Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 44-minute commentary with a sūtra image: even space itself is too small to contain the merit of a single moment of aspiring bodhicitta. He then traces the causal chain in reverse — bodhicitta requires compassion, compassion requires renunciation, and renunciation requires honestly facing how saṃsāra already torments us. Shifting to a verse on laziness, he uses the Lord of Death as a silent executioner already at work, and paints a visceral picture of the dying process — seeing hell-realm signs, uncontrollable physical fears, relatives losing hope — to show why practice cannot be left for later. The session closes by distinguishing three kinds of laziness, with special attention to the second: choosing non-virtuous worldly activity over Dharma.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 09 BD 2002 08 29.mp3
UUID: bab13094-1ccd-494a-ada5-cbff3ba36d33
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: DB Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-08-29
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.8 minutes
Words: ~2,982
If the merit of the altruistic intention or bodhicitta is a form, then then even the space is too small for it to fit in. So, yep, that passage from Sūtra is explaining the benefits of the altruistic intention that even the benefits or the merits of developing a aspiring bodhicitta can’t be fit in this space or the space is not big enough for the merit you gain by cultivating an aspiring bodhicitta, then the benefits of the ultimate bodhicitta is even greater than the aspiring bodhicitta. So therefore, there are the huge benefits of developing a bodhicitta. And bodhicitta is very precious and very holy practice that is very precious. And it was set forth that developing the developing a bodhicitta for a moment moment will yeah, just developing it for a moment has a huge benefit: that one will become an object of offerings.
Got it. Got it. So such a bodhicitta, so it’s very important to cultivate or develop. And to develop that bodhicitta, it should that bodhicitta should be induced or induced by or developed by the love and compassion. And without love and compassion, there’s no way one can develop the bodhicitta.
So and yep, so should develop the love and compassion before the altruistic intention or bodhicitta. So without developing a love and compassion, one can’t develop the bodhicitta. And speaking of compassion, it’s not just compassion. As for compassion, there are different types of compassion and that compassion should be a so-called compassion with special insight. And and and to develop that special the compassion of special insight, it depends on the great compassion.
And in terms of great compassion, it is the great compassion is depend on the compassion called the limitless compassion yearning for beings. To develop those different types of compassions, repeat here, the limitless compassion, great compassion and the compassion of special insight. And to develop those compassion and one has to have a renunciation. Without renunciation, those can’t be obtained. And and developing a renunciation is depend on one’s dislike towards the cyclic existence or saṃsāra.
And so therefore, to develop a renunciation, one has to see the disadvantages of cyclic existence or saṃsāra. And to Yep, of saṃsāra and to be able to develop such To see the Yeah, develop renunciation, one has to see how one goes through oneself is being tortured by the suffering of the cyclic existence and without knowing or acknowledging oneself being tortured by the sufferings of the saṃsāra, there’s no way one can develop a compassion which is wished to free others from suffering. So therefore, the knowing how oneself is being tortured by the sufferings is very important. Many of us, we only see all the sufferings of the suffering that one can see that one is tortured by the suffering, called the suffering of suffering. And the other than the these sufferings other than the suffering of suffering, we misunderstand them those suffering as happiness.
And therefore, we let’s to see that how we go through the suffering or oneself goes through suffering. So so therefore, it is very important to to to see oneself from the very beginning how one goes one is being tortured or goes through the suffering. And having having understand how one’s if one understands that that one’s self has been tortured by the some sufferings, then there is a hope that the the hope for one to develop a wish to free oneself from some which is renunciation. Mhmm. Got it.
Got it. So whenever one develop the renunciation, a wish to free from cyclic existence, then then then we read the yeah. Change the direction of that wish instead of oneself into other wishing others to be others to free from suffering. And so and through this, you know, by developing a a compassion or wish to free others from this suffering, then through the help or through the power or help of that wish or get the compassion, then one can develop a wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of others. And that mind is called the such a mind is called the aspiring bodhicitta.
So therefore, we shall do a short meditation here on altruistic intention. Yeah. And by thinking that wishing that I I shall I shall free entire sentient beings from the suffering and bring them to the state of ultimate happiness. And for that purpose, I yeah. I I do all the practices of listening and so forth.
