Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. To make the urgency of liberation visceral, Geshe Pema Tsering devotes much of this 44-minute Lamrim session to the fourth disadvantage of cyclic existence: the incalculable number of past rebirths. Classical examples press the point — blood drunk in hell realms exceeding the ocean, excrement eaten in animal lives piled higher than Mount Meru, tears of separation outweighing all the world’s water — to show that saṃsāra will not improve on its own. The Q&A then addresses three questions: the precise difference between nirvana (liberation attained by hearers and solitary realizers) and full Buddhahood; how someone who reaches nirvana still needs bodhicitta to progress further; and whether ordinary satisfaction is a virtue while desire for liberation should be cultivated without limit. A student’s question about Alexander the Great also prompts a short exchange on karma, greed, and the imprints carried across lives.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 04 LR 2002 05 14.mp3
UUID: 54bb270f-c061-4d37-bf06-4b6f05c9c2e3
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim 2002 Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-05-14
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 43.8 minutes
Words: ~3,144
So therefore, you know and therefore, as we as it stated in the earlier classes that that there’s hardly anything one can say that one hasn’t experienced the enjoyments of the cyclic existence or the sufferings as well as the enjoy happiness of the saṃsāra. But but there haven’t there have not been any help and there and there haven’t been any use of experiencing those enjoyments and sufferings of the cyclic existence. So therefore and it’s very important by knowing this, it’s very important for one to be very careful here that making sure that one’s whatever practice one does will become a cause to attain liberation, nirvana, or enlightenment. Because by attaining nirvana, then one is being free from saṃsāra, and and and and and receiving the ultimate everlasting happiness. If not, if one fails to do so and becomes once practice become a a cause to attain, a higher rebirth in next life, then it’s there is not much point at all because it’s still gonna be the same in cyclic existence.
And but what it’s not saying that we don’t need to have the higher rebirth because the higher rebirth is very important. And in order to attain enlightenment or a liberation, the nirvana and the attainment of human higher rebirth is very, very necessary. And the great master Chekawa has stated that that that that he has taken numbers of rebirths, but none of the rebirths but he he never had it and he has never practiced or met the the Mahāyāna teaching in any of those rebirths. So at this stage, you know, being being he said that he has been very fortunate to be able to attend this rebirth as well as meet the Mahāyāna Mahāyāna teaching. So therefore, whatever practice we do, make sure that once practice become a causes become a causes to attain nirvana or liberation.
And now to the fourth disadvantage, which is disadvantage of repeatedly being conceived. And if we count and again repeatedly, born again and again and again and again in the cyclic existence, and if you were to count, it’s it’s one can’t we can’t count our rebirth.
It’s like it’s like the the tiny little grains pile up and and fill the entire world. Still, our rebirth is even even more than those numbers. And according to the lord Buddha Śākyamūni in his so called the the sūtra called Parinirvana Sūtra said that if we — the amount of the blood we drink in the hell realm — that could be more than the water of this world or more than the ocean here. And we have been born in the hell realms many many times. It’s count it’s not countable.
As well as as well as we have born in the dogs and pigs and and so on like that.. So talk about all that. Hey. How am I gonna say? You know, the we okay.
We we have been born in dogs born as the dog and the pig and that are countless in numbers and numbers of time. And the tongue and the poo that we have eaten during that time — not an Australian dog. And this in India, sometimes the dogs, they eat poo. And so the the poo, you have they have eaten we have eaten it, as a pig or a dog. And the poo if we pile up the poo we have eaten during that time, it the the and the the yeah.
It will become it would be even more or bigger than the Mount Meru. And these are the examples that how much how many times we have taken rebirth in this cyclic existence of Samsāra. Example, like the the tears we have dropped being apart from the dear ones, you know, separated from partner or parents and the kids so forth and the tears we drop over there. If if yeah. The amount of that tears would be more than the ocean water.
So So therefore, if one still fails to free oneself from the samsaric existence or saṃsāra, then those things will be even more than that. So and we have, yeah, born in a cyclic existence numberless of time and then and fought many times numberless times with the enemy and then been chopped at our head for many many times. And if we pile up the heads, it’s even more than can fit in Brahma’s kingdom. So therefore, there’s nothing really in this cyclic existence that we haven’t eaten yet.
You know? And and and and, you know, we have been born as a little fleas and so forth and fly through the dirt and eat, etcetera and etcetera, which these days we call yuck. You know? So it’s the same for everyone, you know, has taken numbers of rebirths, like me, being yep. Yep.
Me being Geshe-la’s son or daughter and had had milk from mother and the milk will be countless. It’s a huge in amount. Yep. So the the saṃsāra the sac this the sufferings of cyclic existence or saṃsāra will never end unless one is one is being one unless one attains nirvana. Because yeah.
