Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A monk at Boudhanath stupa claims patience as his main practice — then bristles each time he is asked what he is meditating on. Geshe Pema Tsering uses that story to anchor this 45-minute commentary covering bodhisattva ethics, patience, joyous effort, meditative concentration, and wisdom. He opens with ethics: not merely avoiding the ten non-virtues but actively committing to benefit every being, with contrived bodhicitta capable of elevating ordinary virtue toward the perfection. Patience, he clarifies, covers three territories — bearing harm, bearing suffering, and forbearance when practice becomes exhausting. He then explains why the same calm abiding that leads non-Buddhists only to higher-realm rebirth, when joined with bodhicitta, becomes the foundation for the perfection of wisdom. A Q&A closes with questions on Dzogchen, tantric capacity, and inferential reasoning about emptiness.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 12 PP 2004 08 19.mp3
UUID: 196bed0a-5f23-45ae-9030-66bd9007ccce
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: DB Presenting the path (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2004-08-19
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.9 minutes
Words: ~3,582
So when we’re talking about the practice of ordinary ethics or ethics that aren’t the perfection of perfection of ethics, then we’re usually talking about the abandoning of the ten non virtues and the practicing of the ten virtues. But this isn’t the main aspect of virtue of of ethical practice for bodhisattvas. The main aspect of ethical practice for bodhisattvas is working on the premise of not harming beings and trying to help beings. So this obviously includes the ten virtues, but it’s not the ten virtues aren’t the main focus for their practice of ethics. They are constantly trying to stop themselves in any way being negative doing something negative towards all sentient beings and then constantly trying to work to be of benefit to all sentient beings.
Okay. So we have to try and practice these things. We practice abandoning the ten non virtues from ours at our stage with this idea of doing it in order to be a benefit to all sentient beings, in order to achieve enlightenment, to be a benefit to all sentient beings, then this practice of ethics that we have becomes something like, becomes something like the perfection of ethics that the bodhisattvas practice. So this is the the the thing that we need to focus on in terms of, our practice, our personal practice of ethics. We can’t develop bodhicitta.
Otherwise, we well, we don’t have uncontrived bodhicitta, so we can’t practice the perfection of ethics, but we can develop contrived bodhicitta in our mind stream when we’re on a fairly constant basis, fairly constantly, so that every time that we do something ethical, that then that can be joined with the idea of of of contrived bodhicitta. Okay. So the the third of the perfection perfections that we need to practice is the perfection of patience. Per the perfection of patience is a very strange thing, said Geshe-la. Even trying to practice patience in our daily life can be very difficult.
And he says he remembers being at this place called Bodhna, I think Kathmandu where there’s a really big stupa, and people do circumambulations or walk around the stupa. Alright? And he said that there was a monk sitting there who was meditating and this guy walked around the stupa once and he said to him, what are you meditating on? He goes, I’m I’m meditating on on patience. And so he goes, how long have been doing this?
And he goes, ages. It’s my main practice. And then the guy walks around the studio once and then he comes back to him and he goes, what are you meditating on now? And he’s like, I’m meditating on patience. And he went, okay.
So he walks around and he comes back and he goes, and now what are meditating on? And he goes, I said, I’m meditating on patience. And the third time he came around and he said, a fourth time, sorry, and he comes around and goes, comes around and goes, what are you meditating on now? And he goes, I told you I’m meditating on patience. She said, we can’t meditate on patience like that.
We can’t practice patience like that. We have to be a bit more patient with it. You said, so when you first start, then that’s about as much as patient as you’re gonna get. So, yeah, and patience works in the same way as the other practices of perfections in that if we don’t have bodhicitta in our mind stream, then we may be practicing patience but we’re not practicing the perfection of patience and likewise depending on the motivation practicing patience can have a different result If we’re practicing patience with the idea of doing it in order to attain Buddhahood then that will be the result. If we’re doing it in order to attain liberation that will be the result and if we’re practicing patience in order to attain a good rebirth then that will be the result.
