Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A double paradox at the heart of Śāntideva’s opening verses drives this 46-minute session: if Śāntideva claims he has nothing new to say and lacks a poet’s skill, why write at all — and if he knows the material well enough to teach, why not simply meditate? Geshe Pema Tsering resolves both by explaining that advanced bodhisattvas experience no separation between compassionate activity and meditation, so composing the text is itself a form of practice. He then unpacks a Tibetan translation puzzle where a single word carries both “a little while” and “a few people,” affecting whether Śāntideva’s stated purpose is purely self-improvement or subtly includes benefit to others. Q&A covers karma, rebirth, whether non-Buddhists can achieve good rebirths, and — in a memorable aside — Geshe’s argument that low self-esteem doesn’t really exist: to feel depressed about one’s faults is itself a form of holding oneself in high esteem. Suited to those working through the text line by line.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 10 WBS 2005 02 22.mp3
UUID: 694fce77-d8f2-4bbd-93c5-0ff3eeed339a
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life 2005 Feb-Mar (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-02-22
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.7 minutes
Words: ~3,197
From the text. So there’s these three different sections to his Oath to Compose. He’s being modest in the first section. He says how happy he is about writing it in the second and hopes that it will benefit those of similar fortune to himself in the third. Mhmm.
Mhmm. Okay. So in the next two lines, says, what I have to say has all been said before, and I am destitute of learning and of skill with words. So This is a show of modesty by Śāntideva. In this he is saying that whatever he is going to explain in this text, can find in other texts.
He isn’t able to explain things in a new way. Anything that he says will have already been said somewhere else. In dependence on the vast array of teachings that he has seen and how he has understood, them, he is going to compose this text. The reason that he is going to compose this text is that the in dependence on the teachings, he is able to present the meaning of the teachings in a clearer, easier way, then he thinks it may benefit other beings. Solely, he thinks that it will benefit himself.
He can lift his own mind and work with his own mind while he’s composing the text. Says, not only does he say that you won’t find anything in this text that hasn’t been written before, but he also expresses his inability to compose properly, saying that he’s not a poet or an author of any standing. Two of the parts of composition that were considered really great in ancient India were to be able to weigh words so that some words would have a deep resonance with the people that were listening to them. Then it says two things: some words were heavy and some words spread out. If you were an expert at poetics or you were an expert at composing texts, in ancient India, you were supposed to be able to weigh the words properly so that people would understand the meaning of the words depending on the way that you put them.
So he says he’s not very good at any of that kind of stuff. Mhmm. Yeah. Okay. But even though he’s not very good at poetics and he doesn’t think he can help anyone else, he’s still happy about writing this text because as the next four lines say, I therefore have no thought that this might be of benefit to others.
He has written it just to I write it only to sustain my own understanding. By writing this, my faith will thus be strengthened for a little while, and I may grow accustomed to this virtuous way. So he thinks that even though what he’s writing isn’t going to benefit anyone else, that he’s still happy to write it because if he’s focusing on what he’s writing while he’s writing it, while he’s composing it, then that means that he will develop more faith and strengthen his own understanding by merely composing a text. So in these four lines, we are able to see what Śāntideva’s reason for composing the text is or what the results of Śāntideva composing the text will be. In the previous section, when we were looking at verse number one, we were talking about the results of practicing in accordance with what’s put forward in the text.
This is about what Śāntideva hopes will be the result for him personally of composing this text. He hopes that by composing this text, he will familiarize himself with this material much more and be able to, therefore, practice it better, be able to practice and develop realizations from his understanding. In composing this text, he will have to spend a lot of time meditating on the way of the Bodhisattva, and this will benefit him. Because of this, is very happy about composing the text, even though he is not motivated to help others necessarily, he says. Mhmm.
Mhmm. Mhmm. So the way that we can look at these lines as being about finishing the text is that we can either look at them as being because this is the place where the in the layout of Indian texts, the oath to compose is written. In this section, we can either look at it in terms of what’s called the close meaning of the words or one rendering of the meaning. Śāntideva is trying to steel himself in order to finish the text by encouraging himself in this way.
It says literally by completing his heart. But it means to strengthen his resolve or to strengthen his ability. It’s this idea of filling yourself with enough bravery or compassion go through with the writing of the text. That’s one way of looking at In this way, if he’s steeling himself to do this, he already has it composed in his head, and he’s trying to get the courage to put it out there for people. The other thing to think is that he hasn’t finished it and he’s trying to steel himself to work towards the end of it.
So he could either be resolving to to teach something that he’s already composed in his head, or he could be resolving to finish something that he hasn’t finished composing. Okay. So this presents us with a problem. The bit where Śāntideva says, I’m not doing this for anyone else. I’m doing it for myself because I need to sort this stuff out and I need to develop a familiarize myself with this.
