Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Whether a bodhicitta motivation can transform watching a soccer match, or buying a friend a beer, into a cause for enlightenment drives the most engaging exchange in this 96-minute session, where Geshe Pema Tsering works through Chapter Three of Śāntideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. He opens by quoting Tsongkhapa: renunciation alone cannot yield Buddhahood; the mind of enlightenment is essential. He then walks through the chapter’s five preparatory steps — rejoicing in virtue at three levels (higher rebirth, liberation, full enlightenment), requesting Buddhas to teach and to remain, dedicating merit to relieve all suffering, and training the mind to give body and possessions as groundwork for the perfection of generosity — before the Q&A unpacks why the chapter title is better understood as fully adhering to bodhicitta than simply as “commitment.”
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2005 09 27 Bodhisattvas Way of Life.mp3
UUID: f678dccb-fc43-430c-9740-2699f133b219
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life 2005 Mar -2007 (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-09-27
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 96.3 minutes
Words: ~4,730
So Geshe-la is quoting a verse from the three principles of the path of Je Tsongkhapa. And it goes like this renunciation. Renunciation, though, can never bring the total bliss of matchless Buddhahood unless it is bound by the purest wish. And so the wise seek the highest wish for enlightenment. And then Geshe-la goes on to comment that so renunciation alone, even though fully developed, it is not enough to make one able to achieve enlightenment.
So in order to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, benefit of all other sentient beings, one must cultivate bodhicitta or the mind of enlightenment. And then and that being so, those those those persons who are wise will definitely seek, will definitely try, may put effort in in developing the mind of enlightenment. So so that being so, mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta, the aspiration to achieve enlightenment is extremely important. And then so the motivation that we should cultivate right now is the motivation to achieve enlightenment, Buddhahood. So how is it that the development of the mind of enlightenment goes about is like we should think that for the sake of all other sentient beings, I myself alone will achieve enlightenment.
So with this motivation to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all other sentient beings, Every virtue, every virtuous action that we practice, every virtue that we practice is going to become the cause for enlightenment. And so with this if we have this motivation, and now we are going to study this text and read this text, so that’s going to become a cause for enlightenment. And the same So without this motivation, whatever virtue we may do, without this motivation to achieve enlightenment, this this virtues will not be the cause of enlightenment. So again, for again, in order with the motivation of enlightenment, are going to study this text. So so again, yeah, thinking of benefiting all sentient beings, we’re going to study this text.
And Geshe-la, what did you say? Geshe-la. Yeah. Where did — where do you think you are?
So, yeah, we went to study the text with this motivation. We have to to have this motivation. And and so we shouldn’t be be doing this only for with the thought of benefiting only ourselves. And we should we should think now in order to benefit all sentient beings, I’m going to achieve enlightenment, and we’re going to study the text. So now we have to meditate, thinking like this.
So now we we are going to start the third chapter of the guide to the Bodhisattva, way of life. So so the third chapter is the chapter chapter on commitment or the full acceptance of the awakening mind. And so it starts mentioning what was done before. That before one starts with actually cultivating the actual mind of enlightenment, first rejoice in all the virtues and so forth, and all the other and collects, how to say, accumulates collections of favorable conditions. And then after that, that being done, one goes to the cultivation of the mind of enlightenment itself.
And then the chapter this chapter has which is the full acceptance of the awakening mind has divisions. So the first one will be the explanation of the text of this chapter. And the second division will be on the name of the chapter itself. So the first division of the chapter, which is the explanation of the text of this chapter is, again, it is divided into three. And so the first is division is the preparation or the second division is the main part or the main practice.
And the third is the concluding actions. So again, the so we’re going into the first of this three topics, which is the the preparation or the preparative step steps. And again, this one is divided in five, and the five are rejoicing in virtue, and then requesting for the wheel of Dharma to be turned, and then requesting for the Buddha’s not to pass into nirvana and to remain. Then the fourth, dedication of merits. And the fifth one, which is the fifth one, is how do you say?
It’s the practices is the practice of cultivating the mind that gives virtue and one’s possessions and one’s body, which is a prerequisite to the practice of the perfection of generosity, right? So this is the fifth preparatory step, So we are in a preparative steps, which has five divisions. And the first one of these five, which is rejoicing in virtue, has again three divisions. And the first of these three is rejoicing in the virtues of causes and effects related to higher rebirth, right? What rebirth?
