Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The real enemy is not the person who annoys you, but the self-cherishing mind that decided they were an enemy — this insight anchors the opening of Geshe Pema Tsering’s 97.7-minute session on Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva Way of Life. He traces the logic from equanimity through great compassion to bodhicitta, showing why dismantling self-cherishing must precede any stable universal love. The commentary then moves verse by verse through chapter two’s refuge section — calling on Bodhisattva protectors including Vajrapāni, whose very presence is said to scatter the guardians of hell — before the physician analogy: the Buddha as omniscient doctor whose instructions, if ignored, mark us as foolish beyond excuse. A cliff-edge image drives home the urgency of not deferring practice. The session closes with Q&A on procrastination, a driving metaphor for taming emotions, and a frank discussion of the karma involved in killing household fleas.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2005 09 06 Bodhisattvas Way of Life.mp3
UUID: 3c8210cb-1293-4689-9db3-5bdb3aba6044
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life 2005 Mar -2007 (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-09-06
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 97.7 minutes
Words: ~8,293
To be free from suffering, and we want sentient beings to experience happiness. But in general, we, have this feeling towards those that are close to us. So our brothers and sisters, our mother, our our, our father, the our children, anyone that we see as being very close to us, have a natural response to those people that we want them to be free from suffering and to experience happiness. But the kind of compassion and loving kindness that we need to develop, that will lead to the mind of enlightenment, will lead to the bodhicitta is the loving kindness and compassion that focuses on all sentient beings. So at the moment, our focus for our loving kindness and compassion is quite narrow in that it’s only focused or it’s only it’s only it only refers to or it only depends or it only grows from the people who are close to us.
It only comes about when we encounter people who are close to us experiencing suffering. But the type that we need to develop is much more vast than this. It focuses on all sentient beings. And in order for us to develop the idea or the thought that we want all sentient beings to be free from suffering and all we want all sentient beings to be happy, we actually need to do a fair bit of work. We need to meditate on this idea a lot.
It’s very difficult to think of this idea actually just coming about. It’s not something that would just happen without meditating, without putting in the effort to develop this type of or to develop this way of thinking. The difficulty is that this type of loving kindness and compassion that has all sentient beings as its focus only comes about when we’ve developed equanimity, when we see all sentient beings in the same way. So we can only have this idea of wanting all sentient beings to be free of suffering and to experience happiness if we precede that idea with equanimity, or if we have equanimity as well. And equanimity means not thinking, I don’t like those people and these people have been kind to me.
It means understanding that all beings are equal and that they want to experience happiness and don’t want to experience suffering and have shown us kindness in the past. So it means bringing this — moving from the idea of people we don’t like — to a feeling of equanimity. It also means moving, from the idea of people we do like a lot to a feeling of equanimity. So this means developing the ability not to experience attachments or hatred towards any being. And having the ability, to do this, to stop ourselves experiencing attachment and, hatred is very difficult.
But this is this is the basis of this is what an equanimous mind is. So that’s why it’s a difficult thing to develop. Mhmm. So this isn’t usually the way that we relate relate to beings. We usually have this idea that we like some beings and we don’t like others.
But in truth, all sentient beings have shown us great kindness. So we should have an equanimous, well-disposed attitude to all beings. Now, in general, we usually think, oh, I like them because they helped me a lot and I don’t like them because they’ve done negative things to me. But the reason that we think this is because of our ignorance that perceives a true self. It’s based on this ignorance that we then start dividing in people beings into those that help us and those that we don’t see as as helping us.
So this is the this is the way that the negative emotions or the, afflicted states of mind of attachment and aversion or, desire and hatred arise. So the reason that we have this sense of attachment to some beings and aversion from others is we have this sense of self. And based on that sense of self, we think they helped me or they didn’t help me. So if we think someone helped us, then we have this good feeling towards them. And if we think someone did it, harmed us in some way or did something to even make us feel a bit uncomfortable, then we don’t like that person.
And we have a and we develop an aversion to the we we have the idea that they cause that suffering, so then we develop an aversion to what we believe is the cause of that suffering. And in this way, we divide people into beings we like, beings we don’t like, beings we think have been kind to us, and beings we think haven’t been kind to us. But in fact, all sentient beings have been kind to us. All sentient beings have looked after us and shown us great kindness. We may feel as if some beings haven’t and that they are hurting us, but the thing that actually is hurting us is very temporary, and the being themself is a is someone who shows us who has shown us great kind kindness.
