Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A verse comparing the human body to a vessel on the ocean of suffering opens this 59-minute commentary, with Geshe Pema Tsering drawing out its implication: we must navigate toward liberation in this life, or at minimum set course correctly for future lives. The commentary works through Chapter Five of Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva Way of Life — “Guarding Alertness” — focusing on the benefits of guarding the mind. Geshe-la explains the two-aspiration structure of the mind of enlightenment, then unpacks the verse of the wild elephant of mind bound by the rope of mindfulness, and the dramatic verses where tigers, lions, bears, and demonic beings are all subdued simply by subduing one’s own mind. The session ends on a counterintuitive argument: mindfulness does not restrict freedom but grants it, since afflictive emotions already imprison us.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2006 03 21 Bodhisattvas Way of Life.mp3
UUID: dc6c44a3-ede1-4f54-adfd-109868b5c9ab
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Bodhisattva Way of Life 2005 Mar -2007 (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006-03-21
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 58.6 minutes
Words: ~4,073
So then Geshe-la is quoting a verse to open the the motivation of of today’s teachings, and and the verse reads something like this. It’s it is on on reliance on of this on this on reliance on this human vessel, then we are freed from the great ocean of So then, again, I say so then again, I say this is in reliance on this on this on the human on this human vessel, then we can go beyond the ocean of suffering. And then Geshe-la is explaining that it is it relies on this on on the human body, which is here being compared to our to our vessel that we can attain enlightenment. We must achieve enlightenment and is in reliance in reliance on this body that we can attain enlightenment. And then is is the attainment of enlightenment is is that the elimination of of all suffering.
And then again, suffering here is being compared to a great ocean or to a great river. And then it’s it is on on on again, in reliance on this human body that we can cross and go beyond this great ocean or this river. So then I say, so then we need to attain this state of liberation, the state of enlightenment. Then so we must navigate with this vessel to go beyond this ocean of suffering. But then what we what we usually what what usually happens is that we do not, how to say, navigate in the direction of how to say, towards the other shore or in the direction that goes beyond suffering.
We just stay adrift in this great ocean going round and round to many dangerous and and fearful places that are in this in this great ocean of suffering. And we after after some time, this vessel of ours is is goes out of existence, destroyed because there is no no vessel that can can last a long time and our this vessel of of the human body, the human vessel doesn’t last more than than one hundred years or so. So what we must, now that we have this proper vessel, this good vessel, which can practice the Dharma and so forth, now that we have we have then to engage in the Dharma practice. And even if we cannot, in this life, attain to the other shore or or or go beyond the ocean of suffering, then we can we can at least accumulate the causes so that we can accomplish that, how to say, in the future lives. We can just set the boat in already in the the in the right path.
So then then again, said, this is very difficult. It’s very difficult to attain this goal, to go beyond the ocean of suffering and so forth. But then we even though it is difficult and we might not be able to do that in this life, we have to we have to, how do say, make sure that we will get a good vessel, a good boat in the next life. And then so we can keep on working. And then and and then the life after that, and then the life after that again and again.
Until one day, we can we will then reach the other shore or go beyond the ocean of suffering. So then the last thing, so then what we have to do in this life, the whole meaning of of having this this this good vessel vessel is then what we have to do with this vessel is to accomplish virtue to practice Dharma. And and since all that depends on on one’s mind, we have to guard our minds. And then we can, in the future, get again a good a good vessel, a good a good human body, which is a basis for the practice of Dharma, which is a proper basis for the practice of Dharma. If not, if we if we do not do that now, then it’s going to be very difficult to attain this this, how do say, this this proper vessel, this this this this human basis.
And then it’s like we’re going to be wasting wasting this this this body, this opportunity. And how do you say? Geshe-la used a word which can be translated as we’re going to be as as as destitute. Destitute? So then the last thing is now we have we have the need then.
We need then to make sure that we don’t waste this this this human body, this opportunity. Opportunity. So we have to engage in virtuous activities, have to accomplish virtue, accumulate merit. And even though it might seem difficult, we’re gonna have we’re certainly gonna have to we’re gonna meet with hardships, but then these hardships are not they’re not, let’s say, huge. They’re not they’re not huge huge hardships.
They’re not so great that we cannot accomplish them. So we can can accomplish virtue. So then we have to have to make an effort. I’d say we have to engage, go through these little hardships and accomplish them in this life. So then I say, then we’re going to meet with hardships if we are going to practice virtue to try to accomplish virtue.