Higher rebirth. Higher rebirth. Then the second one is rejoicing in the virtues that are related to cause and effect of that lead to liberation alone. And the third one is rejoicing in in the virtues of causes and effects, which leads to unsurpassable enlightenment. So so now we are into the first verse of this third chapter, which goes like, gladly do I rejoice in the virtue that relieves the misery of all those in unfortunate states and that gives happiness to the suffering ones.
So again, I was commenting that the virtue that gives relief to these sufferings is specifically the virtue related to the avoidance of the ten non virtues, which are quite a few, like avoiding killing, avoiding stealing and so forth. And in these actions of avoidance of non virtues, we should have a mind that is pleased with it, pleased and happy with this. So the commentary goes on to explain the text. So all those beings that are all the sentient beings who are in the cycle of existence that are subject to the sufferings of lower rebirth can get how to say, can achieve how to say, but by the virtue, which is a cause of the achievement of this higher, special higher rebirth. And again, I explained that this what the text means with special here, special higher rebirth — special because of what?
Because it’s referring to the dharma. It’s the dharma, which is a special cause that leads to this condition of high rebirth. And then cause of those the effect of those causes is that beings are placed in the higher states of humans and gods, happy states of humans and gods. And with a mind that is glad, we should think how very good good this is. And then like this rejoice.
So then we’re going to the second verse, right? So I rejoice in that gathering of virtue is the cause for liberation. In this case, Geshe-la, we use the word, but Geshe-la explains that here is referring to liberation of which is nirvana, self liberation only. And then I rejoice in the definite freedom of embodied creatures from the miseries of cyclic existence. So can I explain what which are those causes of self liberation?
Those are the full development of renunciation. And then meditation on reflections on the four noble truths and so forth. Those are the causes that lead one to liberation. So in the commentary, it goes to to explain to clarify clarify that the liberation of hearers and solitary realizers in those virtues that are concordant with the causes of this kind of liberation. How do you say?
No, I’m sorry. So the accumulation of those causes that are concordant with the liberation of the hearers and solitary realizers, this accumulation of this specific kind of virtue of merit in that, we have to rejoice. And then the cause of those causes, the effect of those causes is that all beings who have a body will will find definitely freedom from from suffering and will pass will achieve nirvana. And and in that and in that, again, we should rejoice. So then we go into the is the third verse, rejoicing in the possible causes and the effect of possible enlightenment.
And the verse goes on like this, I rejoice in the awakening of the protectors and also in the spiritual levels of, how do say, of the children, of the protectors. And with gladness, I rejoice in the ocean of virtue for developing the awakening mind that wishes all beings to be happy as well as the deeds that bring them benefit in that rejoice. So the protectors refer to the Buddha. And Geshe-la explains specifically that because the Buddhas possess great compassion, they are called the protectors of all beings. And in the ten levels of the Bodhisattvas and all those, and in perfect enlightenment, we should rejoice.
And those are the causes that make one acts for the benefit, the happiness of all sentient beings. And that great supreme mind of enlightenment is like a motivation that makes one exert oneself, how to say, for the benefits of others through the deeds. Conduct that tries to strives to benefits all beings. And that’s with peaceful mind that also cause is is the cause, it comes together with brings with it a state of pure faith. Like this, we meditate.
And like this, we also we gladly rejoice in that, So can I explain that these three verses, they make it clear for one, that we are going to achieve results that are in accordance with our motivation? And Geshe-la explains that with the motivation to achieve with the motivation to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings, whatever virtuous action we do, we engage in, then that act is going to transform it’s going to be transformed to the cause of enlightenment. And if we do only with renunciation, if our motivation is just renunciation, and then whatever virtuously we engage in, that is going to turn into the cause of liberation alone and nothing more than that, not enlightenment. And if our motivation is just to achieve the happiness of higher rebirth, like, say, human rebirth or rebirth as a god. If that is our motivation alone, then whatever virtuous deed we do is going to turn into the cause of only that again.
And so but we here, we are striving for enlightenment. So we should cultivate the motivation to achieve enlightenment in order to benefit So again, I’m saying that we should this rejoicing is the mind that is happy with virtue. So virtue done by others, we should rejoice in the virtue of others. We should also rejoice in our own virtue. We should rejoice in our virtue together, others and ours together.