And I guess as I said if you’re practicing patience in order to get something out of this life then that can be incredibly dangerous because usually what happens is if people are practicing patience to to get something in this life all it does is strengthen their self grasping because they think I’m practicing patience. And and that’s that that makes their grasping itself get stronger and stronger because they think they’re a very patient person. So patience isn’t just stopping ourselves from getting angry either. That’s not the only type of patience that we have to practice. There’s many different types of patience that we have to practice.
Another main one is the patience when we get tired or when something gets difficult that we have to practice patience in terms of keeping at it, like if we’re doing a lot of meditation or we’re trying to do a lot of some kind of visualization or we’re trying to study texts or, we’re trying to familiarize ourselves with something, then we can get really tired and disheartened. And patience the practice practice of patience is also keeping at it, not giving up when things get difficult. So in that case, it’d probably better translate it as forbearance. Yeah, what we’re talking about here isn’t just the practice of patience, but it’s the practice of forbearance as well. So the other other type other thing that we need to practice patience or forbearance with is when we experience different types of of suffering, we need to to be able to bear that as well.
When we’re experiencing all different types of suffering, then we should think, well, this is gonna happen. I’ve been creating negative karma since beginningless time, so suffering is gonna come. I might as well just accept it. And that that that having patience with our experience, being able to bear the suffering that we experience is also another type of of patience or forbearance. So so if someone if if someone’s if we’re trying to practice patience and someone comes and asks us what we’re doing, then getting annoyed at them isn’t practicing patience.
Okay. So the next of the perfections is the perfection of effort. But perhaps given, I guess, also the definition of of practicing effort or the definition of effort is liking to do something positive. So enjoying doing positive things, enjoying doing virtuous things. So, sometimes it’s translated as joyous effort, sounds like it could mean more like liking things liking things.
So, so if it it has the same, relationship as the other ones do in this. If we are enjoying doing something virtuous and at the same time have a bodhicitta in our mind stream, then that becomes the perfection of joyous effort. If we don’t have that in our mind stream, then it becomes joyous effort, but it’s not perfection it’s not practicing the perfection of of joyous effort. So that means that if and then then he said, and if we get really tired and don’t really wanna be doing whatever it is that’s virtuous that we’re doing, then that’s not even the any type of joyous effort. So the the next perfect perfection is the perfection of meditative concentration usually the we say that the perfection or or usually we say meditative concentration is what’s called calm abiding or having the ability to be able to place the mind single pointedly on an object without wavering from that object so this meditative concentration has two different types there’s this calm abiding that we’re talking about or śamatha.
It also has the vipaśyanā aspect or the special insight, the ability to see into the thing that is being focused on single pointedly. So this single pointed concentration is something that isn’t unique to Buddhists. Being able to concentrate single pointedly on an object, that ability can be found amongst those who are Buddhists and those who aren’t Buddhists and but the thing about this concentration this ability to concentrate is that in order for us to achieve liberation or to achieve Buddhahood then we absolutely definitely need this ability to be concentrate single pointedly on something. That doesn’t mean that all beings who are able to concentrate single pointedly on something are bodhisattvas or are working towards renunciation because beings in different traditions or non bodhisattvas are also able to develop this mental state. So we need it in order to attain Buddhahood.
We need it in order to attain liberation. We don’t need it in order to become a human. So in terms of the three different motivations, we don’t need it for the the lowest motivation. You do need the ability to meditate single pointedly on on something in order to attain rebirth in some of the god realms. There are said to be different types of of of god realms.
Some are included within the form and formless realms, which aren’t part of the desire realm. To attain rebirth in one of those realms, then you need this ability to concentrate single pointedly on something. But in general, you don’t need it to attain human or a god rebirth. Okay. So if we may wonder why it is that the, beings who aren’t trying to achieve a liberation or, enlightenment would, try and develop calm abiding, or meditation, the ability to be able to focus single pointedly on one thing.
