Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 77-minute commentary on Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva Way of Life, Geshe Pema Tsering anchors the session with a vivid analogy: even if the king of gods sends rain, bad seeds will not sprout — and the Buddhas’ compassion reaches only practitioners who bring potential from their own side. Starting from the premise that all samsaric existence rests on contaminated aggregates born of karma and afflictive emotions, he works through verses eleven to seventeen: the cost of repeatedly generating and abandoning bodhicitta, why assuming the Buddhas’ equanimity will cover one’s failings is a dangerous mistake, and why practice cannot be deferred to a future life. The session closes by pressing urgency with a homely image — this body is like a borrowed car, briefly loaned before it must be returned. Suited to practitioners who have taken Bodhisattva vows and want to understand what is genuinely at stake in keeping them.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2005 11 15 Bodhisattvas Way of Life.mp3
UUID: ca9a25b3-d8de-4955-9c1b-527ea3842c1c
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life 2005 Mar -2007 (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-11-15
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 76.7 minutes
Words: ~4,558
So then is saying that well, he was he was quoting a verse. He was explaining the meaning of the verse for me. So he’s saying that all all of Samsāra, all of cyclic existence, there is nothing in it but suffering. And all our aggregates — from the consciousness aggregate down to the form aggregate. All these aggregates, they are in the nature of suffering, because they depend, they arise out of, how do you say, karma and afflictive emotions and conceptions.
So they are in the nature of suffering. So no matter which birth we take, where we are reborn, within Samsāra, we’re always going to have to depend on a on a collection of aggregates that arises out of karma and afflictive emotions. So out of this, there’s nothing but suffering. So then even in the formless realms, the gods of the formless realms, they still depend on the aggregate of consciousness, which is even they depend on the aggregate of consciousness. And even in the intermediate state, the beings of the intermediate state, how to say, they they depend the on the, how to say, on the intermediate, what is called, intermediate body.
Yeah. So even even these, they depend on the collection of aggregates also. So then I can say that in cyclic existence, we always depend on contaminated aggregates. And then so these contaminated aggregates is what we have to abandon. And we have to — how do you say — we have to abandon these contaminated aggregates, and we have to take on uncontaminated aggregates, just like the Ārya beings — they have uncontaminated aggregates. And then if we can take on this uncontaminated aggregates, then we will experience uncontaminated happiness, and we will not experience contaminated suffering anymore. So then we have to take, like, for example, the Aryas and the higher beings, the noble beings, they they they are collecting this, how to say, non contaminated aggregates. They have this one non contaminated aggregates. So even though when they experience suffering, even experience very little or or and whatever suffering they experience, it turns out to for them to be a cause of of happiness of their happiness.
So just like we are suffering, we are experiencing this contaminated suffering in the cyclic existence. So all other sentient beings are also experiencing these sufferings. And then and so in order to to free all sentient beings and so we have to to free all sentient beings from the suffering. In order to free all sentient beings from the suffering, then we have first to free ourselves from the suffering. If we’re not getting enlightened, if we’re not enlightened, we will not be able to free all sentient beings from suffering.
So then we have to strive first to achieve enlightenment, and now we have to start thinking this way. We have to strive to achieve enlightenment in order to be able to free all sentient beings from suffering. And thinking like that, we should develop a good motivation now. So now we have to think that we have been we have taken so many rebirths in cyclic existence for like beginning of this time, as they say, and so many bodies we have taken on, and we have only experienced suffering. So if now, I stay just like this without doing any effort, if I just stay the same, then I won’t be able to accomplish any happiness, not for myself, not for others.
So in order to to be able to free oneself and free all other beings from suffering now, I must strive to achieve enlightenment. And and like this, we we have to, how to say, meditate now. We got into the topic, we were talking about the disadvantage of discarding the mind of enlightenment. And now we got into the topic that the last part of this topic, which reads, attaining the grounds, Bodhisattva grounds becomes a remote possibility, a more remote possibility. And then so, again, Geshe-la was explaining that this title is: so attaining the Bodhisattva levels becomes a more remote possibility if we discard the mind of enlightenment, if we give up the mind of enlightenment.