We are going to meet with hardships, we’re going to meet with many small hardships. But then we have to understand that we must go through these many little hardships because we are going through them in order to get rid of great sufferings in the future. And the great sufferings of of of being born in the hell realms or in the in the hungry ghost realm or in or in the animal realm and so forth, in the three lower realms. So then we we we we must go we must go through this we must we we just understand. We must go through this through this small hardships, this many small hardships.
And then, if we can do that, we go for this many small hardships. And then we will be able to get rid of how to say get rid of this great sufferings of the future. And then we’ll be able to we’ll be then, how to say, making this life meaningful. And then Gela was saying, so in order to accomplish powerful virtue, in order to create powerful roots of virtue, then we we we must give rise to the mind of enlightenment. We must work for the welfare of others.
And then Gala was saying, without this mind of enlightenment, a powerful powerful roots of virtue will not be created, will not come about. And then so then Geshe-la says, we must then think about the mind of enlightenment. We must put our set our minds to it. And at any time, at whatever time it is, we having given rise to the mind of enlightenment, then we engage in whatever activities that we are going to engage. So then the other thing, so what is this mind of enlightenment that Geshe-la is referring to?
So this mind of enlightenment, Geshe-la says, it has two parts to it. He used a word. I’m trying to remember. The I’m trying to remember the meaning. So has two aspirations.
But it has two aspiration aspects to it. So one of them is is is the what Geshe-la was explaining is cause or causal aspiration, which is the the the thought that things I must bring all beings to the state of enlightenment. So this is one aspiration aspect, which is the causal aspirational aspect of the mind of enlightenment. And the other one is the concordant aspiration aspect of the mind of enlightenment, which is in order to accomplish that, I myself must achieve enlightenment. And then having these two aspects, these two aspirations together, then we have then the mind of enlightenment.
Okay? So then, can I say so then we we must we must put our minds to it? We must think in this way, then thinking, I must bring all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment. In order to accomplish that, I myself must achieve enlightenment. And we think like this.
And then in order to accomplish that, then we are going to listen to the teachings on the Bodhisattva Way of Life. And like this, we meditate a bit now. Yeah. Yeah. So is one is the the the to be honest, I never heard is explained in this way.
So it’s a technical he’s Geshe-la was using technical terminology, so I’m I’m I’m making a very little translation word by word. So one was causal or cause aspiration or causal aspiration, and the other one was Oh, really? And then the other one was concordant aspiration. Yeah. So then one is the wish the thinking that I must bring all sentient beings to this.
Another one in order to accomplish that, So then so we are we are again, I just just give a brief introduction. We are studying a commentary on the Bodhisattva Way of Life. We are in the beginning of the fifth chapter. The commentary of the fifth chapter was guarding alertness. And we are of of the many divisions that we already went through in the introduction.
We are in in a in a division, which refers to the benefits the benefits of guarding the mind. Okay? And then this topic has two parts to it. One is a brief presentation and the other one is an extensive explanation of the benefits of guarding the mind. Okay?
So then the first one, which is a brief presentation is mentioned and we go straight into the root verse number the third root verse of the text, number three. Okay? And it reads like this. However, if the elephant of mind is firmly bound on all sides by the rope of mindfulness, all fears will will cease to exist and virtues will come into my hand. And, again, I was just briefly explaining the word play here.
So the mind is compared to to a wild elephant again, and then mindfulness are the is the rope that ties up with which we tie up the elephant. And then if if we can control our mind in such a way, we will be able to, how do say, avoid all fears and accomplish all virtues. Then, gonna went through the commentary now. So the commentary reads like this. By with with the rope of mindfulness of the three doors of body, speech, and mind, then we tie up we we we bind very tightly this elephant of the mind to to virtuous objects.
And like this, in this life, how do say, all fearful all fearful phenomena or fearful things will not will cease to be. So again, I was explaining so what is this first, explain the three doors are the the the the actions, deeds of body, speech, and mind. And then being mindful of of these three doors means observing, watching our minds before we engage in any activities of body, speech, and mind. So investigating, analyzing our our minds before we engage in in certain activities, we think we we try to see if if this activity that I’m going to engage in is a good activity, is a beneficial activity or not. If it is, then we just go go on with it.
And if it is not, then we watching our minds. If we see that we the activity we are going to engage in is not a good activity, is not a beneficial, is not a virtuous activity, then we stop ourselves. We can stop ourselves from it, and then we can, how do say, start thinking of ways to then engage in a beneficial deed instead. And that’s that’s the the whole meaning of being mindful of the three doors. So it’s watching out for one’s motivations before one one one is engages in in the in the activities.