So we need to differentiate between a situation in which we may be being harmed and a being who has shown us great kindness. We need to differentiate between their activities and the person doing the activities and recognize that their activities may be harming us, but the person themselves is someone to whom someone who has shown us a great kindness, who to whom we owe gratitude. What we need to do then is we need to recognize what the enemy is. We need to recognize what the real problem is. And and usually, when we think about our enemies or things that we don’t like, we reflect it outwardly.
We look at other beings. But especially if we look at the mind training texts and other other texts on the development of bodhicitta, then they all say that all these teachings, oral teachings, they all say that the enemy is within. The enemy is our mind. The enemy is the the way we think of ourselves as being, an individual entity and, an individual permanent entity. So based on that idea of ourselves being an individual, permanent entity, we then develop the idea that there’s some being that’s harming that.
But what we need to understand is the cause of all of our problems is this self-cherishing mind, is this, holding onto an idea of self? So the enemy is something that we need to understand. And in developing an understanding of the enemy, then we’re able to have more equanimity towards all sentient beings. So the if we if we look at the way we think, then we can actually see this as well. We can see how the this holding on to the idea of self is actually the problem, is actually the enemy.
Because it’s based on this idea of self that we then think, oh, that person has helped me. They’ve done even if it’s something really little, we think, oh, they’re they’ve been kind to me because they made that the self feel good. You know, this perception that we have of the self, we think, oh, I feel good from that person, so therefore they’re my friend. And then someone else can do something that’s just a little bit annoying or a little bit negative towards us and we think, I don’t like them. So it’s based on this idea of self, that we develop aversion and we develop, attachment.
We the the when we have this idea of self, then we’re trying to get that self happy. And we’re to get that self happy and we are attracted to things and people that make us feel good and we have aversion to people and things that, make us feel bad. So this is what how we develop attachment and aversion. It’s based on this idea of the self making the self feel good. We have aversion to things we don’t like and and sorry.
We have aversion to things that make us feel bad and, attraction to things that make us feel good. Mhmm. So if we think about it this way then, the cause of all our problems is this clinging onto this idea of self and then trying to do what that self wants when the self doesn’t even exist. And in this way, also that we can see that it’s not really sentient beings who are creating the problem. It’s our self-cherishing that’s creating the problem.
It’s our sense of self that’s creating the problem. So once we’ve if we have an idea of this, then we can start to see how all sentient beings are actually equal to us in that they have shown us great kindness in some at some stage, and also in that they all wanna be happy and none of them want to experience suffering. It’s not as if there’s some people that want to be happy and others that don’t. All beings want to experience happiness and don’t want to experience suffering. So if we think about the people that that we consider to be our worst enemy, the people who have done us the most harm, and then we think about the people that we consider to be the kindest to us, say our parents or someone some other people like that that we think of with a a intense gratitude.
In fact, both of these beings are are equal to us. Both of these beings are equal to us in that they have at some stage shown kindness and that both and both of these types of beings are equal in that they all want to be free from suffering and want to experience happiness. Sorry. I forgot something. And what we once we’ve developed an understanding of that, once we start to have a appreciation for this, then what we need to do is to analyze that until we develop a certainty meditation on that.
So we need to in order to develop equanimity, we first need to have this rough idea of this, then we need to analyze it again and again until we develop conviction and that’s called analytical meditation. And then we need to do placement meditation on that fact in order for us to develop a stable sense of equanimity towards all beings. Mhmm. So if we’re able to develop a stable mind, or a stable sense, that is an understanding that doesn’t flicker, that all sentient beings have shown us great kindness, all sentient beings want to be happy, and none of them want to experience suffering. If we’re able to develop that in a stable way, in an uncontrived manner, then this is the type of equanimity, that that we have been aiming for.
And once we’ve developed that, that, then we can go on. It’s very it’s much easier for us to go on and develop great compassion and great loving kindness because the focus for these two these two qualities is all sentient beings. And if we have equanimity towards all sentient beings, then we’re going to want them to be free from suffering and we’re going to want them to experience happiness. And it therefore, the this our compassion and our our compassion and our love and kindness will become stable and vast. And then on the basis of that, we will start thinking, what can I do to bring this about?