It presents us with a problem because if Śāntideva doesn’t know this stuff very well, why is he writing a text about it? He does, you can say that’s one way of looking at it. And the other one is if he knows enough to write a text about it and he hasn’t completed this path, why is he writing a text and not going away and meditating on it? So there’s these two different problems. So this is what could come up as a if you read this text, these are some thoughts or some problems that could come up.
So this may come up as being a problem for we may think, well, how does that work? How can he compose his text if he doesn’t know the topic very well? If he knows the topic very well, why is he composing a text and not meditating on it? Right? So these are the two problems.
Yeah? And it says that this this isn’t really a problem. It may appear as a problem, but it’s not because if you have developed — hang on one second. So if someone has developed their capacity to very high degrees, then there is no distinction between their meditative practices on compassion and their activities on compassion. This means that Śāntideva can be delivering and composing this text and still be meditating on compassion at the same time.
There is no distinction between his Bodhisattva activities in meditation and that sort of meditation. Until you’re a Buddha, there’s still distinction between your meditation on emptiness outside of meditation and in meditation, but not for compassion. Given that he’s developed himself to this state, what you’re doing with your bodhicitta when you’re at those levels of the Bodhisattva path is trying to expand it, trying to stabilize it and encourage it and extend its capacity. It would make perfect sense that Śāntideva is using the composition of this text to do that, to expand his capacity for bodhicitta to expand his ability to practice bodhicitta by composing this text. So in this way, he understands the bodhisattva path very well because he is on it.
He is using the practice of composing the text as another means for both benefiting others, as it says in the next two lines, and for his own benefit. So in this way, own benefit is others’ benefit, and others’ benefit is his own benefit. There’s no distinction between the two. And the the bit the next two lines actually say, I therefore have no thought that this might be a benefit to others. I wrote it only to sustain my understanding.
Sorry. And then the next few lines, my faith will thus be strengthened for a little while that I may grow accustomed to the virtuous way. And the section where it says a little while, it means that his capacity the his capacity to focus in this way will be enhanced by the practice of this thing, and that’s one of the ways that they How does that work in English? Okay. So the bit so it says, my faith will thus be strengthened for a little while that I might grow accustomed to this virtuous way.
So Uh-uh. So this word that means a few, a little while. Okay. So this word that means for a little while that’s translated as for a little while. Right?
Has this idea of Has this idea of a bit, like, okay, but it can also mean a few people, as it has this implied meaning of a few people or a bit of anything. So it doesn’t necessarily mean a little time. It’s translated here as a little while, but in his commentary, Geshe-la says that the meaning of this word a little while has this kind of other meaning, has a implied meaning, which is other people. And I say, gosh, well, I have no idea how to translate that. Right?
Because it’s like, sure. A little while, other people. Of course. They sound nothing like each other. But in Tibetan, this same word.
Okay. That’s how you say it. Has because there’s this word that’s like a Okay. So, He said, but if they translate it just by saying, my own faith will be strengthened for a little while, then you don’t get any sense that he’s working for others at all. And I said, uh-huh.
And then he said, except for maybe the next couple of lines. He said, But the next couple of lines is about those of equal fortune, so there’s nothing in the translation that implies that he’s doing it for others as well. I said, I don’t think so. He said, Well, that’s strange. My faith will thus be strengthened for a little while, or My faith thus be strengthened No, that doesn’t work at all in English, does it?
My faith will thus be strengthened, and My faith will strengthen, I’ll grow accustomed to this virtuous way, and benefit a few others, as an alternate translation, guess. Anyway, Oh, yeah. So we can stop there with me completely confused. Okay. So this word Uh-huh.
So she you could say, say that my faith will be strengthened for a few, but it doesn’t necessarily for a few minutes or a few or a small thing. So you can have A few people or a little while or few qualities. Any of these things can have, but they’ve chose to translate it as a little while. Does anyone have a translation from Sanskrit? I said I’m interested what they say in Sanskrit, Geshe-la said I don’t know anything about Sanskrit.
He said and he doesn’t think anyone else here he said, I’ve got Tibetan covered. You guys are English covered. I’m sure no one has a Sanskrit covered, basically. But the because That which is skillful depends on others. You can’t have that which is skillful if there’s no others.
Okay. If you have questions yes? This is a question. If if the first verse is all about describing who’s going to bliss and and what the aim of the path is Mhmm. And he’s saying, so I might grow Geshe-la said yes to a certain extent, but one section is dealing with why he’s writing it as opposed to the path itself.
So he said that by writing it, he will benefit others because of what he’s writing for, but the oath to compose is more focused on benefiting himself. Okay. So Geshe said that it actually goes through and describes and if you look at it, it it describes the end goal and then says why that’s a benefit to self and why that’s a benefit to others. If he just talks about how to benefit others, he wouldn’t be explaining how that benefits himself. So, starts off with where you end up and then describes how that benefits self, and then he says when he’s talking about in the next section where it says, It will help those of similar fortune, he’s saying how it benefits others.