One is to engage in. And then furthermore, Geshe-la was explaining according following the commentary that if we if we can bind if we can bind well our minds with with this mindfulness, then all virtues of the of the paths of the three kinds of beings will will come to our hands in stages. So then all virtues of the three kinds of beings. So then again, this is the beings of beings, practitioners of the with small scope, of middling scope, and of great scope.
So practitioners of of small scope are are those who aim at at good rebirth in future lives. And the the trainings, the the practices are the practice of the ten avoiding the ten non virtues and practicing the ten virtues in order to accomplish a good rebirth in the future. Then the beings of middling scope engage in the three sets of trainings and and meditate on the four noble truths. And their aim is their own liberation, the the, I would say, individual liberation alone. And the beings of great scope are those who practice who meditate on the mind of enlightenment and practice the six perfections in order to attain the full enlightenment of a Buddha and and benefit others.
So those are are the the three beings that the text is referring to. And Gela was saying, see, if we can bind our minds by with the rope of mindfulness, then all these virtues will come. We will be able to accomplish them by stages naturally. Okay? And then the the text concludes, and Geshe-la was quoting the text.
So if that being so, then we we we must not allow our mindfulness towards virtuous objects at all times to, how to say, degenerate. Okay? And then having having having gone through the commentary, we go to the second part of the benefits of guarding one’s mind, which is the extensive explanation. So then we go again to the next two root verses of the text, which is number four and number five, and they read something like this.
Tigers tigers, lions, elephants, bears, snakes, and all forms of enemies, the guardians of the hell worlds, evil spirits and and and cannibals will all be bound by binding the mind alone, and will all be subdued by subduing the mind my mind alone. Okay? It’s something that venerable Antonio would definitely like it, isn’t it? This one. Those.
Oh, yeah. And then the commentary goes on to say, then so what what is the reason why we have to bind our minds with to to this virtuous to virtuous objects of of of observation of the mind? So then because if we do so, the text explains, then, again, tigers and lions and elephants and and bears and and harmful snakes or poisonous snakes, and then all sorts of of all sorts of human enemies. And then later, the the, how do you say, the the guardians of the hell realms and and those evil spirits and and and evil dakinis who use harmful magic spells. And, again, likewise, the Rakshasas, which are sort of cannibal demons.
So whatever whatever whatever harms they may they may do, if one if one, how do you say, binds by binding one’s mind by by only binding one only by binding one’s mind with this rope of mindfulness towards virtuous objects, then all these these causes of fear, all these things, they will they will cease to be. And then And they won’t be able to cause, how do you say, not even the slightest harm. Then was explained why is that? Because all those those beings, all those those harms, all those those things, bad things, they happen because of of non virtuous minds, because of non virtue. So if we can stop ourselves from engaging in non virtue, then none of none of these none of these harms will come about.
We’re able to stop all of them. And then, again, by through mindfulness and and guarding alertness of only this mind of of ours, of only this mind of of mind, the text refers to, then we can subdue this we can subdue ourselves. We can stop ourselves from engaging in an in an unwholesome behavior. And then we’ll we’ll be able to subdue all those evil beings, harmful beings that were mentioned before by only subduing our own minds. And again, the text concludes.
So then we must we must put effort in subduing our minds. This one. So then then I say, so then this is all very difficult because usually we are not mindful. We we do not have this mindfulness and this guarding alertness. So we whatever whatever thought we have, we immediately engage in whatever action is comes after this thought without without seeing, without watching our minds.
So we do and if we do not if we cannot see our minds, if we cannot watch our minds before we engage in in in whatever activities we are going to engage in, then we cannot know if if this these that we are going to engage in are good or bad are are are beneficial or not. So and and that’s usually what we do. I mean, we we just we don’t we don’t have any mindfulness. Now So then so then, again, I was saying, so whatever it is that comes to that comes that comes about in our minds, we immediately engage in whatever action is motivated by these thoughts without without looking at them. So we if whatever it is, if it is pride or anger or attachment, whatever thought that comes, we immediately engage in in activities impelled by these by these sorts of thoughts because we do not how do say?
We do not investigate our minds. We do not analyze our minds before we engage in this activity. So we must and as I said, we must watch our minds. We must see what is going on in our minds before we engage in in in whatever activities we’re going to engage in. So the thing I like is is very difficult.