What is it that I can do that will, enable all sentient beings to be free from suffering and enable all sentient beings to experience happiness? And we’ll come to the conclusion that the only thing we can do is to attain Buddhahood. So we will develop the mind of enlightenment, the mind seeking to attain enlightenment to benefit all sentient beings. So these things, this idea of equanimity, the idea of great compassion and great loving kindness, and after that, the idea of bodhicitta, are things that we really need to focus on, things that we need to meditate on again and again. Mhmm.
Mhmm. So then please now take a few moments to think in order for all sentient beings to free from suffering, in order for all sentient beings to experience happiness, then I myself need to become a Buddha. The section. Okay. We’re talking about the second power from the four powers of reliance in the process of confession and purification.
And this is the power of the support. And so we’re talking about those that we can turn to when we turn to the Three Jewels, the Buddha, the Bodhisattvas, and the Bodhisattvas being the Sangha and the Dharma. So from that section, we’re up to number two, which is to rely on the children of the conquerors who possess powerful aspirational prayers. So this is talking about the Bodhisattvas who have prayers that they want to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. So the section in the text that we’re up to is the last line of verse fifty of, chapter two, and the next two verses.
So the last line says, protect protect me now the sinner that I am. And then it goes on to say, now to the noble one Ākāśagarbha and to Kṣitigarbha from my heart I call and all protectors great compassionate to them I go in search of refuge and to Vajrapāni holder of the diamond, the very sight of whom will rout all dangers like the deadly host of Yama. To him indeed I fly for safety. So protect me now the sinner that I am. This is a cry for refuge.
And the person that Śāntideva is saying is going for the beings, sorry, that Śāntideva is saying is going to refuge too are the bodhisattvas who are called the close students of the Buddha Śākyamūni. And so the first one we have have now is the noble Ākāśagarbha and there’s also Kṣitigarbha and it says he’s calling out from his heart. And what this means is is is from a depth of understanding of the suffering that lays a lies ahead without protection. And he says then that he’s calling out for refuge, for protection to these beings. And then it says to vajrapani, the holder of the diamond and the very sight of whom will rout all dangers like the deadly host of Yama.
And so the deadly host of Yama is supposed to be those beings who lead people to hell and the guardians of hell and that they keep people in hell. And so it said that if if these beings get a glimpse of vajrapani, then they run away. They’re too scared. And so if you’re in a situation where you’re going to be taken to a negative rebirth and you call for vajrapani’s help, then that means that you’re going to be safe from a lower rebirth. So in this way, vajrapani is said to be a suitable off suitable object of refuge.
So it’s saying that someone who has seen all negativities in their continuum needs to look for for refuge from the results of those negativities. And it gives a few beings that who are valid objects of refuge from the point of view of being Bodhisattvas. And the first person that it talks about is — oh, sorry. Because they are Ārya Bodhisattvas. They are Bodhisattvas who have realized emptiness.
And the first person that it talks about then is Ākāśagarbha, and then there’s also Kṣitigarbha. And it says that through their compassion, they seek to clear, clarify or clear away the obscurations. And it’s these obscurations that lead people to be born in the lower realm. And this makes them the greatly compassionate protectors of sentient beings. So they’re all all being all these Bodhisattvas are said to be both greatly compassionate and because of the wisdom that comes along with their great compassion, also able to be protectors of sentient beings.
And it says that it’s a good idea to or Śāntideva himself says he’s going to call out from the bottom of his heart to these Bodhisattvas. And then it goes on to talk about the Bodhisattva vajrapani. Now vajrapani is renowned for his his strength and that’s why it says that he’s said to be the one who holds the diamond or the vajra. The vajra or the diamond is said to be indestructible and very strong, and this is this is why it represents vajrapani. vajrapani is said to be so strong that he scares beings who would come and take people to hell.
So we’re looking to vajrapani’s strength, in terms of refuge. And if we’re able to look to vajrapani, and his strength in for refuge, then we can be sure that we will be protected from all of the fears. It says the fears of the four directions. That means that we won’t be able to find anything to be afraid of in the four directions. Mhmm.
Mhmm. Alright. So the next verse then deals with a section that is called is the third of the three sections under the heading of the second power of the power of support. And it says, having gone for refuge to practicing in accordance with the instructions of the people you’re taking refuge in. And this verse says, which is verse fifty three.
Formerly your words I have transgressed, but now I see these terrors all around. To you indeed I come for help and pray you swiftly save me from this fear. And so this isn’t something that we should leave for the time that we’re going to die because this is usually when we see all of the what could happen to us, at the time of death. We see what can happen to us. We can see how we can get led blown away by the results of our negative actions.