And then after that, he read the root verse number eleven. Okay? That reads, thus, those who have the force of an awakening mind as well as the force of falling from it, stay revolving in cyclic existence, and for a long time are hindered from reaching the Bodhisattva levels. So in the Tibetan version, it clearly refers to to the, how to say, the downfalls of the the Bodhisattva downfalls, root downfalls, the eighteen and the forty six secondary ones. So again, Geshe-la was saying, if after having taken the Bodhisattva vow — the Bodhisattva vow —, one in the obviously, has a downfall, then one again will be that is the cause for being reborn in the lower realms.
So if one keeps on taking the Bodhisattva vows and then keeps on committing faulty deeds that constitute a root downfall, then one will keep going up and down in cyclic existence, from lower to higher rebirths and so forth, and attaining the Bodhisattva levels like this — attaining enlightenment and so forth — will become a more distant possibility. So then we went through the commentary now, and Geshe-la was explaining the commentary and he’s saying so. As it was said previously, so if one, how do you say, gives up the mind of enlightenment or engages in a root downfall related to it. And then if then again, one will accumulate the causes to be reborn in the lower realms and to remain a cyclic existence.
Existence. And then if again, one takes on the mind of enlightenment — one will accumulate good causes — and if one keeps on taking on the mind of enlightenment, generating the mind of enlightenment, and then abandoning it and again taking it and abandoning it like this — seriously taking and abandoning it — Then one will be would just remain go from lower realms to higher realms and again to lower realms. And then how do say? So then once attaining the Bodhisattva levels, like “the very joyful” — which is the first one — which is mentioned here, the very joyful and the other levels will become much more difficult, will become a much more distant possibility.
And then that being so, then one should, how to say, put effort, not let the mind of enlightenment degenerate even at the cost of one’s life. So that’s what it says. Now we get into the second division, the second main division of this chapter, which is being conscientious about the training, okay? And this topic has three parts to it. The first one is being careful to abandon wrongdoing and the second one is being careful to cultivate virtue and the third one, being careful abandon their afflictive emotions and conceptions.
So then the first one of these topics, which is, let’s say, being careful to abandon wrongdoing, has five parts to it, okay? So the first one is, if negativities and downfalls are not abandoned, one must continue to take rebirth in the lower realms. And the second one, the Buddhas and their children, the Bodhisattvas, act equanimously, okay? They act with equanimity. And the third one, the difficulties of obtaining the freedoms and opportunities, or the leisures and endowments.
Yes, that’s difficulties of obtaining the freedoms and opportunities, that’s the name of the topic. Then the fourth one, born in the lower realms, there is no opportunity to practice virtue. And the fifth one and the last, the reasons or the reason it is difficult to obtain the freedoms and opportunities. Okay? So then the first one of these five, which is if negativities and downfalls are not abandoned, so one must continue to take rebirth in the lower realms.
This having mentioned this topic, we’re going to the root verse number twelve. And it says, therefore, just as I have promised, I shall respectfully accord my actions. If from now on, I make no effort, I shall descend to lower and lower states. So then Geshe-la was explaining. So now if one has promised — okay, I have made the vow to attain enlightenment to liberate all sentient beings from suffering — one has made this promise.
Then having made this promise, one should respectfully and devotedly engage practice and accomplish the practices related to it. So if one does not make effort and engages in activities that constitute downfalls and so forth, then one will go from to from to lower lower realms and and lower and lower ones, even lower and lower ones. In a broader sense, we’re going from from animal realm to the to the hungry ghost realms, to the hell realms, and to the lowest of all realms. So then, we went for the commentary now. The commentary doesn’t add much more to what Geshe-la already said, but it reads: so now, if having made a promise to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings, to accomplish the purpose and the welfare of all sentient beings,, and then one should respectfully engage in trainings and devoted engaging the trainings.
