Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A difficult sentence in the Grounds and Paths text defeats even Geshe Pema Tsering in this 15-minute session — he openly admits he cannot untangle the passage — and that honest impasse becomes the pivot point. The discussion turns to what the text is pointing toward: drawing the winds into the central channel, releasing the knots that block them, and why all of this requires first realizing bodhicitta and emptiness. Geshe Pema Tsering explains in plain terms that channels are real energy structures rather than metaphors, and that without realization of the minds carried on those winds, the practice will simply be ineffective. A brief, intimate exchange suited to students already acquainted with subtle-body and tantric terminology.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 26 2006 03 09 G and P (2).mp3
UUID: d12b04a0-1392-4b05-b39a-7415f4022f26
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Grounds & Paths (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006-03-09
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 15.4 minutes
Words: ~857
So then okay. The the the both the Tibetan and the English so it’s the second page twenty nine is the the second paragraph to fulfill the definition of being a vessel protecting the commitment and involves most essentially the stage common to the path and practice of the two bodhicittas and branches, blah, blah, blah. And then we go to the second part of the text. It says, since practice which extract the benefit are represented by external life expression. Such practices are definitely well, the Tibetan is wasn’t very, very clear, and the English is not very clear, but so by being represented, it doesn’t make it doesn’t it’s it’s not very clear.
So it is by being expounded in by being presented and represented in this way by the external life expression. You know, such such activities or behaviors or actions that extract benefit. So it’s very difficult translation, but what we’re gonna explain is mainly this. So all these paragraphs that we went through, they were relating activities. So in all those activities being being so explained, they are they are like this.
They are all the past are enumerated, and they are all the stages are determined, and that exhausts the explanation of them. It’s just it’s all it is referring to. Well, I translated as prana before. So then can I say that when when when he’s talking about this external life exertion, it’s referring to the to the speech and to the breath, and then he’s referring to just to this explanation, to the actual, to this manifestation of this explanation here, which is verbal explanation of the stages and enumerations? That’s what is is is explaining.
Okay? In a very Yes. It’s quite it’s quite complicated, this this this piece of text. No. He’s asking if I my I got a headache.
Said, no. Yeah. Yeah. It’s half past this already. Yeah.
Yeah. So he says he doesn’t have a clue because he he wasn’t able to to release the knots himself of of his half sentence. He he doesn’t know. Well, the reason Geshe-la is giving is just that we need we need to bring the winds into the central channel, into the heart center. And then in order to bring the winds, we have to bring the mind.
And because it’s very difficult to realize that mind, and then it’s very difficult to to accomplish that, to bring the winds into the central channel. That’s the reason he’s giving. Okay. Loosen so that it flows, but without completely unraveling. I know I know what you mean.
I know what you mean. I’m just thinking how how to see it in the mind. Like like you said, straight. You undo the knots. So then I’m gonna say, so yeah.
Well, they explained it again on on on the releasing of the knots just like you saw. Unmaking the knot and becoming straight. The way you unmake the knots is is with the winds. And in order to be able to to bring the winds, you have to you have to realize those minds, which are with those winds. So then, again, I explained.
So then you have to you have to visualize the channels, and you have to have a a clear understanding channels, a clear visualization and knowledge of the channels. And then of all those channels, you’re talking mainly the the central channel. And then you have many knots in the central channel, and you have to realize all these minds. You have to realize these minds that that how to say? That will make it possible to bring the winds into the channels and release this blockage.
And this is very difficult to accomplish that. Okay? Then, Geshe-la says, so then this is this is very difficult. And Geshe-la says, it’s just as it was said in the text itself, it refer it said, in order to be able to do all these things, we must realize the mind of enlightenment and emptiness. And and then if one does not have this realization, how do say?
This this all this this all these activities, they are they are, meaningless. It won’t be effective. Yeah. Won’t be effective. Yeah.
What you what you were saying? So representation. What what representation? Channel or or sort of like representation of something. No.
No. Those are actual things. Actual things. Actual things. Are there.
Every one of us have them. Yeah. You. Yeah. Nonphysical, isn’t it?
Gonna take it like ages to explain that one. You you know? That’s it. Energy. That’s it.
You know? There’s a channel, energy channel. You know? And then you put the key in the channel. But you have one three main channels, important channels.
And we can talk about that some other time, yeah? That’s the key. That’s what we’re talking about. Makes sense. No?
You have that you have that in Japan. Yeah. Okay. I don’t have I don’t know that part. Sorry?
The heart of Japanese culture. So shall shall we finish here today? Was it fun?