Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A rice-paddy analogy anchors Geshe Pema Tsering’s approach in this 107-minute session: just as a field must be cleared before seed can produce harvest, the mind must be purified and filled with merit before Lamrim realizations can take root. The session covers the six preparatory practices that precede any meditation period — cleaning the environment, arranging offerings, proper posture, refuge and bodhicitta, merit-field visualization, and the seven-limb prayer — noting that the class has already enacted all six in its opening prayers. The main teaching is a close reading of the first two limbs of the seven-limb prayer: prostration in three modes (physical, mental, and verbal), each aimed at purifying body, speech, and mind while drawing down the buddhas’ qualities; and offerings, distinguishing surpassable from unsurpassable. Q&A covers whether Buddhas genuinely hear our prayers and introduces the three-vehicle framework of hearers, solitary realizers, and bodhisattvas.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 13 2008 05 08 BP.mp3
UUID: c58258f2-48de-407e-bb6b-11c405e21d19
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2008-05-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 106.7 minutes
Words: ~6,736
To give rise to a good motivation and then with intention then to establish a sense in being in the state of enlightenment. I myself must attain enlightenment. We give rise to this thought in this way. In order to accomplish this enlightenment, we are going to study the Dharma and practice according to the stages. To accomplish enlightenment.
In this way, we give rise to proper good motivation. So then we’ve I think, in the right, so this is good motivation, then we start with the preliminary prayers. We start with the Heart Sūtra. Do want me to do it? Yeah.
Yeah. So with the Heart Sūtra, again, we can read all the text as as as quickly as we are able to, and then we we meet at the end. Just isn’t clear one time. We’ll move on to the next page. As you before, extensive expelling of hindrances.
I and all surrounding sentient beings go for refuge of the Buddha, go for refuge of the Dharma, go for refuge of the Sangha. We prostrate to the great Prajñāpāramitā surrounded by all the children, by the assemblies of Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions. By depending on my prostrations to all of you, may these words of truth be actualized. In the past, deva king India dispelled the maras by reflecting on the profound meaning of the wisdom gone beyond and reciting the profound words in daily recitation. In that same way, I also reflect on the profound meaning of the great mother, Prajñāpāramitā, and recite the profound words in daily recitation.
May all diseases, spirit possessions, bad conditions, all the negative conditions, that which happens due to past and immediate conditions. May all these be dispelled, may become nonexistent, may be pacified. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So then in the context of of practice or the study of of the of the of practice or the study of the lamrim of the stages of the path we are approaching the topic which concerns how practice how to train during the meditation sessions and in between the meditation sessions for the first one of those how to train during the meditation sessions, this topic is divided in three.
There’s the preparation, the actual session itself, and the end. The conclusion. The is the preliminaries, whatever it is that we need to do before we start the actual training session and the actual meditation session is then the practice of the lamrim teachings or listening or studying or contemplation of the teachings And in the end, the conclusion is the dedication and so forth. So we start now with the preparation. So again, Geshe-la, we’re just saying again with regards to the Tibetan words, just explaining the Tibetan words.
And again, just saying that the the actual meditation session, there’s these two topics that were the two ways of training in lamrim. So then one is the actual meditation session and one is in between the meditation session. This one that we approach now is the actual meditation session. How to train during the meditation session. Geshe-la was So it’s just like whenever we are going to meditate, contemplate, or whenever we’re going to study or listen to the teachings, again we have to apply these three steps: the preparation, the actual session itself, and the conclusion.
And just like now we are listening to the teachings, all those prayers that we did before with the preliminary prayer and so forth. Again, these all they are all included in the preparation, in the preliminaries. Then, briefly, through each one of those six preparatory practices, so in the preparation, we have the six dharmas in the preparation in the preliminary so the first is then cleaning the environment and then placing the offerings and sitting properly and then generating refuge and bodhicitta then visualizing the merit fields again accumulation of merit and purification through the seven-limb prayer, and then lastly, six, the mandala offerings and and the and the request for teachings and blessings. So then, I guess, I was then going through the text itself and again saying that the first one of those which is cleaning the place, again, following the example of Dromtönpa, following the example of Dromtönpa, then you should clean your dwelling and arrange representation of the exalted body, speech, and mind, of the holy body, speech, and minds of the Buddhist. Then laying down the offerings beautifully, the layout and arrangement of offerings that were honestly acquired and purely acquired.
