Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using gold as a concrete image of attachment’s double bind — it generates craving, then hatred when lost — Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 44-minute session by tracing the inner logic from renunciation through compassion to bodhicitta. He then explores precious human rebirth across three registers: temporary benefit, ultimate liberation, and moment-by-moment opportunity. The Milarepa-versus-Naga-king contrast sharpens the point: Milarepa owned nothing yet achieved full enlightenment in one life, while the wealthy Naga kings remain in saṃsāra. Practical guidance follows on beginning each morning with awareness of this rebirth, and on gradually strengthening antidotes to negative habits through repeated familiarization. A closing Q&A covers the conditions for rebirth in pure lands, how couples can support each other’s practice, and why the self exists only as mere label.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 04 LR 2002 03 12.mp3
UUID: 5e56c734-3087-409c-93c9-411c7eafbe7e
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim 2002 Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-03-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.5 minutes
Words: ~3,341
While we look after it, it doesn’t, in a way actually, it doesn’t have that real value for us to put all that energy into it, to look after it or to care about it. So even to that gold that we seem to care and look after very well, if you do look at the good side and the bad side, then there’s more fault in that gold than the good. So so because because of that goal that you have, we have, we come to cling into it and generate attachment towards it and then we come to generate hatred out of that because if somebody took it or stole it or something, in that way we are totally into it that we come to create many different karmas out of that gold. So, so then, so to this like for example, if you have, if you do gain this realization of renunciation, a pure one, then if you see the gold, the one that is precious that we all got, if you see a gold there, it is like a poison to that person who have generated a pure renunciation.
So so that is same with all other things in the saṃsāra. They all are like that. So, but then on the other hand, for us as a saṃsāra being, we need those things. We can’t get out of that. So, we had to rely on those things because we are being, so, but that but but we have to be clever enough to balance this not to get too attached to it and and and balance your mind towards it, how how you handle it and and then looking from the negative side, what it causes, how it influence wants to create this bad karmas and so on.
So one has to balance it in that way. So so then when one come to get this renunciation, when it come to gain this renunciation within one, then now that’s not just enough generating the renunciation but then that has lead one to different stage of the path which is the first coming to know the nature of impermanence and then the four noble truths and so So on on that on with with that part of renunciation, what you started, you started with with the with the discipline or the morality, the practice of morality? So, when the very beginning, when the person first generates this genuine renunciation within that person and engages in the practice of morality, that very step is known as known as the path of accumulation of a small-scope being. So so then on that, on the basis of that, then you go up up train your train up upper level which is training on the wisdom and so on. That that’s how one the being come to achieve a liberation.
So, then when we actually when we think about this precious, how valuable this precious human rebirth is, if we really analyze and think, then it is possible on the basis of this precious human rebirth, we can create all these causes for for for all the causes to achieve this different state of birth, different state of liberation. So, so the the genuine thought of renunciation, that renunciation, if you turn that towards others, other sentient beings, then it becomes compassion. If you face that thought towards oneself, then it’s known as the renunciation, renouncing, this thought to leave Samsāra because of all this state of sufferings and if you you relate that thoughts to others then it becomes compassion, the practice of compassion. So first generated renunciation within one and then that leads or that causes one to generate compassion towards others leads one to generate compassion towards others and then on the basis of compassion one come to generate this knowledge, the special insight the special insight one come to gain. So which is known as like a special insight or special thoughts that one come to generate within.
And that is directed towards all other sentient beings. I myself will hold to that special thought. I will lead all sentient beings to the enlightened state. That out of that compassion you you come to generate that special thought. So, so then, so then when you when you generate that one to lead all sentient beings to the enlightened state, that is special mind, then then, so then you have question, how how would I be able to do that?
Then I need to achieve first the fully enlightened state. So that kind of another state of mind comes with it. So the special mind is known as bodhicitta, the the Yeah, bodhicitta which is which is we every time we gather together here, try to generate that mind and so when you do it often, then definitely you will have a understanding or realization of it. So for the sake of other sentient beings, I need to achieve full enlightened state. Like, even if you dream, even if you have that that thought like, sorry.
If you have that dream, that thought wanting to achieve full enlightened when for the sake of other sentient beings. Like say, you never get a part from that mind and even if you have that in your dream, that time that means you’re getting closer to what do you call? Getting closer to actually the bodhicitta in the mind of helping others. So, so now this two, that this mind wanting to achieve full enlightened state for the sake of beings and that that mind known as the bodhicitta and the the previous part, I guess, like the mind, the wisdom of realizing selflessness. These two needs to be practiced together Like meditate, these three has to go together and once when it comes to the final stage then that is the enlighten state or the enlighten.