This is something that we need to develop a sense of right now. We need to develop a sense of the what could happen without protection from the results of our negative actions. And in recognizing this then, we need to develop the wish to put the instructions of the Bodhisattvas and the teachers into practice so that we don’t have to experience the results of that suffering. It’s not good enough to do it just at the time of death because at the time of death it’s much more difficult for us to concentrate our mind than it is at the moment. So we need to train ourselves from now.
We need to develop an understanding of what the results of our negative actions could be now. So that we can stabilize stabilize our mind in those thoughts and develop an understanding when while we still have a lot more mental stability. So we may not have listened, to the teachings of the Buddhism before. But if we can bring ourselves to recognize what the results of not listening to the Buddhist teachings are, what the results of doing negative things are, then we’ll go we’ll want refuge. We’ll want protection, and we’ll turn to these beings for that kind of protection.
So what it says then is that we have to recognize or we can recognize that in the past, we’ve done a lot of things that didn’t accord with the instructions of the Buddha. We’ve accumulated a lot of negative karma. We’ve developed the potential for suffering in many different ways. And we’ve also failed to create virtue, which is can lead which is the potential for happiness. And so in this way, since beginningless time, we have been circling in Sam Samsāra.
And if we keep doing this, Samsāra isn’t going to have an end. We can see the suffering of the lower realms and seeing this suffering, we will then seek some kind of refuge. Now refuge that we’re seeking here being in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, in seeking that Okay. So this is we grammatical particle here, and it it has this double meaning. So that’s why I was having trouble translating it.
Because it says on one hand, says, by going for refuge. Alright? So by going for refuge, we want to abandon what needs to be abandoned and practice what needs to be practiced. But there isn’t a sense that one happens before the other as you would get in saying in English by doing this, this happens. They are, they’re they’re they’re simultaneous in going for refuge and by going for refuge, you seek to abandon the things that cause suffering and to take on the activities that cause happiness.
So there it’s not as if going for refuge and then doing it. Going for refuge is doing this, but it’s by the power of going for refuge that you do it. Does that make sense? Okay. Good.
And so in understanding this, then means that we’re in a place where we want to do what the Buddha said. We are it says we try and put into practice the Buddha’s words. And if we do that, then it says that our fears and our chance of being experiencing suffering will be quickly cleared away, will be quickly pacified. And that’s what we’re asking for and that’s what going for refuge means. It’s a please bring this about that our through putting your words into action that we will get rid of the causes for the experience of suffering, and therefore any fears that we may have.
So the next thing we’re looking at then is the third power, which is the power of applying the antidote at all times. And it has two different main sections. The first is the reason it is reasonable to make effort in purifying negativities. And the second one is the reasonableness reasonableness of making effort quickly. Then the, first section has two different, main divisions.
The need to quickly purify negativities as illustrated by the analogy of a disease. And the second one is showing the need to purify by means of the analogy of an abyss. Now, the first thing the first part of this showing why you should purify negativities by a way of the analogy of a disease says, stating the meaning of the analogy. So that was just like the table of contents for this bit. So the first of these sections then that we look at is the stating the mean meaning of the analogy, and this is done in verse fifty four, which says, for if alarmed by common ills, I act according to the doctor’s words, what need to speak of when I’m constantly brought low by lust and all the hundred other faults?
Alright. So what this is talking about is if we know from personal experience personal experience that even if we’re just suffering from a slight illness like a cold or something, and the doctor tells us we go to a doctor and they tell us to do certain things, that we’re going to do what the doctor tells us if we want to get well. That we would follow their advice in order to make ourselves, feel better. So if that’s the case with something as mundane as a an illness, then it it does we don’t need really need to say how much more important it is to follow the instructions of the Buddha in order to get rid of all of the the negative states of mind that torment us so much like lust and and other afflicted states that cause us so much suffering. So if we go to a doctor to get rid of a cold, it makes a lot of sense to go to a fully enlightened to follow the words of a fully enlightened Buddha to get rid of our afflicted states because these afflicted states are going to cause a lot more suffering than a cold.
So if we have the sense to follow the instructions of a doctor to get rid of something very small, then it makes a lot of sense to follow the instructions of someone who knows a lot more to deal with a much bigger problem. Yeah. Mhmm. Mhmm. So it says that we we suffer from many different types of illness, like wind illnesses and bile illnesses.
