mp3
UUID: 43aae526-8cf2-41f6-afce-3e46235b1736
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-05-30
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.1 minutes
Words: ~2,878
So it is stated in the sūtra called the sūtra of the lord Buddha Śākyamūni has stated in called the Prātimokṣa sūtra or the individual liberation sūtra, saying, those who had lived the very pure ethical discipline will not be harmed by not harmed even by the the the poisonous snakes. So therefore so by by guiding oneself therefore, if you if you lead the very pure ethical, disciplined life, then you won’t receive any external hindrances or yep. Well, you you will you won’t have any harms comes from the the outside. It is so therefore because because if one guides being very mindful and alert and guiding one’s mind through this, by doing so is like the the cutting or or or, yeah, abandoning all the external harms. It is because we always think that when we receive the harms, always think this is from the external cause, not it’s not one’s fault.
It is not true because because all this happens because of one’s action or because of not guiding one’s mind, because not being mindful because yeah. Of not being mindful, not guiding one’s mind, and letting it go where it wants to go. And through this, one cultivates numerous karmas or actions, and due to this, one comes to result. For example, like having one having an enemy. It is not just simply person becomes one’s enemy.
They become enemy because you have done something either in the past or or or or you have done something directly caused the person harmed or caused harm to person directly or indirectly. As a result of that, person becomes one’s enemy. So likewise, all the harms one receives are the results results of one’s karma. Right? So it is so true, for example, like, those those who had who who who lead the very ethical, disciplined life as well as and who guides what their mind all the time, then no matter how many very poisonous snakes, for example, like for Buddha Śākyamūni, for example, in this teaching hall, and the hall itself is packed with the yeah.
Yeah. Fill up with the poisonous snakes, but they’ll instead, they won’t harm the Buddha. I hope not. Here, the similar statements has been made here in the text by the in his it’s called the Madhyamakahridaya, the essence of the middle way. What you’re saying is example is same here that once mind is like it’s like, yep, the crazy elephant.
And and so that elephant is being tied by, yeah, the mindfulness, the rope of mindfulness which is tied towards the very firm pillar of the virtuous. Yep. And and by tied up that and trained that the mind or the crazy elephant with the whip of wisdom. And by doing this, one can guide one’s mind. No?
Then this one. Oh, this So Right. Here it’s stated in the the the sūtra very clearly in in sutras, Buddha Śākyamūni, that all the sufferings one undergo undergoes through, like the the yep. The the the sufferings in in this life as well as in the future, the fears, suffering of death, aging, impermanence, death, old age, and so forth.
All the the sufferings one undergoes through are the result of those non virtuous actions one have cultivated or the bad karma one have cultivated in the past. And and these are this happens because of not guiding one’s mind and and this is what is stated in the sutras. So it’s stated in the Sūtra that the positive or non-negative or virtuous or non-virtuous actions are cultivated through one’s mind. So, therefore, if one subdues one’s mind, then then and if one is able to subdue one’s mind, then one subdues the entire phenomena.
So and, yeah. So it said that all the the phenomena are made of one’s mind. And because in the the Heruka Tantra stated that Heruka Tantra stated that without depending or without depending on on without depending on the mind, there is no Buddha. There is no sentient beings. There is no consciousness.
There is no phenomena and so forth, not even a single external matters. All it comes from the mind. And that the mind which sees the inherent existence of any yeah. The mind which sees the external phenomena that that are the result or come out of through the mind, or it says the those which are dependent arisings and so called the very precious or yep. Or the precious mind or The very precious Or it’s called out of the mind.
It’s the most ultimate mind. So and also in Sūtra, as mentioned, that the mind is like an artist and it draws the the all the aggregates, the entire phenomena of the cyclic existence and so forth are drawn by the mind. And it’s like like the artist can draw any sort of drawings or paintings. So likewise, our mind has drawn everything in the cyclic existence. So therefore, everything, the sufferings one goes through, the sufferings in the hell realm where one sees hell beings torturing oneself coming with the big sword and so forth.
And yep. And then as well as sufferings by climbing what what the name of the tree? Anyway, there’s a Shalmali tree, Shalmali tree, which is Yeah. Yeah. The pardon?