And rejoicing in this way, we will actually cause our what is translated literally as the roots virtue to increase. So Geshe-la is emphasizing the importance of rejoicing in virtue. And he says, we should not rejoice in non virtue because if we rejoice in non virtue, then this non virtue is going to increase. And then we should rejoice only in virtuous deeds. And as far as to non virtues, we should regret them, and we should confess.
It’s very important to regret them. Otherwise, confessing confessing without genuine regret, and then we don’t have a proper confession. So then we are reading now the next verse. With folded hands, I beseech the Buddhas of all directions to shine to light the lamp of Dharma for all how do you say? For all confused beings that are in in in in darkness.
So this darkness refers to ignorance that is an analogy. Without light, we don’t know the way around our way around. And with being ignorant is being the same is the same as being darkness. We don’t know our way around, So so then the the commentary goes on to say that all the after having achieved enlightenment and taken a long time to without teaching, how do you say, we should entreat, beseech, supplicate the Buddhas with our palms together, our hands together, respectfully, humbly.
Yes. We should respect them to light the lamp of Dharma of scriptures and realizations that clears away the path to liberation out of the darkness of ignorance in which all beings, ignorant beings, suffering beings are at the moment. I forgot to mention one thing, that we are already in the fifth verse, right? And we have got into another division here. So it’s we are already in the second division that is requesting the wheel of Dharma to be turned.
And then we are getting we already got into the fifth verse, which is a third one, which is requesting the Buddhas not to pass into nirvana, okay? So it goes like this, with folded hands, I beseech the conquerors who wish to pass away, to please remain for countless eons and not to leave the world in darkness. Okay. Yeah. So and then, again, I just briefly explains that conquerors refers to the Buddhas and not to pass into nirvana refers to them passing away into enlightenment.
And if we should ask them to please stay. Yes, Okay. Okay. Oh, yeah. This Oh, yeah.
So in order to to to clear away the darkness of ignorance of all those who have are who have their wisdom eyes blinded by lack of knowledge, all these beings. So in order to clear away that, please stay for countless years. So now we are in the fourth division of the first part of the explanation of the chapter. The first part is the preparation. And the fourth division now is the dedication of virtues.
And dedication of virtues is divided again into four, which are a general dedication, then a dedication for the sake of the sick and the infirm, dedication to clear away hunger and thirst, and then a dedication for one’s virtues to become the causes of beings achieving or getting, obtaining whatever it is that they wish. So we go we got into the sixth verse, which is this by the virtue collected through all all that I have done. I say, the pain of every living creature be completely cleared away. So again, I briefly explains that now all this all that I have done refers to all the virtuous actions that we have done so far, according to Rejoicing so forth. And then to clear away briefly, he explains that clear away all being suffering refers us to to to to destroy it totally.
Explain, specifically, all those virtues that one has accomplished, one has engaged in, those virtues being the offerings and rejoicing and beseeching the Buddhas to stay, beseeching them to turn the wheel of Dharma and so forth. All these virtues together, we should we dedicate to the how to say, to the relief of suffering of all beings. One one should dedicate to the relief of suffering of all beings. This one? So we’re going to the next verse.
May I be the doctor, the medicine and the nurse for all beings who are you, for as long as there are there are sick beings and and until and until they are healed, So then we think that we dedicate. So may I be, again, may I be a doctor, a medicine and a nurse for as long as let’s say, by the power of all one’s virtue, may it be the doctor, the medicine and the nurse, for all sentient beings until they are completely healed. And then we get into next verse again. May a rain of food and drink, how do you say, descend to clear away the pain of the harm of thirst and hunger. And during the eon of famine, which a specific period of time that is to come, may myself change into change into food and drink?
So again, we should dedicate our virtue in order to all our virtues, in order to relieve all sentient beings of hunger and that are suffering from hunger and thirst with a range of the most various and diverse foods and drinks. And specifically, in the intermediate Kalpas, the Kalpas that are huge periods of time, there is one intermediate Kalpas, one of them that is called the of famine. And specifically, that, may one be able to turn oneself into food and drink for all those who are suffering from from hunger and thirst in order to oneself be able to pacify all this this suffering of hunger and thirst.. So Geshe-la goes into the next verse, and he briefly explains that, how do say, may one become an inaccessible treasure of all those various of a great variety of articles and materials and instruments, whatever is that one needs and whatever necessity one has. And may one be placed as such things be placed close in front and close to all those sentient beings who are poor and destitute.