So so that’s why I just said that the value of this precious human rebirth, it has its ultimate value and that is the ultimate value which is on the basis of this precious human we can achieve that ultimate goal such as liberation and the Buddhahood. So so it is it has its value if you just think in a temporary basis and it is, it has its value again. If you think ultimately, as our ultimate goal, it can be achieved on the basis of this precious human birth. So as Nāgārjuna, the great master said in his teaching, this precious human birth is very precious and it’s very valuable. And we are very fortunate to have it because even those great powerful gods such as Brahmas and so on, they don’t have it, this precious human rebirth, and even the Nagas or other beings don’t have this precious human rebirth. So as we make our prayers to be reborn in the pure land, but the bodhisattvas there, in the pure land, make prayers to be reborn in the southern continent of Jambudvipa, which is where we are now.
So the prayers that they make the bodhisattvas in the pure land is may I be reborn as a human in the human realms which human human reborn as a human with these eighteen qualities. So why the the bodhisattvas make this prayer to be reborn in the human realms with the precious with his all qualities, human qualities. To be born as human, warm, warm born human with the qualities because as it has a spec, the human body has a special qualities according according to the tantric teachings. On the basis of this human you can in this very lifetime, you can achieve the full enlightenment. So like for example, like great Yogi Milarepa, how he did it on the basis of this precious human life.
Because of that, body that we have is really precious. So the form or the body that we have right now and the form of the body that the great yogi Milarepa had at that time is the same, similar kind. So as in the teaching, it explains this. The explanation here is comparing the great Yogi Milarepa with the Naga king. The Naga kings are known as very wealthy.
They have like a full of stone, full of jewels and precious stones that they enjoy. And and it says that, in the teaching it says that Milarepa have nothing, even no belongings, nothing with him but through his practices and that through his trainings that he come to achieve the full enlightened state within that very life. But the Naga Kings though they have lot of things, are very wealthy because they are just enjoying with their wealth. They are still circling in saṃsāra. So so what it is saying is that we shouldn’t just sit there and do nothing.
We shouldn’t waste it what we have and because this human body that we have is very very precious. You shouldn’t shouldn’t just, what do call, waste it for nothing. So, for example, a very poor person a person also finds a gold, big piece of gold because he’s very poor finding that he will be very happy, very pleased that he found that. But then, if if if he loses the day after or something, then he will feel great lost that he found it, but he didn’t had any nothing to do with it. So suddenly he got lost.
So that person might have a great sense of lost because he found it and suddenly lost it. That lost is nothing compared to if we did lose this precious human rebirth. Wasting this human birth or losing it is much far, what’s a greater loss than losing that piece of gold. So say if losing that gold maybe means it might be able to It has worth for couple hundred years of food and shelter. It’s not much Nothing bigger than that.
So now the third part which is how it has its value even like every or every moment. How it is valuable. So even at the very it’s a little more second or a moment. It is very precious. That’s great value because if you do use it properly then it has great great, it gives forth great result.
And so because of that, it is very it’s very It has great meaning, it has great value. So when you get up early morning, you should you should remind yourself that it is precious and and use all times whatever you can to accumulate virtue or merit, whatever practice you do. So when you get up in the morning, the first thing that comes in our mind is what I have to do today? What work do I have to finish up and and where I have to go? These things first comes up in our our mind.
That’s what we think first thing. So instead of that, we shouldn’t be doing that. We should do other things. So what we should think is that the time the moment you will wake up thinking that, oh, I have now still have this precious human birth. I’m not I shouldn’t waste or lose it waste meaninglessly.
I should should do something worthwhile, do some virtuous actions, do some virtuous karma and make it meaningful every moment. Thinking like this is not not that easy for us because we are not familiar with that kind of thoughts every morning when we get up. But then if we if we familiarize with that thought again and again, first day, second day, next day, like that, then then you come to get you can coming get familiar with that way of practice and then you are, and then one comes to become aware every time when we get up, wake up, we come to, we have that awareness of this precious So because we are not familiar with this idea, how precious this human birth is and because of that, what are the what are its qualities that we are not familiar with that, we don’t think about it. It’s just it’s just we we don’t have any like, what do call, doesn’t come into our mind when we get up. We’re Because we don’t even know what are the qualities and we’re not familiar with that kind of thinking.
So that’s how we just, what do call, use our time. We just use our time and other things instead of using it that way. So if you’ll be able to do that, like, think in the very every at the moment you wake up, oh, that’s I shouldn’t waste my precious human rebirth, I have it still here. I I have I got this. If you have able to think that really they are just that much, that means you have perfected great deeds.
You have done great Yeah. So so so now one had one became familiar with that thought, that mind in the beginning, but then that’s not enough again now. You have to live with that. So living with it is not that easy again. It is hard but then if you become familiar with that, then it becomes easier again.