In this way, by saying, I’m writing it for my own benefit, he’s got benefits both both goals covered. But but doesn’t don’t those two goals of modest of of of being modest Uh-huh. And and saying that you’re going to help others. I mean, don’t they sort of conflict in some way? Because, I mean, if he’s going to be if he’s going to be modest, he’s going to say, you know, I don’t have the learning.
I don’t have the skill. You know, all this has been said before, but I’m gonna be helping others. Sure. Sure. So I mean so so isn’t he sort of saying, well, I don’t have any pretensions to help others.
I mean, I can’t. Uh-huh. You know? Yeah. Of course might mean the hope’s still there.
So Geshe-la said, he has in by being modest, he’s saying, I don’t have any pretensions that I’m going to be able to help others, but he says, this is the aim anyway. Not yet. But it wasn’t the hope. It was the aim. A bit different.
But yeah. The aim is to help others anyway. Yeah. People are acting. He’s not saying I’m a bodhisattva and other bodhisattvas like me.
He’s saying I’m an ordinary being, so are the ordinary beings like me. I don’t have many qualities at all. Don’t have any qualities. I don’t have any good any I’m not able to do anything, and this will help other people like me. Right?
Okay. So she if it if it was actually going to be people of similar fortune or who are like him, right? Then that would mean only Bodhisattvas. Right? But he was pretending to be a normal person when he he was pretending to be very humble and very ordinary when he when he wrote the text.
So he’s speaking from point of view of an ordinary person. So when he was pretending to be an ordinary person, he said people like me. Does that make sense? Joe? I said, how can he pretend not to be a Bodhisattva?
Geshe-la said, by what he’s saying. Because if he said I’m a I’m a great bodhisattva, then So if he said, I’m a great bodhisattva, then people wouldn’t believe he was a great bodhisattva. Alright? So if if if you are saying you’re a great bodhisattva, then you’re not displaying humility, which is a quality of a great bodhisattva. So if he said, I’m a great bodhisattva, most people would say, no.
He’s not. He said he was. Yeah. Because they’re not Westerners. Okay.
Yeah. No. You can ask the other one there. Geshe said he didn’t say it wasn’t a good motivation. He just said it was a very limited motivation.
So, if you’re focusing on making yourself calm and happy in this lifetime, that’s a good motivation. And then we’ll have good results, but they’ll be very limited. Not only will they just relate to one person, but they’ll only relate to one person in one lifetime. So in this way, they’re very limited. It is a very limited Okay.
So Geshe said he said this, It’s not enough just to do positive actions or to calm your mind and stay healthy if you want to get a good rebirth. Not hurting others because you want to be happy isn’t a good enough reason to get a good rebirth. You have to practice ethics, and you have to practice ethics with a focus on the next life, not just on this life. I said, Are you saying that if you’re not a Buddhist or someone practicing with the idea of a next life that you can’t have a good rebirth? And he said, no.
Because in in Christian and other religions, they have this idea of something after life, after death. And he said he didn’t think that it would make any distinction what you were focusing on as long as it wasn’t centered on this lifetime. Alright? And I said, So what about people who are just meditating and they don’t have any idea of a future life? And Geshe-la said, Well, if they’re just meditating and they don’t believe in a future life, that’s bit dumb, isn’t it?
They should be if there’s nothing gonna happen to you after death, why aren’t they out enjoying themselves? Because it if there’s nothing gonna happen to you after death, do what you want. He said there’s better ways to try and make yourself feel happy than meditating if you don’t you don’t believe in future lives. Yes, Chris. You were just saying.
But also, I’m wondering what then about someone who doesn’t have total conviction in future lives, but is focused on achieving enlightenment in this life? Uh-huh. Translate? I’m just, I can see holes in it like like Swiss cheese, but anyway. Okay, so guess the things that would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, because in order to attain Buddhahood, have to start with some basic concepts, like karma.
If you don’t believe in future and past lives, how can you believe in karma? How can a reaction have a reaction if it stops dead at at the end of a life? So if you don’t believe in karma, then it’s difficult to be a Buddhist. Alright? And if you’re not a Buddhist, then how would you accept the Buddhist path?
And if you don’t accept the Buddhist path, how do you become Buddha? Right? So he thinks it’d be near on impossible. Mhmm. Yeah.
Yeah. Low self esteem. So, okay, first of all, Geshe-la doesn’t believe there’s any such thing as low self esteem. He said, In order to think that you’re important enough to have everything your own way, and yet think that you have major faults, then you’re holding yourself in very high esteem. He said, There’s no such thing as I don’t like myself.
People saying, I don’t have any qualities. I’m very poor. I don’t have any positive things, that sort of feeling. He said, If you’re thinking that you’re important enough to get sad over what’s wrong with you, then that’s holding yourself in very high esteem. He said.
Alright? So first of all, he doesn’t believe in this idea of low self esteem because he thinks if you get depressed about what you don’t have, then you’re thinking about yourself too much. Alright?