Then sitting in a mental attitude on comfortable seat, straighten up your body, assume the suitable position in cross leg or half cross leg posture, and make sure that your mind is fused with going for refuge of refuge and bodhicitta. Then fourth, we start with the visualization of the merit field. And again, Geshe-la, just saying with regards to all of this pointing out that we have already before the teaching started we have already gone through all of these steps we have this is the environment which is clean and in order then we have the the offerings and we we made the preliminary prayers. We we go for we we we sit, and we generate refuge in bodhicitta. Then we make then we read the the four immeasurables, and we we read the four immeasurables, and we go for the seven-limb prayer and the mandala offerings.
So we have just gone gone through all of these steps right here before the teaching And again, so again, I guess I was just saying with regards to the offerings that we make, we can offer all sorts of things. We can offer edible things and so forth. Whatever it is that we acquire, honestly, can offer. And then, Geshe-la was saying, and then again, we and then we so we we have the place where we where where where we are going to practice. We have the offerings.
And then Geshe-la was saying, then we approach the third step, which is then generating refuge and bodhicitta. And Geshe-la was gonna say, now this is a bit more difficult. For example, refuge alone, need to have developed within our minds the two causes of refuge. First is a genuine, or how can I say, authentic fear of the sufferings of the three lower realms of existence? And then and secondly, the second cause is then a conviction that’s that’s the Three Jewels are the only things that can protect one, that can shelter one from these sufferings.
And in this way, one develops faith in the Three Jewels. And then again, as for as for the the generating the mind of enlightenment, so we generate, a discussion of generating the mind of enlightenment, which is the the generation of the mind, giving rise to the mind, the mind of enlightenment is again is that is that which Geshe says instructs us before every teaching, saying again that we should with intention of establishing and Again, we ourselves must attain enlightenment, this is the mind of enlightenment itself that we should give rise to it as as often as we are able to. And, again, in order to give rise to an authentic mind of enlightenment, authentic bodhicitta, one must realize the great kindness of all sentient beings. Without without recognizing the great kindness of all beings, one we will not be able to give rise to an authentic, genuine mind of enlightenment. Just casually saying that?
So then we are just just casually thinking about it, one cannot give produce it. So then, again, we we engage in the next preparation, which is the visualization of the merit field. And, again, the space in front of you, imagine that there are by the the the lineage lamas of vast conduct and profound view. And then we stop in there and say, again, so we have taken refuge from the sufferings of cyclic existence through the Three Jewels. Again, and not only that, we have when we give rise to the mind of enlightenment, we we we want all sentient beings to be to be sheltered to be sheltered from the suffering of of cyclic existence.
And, again, we give rise to that intention then that we free all sentient beings from every suffering and endow them with every happiness in order to accomplish that. That we are toiling for enlightenment. Then having having done that, we have to make supplications. So then we we make supplications to the lamas, to the to the lineage lamas, the many gurus. If I was looking at the at the refuge tree, which is that representation there, but then and this is the merit field as as as we have in the Gelugpa tradition.
So Geshe-la is explaining here in this this representation here is the one that we use for the Guru Puja. The one that is used for the Lam Rim is a bit different. Geshe-la is explaining. So then in the center, the main main deity is the Buddha Śākyamūni. And then to his right, you would have the lamas of the vast conduct of the lineage of Maitreya and Asaṇga.
And then on the left, you would have the lama of the profound view with Nāgārjuna. And then on top of Buddha, you have the lineage lamas of one’s own lineage. And again, so then one visualizes in this way, then furthermore, one visualizes around oneself, one visualizes all the other Buddhas there are, and we visualize around them all the bodhisattvas, and around them all the the the deities, and again around them all the the the hearers and solitary realizers and their attendants. And in this way one in this way one generates the, the vivid conviction that they are there, that all the buddhas are there. All the Bodhisattvas are there.
All the deities. All the hearers and so that I realize all the lineage, lamas, they are all there. One generation. Was gonna say, so then even though we might not be able to see each and every one of them clearly, what we have to do is generate a conviction in our mind that they are present, that all of them are here in front of us or around us. Just like we’re gonna say, yes.
Yes. They are here. They are here. We didn’t have the conviction in our mind. And in this way, with that conviction, then we we we take refuge.