The main reason they do this is in order to achieve a certain sense of pleasure or happiness because what we’re usually dealing with, what stops us from being able to focus single pointedly on one thing is our grosser or rougher types of mind that we have, like the thick emotions that we have, like anger and desire and things like that. Right? So they actually, say that this development of of calm abiding according to, the people who are practicing it in other, traditions and other religions, they say that that achievement of calm abiding is actually liberation, because of the because their rougher emotions have all been temporarily subdued. So what they keep doing is they’re doing this concentration practice concentration practice and once they have completely gotten rid of their the gross emotional disturbances, then they are left with this this pliancy of mind and body that is extremely blissful and that that they see as being liberation. Now this mind that is developed at this stage, this concentration that’s developed at this stage isn’t what’s called a desire realm or isn’t a a mind that is is influenced by desire, so it’s not held within the desire realm.
It’s, said to be a higher realm state of mind, so hence, it leads to rebirth in in these realms when people who have this state of of mind die. But the the difference is they’re not doing it in they’re not developing this mind in order to achieve liberation or Buddhahood. They’re doing it in in order to achieve this this bliss state of the higher realms. So the beings in this state may have gotten rid of the gross forms of negative emotions or afflictions but they haven’t gotten rid of the subtle forms of these negative emotions or afflictions so they had then because of that when the karma runs out then they will take rebirth in other, other realms Now, for so this this development this this mental development that they have is called a meditative concentration, but it’s not called the perfection of meditation or the perfection of meditative concentration in order for something to be the perfection of meditative concentration it has to be conjoined with or come along with bodhicitta the wish to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings so once a being has both bodhicitta and this calm abiding or or śamatha they have those both of those types of minds or both of those types of thoughts in their in their mind stream then they can work towards achieving enlightenment.
Now Bodhisattva who has developed this type of meditative concentration will use it in order to meditate on selflessness of the person, order to meditate on the emptiness of inherent existence or meditate just plainly on emptiness of object and subject and on just emptiness of inherent existence. They can focus on all these things, by focusing on these, they understand these things and then achieve are able to achieve Buddhahood because of it. Okay. So the last of the of the six perfections is the perfection of wisdom.
Now the perfection of wisdom comes about when this being who has developed the ability to focus single pointedly on one object then starts analyzing that object and sees the emptiness or the selflessness of that object now the wisdom that they have that understands the selflessness or the emptiness of that object is the perfection of wisdom there there is no wisdom until there is that understanding So the perfection of wisdom is also called vipaśyanā, is the direct seeing based on the development of calm abiding or Shamatha meditative practices that is the wisdom that sees the nature of reality in the in that meditative state. So once you have that, then you have the perfection and when it’s conjoined with bodhicitta, then you have the perfection of wisdom. So then the so after practicing all of these different perfections, along with practicing all these different perfections, then the bodhisattva also should practice the the three ways of of dealing with, students that is, to give them the teachings of the Dharma to speak gently and, and explain well and to practice the way that they’re teaching. So these these practices related to the students, come along with the six practices of the six perfections and together make up the practice of bodhisattvas or the practice of the greater, being or the practice involved in the greater, sphere.
So we can stop there. And if anyone has questions. Yep. Okay. The reason the reason is because if you practice the clear light nature of mind as is presented in the Dzogchen tradition or the Dzogchen or great completion meditations as they’re presented, then by practicing those, you achieve Buddhahood in one life because those specific practices enable someone to go to accomplish their whole path in one lifetime.
But when they say that it means that people are able to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime, it doesn’t mean any old person. It means someone who’s already achieved who’s already seen emptiness directly. Alright? So usually, it takes a hell of a lot or a lot of lifetimes to that was the wrong person to say it to, wasn’t it? A lot of lifetimes to go from achieving and, seeing emptiness directly to achieving buddhahood.
So this the the practices of tantra, it means that you can go from realizing emptiness to achieving Buddhahood in one lifetime. So so the the these this practice is for beings who’ve already done a lot of hard work and set themselves up into a situation where they’re able to practice, tantra comp properly. Right? So there’s there’s all different they talk about different types of beings. And there’s one being that’s called a a the lotus type and then there’s the white lotus type and then there’s Utpala type and then there’s the precious type.
Yeah? And so there has to be someone who has all the conditions of the of being the precious type in order for them to practice tantra properly. So we’re talking about beings like Milarepa and people like that, not just someone who wants to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime. Okay. Mhmm.