And and and as far as one is in cyclic existence, one will still undergo the sufferings of cyclic existence, and their suffering will still continue unless one is free. Therefore so therefore for therefore, you know, attaining liberation becomes very, very important here. So therefore, it is very important to achieve or attain liberation or nirvana Because if not, then one still circles in the cycle of existence, accumulate numbers of karmas or actions. And and and and, for example, like, you know, at this stage, we get scared and very scary looking like scorpions and snakes so forth, and everyone gets scared and get afraid of those. And if one is not if one doesn’t free oneself from cyclic existence, then then we we the the we will or one will be receiving or being one will be born as a scorpions and snake with number numberless of time in future as well if one is not free from cyclic does not free oneself from cyclic existence because being cyclic existence, we cultivate numbers of saṃsāra.
Some yeah. And as a result of that, we take different types of rebirths. So so we we will or we can be born as scorpions and snakes and so forth. At this stage, most of the people are not aware, and they just feel sometimes very curious, you know, just for looking at them and a lot think, yeah, the scorpions and snakes, etcetera. But they just act they just look at them, but never thought that never think that they will and I mean, there is a possibility that they will be born as scorpions and so forth.
Most of the people can hardly think of being born as a scorpion and they probably think, it is not possible. I’m a human and I can’t be born as the cute little scorpions and so forth. So one can be born as a scorpion because one has cultivated numbers of karmas to born as a as a scorpion. And and so there is a, yep, danger of being born as a scorpion if one is if one doesn’t free oneself from the cycle of existence. And it’s really, really hard to guarantee if one has we or one has to answer the question that will you be born as a scorpion or not?
And it’s really hard to answer or or give a signature to say that, nope. You know? Because because we have cultivated numbers of karmas in the past. So if somebody does sign the paper, probably has to do it with the doubt, you know, maybe, yes. So therefore, it’s very important to to free oneself from the cyclic existence and and make sure, really, really sure that one’s practice won’t become a cause to take rebirth and cyclic existence again.
For the betterment, try to be to try to attain enlightenment to the power of one’s practices, even at least try to let one’s practice become a cause to attain nirvana. And now we’ll stop here and reach the fifth disadvantage, which is the disadvantage of repeatedly being high and low, which we will start in a fortnight’s time. Melbourne visit is still on the roster. Yeah. After Melbourne visit.
And those who are going to Melbourne for Dalai Lama’s teachings, be very attentive and listen carefully. It’s very unfortunate to be able to see Dalai Lama and to listen to his teachings very nicely as well as make prayers during the teaching, that even in the next life, I mean, may I be may I wish that one will meet him in future lives and receive teachings from him as well? So there’s there’s no higher teacher than him in this world at this stage, and and and he is the emanation. So he is a great master as well as and also the emanation of Chenrezig, Avalokiteśvara. He said this is the fact he is, but if but we if we examine or investigate, probably the ninety nine percent of the population in this world would hardly know that. So our previous lives have worked very very hard and at this stage it’s very fortunate for us being in the population of one percent and knowing and to know that he is and very fortunate to know that that Dalai Lama is the emanation as well as the great master.
So we’ll take a couple of questions if you have. So, nirvana enlightenment. enlightenment is the Buddhahood or being yeah, Buddhahood. And for nirvana, they are the so called they are enlightenment. Three types of enlightenments are nirvana according to the schools.
And so these are so yeah, nirvana or liberation. Liberation through the the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna system. So whereas the liberation or nirvana of the Mahāyāna tradition which is Buddhahood itself. And and we nirvana, we are here saying here is the nirvana of the Hearers and the solitary realizer system which is free, liberated, free from saṃsāra but haven’t reached the enlightenment yet. And So briefly speaking, then the enlightenment is the Buddhahood.
And the nirvana we’re talking here is nirvana of the hearers and the solitary realizers. So liberation here is the nirvana here only is the nirvana of hearers and solitary realizer which is being liberated from the cyclic existence. At this stage in the cyclic existence, then cyclic existence is the one which once everything’s been projected by the karma action and the disturbing emotions, like our mental continuums as well as our body so forth, are projected by the actions, karma and disturbing emotions. And the liberation, the nirvana here is being free from cyclic existence that means then one is not projected by under the influence of the disturbing emotions and the karma. So yeah, the liberation nirvana here — nirvana has abandoned saṃsāra.
So all the pleasures, happiness we experience here are are also abandoned by those who have received the nirvana. It’s it’s because yeah, nirvana and and they have received the so called ultimate happiness and very stable happiness. And but having so they have received, abandoned saṃsāra and received the so-called, a very stable happiness or everlasting happiness, but they still haven’t finished or haven’t completely abandoned all the abandonments because they still haven’t abandoned the so called the obscurations towards omniscience. Whereas Buddhahood is the is the place where yeah.
One reach when one reaches the Buddhahood then one has completely attained all the entire good qualities and abandoned all the abandonments. And and have and and on that stage, then one can benefit numbers of sentient beings without any difficulties. So after having reached the nirvana and then attained the Buddhahood, then yep. It’s still one one still has to cultivate the the meditate on the bodhicitta because one has free oneself now from the sufferings and attains stable happiness or everlasting happiness, but one has not completely abandoned the entire abandonments, so called the obscurations towards omniscience. Omniscient and and and therefore can’t benefit sentient beings as much as like the enlightened beings do. So therefore, but one has, at that stage, has the wisdom realizing emptiness. So along with the wisdom realizing emptiness, one needs to cultivate the bodhicitta to attain enlightenment.