We generate bodhicitta and make the the offerings and so forth. I was going through the text where, again, in this sphere, in the space in front of you, imagine that they are by the lineage lamas of vast and profound view and countless Buddha, Buddhist, Aria, here, and so as I realize along with their attendants and the protectors. And in this in this way, we visualize the merit field and we make the the supplications and the request. Which is the accumulation of merit and the purification of negatives. So the fifth preparation, which is the seven-limb prayer.
Then so what are reasons that we need to perform the seven-limb prayer is because we need to accumulate merit, and we need to purify the negativity. So we have in this topic, again, the accumulation of the seven-limb prayers. The reason why it is necessary to accumulate merit and purify negativity is the explanation of the accumulation and purification in detail, and the categorization of the individual elements of the seven-limb prayer. So, again, as for the first one of those three, the reasons why it is necessary to accumulate merit and purifying negativities, because I was going to the text, it is exceedingly difficult for past for realizations to arise in the favorable conditions, if the favorable conditions for their arrival in one’s continuum and the accumulations of merit have not been accumulated, and if adverse conditions, the obscurations, the negativities have not been purified. Therefore, you should purify the mind by means of the practice, the seven-limb prayer, that brings together the key points of accumulation of merit and purification of negativities.
So then we we need to prepare we need to prepare our minds through purification, through our accumulation of merit and purification of negativities. If we don’t do that, then virtues or or past virtuous realizations do not get to arise. Geshe-la was saying it is like planting rice. In order to plant rice you have to prepare the field. We have to clear away all the trees, the bushes, the weeds and so forth.
Prepare the soil and then you can plant it and then you get rice after that but if you do not clear away the trees the bushes and the weeds and so forth and you just throw the rice on that unprepared soil then again you will will not reap any fruits and you will not reap any harvest. So, again, Geshe was saying, in order to be able to realize the realization of the grounds and paths. Those grounds and paths are not formed, they are consciousness. Again, just like in the field of rice, in the paddy field, you need to clear away the trees, the bushes, and all the different weeds. In the field of consciousness, in order to be able to give rise to the grounds and paths, you have to clear away all the weeds of the afflictions such as attachment and, the attachment, aversion, pride, and so forth.
We have to clear all that away and then the grounds and paths can arise, can be produced. Then we have the second of those three topics, which is then the explanation of the accumulation and purification in detail. There’s two parts. One is the actual detailed explanation, and secondly, the need to take the meaning of the words to heart. As for the first one, which is the actual detailed explanation, again, we are given a division of seven, and this is the actual seven limb prayer, and the seven here makes reference to which one of those limbs.
And so then, again, we approach the first one of those limbs then, which is the limb of prostration. The first is the prostration. Topic has two parts. One is the prostration of the three doors, and then the prostration of the three individual doors and explanation of each one of them. So then, first one is the prostration of the three doors.
So, again, with regards to this the prostration combining the three doors, which is common to the three doors of body, speech, and mind. Again, with regards to the limb of prostration, the prostration combining the three doors is set out in a single stanza, whoever’s which starts with whoever. This this is not prostration to the realms of the world of the world in in one direction and to the Buddhas of one time. Rather, focusing on all the conquerors residing in the ten directions and the three times you prostate body, speech, and mind to them with respect and from the bottom of your heart. So then, again, Geshe was then saying, again, not just to one direction, but to all the ten directions and and and all the four directions, the the sub directions, and the, forgot how to say the zenith and so forth so all the buddhas without exception all the buddhas of the ten directions and all the buddhas of the three times all the buddhas of the past the Buddhas of the present, the Buddhas of the future.
Those all of them are our object of prostration. So Geshe-la is explaining giving an explanation of the meaning of the Tibetan word, which we translate as as prostration. And the Tibetan word is and Geshe-la was saying so then when we say I go for refuge to the Buddha and then or to the Dharma and Geshe-la was saying when we say that is meaning please purify my mind or my body speech and mind of all negativities of all non virtues of all afflictive emotion conceptions and then clear away all negativities in me Sel then is meaning and endow me or bless me with all good qualities, all realizations. And that’s what Geshe-la was explaining in the Tibetan word wording or the meaning of each syllable of the word. English language is briefly explained.
So then this is then how we make the the common prostration which is common to the three doors of the body, speech, and mind. English language is the doors are the doors of body, speech, and mind, which I already put that information in. And what we’re saying then, again, are asking for our three doors, our body, our to be purified of all negativities and all afflictions. And when we say cell, we are asking that all the holy qualities of the holy body, speech, and mind of the Buddhism, and so forth, be realized within our body, speech, and mind that we be endowed with that. And Geshe-la was Just this common of the three doors, again, we can see how very powerful it is.