When they get disturbed, then we suffer minor ailments. And I said, Geshe-la, I don’t know how many doctors in Australia tell people that they have wind problems. Oh, well, maybe they do, but not like this wind, not like lung. And and Geshe-la said, they don’t? Like, you have a headache?
That’s lung. And I said, yeah, but they don’t say that’s lung because it’s like Tibetan medicine. He goes, okay. Just tell them, you know, headaches and stuff. Alright.
Okay. So minor illnesses that can we can that can cause us a certain amount of anxiousness, and we we may not necessarily die from these, but we experience agitation and suffering because of those. And in order to get rid of those, we’d go to someone who can deal with that, who can give us medicine, who can find a way, it says a capable doctor, that can show us how to stop experiencing that suffering. And it says once we found a capable doctor, we would do what they say in order to get rid of that suffering. Now this is something that’s common sense to us.
So then says if that’s the case, if that’s common sense to us and we have been suffering from the results of the what are called the three poisons of attachment, aversion and ignorance, since Oh sorry, we’ve been suffering from the three faults of attachment, aversion and ignorance, which then lead us to experience it says the hundreds of thousands of negative states of mind that cause us so much suffering. Then if this has been happening forever and we’ve got a big problem here, then it makes sense for us to go to the best of doctors, which is said to be the Buddha, and do what they say. Because that’s a much bigger problem, than any of the minor illnesses that we could encounter. And it makes sense that we would try and rely on or adhere to the antidotes prescribed to the by the Buddha for these problems. And then it says that it doesn’t really need to explain this much more because it’s so obvious.
So what we need to do then is put effort into following the antidotes that the Buddha has prescribed. Mhmm. Mhmm. So the next section, the next verse deals with the next section, which says there are great dis disadvantages. Yeah.
There are great disadvantages, to the disease of the three poisons. In addition, the medicine for destroying them is rare. And this is, dealt with in verse number fifty five which says, and if by one of these alone, the dwellers in the world are all thrown down and if no other remedy exists, no other healing elsewhere to be found. Now, this is talking about is that, there’s some things that we can do, because of the because of these negative states that will cause us more suffering than all of the illnesses in the world. So, for example, if we were to get angry at a Bodhisattva, then the repercussions of that anger without purification are suffering more intense than we could see in the world.
So it’s very important, for us to try and find a remedy to these to these, cures. No, sorry. A remedy, to this afflictive states because they cause so much suffering. And then it says, and if no other remedy exists, no other healing elsewhere to be found. And what this is referring to is that there is no no better remedy, there’s no better antidote than the teachings of the Buddha.
And it says in the commentary that even if we were able to go to the the heaven of Brahma, we wouldn’t find a better antidote. So if we’re if we looked in the heavens and in anywhere on in any of the in any worlds, we can’t find something that is superior, that there is that is a better medicine than the Buddha’s teachings. There’s nothing that we can find that is a better antidote to the afflictive states of mind than the teachings of the Buddha. So the next section then is numbers. So the the third part of this section says, thus it is reasonable to practice in accordance with the words of the teacher, the supreme doctor.
And this is dealt with in verse number fifty six, which says, then words of the omniscient physician are proving every ill and suffering. The thought to turn on him deaf ears is raving folly, wretched and contemptible. Now, the word the word the omniscient physician is the Buddha, and the words of the omniscient physician is the Dharma. And so the Dharma, because it comes from the Buddha, has the capacity to get rid of every experience of suffering that we can, we could ever experience, have ever experienced or any other being can. So if this is the case, if there is an omniscient physician who is able to cure all our ills and all that we need to do in order to do bring this about, to relieve ourselves of this suffering is to put into practice their instructions, then we would be pretty stupid not to do that.
It says says here that we would be so stupid that we wouldn’t have the capacity to think. No. We’d have to be yeah. We would that we we we’d have to be so stupid that we don’t have the capacity to figure anything out if we weren’t going to put these things into practice. So then Geshe-la said, that’s really dumb.
That’s really stupid. And then he said, you know, that’s really stupid. And this one. Mhmm. Mhmm.
So this means that there if there is an omniscient doctor who has the capacity to clear away all of the illnesses that are the afflicted states of mind, and in doing so to get rid of all of the suffering that we may experience and that this doctor has given us instructions by which we can do this. And if we don’t do that then, Samsāra will continue continue on forever and will keep experiencing the sufferings of the lower realm lower realms and create keep creating the causes for the lower realm. And so if all of this is the case and we don’t follow those instructions that this omniscient doctor has given us, then we’re really stupid. Alright. It’s really stupid.