Again, it’s a very big job to do because from Geshe-la was saying, from beginningless time, from time immemorial, we have been used to engage in in non virtuous deeds. So they they are always, how to say, this this non virtuous thoughts, they come about at all times, almost naturally. So if if we don’t if we don’t guard our minds with with mindfulness and guarding alertness, then it is very difficult then to accomplish any virtue. So then and then the other thing. So if we are able to if we are able to see these these non virtuous thoughts coming about, if we are able to to to be mindful of them, then we are able then to stop them from arising, from coming about.
So then and again, not only that, not only must we stop must we guard our minds, must we be mindful in order to stop from stop non virtuous thoughts, stop ourselves from engaging non virtuous deeds. But also, once we have stopped them from coming about, from from happening, we must also engage them in virtuous deeds. We must bring about virtuous minds. And then we must bring about the mind that realizes impermanence, the minds that realizes the mind of enlightenment, the minds that realizes emptiness, the minds that that follows moral discipline, and so forth. So then then it is all it is all very difficult.
There’s a lot there’s a lot to be done. So, again, I was was saying so then because it is all very difficult, very difficult, this this this whole talk about mindfulness and and and guarding alertness is difficult. And, usually, what people think or comes about is that if if we are if we engage in all this this if we go through all this labor, all this hard work with the mindfulness and the guarding alertness, then won’t we lose our freedom? Won’t we lose our independence? Gela was was saying.
This is what people usually think. And then I was trying to understand what what Gela is meaning by freedom or independence here. He’s using a word, which means it has many, many different translations in English. So then, Geshe-la was explaining the meaning of what what he was saying. He was saying that, so because usually, we are we are already used to attachment, to anger, to to the mind of ignorance and so forth, and they come all about without any effort, and then we immediately engage in whatever activity there is, overpowered by this by this, minds.
And it’s so easy. We we don’t we don’t have to go for any hardship. It is come naturally. It’s very easy. And we think that that is freedom, that is independence.
And then in order to stop this this mind, this attachment, this anger, this ignorance, we must go through some hardship. We must put a lot of effort. And then we think that this is we we we not think that we not see that as freedom or as but freedom. I think the freedom is the best translation here. Does that make sense?
And we we usually think this way, don’t we? And I’m that’s asking. So then can I say, so then in fact, that is not the case? Right? What what what happens, in fact, is that we are we are, right now, being over powered by all these afflictive emotions and concepts by attachment, anger, ignorance, and so forth.
We are we are over powered by them, and we do not have any freedom right now. We don’t have any independence right now because we are over powered by them. So then this this this mindfulness and this guarding alertness, this alertness, they, in fact, they not they do not harm our our freedom, our independence, but they are going to harm those those thoughts that we are used to, those afflictive emotions and thoughts that we are so used to, they are going to harm them who, how to say, imprison us. They are going to so in the end in the end, this this this mindfulness and this alertness, they are actually going to give us actual freedom from from this overpowering conceptions and emotions. Okay?
So then so then, in fact, this mindfulness this mindfulness does not harms does not does not harm us. It benefits us. It does not it does not bind us. It frees us, and it’s it’s going to harm and destroy those afflictive emotions. And then if we can by mindfulness and alertness, if we can harm and destroy those afflictive emotions, we can stop them from arising, then we’ll be able then to accomplish or together the causes of, how to say, ultimate lasting happiness.
So I just I just I’m just asking asking him to to leave here so we stop here today because I don’t know why I’m I’m not it’s not coming it’s not coming naturally for me today even though But but I I’m missing some I’m missing some words, and and I’m not feeling comfortable with that. I I you didn’t miss the meaning, but I’m not giving as much as I can today. So so I don’t I don’t I don’t want to go on. Yeah. Miss I miss sometimes I miss a few words, and and I feel very uncomfortable if I’m not if I don’t give everything, but you’re not missing the meaning.
I promise you this. Guarantee you this. I said maybe because I didn’t eat, maybe I’m hungry. I said, no. I ate before this.
I’m not hungry. I just say, I’m just saying, I studied all morning today until after lunch. And then I rested. I ate before the teaching. But now is the English is not coming well.
I don’t know why. I need I need two two true sources of of of energy. One one for for Tibetan and one for English. And today, the the the Tibetan is working well, but the English is not working well. Yeah.
Yeah. Or We wouldn’t have known. We wouldn’t said that.