Yeah. Yeah. So, anyway, it’s a particular tree in the hell. So it looks very pretty, you know, and then it was said for the person is so attached to that tree and and wanted to climb up. And the leaves are very beautiful when they first see it, and the person wants to climb up.
Once they climb up, all the leaves stays down, and they are like a knife, so it pricks the person. Right? And then once once go up on the top and then because it wants to get down, it’s hurting. But once it’s gotten all the leaves face up, so it’s it’s it’s it’s maybe happy pain, I hope so. So it goes like that.
And so the the this this that that particular tree as well as wishing to climb that tree and so forth are come out of the one’s mind because which because I’m not guiding one’s mind and they are the result of the non virtuous actions which are cultivated because of lack of mindfulness. And And And in other hand, it also stated that that that particular tree in the hell realm and one wishes to climb that tree, it came out of the attachment thing that that one has been encouraged to climb that tree. Like, if it’s a man, it’s been encouraged by the gorgeous ladies, they encourage one to ascend and climb the tree. If it’s a woman, then nice men’s encouraging her to climb the tree. So all this happens because of one’s attachment or one’s not guiding one’s mind.
Got it. Got it. So all these the things, they are not causeless. They didn’t come just by the by their own. They are they are the results.
Therefore, it has the cause. They have the cause. Got it. So therefore, it is all this happens because of the non virtuous action cultivated by oneself through one’s mind and not yep. It’s because of not being mindful mindful.
And in the sūtra, lord Buddha Śākyamūni in his sūtra called the sūtra of mindfulness, said that that that the mind is the inner enemy, which is the worst enemy, and there is no other enemy than one’s mind. So, therefore, the all the sufferings one receives, the sufferings lower bad migration, good migration, sufferings of of the underneath, beneath, on the earth, or beyond above the earth, all this comes because of not guiding one guiding one’s mind. So, therefore, one should train in the method of guiding one’s mind, So that concludes the first subdivision, which is all the sufferings comes from not guiding one’s mind. And now the second sec which is all the virtues comes from one’s mind.
So that part has been explained in the next nine verse next nine verses. Yep. So it’s starting from the number nine itself the number nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, eight. Yep. Yep.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Yep. Seventeen. Right? And so there comes the bit of a the debate here saying that that when the perfection of generosity, for example so when one practice the generosity or attain the perfection of generosity, it doesn’t mean that one has to one has to end the poverty in the in the saṃsāra because because if that is if if that is so, then the question comes how Buddhas has perfected the perfection of generosity.
Because because they if that is the case, then we can say the Buddhas has not perfected the perfection of generosity because there are still numbers of poor in this cyclic existence or in the Samsāra. So therefore, when we said about to attain the perfection of generosity, it doesn’t mean that one has to make everyone rich. What here means is one has to have one has to give up attachment towards one yeah, one’s attachment towards towards one’s possessions and and and and and and give up one’s wealth as well and the virtuous so forth cultivated in in in so called in three times or in in the present, past, and future. And and and letting go of them without any attachment When whenever one’s able to do so, then one perfects the perfection of generosity. So therefore, when we practice the perfection of generosity, and it doesn’t mean that you should have a lot to offer.
Yeah. How one should practice the practice of generosity is increasing one’s mind of generosity or mind of giving and and should not have pride towards one’s whatever one has, either the wealth or virtuous actions and so forth, as well as should not any attachment towards yeah. Attachment towards the towards one’s possessions, including virtuous and so forth, and should should have that should have this the the have the generous mind. So increasing that, the the mind of giving is is is practicing is practicing the perfection of generosity. So therefore so likewise, all the the the yep.
The the practice of generosity and perfection of generosity comes from one’s mind. And and what it yeah. Yeah. It comes from one’s mind. And we should not feel weak or or poor thinking that I’ll I have nothing to offer offer because we don’t have to feel that way.
One can give practice generosity and develop the mind of giving by offering all the wealth of this saṃsāra or this world to the sentient beings and and and without having any attachment and so forth and deprived attachment and clinging towards the possessions. And and and and with the generous mind, the mind of giving one can offer to offer anything. For example, like, we offer mandala, we offer all the wealth and the possessions and four continents, Mount Meru, everything. And then we make offering to the teachers, the Buddhas and so forth. So likewise, one can still offer it’s inside one’s mind.