So and continuing from the last week, we were talking about the verse, remember? So continuing from that, that, you know, the city of liberation or nirvana where there is no death — which means liberation, arhathood or buddhahood. All the path to those liberation states been blocked by the laziness that because of yeah, due to our laziness we can’t pass through it and during the path to the liberation it has been obstructed by so-called the Lord of Death. And and it is they still yep, the people are very so it is quite amazing to see the people that they are in the process of killing or murdering or killing by the lord of death or death.
It is it’s in every moment we are under the execution. But still, this peep it’s still funny to see that beings, you know, being not conscious and and sleeping, eating, and enjoying still even though they are under the process of killing by the law of death. And so he urges one to get out of laziness. And therefore yep. So therefore, one should not.
One should be very alert and not to be unconscious or or yep. Yep. And Unconscious. And the the lord Buddha Śākyamūni in his the Jātaka, the or the birth story of the Buddha’s yeah. Birth story of the Buddha said for that the part of the liberation have been blocked, which is blocked by the disturbing emotions and the karma and the people the sentient beings goes through being influenced by the disturbing emotion and karma.
And due to this, they fall into the hands of the Lord of Death. And Right. Yeah. So you say that all the path to the liberation is all the path has been obstruct or blocked by the Lord of Death and still it is very strange to see that that being, you know, enjoys, you know, the live very happily and do not have any fears. Yep.
Do not have any fears to the to to the death and still very strange to see that they, without any doubt, they they sleeps and stays happy without any doubt even though the the the parts have been blocked by the Lord of Death. So, therefore, you know, if one thinks that, yes, it is important and one should cultivate the virtues or merit, but but but one but, yeah, one should, but not at the moment, you know, that I’m young and etcetera and etcetera. And thinking so is very wrong. It’s a mistake because there is the the the yeah. Because it is it is not it is a mistake because life is uncertain and we never know where yeah, we never know when the death will come.
And also that that one can’t prolong one’s lifespan that excuse me, lifespan. And additional to that, we can’t have yet we can’t extend our life, but there are lots of obstacles we face to to to to shorten one’s life or or to reach the lot of the death earlier. And this so for the longest, one may stay up to age of hundred, but has to die within hundred. So therefore, it is not too long. So therefore, one should try to practice and cultivate the merit or virtues as much as one can before one’s one’s being caught by the Lord of Death.
And it is important to do it before it comes. So when it come at the after you know, afterwards, when it came and now trying to do something and it’s too late and it’s such a meaningless act. So before the lord of death comes, one should practice as much as one can learn. So so therefore, one should not stay lazy and and yep, unconscious and should steadfast immediately, right, immediately start or practice and cultivate the virtue or merit as much as one can because because because the lord of the death or the death is uncertain and we never know when it comes. And and also, what happen the if one does not, then what happens is we do because of the laziness, you know, we stay just wandering or pondering or being unconscious.
And due to this, you know, make lots of plans but they never works because some people, you know, will they die when the half of their project is done during the half and some just begin the project or a plan and then and drop dead. And and some don’t didn’t even get a chance to begin the the project just by, you know, making plans and have a motivation to do such and such, but that comes. So therefore, you know, we never know it is uncertain yeah, it is the uncertainty nature of the Lord of Death and never know when it comes. Therefore, should never stay meaningless or or or wandering; straightforward,, immediately start one’s practice or collect virtues. So therefore, you should not leave the practice to the very end and should do it straight away when one is capable, one is, you know, able to or one one can practice because the Lord of Death is uncertain, and and it is not good to leave it till the very end.
Well, you’re not good to leave it till the end because because whenever it comes, the signs are already there. Now sooner or you’re going to die, then at that time it is very hard for one to practice because because because one will have lots of emotional problems at the time of death because the death is approaching. It is sure now one will die in a very short period. And knowing that that first thing one’s one’s disease is or ill the chronic disease or illness which which is killing oneself and killing you. And then one will under keep one will think about that one will be departed from the dear ones relatives, the ones wealth or possessions and then then have to think, now, it’s not the end of me, you know, I’m dying but I have to go to the next life and there is no practice that I have done previously which I can take with me to my next rebirth.
And by knowing this, then all the fears and etcetera will come. And during that period, it’s very hard for one to do do a practice. Therefore, should do it from the very beginning while one has one is fit to do it or capable of doing it. Yeah. So because at the time that during the time of death or at the very end of one’s life, it’s really very hard to practice because see all the relatives, you know, dear ones, close ones or around ones and they lost the hope for your survival.