It says, incredibly deluded and foggy in the head. Alright? And and this So what we need to do then is from the bottom of our hearts, seek refuge in the Tathāgata, in the Buddha. And follow the instructions that the Buddha gave us. By doing this, then we are able to implement the antidotes to all of these causes for suffering.
Okay. So the next thing we at then is the reason why we need to apply antidotes based on the analogy of an abyss. So it says, is it? Verse number fifty seven, if along a small and ordinary cliff, I need to pick my way with special care, what need to speak of the immense crevice that plunges down unnumbered fathoms deep? So what this means is if we were walking next to a cliff that wasn’t that big, we still wouldn’t be careless with the way we walked and because we wouldn’t want to fall down even a small cliff and because we don’t want to experience that kind of suffering.
So if that’s the case, then and we are walking along an enormous or an immense crevice that plunges down into the lower realms, then we need to be even more careful. Because the sufferings that we’d experience by falling into that, into the lower realms is much more intense than the suffering we’d experience falling off a small cliff. Alright. Yeah. So if we were walking on this the edge of a small cliff, and the only danger that would come to us from falling off that cliff was that probably we break our legs or our arms.
We’d still be very, very careful because we don’t wanna break our legs or our arms. And so we would be very conscientious and focused on what we were doing and concentrating on not falling off, making sure that we didn’t do anything that was going to lead to lead to us falling off the the small cliff. But if we compare the It says the cliff of the lower realms and it said that, by example, it’s said to be some measurement that I don’t know what it is. So I asked Geshe-la if he knew what it was in English, and he said no. And he said, but it doesn’t matter.
Just say a long way. Alright? And but it says, like, three hundred and thousand two no. thirty-two thousand something, whatever it is down. Alright?
So that’s supposed to be where the lower realms are or something. But I guess I said the point is to that, you don’t just fall into the lower realms and it’s a long way down. It’s also a long time there. You don’t get out of the lower realms easily. And so the experiences of suffering that you have down there last a long time.
Mhmm. So if that’s what we’re dealing with, if there is this potential for us to end up in a negative rebirth or a negative state in our next rebirth, we’re going to experience intense suffering and not only that, but have a lot of trouble getting back to a more pleasant place where we can practice Dharma and so forth, then we should be a lot more conscientious about what we’re doing than we would be if we were walking along a small cliff. And there’s no point it says there’s not an don’t even have to explain that it’s a lot more important to be focused on what we’re doing in terms of staying out of the lower realms than it would if we’re walking along the edge of a small cliff. Next thing then we’re looking at is the the reasons why we need to make effort quickly. And, this has two different sections.
The first one of which is, one should make effort in applying the antidotes and negativities from this very day onward. And this is, looked at in verse number fifty eight which says, today at least I shall not die. So rash to lull myself with words like these. My dissolution in my hour of death, will come upon me.” Right.
So today at least I shall not die. This is what we keep telling ourselves that I’m not gonna die today so I don’t have to worry. But this is actually a very rash way of thinking. And we can’t actually give guarantee that we’re not going to die today. And if we look at it logically, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t die today.
And then it says, my dissolution and my hour of death. So our dissolution is the time that we — the way — the day that we die. The day that our mind separates from our body. And this this time and the time of death will come upon me in a a in a in a lot in in in in a the word they’re translating from Tibetan sounds, it means without without doubt. It will come on you without any without without without any there’s no there’s it’s certain.
There’s no there’s no way that you can get out of it. The time of death will is a is a is something that will come on you certainly. But the English word inevitably also seems to have this sense of with the struggle but still definitely. So it means that death is is is a certain, and it will come up on us, and we can’t get out of it anyway. Okay.
So what this verse is supposed to be is an antidote to any thoughts that we can put off Dharma practice. So usually we think, okay, I’ll put a lot of effort into my practice, but I’ll do it next year, next week, next month, tomorrow. And we don’t think about doing it today. But we can’t actually say for certain that we’re going to be around tomorrow, and so it’s a good idea to start practicing today Mhmm. To put in effort today, because, anything that we may be distracted with, that could cause us to experience happiness that we would rather do, would, is is a form of laziness or it’s a form of being caught up in things that aren’t beneficial.