We are making prostrations to all the Buddhas of all the ten directions, and to all the buddhas of all the three times. When we make these prostrations and we make these supplications, then again all the buddhas without exception do hear us, they do heed our requests our prayers and so forth and they do act on those requests on those prayers on our prostrations and they do send blessings down on us, but by the force of our own obscurations and our own afflictions, we are unable to receive those blessings. And then Geshe-la was then saying again that and there is a so then this with regards to this refuge, this type of refuge, again, we can make the same refuge, but in terms terms of the Mahāyāna again you have you could say that there are you know three levels of refuge of small, middling and greater and again we have this greater uh-uh refuge of the Mahāyāna and again when we when we’re taking refuge Mahāyāna style, we are we are actually praying that all beings without exception, you know, be protected from suffering. We are we are going for refuge together with all beings, and we are asking for refuge for all beings without exception.
that they be relieved from suffering and endowed with happiness. Happiness. Oh, to me, that’s all. This is a refuge which is Mahāyāna refuge, again, we should do it again in this style. We should take refuge, bearing in mind the benefit, bearing in mind all sentient beings.
We go for refuge for the sake all sentient beings. We ask all, that all sentient beings be, be sheltered. We ask we ask to we ask that to all the buddhas. And again if we do like that if we act in this way then we we are benefiting and pleasing so many beings and we do get the blessings from the buddhas because says the Buddhas do hear us. There’s nothing that they cannot hear.
And again, when we are making a prostration, we put our hands on the crown of our heads, on our mouth, our throat, and again in our hearts. And again, we are, at that time, imagining or asking that all afflictions and obscurations of the three doors of of body, speech, and mind were purified, and that the blessings, all the qualities of the holy mind, speech, and body of of the buddhas that will be endowed, that we will be blessed with all these holy qualities. Then and then we we then approach the prostration of the three individual doors. So so then, again, in regards to of the three individual doors, we have we have three body, speech, and mind. So then as for the physical prostration, again, prostration is set out in the single stanza, which starts with excellent behavior.
Focus on all the conquers belonging to the directions and the times as the objects of your mind, as though you directly perceive them. Emanating your own body in manifestation as numerous as fine particles, you should prostrate. Furthermore, generated you should prostrate. So if we can do that, and by doing that, we derive a lot of benefit. And again we are told that we should emanate our own body as numerous as fine particles I wasn’t saying fine particles is not something that we can see.
Even though we cannot see that, even though we couldn’t see those emanations, we have to generate the conviction in our minds that this is the case, that we are emanating innumerable emanations of our bodies in in fine particles pervading all of space. And Gustavo was saying with that conviction in mind, and, again, we even though we might do just one prostration, again, it’s going to be equivalent to making all of these prostrations, I think, because body and the mind, they are lacking inherent existence. They are empty of inherent existence, and we can do that. We we can do the visualization. We can derive the benefit.
And then again, furthermore, having generated the power of confidence or faith in the acts and conduct of the objects, one is observing, then being motivated by that. And again, Geshe-la is explaining, so then the objects, observation are all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, which have been explained. And Geshe-la was in in all those which was referred as as the excellent conduct all those good qualities as Geshe-la was saying such as compassion great compassion loving kindness bodhicitta and so forth all those realizations all the buddhas they have all of them without exception they have cultivated every excellent quality. So, again, having generated generating faith with regards to all of them, to all the Buddhas and all the qualities, again, in this way, we make our prostrations. And then, again, secondly, have the the mental prostration.
Again, mental prostration is set out in the single stanza, which starts on on one on one fine particle. So on top of each minute particle, Buddha’s as innumerable as dust particles reside encircled by bodhisattvas, and then we should then generate resolute faith to recollect the positive qualities that aspires to the positive something which is, again, very difficult for us to conceive. Again, in every minute particle, have one Buddha who is surrounded by innumerable countless bodhisattvas and they are surrounded by countless hearers and solitary realizers and so forth and it’s very difficult for us to imagine that we cannot see that but still we have to generate in our minds the conviction that they are there just in this way as it is described in the text, Geshe lah says. Then thirdly, we have the verbal prostration. The verbal prostration starts in the stanza, praising those.