And so one refers to oneself, of course, Geshe-la says. And now we’re going to the fifth division, which is training the mind into dedicating all one’s root virtues and all of one’s possessions, including one’s body as a preparation for the practice of the perfection of giving. So we should train our minds into sending, into giving all our virtues that we have accumulated and all our possessions, our closes and so forth, and including our bodies. So when one should one should pray for once, how do you say, for one’s inexhaustible amount of merit to become the causes, how do you say? Okay.
The causes of happiness. Of other beings. And then again, we want to pray for one’s possessions to be such causes also. Yeah. Okay.
I did a mistake. So the fifth division that is the training of the mind into sending away one’s possessions and rich virtues one’s body in order to be able to engage in the perfection of generosity. I forgot to mention this divided in three. So the first is training the mind in sending one’s root virtues that are possessions, material possessions. And then the second one is praying for how to say So and then the second one is the praying for one’s virtues not to decrease.
And then, and then praying for And then praying for our virtues to become the causes of material wealth and so forth of other beings. So this yes, so we finish in this point today. And then next class, we go on to this subdivision. So if anybody has any question? Does anybody has any question?
Yes, please. So you want to know what you want to know is if that motivation to achieve enlightenment can turn any action, including, for example, going to watch a movie into cause of enlightenment. Is that It works with some actions, but, like, a lot of them, it just doesn’t say, I’m gonna go to barbecue with my friends so that I can do what. You know what I mean? But if you really want to, you should turn every action into something.
Okay. So so I took I took the your example of, for example, going to watch a movie or or something. Something. I use I use a general word for for this, and then we said we say, it can be anything. It could be a movie, a music presentation.
So again, I took to be, for example, football match, a soccer match. So I said I explained to him, so if we develop the motivation to achieve Enlighten for the sake of all sentient beings and we go to watch a soccer match, watching the soccer match is going to become a cause for enlightenment. And Geshe-la says, no. Even though you generate this thought in your mind that I’m going to watch the soccer match in order to achieve enlightenment, watching the soccer match is just going to be watching the soccer match and nothing else. So Gela is giving an example of how it could work of how it could be a cause of enlightenment.
So as far as if, for example, everybody gathers together to watch a football match, a soccer match. And everybody goes there and has to pay some money. But those funds are how to say, they are given to help the poor or to help the sick. And then that, yes, can easily become can easily benefit and become a cause for such a cause for enlightenment, for example, So again, he goes a little bit further to say that the main thing is the idea of benefiting others. And just watching us soccer match isn’t benefiting anybody.
So doesn’t bring anybody’s benefits or it doesn’t there’s no virtue in that. Thus any anybody else? We got the what’s the difference in this chapter with commitment and the earlier chapter on bodhicitta? Is there a clear difference? Because early the yearly chapter talked about bodhicitta, and now we’re talking about, I guess, commitment.
Is that different to The only chapter is is just the praising bodhicitta. Oh, okay. And this this one is explaining is explaining, actually, in the words in the Tibetan words, it says it’s it’s how to how to engage in the practice. Okay. How to start engaging the generally speaking, will be how to start engaging in the practice, how how to adhere to bodhicitta.
That’s the title will be translated. Your question is, how does it relate between commitment and the bodhicitta? Is that right? How does Yes. This is the thing.
When we translate commitment, we are talking about a specific Tibetan word that It’s like a it can be translated in many different ways. So one some authors chose to translate it as a commitment, right, as you have in this translation from Padmakara translation group, right? But commitment is just one word, and it’s quite misleading. I mean, the whole idea is to develop is to how to say, embracing bodhicitta, fully embracing the awakening mind, this idea of bodhicitta, the Tibetan word is like adhere — adhere to bodhicitta, to approach it and to, how to say, to mix with it. It’s not just commitment.
It’s it’s it’s it’s not not enough to explain the full meaning of of the term in Tibetan. Yeah. Exactly. So as Geshe-la is explaining, this — the mind of enlightenment — in this word, it’s like we shouldn’t just okay, there is the mind of enlightenment, so we just we shouldn’t just sit and just do nothing about it. We train our minds.