The purpose of doing so is developing the mind of giving, being generous inside one’s mind. So one can practice in generosity by giving anything. It does not need to be one should have in one’s hand, can develop and give the the entire world possession to this every sentient being. So therefore, the the mind of giving the mind of giving is the definition of generosity. So we’ll take a few questions, Geshe-la, please.
Yes, please. Is that energy? That sort of a time? Why or is it just something A way not to stop that? Yeah.
To stop the mind, like, to see my mind Stop thinking on the negative thing. Really like Just joking. I’ll just check. Okay. Yep.
Because they’re good too much. Know, too much is Yeah. It happens, and and and you’re so true. So yeah. It’s the yeah.
And and and it is so true when when you act when you actually the examine your mind and you come to know that it it it goes after the really, really non virtuous. And as you’ve discussed, you know, so bad. You know? But what happens is it all this happens because we are all perfected in non virtuous from the very beginning. And our mind is so used to it, so familiarized with it, and you don’t need much, and it just goes easily.
So what we need to do at this stage is because up till now, our mind is so used to and familiarized with the non virtuous now, our job is to make our mind more familiar to the virtuous actions and perfect it. And and by doing this, every time when you contemplate and check one’s mind through mindfulness and you whenever you come, mind goes after attachment. And at that moment, to try to stop that and to stop that, to think the opposite of the attachment. Example, I meditate, for example, meditate on ugliness and thinking and that will help ones to reduce. And whenever one used to the ugliness meditation, meditation, then the attachment will go down.
It’s just a matter of, for example, like, of anger, just recall on the patience. But during this, then you’re you’re femorizing your mind more towards the virtuous and gradually it improves. One more? Your brother and Yeah. It doesn’t mean that way because when you when we are saying here, you know, for example, like, when anger comes, you apply the patience and and and make your mind very familiarized with the patience, practice of patience.
And when when one perfected on the on the patience, then there won’t be any, like, non virtues of the anger will never come because of it or because of being used to the patience. So likewise, when we say about here saying the circumstances like occasion when the non virtues of your attachment and so forth comes, apply this and that, it actually what one has to do is one has one needs to guard one’s mind and hold twenty four hours in all the time. So it doesn’t mean that you should only cultivate virtue when the non-virtuous comes and then stop. So you have to continue with all the twenty four hours as long as one can. When one generates Oh, sorry.
The mind of generosity, which generates the most virtue? Generating the mind of generosity or an act of generosity, helping the poor or helping somebody else, which generates the most merit? Okay. Actually giving. The actual giving to somebody poor or the mind.
The mind. It depends on and and the the developing the mind of giving or generosity inside, like giving mind of giving. And if one has the goods in one’s hand to give, if one if one actually has something inherently and giving it to a poor person with a mind of generosity, then that practice has more virtue than just developing a mind of giving inside. But it is good to do yeah. The practice of giving if you have good.
If you don’t have it, then the main thing is improving the mind of giving inside. It’s effective. Sometimes it is better off having a mind of giving inside than giving something very miserly. And, yep, that actually something which grasps and clings to the I or self is actually the so-called self-grasping attitude. And and and in order to get rid of that, one needs to see the nonexistence of the I.
Yeah. We started. And which is actually very hard to get rid of. I’m just walking on the street. You know?
Yeah. Not it. Not it. Not it. So so that is that is the eye which we preserve it like a grasp it, which is exam I mean, thinking, considering it as oneself.
And it’s the eye. And that actually, that I is the one which produces the rest of the attachment, anger, and so forth. So we need to yeah. The avoid that, which is very hard, but we have to abandon that eye through through contemplating on the non existence of the self or I. And Yeah.
It is, yeah, it is called the innate I or self. It just comes. So yep. And yeah. Which is called the self grasping attitude.
And and it has been with us from the very beginning, and it will be with us until you attain arhathood or nirvana. Yeah. Actually, when you say I may not be getting it right in Tibetan, that’s what worries me now. When you say you’re going down the shop or or is having a cup of tea, come how does it comes like yourself actually? Or when you say I, how it comes?
I’m drinking tea or? Probably you are there daydreaming about yourself?