We start with praising those. For each of the bodies, innumerable heads emanate, and also from each of the heads emanate innumerable tongues that sing in exhaustible praises of the objects of the Buddha’s positive qualities to sweet melodies. And then, again, here, melodies are the phrases, refers to praise. The branches, branches, the causes are the tongues, and the word oceans refers to very many. And again, if we do our presentations in this way, Geshe-la was saying that we have so many bodies and emanations and so forth.
And in this way, we can generate a very vast merit. Geshe-la was saying, and we hear we hear all that, and we think to ourselves that there is no such thing. This is impossible. There’s no such thing. Geshe-la saying, no.
There is. They do exist in this way. This is possible. This is real. And Geshe-la is then saying, you know, if we if we if we do this in this way, as we have we are so we are being instructed, we we do benefit greatly.
On top of that, Geshe-la says, you know, the Buddhas, and Geshe-la is explaining the word in Tibetan, Sangye, and and Geshe-la will explain each of those syllables refers to the fact that the Buddhas have have realized every good quality there is and they they’re free they have rid themselves of every negativity there is so there’s nothing that obstructs the Buddha. There’s nothing that they find no impediment whatsoever. They can do anything they like. One Buddha could do all of this, emanate and be all of this that we just have been going through, more so all the other Buddhas. And Geshe-la was saying if we if we if we hold this object of observation, we if we hold this contemplation in this way, if we hold it well, and we’re practicing this properly in this way, there is no need to doubt that we will receive blessings that the blessings will flow our way just like in the paddy field in the rice field again the seeds are are being sown.
If the blessings are not flowering or blooming, because of our own defilements, because of our own negativities. So, again, I was going say we have then gone through the explanation of the prostration, the first limb of the seven-limb prayer, and we can see how just the prostration already is so very important, so very precious. Geshe-la and then Geshe-la was saying, we now go to the second limb, which is the the limb of offerings. And we have surpassable offerings and unsurpassable offerings. As for the surpassable offerings, we start here.
It starts with the which goes the best flowers and so forth. So then the the offerings, and these are the seven the seven offerings that we put on the altars. This is a flower. It is It’s here. It’s it’s it’s it’s this one here in the I think so.
Says, I offered the victorious ones exquisite flowers, choice garlands, the clash of cymbals, the the best of lotions, of of oil lamps, and choice incense. Yeah? This one. And then, so again, the best as for best flowers, what is written in the verse here, exquisite flowers, again, are are marvelous specimens of divine and human flowers. And then again, so then we we offer the best flowers.
I guess I was just explaining some of the words in Tibetan, which translates in English as marvelous, as very special flowers and very colorful. And then garlands of of many different kinds of flowers mixed and strung together again with many different colors and so forth and both together are all actual flowers if we have actual flowers and have real flowers and we offer real flowers or imaginary flowers or even some representations of flowers drawings or paper flowers or whatever whatever it is that we that we can afford. And then when we we we have the words in the prayer, which is symbols, they are the sounds of traditional instruments and the like. So then all sorts of instruments. Not only the cymbals, but the drums and everything else.
There are there are very many instruments. And then all those sounds produced by instruments, also Geshe-la was saying every nice, pleasant sound we produce with our voice, you know, every singing and so forth, Geshe-la was saying, they they all they all they they they all they they And then again, we have scented which is a mixture of fragrant perfumes. And then we have the sublime parasols, which are the which are the finest of parasols of silken cloth. And then we also have a butter lamps, fragrant radiant lights of butter or incense as well as radiant jewel lights. And I have incense that refers to combination of fragrant substances or to a single one, and then we have sublime garments which are defined as of clothes.
And we have the supreme scent, which is water and the like, pervaded by a scent that fills the billion world systems with a fragrant aroma. And then we have the vessels of powder, which are packaged powders of incense suitable for scattering and burning or the colors and powder of mandala in multiple layers as well as and as high as Mount Meru. And again, arrangements joined at the end of all of the above means a lot decorated and variegated. And variegated. So then we’re just going through the surpassable offerings.
And again, we have all these various substances that we can offer, and then we have to all these very nice and beautiful and pleasant offerings. And all of them will have to understand that they are all lacking inherent existence. We have to bear in mind that all those offerings, they are lacking inherent existence. The object of our offerings, the ones we are offering them to, again, they all lack inherent existence. And again, the one offering, we ourselves, we also lack inherent existence.