And those those who have reached reached that nirvana and then try to cultivate the bodhicitta. Let it. Let For example, let the practitioner of the hearer schools, right? And reached the nirvana according to the Hearer schools. And when the person practised the bodhicitta and so forth, whenever a person generates or develops the great compassion within his or her mind stream, at that time the person has remained in nirvana — still the nirvana free from saṃsāra — but person now dispels all the Hearer school paths and enters the Mahāyāna path.
And then, at the time the person develops the great compassion and dispels all the Hearer school paths, and then by familiarising with that compassion and develops the Mahāyāna — develops the bodhicitta — and then passes and travels through the Mahāyāna path. Was talking about Alexander the Great. And saying that he wanted to rule the entire world. Yeah.
How much of that is his choice or his wanting to rule the world and how much of it is his karma? How much of his well, he wanted to rule the whole world. Sure. How much of that was his greed or his his want for power and how much of that was previous karma that caused him to be in that situation to want for it all.
Okay. You want you want the measurement? So, yes, it’s really hard to say in the how much, but all we can understand, all we can know is he was a very greedy person, wanted to rule everything. And and and also it is very obvious that he has cultivated both the karmas, like a very strong good both the good and bad karma. And and we can say that he has cultivated a huge good karma because he was he worked very hard enough.
He was very courageous. And and that has to be result of a good karma. Because of that, he he never fails, and he was very courageous and victorious. And yep. So that yeah.
In the previous lives, they’ve cultivated numbers of the strong karmas in, like, good or bad karmas, but they’ve never been of good use, because when they worked so hard to reach them, they set off into rebirth and destroy everything. Countless times. It’s we just forget. You know? We receive this rebirth and do numbers of activities in on the basis of that rebirth and cultivate the karma and then the time we left the body and that rebirth and connects to the and enter the next rebirth and we completely new body and so forth and we just forget what we have done in this life.
Yep. And we begin. So because all the the consciousnesses according to the organs, their sense organs and so forth, the of the present that that life ceases and then enters the next one and start the new beginning. And so therefore, you know, because everything is fresh — a spring chicken on this side and and they forget everything. You know?
So, yeah, even though we forget everything what we’ve done in the past, but we leave numbers of imprints or latencies on that continuum. So as a result of those imprints, you know, in future lives, you know, and because of that latencies and we were so familiarizing in the past and in next life, we just heard something and it is easy to understand. These are the results of so called the imprints. So therefore yeah. Therefore, I’m pretty sure that I’m pretty sure that his previous life was not an English speaking person, or English or Australian, because I can’t learn the English word just by hearing a few times, you know.
It’s really difficult for me. Probably haven’t let any imprints on that. Yeah. Probably those people has had laid a very strong imprint in the past and so called thick, thick, you know? So they just easily remember very clearly, actually.
Yep, that’s the last one. No. No. No. No.
Sorry. See, the satisfaction is the best wealth. Even the hundred, we call it, I think I said the hundred rich people, you know, wealth can’t destroy or challenge that satisfaction, wealth of satisfaction. Are you saying that satisfaction is good wealth, but our desire can challenge it? Is that is that your question?
Okay. So half answer of your half question here, which is it is true that our desire can destroy the satisfaction because the desire and the satisfaction are contradictory and they are like enemy. They challenge all the time. See, it has to be either way, either the attachment sorry, desire or the satisfaction. And they fight all the time.
If satisfaction is strong, it destroy the desire. So likewise, And they have been challenging fighting along with us in our previous lives, but up till now, desire always win, you know? They win and yep. Yeah. But that’s that’s also so true.
But the the desire for the liberation, nirvana and the enlightenment and the desire we we just discussed is completely different. And the desire for the enlightenment and the nirvana, the stronger the better. We need it more as much as we want. And because their aim, what they desire is completely different. One desire towards the enjoyment, the pleasures of the saṃsāra, whereas the other desire towards desire which is towards enlightenment and the nirvana is completely desiring for happiness which is completely free from Samsāra which we need it.
So that desire, the bigger the better. We still need that. Yeah. So how can we be satisfied? And so therefore the satisfaction comes the same way.
What we said about being satisfied means satisfied towards what one got in the cyclic existence or the objects or the things of the cyclic existence because the things of the cyclic existence produce suffering. So therefore, it’s good to be satisfied with what one what one has or what one yeah, what one got. And and whereas whereas one don’t need any satisfaction for the the the happiness or for of the saṃsāra sorry, of nirvana and the enlightenment, you know. We don’t really need satisfaction at all. It just it it never brings any sufferings.
Whereas with what we are talking here is according to the cyclic existence. Dedication.