And it is to be sure you do pass away. And they will not speak in front of you about your death and hiding it from you. And then as well as the doctors will never speak straight, they will always speak. so-called conversation with two faces and not really straightforward. And then can see all these relatives and dear ones goes through the suffering because of you crying, etcetera and etcetera because of your upcoming death or they lost the hope.
And and and as well as oneself, if you have a huge fear towards now, what is going to happen after my next reap after my death, you know, my next rebirth? And could think of one’s own practice better what one has done and so forth. So it is So all these miseries will face to you at at the very end of one’s life. So before those comes, should practice. But that moment, it’s very difficult to practice.
And, yeah. Because so it’s not is very hard for one to recall the practice and and and not appropriate to not go to leave it to the very end of one’s life thinking, oh, I shall do this and that and I’ll think of this during the time of death and so forth. Because during that moment, one goes through different types of sufferings, you know. And and and during the death process and one can see the signs of where one is going to take rebirth and if one is going to take rebirth in the hell realms like the hot hell, you know, one has like seeing a fire or like, you you have like lots of heat and etcetera and if it’s going to be born, for example, like cold hell, then like the snows or rain and thundering etcetera one hear the thundering sound and so forth. By hearing seeing those signs or acknowledging those signs, one develops a huge fears and gets really scared that, you know, and one has no freedom upon one’s oneself or one’s body.
And because of those fears, one, you know, without any control one has to drop all the inner dirt and so forth. So I think, you know, that what was the English saying, you know, scare the shit out of you or something. That’s what is going to happen. Sorry. So it is very important to cultivate the virtues and perform positive actions while one is capable of doing so because at very end of one’s life, it’s very difficult to practice because of all these fears comes.
For example, if one has cultivated numbers of non virtuous actions and so forth during one’s yeah, during the period or one’s life from the very beginning and cultivate a lot of negative actions, and as a result of those, you know, during the time of death, one gets through one have a huge sufferings as a result of those cultivating those negative actions. And the suffering is like like, you know, bringing taking refuge out of the ocean or water and leaving it in the hot sand or on the beach and how the fish will feel. So one will have a suffering even worse than that during the time of death if one has cultivated a number of non virtuous action. And so that is not just a huge suffering. After that, as a result, that’s the current life result.
And in future life, as a result of those negative actions, one will go through the hell realms and goes through the suffering of a hell like one’s body feels more or less like fire, huge heat. And if it’s a cold, similar as snow or ice, icebergs. And and and it is if one can’t bear the sufferings during the time of death, then it is be sure that it’s very hard, difficult for one to bear the suffering in the next life, in the hell realms. So, yeah, that concludes the first session, which is the applying of the antidote towards the laziness, towards, you know, the pushing it away or prolonging or postponing the yep, the one’s action. And now to the second subdivision which is And now to the second subdivision, which is the applying yeah.
The meditating or cultivating the antidote to the laziness. Yeah. Yep. And now to the second division. There are three types of laziness.
Right? The laziness, first one is in a postponing thing. And second laziness is the laziness of being attached to cultivating negative, non-virtuous actions. And now we and the third one is the Yeah.
And and third the third division is laziness — the real laziness — just relaxing and thinking, I can’t do that. I won’t be able to do certain, so I can’t do that and just not doing anything in anything. That’s real laziness. But back to the second one, it’s now cultivating the antidote towards laziness of cultivating laziness of doing non virtuous actions. And that has been explained in the next two verse.
So hope I can find it. Yep. Fifteen and the page eighty eight. Fifteen and sixteen. And, yep, the meaning is that, you know, leaving leaving the course which will yep.
Leaving aside the activity or the Dharma which is the ultimate cause for happiness of both the present, both the present and future lives. And instead instead of doing that, engaging in the activities of worldly worldly activities, like cultivating negative actions and due to, you know, the livelihood or present life and, you know, collecting wealth and so forth and and and, yep, and doing lots of non virtuous actions and that actions which are which are the causes which which are the causes for all the sufferings and that will ruin one’s both the present and future lives. So by knowing this, you know, should not cultivate those negative actions which are the causes for, yep, causes for the the the the sufferings in present and future lives and and should not do such should should not do that opposite, you know, leaving the good ones aside and cultivating the bad one. Instead, one should do the other way around.