But we have to contemplate that. And we are actually so. We do actually all lack inherent existence. And again, we do that with the objective of reading ourselves, accomplishing all good qualities of the Buddhas and and ridding ourselves of all negativity. And for that purpose, we we make the offers.
So then and then we go to these unsurpassable offerings, and we have the actual offerings itself, and we have the the motivation for prostrations and offerings. There’s two two topics. So then as for the actual offerings, the set in a single stanza which says whatever offering, it starts with whatever offering. And then we have then the surpassable offerings are the offerings of worldly beings, the unsurpassable offerings is everything good that is emanated by powerful beings such as Bodhisattvas such as Samantabhādra. And then, Geshe-la, then just explained again, these are also unsurpassable offerings, which are emanated, originated in the Bodhisattvas.
Emanated by arhats, hearers and solitary realizers they all can are able to emanate that. And they are unsurpassable because, Geshe-la was just explaining the etymology of the word, because there’s nothing which is superior to them. And then offerings are those offerings to which there are others which are superior to them. Then surpassable are those offerings to which there are others which are superior with regards to the next topic. Geshe-la was explaining the Tibetan making reference.
Again, have these two types of offerings, the surpassable and the unsurpassable offerings. And If we make those offerings with the right motivation, with a great motivation, we get great results. If motivation is more results. The same with if we visualize the object of our offerings, if it is a great object, again, our merits are great if the object is not so great, the merits is not so great. And the and the the English text itself, it reads the last two lines are to be joined with the with all the previous in order to complete them and indicate the motivation for prostrations and offerings as well as their objects.
And Geshe-la was then from making the link from that. Geshe-la wants to stop here. And the next the next branch of the seven-limb prayer, the next limb of the seven-limb prayer, is the confession of negative actions. And I want us to stop here today and start that next week please. Oh, yeah.
Yeah? On page thirty two, there’s a mention of So then, Geshe-la has just said, we have three one way to divide this. We have three general vehicles. The the vehicle of the hearers, also in in in Sanskrit is Śrāvaka. Right?
What is it? Pratyekabuddha. So we have the vehicle of the hearers or Shravakas or the have the vehicle of the solitary realizers, Pratyekabuddha. And we have the great vehicle of Bodhisattvas. And Geshe-la was Then this division is made with regards to the courage of each one of those types of beings, the courage or the mental strength.
I translate the word literally mind and strength. Translated as as courage. And Geshe-la was then saying, so then the hearers are those of which have the least courage, so to speak, and that they they aim at their own individual liberation only. Then the Solitary realizers, the solitary realizers, even though they they also aim at their own individual liberation alone, they do have more courage or more mental strength or capability than the hearers. And then those are those who aspire to attain full enlightenment.
And then each one of those paths has has the five paths. The path of accumulation, path of preparation, the path of seeing, the path of meditation, and the path of no more learning. Each one of them has the five paths. Each of those five paths the path of seeing, meditation and no more learning they are aarya paths they are noble paths. Phags pa, ārya in Sanskrit,, is usually translated as noble.
So then you have three different types of ārya beings. You have aria hearers, aria solitary realizers, and aria bodhisattvas. Do are you you can relate to all that? Yes. Good.
Yes? Earlier on, question was talking about how when we concentrate prey or make requests, they’re actually heard. So, Geshe-la was gonna say, no. We still, we we do in order to get those blessings, what we have to do is is is do what we have been told to do, prostration and so forth. That’s what we have to do.
And we do get blessings. And every happiness that we experience are blessings of the Buddhas because they are result of virtuous deeds, the result of virtuous actions. And Geshe-la says all those happiness, even the worldly happiness that we experience, they are the results of virtuous actions. This and this and all of this comes out of the enlightened activity of the Buddhas. I was saying that virtues, actions, virtues, activities, equal to enlightened activities.
They are mutually inclusive is what I was saying so then we do get the blessings of the Buddhas but we do not get the greater supreme blessings of the realizations of the grounds and the paths because then there are obscurations to the realization of those are are really big or too big right now. But what we have to do, Geshe-la was saying, is keep on doing this, the the offerings, procedures, and so forth. We we get the blessings. As long as we accomplish, perform virtuous actions, then we are getting the blessings of the Buddhas. How does that oh, are you done there?
No. No. No. You go. You go.