So as the master said in his teaching that There’s nothing that becomes easier once you can Once you get familiarized with. So No phenomena or object to be known that becomes like that becomes harder or that becomes harder if you become familiar if you if you familiarize with that. So it means every time you become more familiarize, it’s easier, becomes easier with it. So so so how we should train is that we should try to put stronger, stronger antidotes towards towards greater, what are the negative actions. Put a stronger antidote but but at this very moment we are unable, we just try to do put a weaker antidote towards stronger negative actions.
So that’s how we are training right now. So, at the beginning we just put very weak, an antidote towards negative actions. But then that is where you begin with. Then little by little or weak, you make it a strong antidote towards those negative actions. Antidotes are very hard for us to apply towards negative actions but the negative actions, all the negativities, negative actions, sorry, that we are very familiarize, we are very familiar with the negative action from beginningless time.
So it is already very strong, in in power, very strong. It has great strength. So because we are familiar with negative action is that strong in force. And similarly, if we become, if we are, if we familiarize ourselves with that antidotes towards negative action, like little by little, then then when you, more you familiarize it with your practice, it becomes stronger and stronger. So then final and towards the end, you will be able to get use a very powerful antidotes towards those negative actions.
So, the more powerful your practice or the antidotes that you apply towards negative action becomes, the weaker the negative force becomes. So then finally when it becomes quite strong, your practice, then it will easily defeat negative karmas or negativities. So, we should not waste this precious human rebirth even for a second. Use it even for a second. So use it use it the second that you have in a meaningful way.
Do anybody think like that in the morning when they get up? I’m wasting my precious time in the That’s nobody to blame on because we are not familiar with that idea or that kind of practice and though we have heard these teachings probably from Rinpoche a couple of times about precious human birth, we At the time that we are hearing, we are aware of it but then afterwards it disappears. So, as Geshe-la is saying, for example, Geshe-la himself is supposed to be a practice in order to update these things and he had been in training in the monastery for many years and it’s not easy to have that like be being aware of these minds all the time because he had been taught many times, not one or two, but easily he can forget it. But he had been taught again and again by other teachers. So then after many teachings, then you get a little bit of what you call familiarity with that mind.
So, so you have, what we have to familiarize also with this mind of seeing how precious this human birth is. Again and again, not only one day but to today, tomorrow and again day after tomorrow. Like that, when you get familiarized with then then you can do it. So so for tonight, we do this much. We and then if you have any questions, please ask.
Yeah. Go on. Yeah. My eyes goes in different directions. So a Pure lands are there are many different lens where Buddha resides, different enlightened beings are residing there.
So such as there’s a pure land of what do you call, our location of pure land such as the Tuśita known as the Pure Land of Ganden. So there are different holy or what do call the enlightened beings lives there. And then, Vajrayoginī Pure Land. So our prayers don’t easily get us reborn there. Our prayers and we need karmas to be reborn there.
Good karmas to reborn there. But then once you’re born there, what happens more, you have a more better You have What do say? In You have a very little circumstances that way you come to create negative karmas. Mostly you come to create positive karmas. So so if one is born into pure land of Amitābha Buddha, then once If you are born there, then because you have less distraction from meeting negative karmas, you always more chances to practice Dharma and create more good karma and also because Amitābha Buddha resides there for one, he, the Amitābha Buddha leads one to the pure land.
To the enlightened state, sorry. Becomes the circumstances are much more Better for one to achieve full enlightenment on those pure lands. Yep. K. Go.
So as an as an couple like a husband and wife, how you live a virtuous life is being patient to each other like if one is angry, being patient to others. If the other one is angry, what other one trying to help being patient and and like and being friendly to each other. That’s like that’s how, what do you call, Not not getting angry and so on with little situations. I’m getting wrong, right or wrong. And getting a mutual understanding and more more sense is less than to tolerate among each other and live like that.
Said that that’s that’s Yep. Sorry. So as Geshe-la is saying that is the I or the self is that we it exists in in mere labeling like you label that and that’s how it exists and just asking what’s your name? When you call when someone calls Ben, then you look around here, right, left and up and down or wherever. And then when someone says a harsh word, a bad thing about Ben and then you get angry.
You react towards that. And then when you react, where is that Ben that is reacting? If you if you look into it, So when you analyze that where where this bend is, then finally you come you come to just point to something that is just mere label of an object. Just that just that just mere label is you’re able to find. Otherwise, you you won’t be able to find a solid Ben somewhere.
So this, that’s just a, that name Ben is just also a mere label. A person or man does not exist by itself as a solid from its own side. So that’s why it’s called like mere label. It exists just mere label. You understood me?