Okay. So the the the So they talk about four different types of tantric practitioners. That’s what the the lotus, the white lotus and the, the Utpala and the, the precious, they’re talking about different capacities of tantric practitioners. So it’s only the people with this very, very precious capacity that can actually do the tantric practices and achieve a Buddhahood in one lifetime. Yep?
When Uh-huh. Did you guys hear that? First off, before so when we’re talking about special insight or the the development of the perfection of wisdom, are you talking about selflessness of the person, the selflessness of phenomena, or does it matter? Usually when this the practice of the perfection of wisdom is talked about, they are actually referring to the practice of vipaśyanā or your special insight.
And because wisdom can exist in all beings, we have some types of wisdom. And perfection of wisdom comes about when it’s joined with bodhicitta. Now how the special insight comes about is on the base of on the base of having this meditative equipoise, the base of having the concentration that doesn’t that can focus on something for as long as it wants without any break yeah then this insight is used is applied this the vipaśyanā insight is applied that can be with regards to anything it can be with regards to selfless of person. It can be with regards to selflessness of phenomena. It can be with regards to, gross selflessness, which is different from subtle selflessness.
It’s a selflessness of both, phenomena and and and beings and on directly on the non establishment of all phenomena. It can be on any of those things. The important thing is that it’s about that that insight when it’s used on the base of the meditation then it becomes special insight. If it’s just thinking about it then it’s not special insight and it’s not something that is the main practice of bodhisattvas. But you can do this.
You can have special insight and not have bodhicitta. You can have, you just need calm abiding and then to do these insight practices and you can have special insight and still not be practicing the perfection of of wisdom because you don’t have bodhicitta. Okay. Anyway. Okay.
He’s worried because I said like, I asked him earlier if we had wisdom, and he said no because he was talking about the perfection of wisdom. And I said, so we don’t have wisdom at all? He goes, no. And then I said, but you just said we didn’t have wisdom. He goes, I did not say that, and it was regards to something else.
And then I he’s like, I didn’t did you think why did you think we don’t have wisdom? And he’s like, he said, Mipham has wisdom. But it depends on what what what the wisdom is with regards to, and we don’t have calm abiding and then we don’t have special insight with what he’s talking about. No. So, yeah, so don’t worry.
We have wisdom, he said. Yeah. Okay. So if someone has the motivation to whatever they’re doing is to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, then that is someone of the greatest scope. Right?
But so that’s the border, you see someone has that as their motivation. But this this so this is basically we’re talking about bodhicitta and there’s two different types of bodhicitta. There’s contrived bodhicitta and uncontrived bodhicitta. So you could say that if someone is doesn’t have bodhicitta, then they may not have the actual, they they haven’t got they haven’t generated the greater capacity within their mind stream completely, but they have the seeds of it. So hence, they’re included within that, but they are not the actual thing itself.
So if someone’s saying, I’m doing this in order to achieve Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings, they’re being of the greatest scope. If saying, I’m doing this in order to achieve liberation, then they’re being of the middle scope. And if they’re doing something in order to achieve a good rebirth, then they’re being of the small scope. So at the moment, if one turns away from going for liberation for oneself, that’s when one enters perhaps. So he said when you think that, then that’s that’s the mind training of the high scope.
Yeah. Uh-huh. Inferential cognizers? Yeah. That’s it.
Yeah. Yeah. There’s two different types of pramāna, but that’s one of them. Okay. Yeah.
And how that what sort of understanding is that you all Okay. Okay. So in order we where is it? Don’t see emptiness directly at the moment, right? And because we can’t see emptiness directly, like, can’t see emptiness in the same way that we can see that there’s a table here, yeah?
Then because we can’t see emptiness directly, then the way that we develop an understanding of emptiness is based on logic and reason. Right? So based basing on the different, logical, different logical analysis, then we can develop a an inferential cognizer re re recognizing I’ll get to it. Inferential cognizer that, comprehends emptiness. Now what an inferential cognizer is is a mind that develops certainty about something or sees something in dependence upon a sign or in dependence upon a reason.
So when we use the many different reasons that are given in order to establish, the concept of of emptiness, right, then based on those reasons then we get an inferential cognizer with relation to emptiness.