How does that fit in with because I was on the understanding, like, it’s a universal law of of karma for samsaraic existence. So is it a universal law, or is it something that’s applied by the Buddhas in a in a universal fashion? You said, like, all worldly happiness comes from the blessings of the Buddhas. Blessings in the. You see you see that the the connection that the Geshe was making is that all worldly all worldly happiness, they are the result of virtuous virtuous actions.
And virtuous actions equals Indirectly. Yeah. Equals enlightened activity, which is the enlightened activity of the Buddhas. That’s the connection the logical connection that explains it all. Okay.
Because I’m just saying I’m just cutting cutting you short because you were using some words that I wasn’t able to translate into Tibetan. I just want to explain that to the so then yes so then all this worldly happiness that we experience comes in dependence on virtue and virtue is which is in technical terms a mutually inclusive can say equal? That’s a bit too much isn’t it? Not technical how can I say just mutually inclusive so then the virtues are mutually inclusive with enlightened activities? He thinks it’s important that we understand and make clear what what is virtue and what is not virtue.
So, I guess, understand those actions, in dependence upon which the result is suffering, then they are called non virtues. And those actions, in dependence upon which the result is happiness, then what we desire, what we wish, then those are called virtuous actions or activities. And then And Geshe-la is also saying that those actions, in dependence upon which the result is neither suffering nor happiness, result is neutral. Those are so called the neutral actions. Just translate it as neutral actions.
And Geshe-la was saying that there’s all phenomena are subsumed within these three, virtuous, non virtuous, and neutral. There is nothing whatsoever which isn’t which is doesn’t fit which is not subsumed under these three under one of these three. Oh, yeah. This one. Is that okay?
Yeah. Yeah. I’m wondering. Just a matter of my English. What’s pro prostration means?
prostrations. prostrations is that some form of bowing or form or submit, Go like, go under. You know? It’s what we do. What we do here.
What we do to the Geshe before the teaching and after the teaching. But that’s maybe dependent on the people. It’s different. You know? Just a form of bowing or you know?
Or Formal bowing. Bowing? Or? Or, you know, submit. Should I ask?
I’m not sure if I can say or convey the meaning of in in the sense of I I don’t know also what submit means, but it just I’m not really sure. It is a formal respectful bowing. That’s what it is. Alright. Okay.
That’s fine. Yeah. Yeah? Bowing bowing. Geshe-la is explaining that when we prostrate, when we bow down, in in this sense, in the context of Buddhist practice it’s important to bear in mind that we are prostrating with respect, with faith but Geshe-la was explaining again those two syllables in Tibetan, cha and sel, and saying that we’re prostrating with the idea that we are purifying all our negativities and that we are accomplishing all good qualities.
And we this is our intention. This is what we want to accomplish when we prostrate, purify our negatives and develop our good qualities. And that’s important to bear in mind, Geshe-la says. Otherwise, we do not get the real benefit. What’s going on?
Oh, yeah. Is that okay? Yes? I have a question. The first character.
Which page? Page twenty four. Twenty four. So long ago. Impartial.
Yes. Oh my god. Can Did you miss that class? I can no. I can recognize that all religions are beneficial.
But for me, personally, I think the Buddhist is the best one. So it doesn’t mean that I’m impartial or unbiased. For the for the disciple. So then Geshe-la is explaining it. No.
That you is you you are impartial. You are impartial. You are unbiased in that. You still you see the benefit of all of them, but we have to practice whatever is that is beneficial for us. And Geshe-la was saying if you were to be biased, if you were to be partial, it will mean that you will be you will think that your system is better than others, and others are inferior towards, and that will be biased or partial.
But that is not the case. Uh-uh. Anybody else? Always say, some somebody Buddha or Buddha, so because at that time, we were sitting, and then how can we at that time? So we prostrate or we bow down with respect.
We do show respect. We prostrate, again, using verbal prostrations or mental prostrations. We say with respect and we face. We say I prostrate to the Buddha. I prostrate to the Dharma.
I prostrate to the Sangha. And again, with our minds, we do as we have been instructed here. And that’s how we do it. Oh, yeah. Can you please translate the technicalities, please?
Here. He tries to abandon tries to realize the lack of difference in entity of mind and its object. Anyway, it’s what he’s trying to realize is even though he’s trying they’re both trying to achieve some liberation, what he’s trying to realize is something that’s, you know, difficult. Courage or mental strength, you could say. Yeah.
Is that okay? Yep. We have a page page seven.