If one having generated the mind of enlightenment and having taken forth the vows, taken the vows, if one after that does does not put effort, does not diligently apply oneself to the practices, to the trainings of the in relation to the mind of enlightenment, then one will end up engaging in these that will constitute a root downfall. And by the force of these downfalls, we want one will go from lower realms to lower realms, and then continuously, one will take rebirth in the in the three lower realms. The main thing is, all like very much the mind of enlightenment, what is called the bodhicitta. I mean, it’s a very virtuous thing. It’s a very great thing, very noble thing.
So but So then it’s a very noble thing. It’s a very meaningful thing. And then we take the vows of the mind of enlightenment. But then Geshe-la is saying to actually practice them, it’s a very difficult thing. And even though we do not wish to to experience suffering, to be reborn in the lower realms, then even though we do not wish it, if because the practice is very difficult.
So if we do not if we’re not if you’re not extremely careful, if you’re not very careful in protecting these vows of the bodhisattvas from these downfalls. And if we eventually, if we engage in a downfall, we will inevitably be reborn in lower realms even though we do not wish it. So then, can I say, so now we all take we all gave rise to the mind of enlightening? We all took the vows. We did the prostrations, the three prostrations.
We took the vows. We went through the whole ceremony. Now it is very difficult to to protect these vows, protect oneself from these downfalls. So can I say that we should not just because of that think: because it’s very difficult, I’m going to engage in faults and downfalls and so forth, and I’m not going to maintain the mind of enlightenment, I’m not going to avoid downfalls.
We should not think this way, Geshe-la says, okay? So we should what Geshe-la is saying is instead think that it is difficult, but all the Buddhas and all the Bodhisattvas of the past, they have engaged in this practice, they have protected this practice and they have accomplished the final goal. And then, so one should think in this way. So I will follow the example, I will follow in the footsteps. And I will do the same, I will protect these vows.
And with this, how to say, attitude, developing this attitude, very, very, how to say, developing strongly developing this attitude. Okay? Then when when in one does as much as one is able in order to protect these vows. And if eventually one one engage in a deed that constitutes a downfall, and then one one should confess and so forth. And again, keep on striving to protect them.
Topic of those five, okay, which is the Buddhas and their children, the Bodhisattvas, they act with equanimity, okay? So the text says, if one thinks that because if one thing that there is no fault from one side, because the Buddhas protect oneself because of their equanimity. So, again, so this this is what what it’s what it says in the in the commentary. Right? One thinks like this, Geshe-la is explaining.
So if one thinks that it is alright to have a downfall and so forth, then the Buddhas and the Bhagavad will protect one and will not experience suffering because of them and so forth. If one thinks this way, that’s what the text is saying, then we go into the root verse number thirteen. So again, I say this to give rise to such thoughts as this one as thinking that it’s all right for me just to do a little bit of virtue and just a little bit of virtue and then the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas because of the compassion and the loving kindness they have, they will protect me and so forth. Just to give rise to such thoughts is very dangerous, Geshe-la says. And we should not by any means think this way.
So then if we think in that way that was mentioned before, then the text goes into the root, Verse number thirteen, now it reads, although for the benefit of every creature, countless Buddhas have passed by, I was not an object of their care because of my own mistakes. And again, I was just briefly saying that, so for the sake of all sentient beings, including ourselves, then many Buddhas have come by, right? Many Buddhas have come and many Buddha have passed into nirvana. But from our own side, we have engaged in non virtue and have committed faults and we have not diligently practice the trainings and protected the vows of a Bodhisattva and so forth. And because of that, they were not able to protect us accordingly.
So, but it’s because of was once own faults. It’s not because yes, well, it’s because of one’s own faults. Yes. So then the commentary goes on to, again, to say not much more what Geshe-la already said, but it says, for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings, then countless Buddhas have come by in the past, but oneself having not having allowed one’s mind of enlightenment, one’s trainings to deteriorate and by the force of ones such faults of oneself alone, then the protectors, which are the Buddhas, they were not able to support us and to protect us. Yes, we didn’t become we did not become an object of of their of their care.