And if we look into that, then we can’t see any real reason for doing this. We don’t know when we’re going to die and we can’t give any certainty as to when we’re going to die, but one thing that we can be certain of is that we are going die. So the time of that may not be certain, but the eventuality is. So we need to find to find the best thing to do for when we are going to die because it’s something that we need to rely on. We need to remember this so that we don’t get caught up in procrastinating and doing other things that will keep us entertained but not necessarily help us in the long run.
So as the, this is the Letter to a Friend says, next year, we say next year perhaps or even next month, and then we don’t do anything. But when we’re going to die, we can’t be certain. We just know it it will come. And so we can stop there. Okay.
Just making sure Geshe-la will put a good mark because I ain’t gonna be here to tell him where it is. Yeah. Okay. So if you have any questions, please ask. Sena, do you have a question?
Just doing a little bouncy thing. Yeah. I think they’re talking about the computer. Yep. Hence, the bouncing.
It’s okay. He hasn’t heard that. Sometimes they talk about when the teachings begin that it starts to rain. And I say, yes, like, I say that great meditate great teachers always meditate, and the weather’s always changing. And he said, that’s a bit cheeky.
Yep. I said, Geshe-la drives cars, but I have to ride a cycle. Anyway, So he think he said Geshe says he thinks that’s a good simile because it’s like this Driving a car around and trying to concentrate on driving a car around so we’re not in an accident is what we should be doing with our negative emotions. And he said he thinks it’s interesting because most of the things that we would be distracted by when we’re driving a car are our negative emotions anyway. But what we need to do is to keep bringing ourselves back to being aware of what we’re doing and being aware of what we are experiencing.
And, we If we think about it, the dangers of hitting another car is much less or that the suffering that can come about from hitting another car or having an accident is much less than the suffering that could come about if we let our attachment and aversion and, ignorance run right. You know, if we could become under their influence constantly. The dangers of that are greater than crashing a car. So if we remind ourselves of that then that can be a good way for us to keep to keep concentrated, to remind ourselves to focus on that again. And of course, we’re going to get distracted.
Of course, we’re going to, get caught up in things. But the thing is to remember to, keep working at it. The same thing is when we get distracted when we’re driving, don’t think I was distracted of stop trying to concentrate. Alright? We we keep bringing our mind back to driving.
And in the same way when we’re working with these emotions and we need to keep reminding ourselves of the consequences of them and keep bringing ourselves back to working on them. So in the same way we wouldn’t give up after we got distracted when we’re driving. We shouldn’t give up after we’re distracted by our negative emotions. So he thinks that the main difference between the two is that we don’t know as much about the dangers of an out of control mind as we do about the dangers of not concentrating when we’re driving. And because we have this lack of understanding or this lack of belief in the dangers of the results of negative activity then we don’t stop ourselves from engaging in those as much as we, stop as much as we pay attention to driving a car.
Yeah. This is a practical dilemma. Uh-huh. Is the appropriate attitude toward fleas? The fleas come in the house.
Mhmm. The fleas bite. Mhmm. Scratching causes infection. Mhmm.
The fleas multiply. People come into the house, and they also get bitten. Mhmm. Okay? Previously, there was something you could get you could buy that would make this fleas sterile.
Mhmm. Kill them, make them sterile. Mhmm. Okay? They don’t make that anymore.
They want Uh-huh. What to do? Mhmm. I I can live with ants. I even live with the rat in the oven.
Mhmm. But Does the does the rat live in the oven? Yes. Okay. Opposed to killing them off when they’re in there.
But even if you wash something Uh-huh. It kills them. And then How do eat the cat? Do do she can do a Uh-huh. He said, I don’t know what you do then because killing is a negativity.
It is. And I’m sure I feel all of these people would be. Probably. Uh-uh. Said, try and do everything you possibly could to stop the fleas coming and and try and find in every different way.
And if if there is no way come coming and it was harming beings and going to kill other things, then he said that you probably have the karma for killing things anyway. So that it’s you’ve got to see what’s going to be the most beneficial in that situation. But you shouldn’t think that because you’re killing something in order to help something else that that you weren’t getting negativities from it. No. No.
No. Yeah. Because it’s always negative to kill. He he he said, can’t you put something that they like to eat outside or any other way? They eat they drink blood.
Uh-uh. Said try and find ways for them not to come to come is the best thing to do. Any way that you can find for them not to come because killing is never good. He said, weren’t you cleaning the cat in autumn? In the spring, they’re everywhere.