It’s like we should, how do say, take it or adhere. I prefer the word adhere. We should adhere to it and train our minds. Geshe-la used the word to train our minds into engaging the mind of enlightenment. It’s okay?
Anyone else, please? I have a question about renunciation. About renunciation? Let me think how can I put that? So I explained I give you an example of watching the soccer match.
I asked Geshe-la, so if we want to develop true renunciation, develop it well, fully, is it all right to go and watch a soccer match? He says, no. I mean, watching a soccer match has to do only with, how to say, the happiness of cyclic existence. And if you’re really serious about it, and then you will see the faults there are to related to soccer and stuff and such activities. And you wouldn’t engage in that.
You wanted to ask something? Yes. I’m not sure I got it. Okay. Is is will you cheat that?
His effort? His effort. Just. Yeah. Yeah.
It’s one of the six perfections. I can’t remember which one. I can’t remember how to translate your I’m so sorry. No. I do understand your question.
I just don’t understand how to I I just don’t remember how to translate your use effort, the word. Pardon me? Yes. Oh, I can translate it into English. Yes.
No worries. Yeah. I just cannot do it into Tibetan. I forgot. Can you remember the other six other five?
So Gala has explained that the mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta, and the six perfections, they are two different things. So he explains the mind of enlightenment is the thought of achieving full enlightenment for the sake of benefiting bringing benefit and happiness to all sentient beings. And the six perfections, they are like they help you. They help one. They are the activities that help one to achieve that.
They’re like helpers, accessories. This one? Do you understand? Yes. Six perfections.
Yes. Six perfections. It mean yeah. I mean, paramita. paramita.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Judy. If I go to the soccer match and and I sit there and I’m thinking about I’m watching it, and I’m thinking about dependent arising, and I’m thinking about if I’m thinking about dharma issues like emptiness or dependent arising Yes.
This So as as for the first question that you put the example of watching a football game, a football match. Sorry, soccer match. You are there watching the soccer match and you are thinking, oh, this is suffering. This is the cause of suffering. It’s going to bring suffering and this is going to this is the cause to stay in cyclic existence and so forth.
Then then, yeah, that that might might be might become the cause of enlightenment. This yes. And what was the second question? So but again, I think that this is not easy to accomplish. If you haven’t if one hasn’t trained one’s mind for very many years, then it’s not going to be easy.
One is going to sit to watch the football match and is going to think of it as a good thing and as a happy thing. So he’s saying that one is going to sit in front of to watch the football match and say, oh, this is so nice. This is so fun. And one’s liking for it is just going to increase. One’s attachment is going just going to increase.
Yes. So perhaps any situation. So if we could in any situation, if we could think of any oh, actually, it could relate to the six paramita. Perfection. Yeah.
Yeah. paramita is okay. Yeah. paramita. So some somehow related to six paramita.
Is that in is that the cause of in that? In any situation, we can if we could think of a option maybe to you know, We can think of any, you know, action Yes. In relate to six paramita. Six paramita. Yes.
In any situations. Right? So I’m not going to the soccer and thinking about, you can I do? You know, generosity. We can practice generosity even in a soccer watching of soccer.
It’s almost cricket season now, anyway. Yeah. I know. We can practice we can practice So I give you an example. So for example, if you went with your friend to watch a soccer match, and then you bought a beer to your friend and gave a beer to your friend thinking that it was the perfection of generosity.
Is that thinking correct? I asked Geshe-la, is thinking like this correct? I said, he said, no, it’s not correct. So because mainly giving giving the beer to your friend is not going to bring any real benefit. He’s not thirsty, and it’s just going to intoxicate him.
And then, Geshe-la goes on to explain that paramita or perfection here is referring to achieving enlightenment. So it’s referring to the mind of enlightenment, referring again to, okay, in order to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, I’m going to give. And then you give to the poor, to the needy, or whatever. So if you give now, guys, we’re going to specifics. So if you give the beer to your friend, but the friend, the one to whom you are giving the beer is object of your attachment, then there is no virtue coming out of this.
It’s just perpetuating attachment. Now if you on the other hand, the person to whom you are giving the beer or whatever drink it is, is suffering from thirst or whatever, and your thought is to relieve his suffering and whatever, then that might become the cause of enlightenment. That may be the cause of enlightenment. You understand? So now it’s yeah.
We we stop here today.