Yes. So then, first of all, I forgot to mention one last thing that Geshe-la said before. It is so in the past, because we didn’t practice, practice, so the Buddhas came, they were not able to protect us. And Geshe-la said, so also in the future, if we do not practice from now on, in the future also, they will not be able to protect us. Then the text goes on to say that it is said, it is stated in the Abhisamayālamkāra or the Ornament for Clear Realization, okay?
It is say that how do you say, the king, even though the king of gods, the king of the gods sends rain. So that’s all that is written in in the in the commentary. So Geshe-la probably is a very well known verse. So Geshe-la mentioned the other half of the verse. So even though even though the the king of the gods sends rain, if how to say?
So the the the seeds that are not suitable. The seeds they are not good, they will not will not grow. They will not sprout. So again, I said, so this is what the root verse say, so again, I say, so if it’s the same goes with us. So if we do not have the potential, if we do not have the potential within us, So again, can I explain, so this the rain that the King of God is sending into us is like the compassion of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas?
It’s like a rain falling onto ourselves. But now if we do not have the potential to sprout, which is the mind of enlightenment and the trainings and the protection protecting the vows and so forth, then they will not be able to give us refuge, yes, or to take care of us and so forth. So then the commentary goes on to say, so if one thinks that later on the protectors, there is no fault from one side because in the future, the future protectors will take care of oneself, right? So if one thinks like this, and we get into root verse number fourteen, which reads, and if I continue to act in like this, again and again, shall I undergo suffering in unhappy realms, sickness, bondage, laceration, and and the shedding of blood. Then we’re going to the commentary.
And the commentary say, so still, if just like before, one acts carelessly, then again and again, one will not become an object of the care of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas, the future Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So instead, one will continuously experience — we will continuously have to experience — suffering, one will have to go to the lower realms. And even if one is to be reborn in the happy realms, then one will experience sickness and bondage again and again. And one will experience one’s legs and arms being cut and one’s body being broken and so forth, experiencing limitless varieties of suffering. So then we’re going to the third topic of those five, which is the difficulties of obtaining the freedoms and opportunities of a precious human rebirth, right?
So this topic has two parts to it. So the first one is, if the body mind deteriorates, it becomes difficult to obtain the freedoms and opportunities that possess the conditions of the four wheels, okay? And the second topic is even though they have obtained, these freedoms and opportunities, one should make effort for they quickly perish. So then we go into the first one of these topics, right, which is if bodhicitta deteriorates, it becomes difficult to obtain the freedoms and opportunities that possess the condition of the four wheels, right? So then the text says, if one thinks that I’ll put I’ll make efforts later on in the future life when I attain again the when I obtain again a precious human rebirth.
If one thinks in this way, then we read into the root verse number fifteen that reads, if the arising of the Tathagatas, faith, the attainment of a human body and my being fit to cultivate virtue are scarce, when will they be won again? And then I’m going to briefly say, so if the coming of a Buddha is something very rare, then even more rare is one having faith on the Buddha or the teachings. Again, even rarer is the attainment of a healthy human body. And even having attained the human body, being fit to meditate or to cultivate virtue. This is all very, very rare.
One thing is rare than the other. So how can we how can we there’s no way. It’s very difficult for for this to come about again. So then the text the the commentary is mentioning one one one flower, which is something like, this this flower. So just like just like this the flower.
Sorry. So this I do this flower is it is is very rare. It is all very rare for for for a Buddha to come about and is for him to teach the three baskets and so forth. This is very rare to have faith on the Buddha and the teachings is very rare to have to gain human body. And even though having gained a human body is rare to be born in a central land.
What is a central land is a land where the teachings where you can find the teachings. It’s rare to have all of one’s faculties, not to have, how to say, extreme views and be suitable basis for the cultivation of virtue. This is all very rare. This and this five how do you say? Those are the, like, the five freedoms in relation to oneself.
Then the the text mentions the also the the the five freedoms in relation to other are also very rare. All of it is all very rare. And then so if when how to say it? When will one be able to attain these freedoms and opportunities that allow us to practice the two types of mind of enlightenment. It is very difficult to find them, to find it.