Uh-uh. Uh-uh. So he said he would think then that in springtime, it would be a good time to clean your cat. Yeah. It’s probably one of the reasons why Tibetans don’t keep cats.
He said I said, do do you have he said, we see cats, and we see them with fleas, but we don’t have them inside with fleas. Yes. Mhmm. Alright. So killing is never good no matter what the situation is.
Especially in this situation, you think it’d be very bad because you wouldn’t be just killing one flea. You’d be killing a lot of fleas. And the but so you can never say, in this situation, killing is good. In no situation is killing good. It’s never good.
Sometimes it may be sometimes it may be something that we have to do to survive, but it’s never good. You don’t lose the lay vow until you kill a person. You have a downfall of the lay vow, but the lay vow is actually you don’t lose the vow from the root until you kill a person. So it’s best never to kill anything. Alright?
So best never. So so there’s a difference on the basis. The basis being the body that they inhabit. So it is much more it’s a much greater negativity to kill a human than it is a an insect because a human has a much greater capacity for the creation of merit. Right?
But it’s never okay to kill things. Even if you had a whole bunch of bugs in your stomach that could kill you and you had to take medicine, you know, it’s not saying don’t take medicine so you to survive because you would have to take medicine to survive. But it doesn’t make the taking of the medicine okay. It’s something that’s necessitated by being in a physical form but it’s not okay. But the there is distinction between the killing of a an animal and the killing of a human depending on because of the basis.
The basis being the body and the capacity that the being in that body has. Alright. So it’s a greater negativity to kill something that has the capacity to create virtue as humans do. And it’s it’s always a situation as well. For example, if you’re going to kill the fleas on a cat because out of compassion for the cat, then you’re creating virtue by having compassion for the cat, but you’re also creating negativities by killing the fleas.
And in that instance, then the compassion for the cat wouldn’t probably be as strong as the killing of the fleas. Right? Because there’s so many fleas. You don’t lose the vow. Uh-huh.
Vow. Uh-huh. Don’t lose the vow. There’s a difference between a breach of a vow and a losing a vow. Okay.
So there’s there there needs to be a distinction between then the what’s called the natural negative the natural negativity of killing and the enforced negativity or the made negativity of breaking a vow. Alright? So one is something that’s said to be naturally occurring and the other is something that you I don’t want say contrive in a negative way, but something that you take on. So if you break a vow, that’s said to be a heavier negativity than something that’s a natural negativity. But the vow that you take as a layperson to not kill, the basis of that vow is not to kill a human.
Yes? And the way that you protect the vow of not killing a human is to not kill other sentient beings. Alright? So you lose the vow when you kill a human. You protect to protect the vow, you don’t kill anything.
Alright? So and then also in when you’re talking about the the natural act of the natural negative naturally negative act of killing, there is different intensities to the level of that negative action depending on what it is that you’re killing. So if you kill an ant, that’s less negativity than if you kill a human, which is a called a great negativity to kill a human. And if you’re gonna kill a Bodhisattva, then that would be an even more intense negativity than killing an ordinary human. So depending on what you kill, you have a different there’s a different the the negative potential that arises from that action is different in strength.
There’s varying degrees of strength of that negative potential from that action that arises from that action. Is that okay? As soon as you take a sip of alcohol, you lose that vow because you took the vow not to drink alcohol. Right? But the drinking of alcohol is the only one of the five lay vows that isn’t a root vow.
So it’s something that it’s it doesn’t mean you lose the lay vows. You just lose that vow. Right? And you can take it again. Yes.
I guess if if we say we’re gonna die tomorrow or Uh-huh. Or tonight driving out and so we’re gonna go up this big clip. Yeah. Is there anything that we can do? You have a sense of refuge at the time of death, there’s no way you can go to the lower realms.
You know? And Geshe-la said, you can’t stop yourself dying if it’s your time’s up. But if you have a sense of refuge at the time of death, you can’t go to the lower realms. But he also said we shouldn’t be thinking, I just need a sense of refuge at the time of death. We need to start from now.
So if we have a habit of thinking about refuge and bodhicitta and our pure views and things like that, then at the time of death, we will habitually think of that. And that habitual thinking of those things, with those things in mind, there’s no way we can be reborn in the lower realms. Is everyone okay? You have a question? Woah.
I’m shocked. I’m shocked you don’t have a question. It’s not it’s okay. I’m shocked. Are you shocked?
Yeah. No. No. It’s okay.