So then we’re going to the second of those topics, which is even though they have been obtained, these freedoms and opportunities, one should make effort for they quickly perish. So then the text says, if one thinks that it is a one one will make effort later on because now, how do you say, one is enjoying one is not experiencing any unfavorable conditions. One is enjoying only harmonious conditions, only good conditions. And so, again, I say, now one is is is experiencing happy conditions, one is happy and one thinks. So maybe I I would put effort in the practice later on when I’m old and and so we find things in this fashion, and we go into the root verse sixteen.
This one. So then the root verse sixteen reads, although today I’m healthy, well nourished and unafflicted, life is momentary and deceptive. The body is like an object of loan, but for but a minute. And then, Gela briefly says that now, okay, now we are healthy. Now we have food, and we are not experiencing any distress or suffering.
But life is momentary, it’s changing, everything is changing all the time, and then it’s deceptive. And so this body is like, again, I was saying, it’s just like if we do not have a car and we borrow a car from someone who has one and to go somewhere, we just borrow briefly just to go somewhere and we come back, we have to give back the car. So it’s just like this body is just like it’s just it’s just like this. We we borrow just for for a brief amount of time. Okay.
So then the commentary goes on to say, it is not suitable, how to say, to act as if one has had a lot of time. So then this is, even though though when we do not, how to say, we have a body that is not not afflicted by the how to say, unfavorable condition of disease, which is a body which is just like the sun, right, which is just like the sun. Or if right now, at this moment, at this time, like that we have the good favorable conditions of having food to eat or being well nourished. And we do not have the unfavorable conditions of being afflicted. Even though if we have, we do not have all these unfavorable conditions and we have all these favorable happy conditions, even this life, it’s a moment ary and it does not stay and because it quickly perishes and it quickly disintegrates, it is deceiving.
So like this body is how do you say? So because this body is because this power this body has no independence, because the body is, in fact, an overpowered thing without any independence, just like this an object of loan that we borrow for just one moment. So because of all that, then we should not, how to say, act as if we have plenty of time and leisure. So from this very moment on, we should make efforts. And by this, we should we’re going say we should think like this.
So then now we go to the of those five topics, we’re going to the fourth one, which reads being born in the lower realms, there is no opportunity to practice virtue. This topic has three divisions to it, three parts to it, okay? So the first one is there is no opportunity to practice virtue if one is born in the lower realms. And the second one, if one doesn’t make effort when one has got a higher rebirth, then one will be confused as to what to take or what to adopt and what to discard in order to avoid the lower realms. And the third one is that it is extremely difficult difficult to be liberated from the lower realms.
So the first one of them, okay, which is there is no opportunity to practice virtue when one is born, if one is born in the lower realms, okay? So then if one the text says, if one thinks that it is all right to act as if one has leisure and plenty of time, thinking that it is all right to practice in the future when one attains do you say? So if one thinks that is all right, that because one will attain this precious human rebirth continues in the future. And then in the future, one at that time, we’ll practice, if one thinks that this is all right, and we read verse seventeen. So then the Verse seventeen reads, With behavior such as these, I shall not win a human body again.
And if this human form is not attained, there will be solely wrongdoing and no virtue. And Geshe-la briefly says, so if one continues with such behavior like engaging in small non virtues and procrastinating and being lax and so forth, then one will accumulate non virtues and one will, how to say, one will be reborn in lower realms. And once one is there, there is nothing but they will follow, there will be nothing but non-virtue from them. Negativities. Losses. Losses. So then the commentary goes on to say, so then if doing only negativities and then not doing any virtue, then foreign continues with such behavior, then in the future, one will not how to say, one will not obtain, not even this body, a body like this. And then not obtaining such a body and one will be reborn in the lower realms, in the three lower realms. Then once there, there will be only negativities and there is not going to be not even a little not even a little virtue arising from it.
Then and and by by that being so, and it’s it’s very difficult. It’s going to be very difficult to attain happy rebirth again. So now, If you if you have any questions now, we have some time.