Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 33-minute commentary, Geshe Pema Tsering anchors the abstract teaching on samsaric suffering in a memorable story: Pupu Jabu, a Tibetan monk charged with managing his monastery’s business funds, who woke repeatedly at night to work his abacus, paralysed by financial worry. Built around the seventh type of suffering — failing to obtain what you pursue — the session draws parallel portraits of the anxious farmer watching his seedlings, the travelling merchant fearing robbery, and the modern worker trying to please a boss. The point: wealth and poverty bring equal misery; no position in saṃsāra escapes. A student’s question closes the session — why, after countless past lives of suffering, are we only now seeking the cure? — and Geshe Pema Tsering answers: we may only now have met a teaching that shows the path.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 08 LR 2002 06 25.mp3
UUID: fbe66f3f-f78c-44c0-b160-f2f14e165b37
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim 2002 Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-06-25
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 32.6 minutes
Words: ~2,775
Which we don’t want to, of course, reluctantly done. For example, like a donkey where used to be used to be a transportation, the huge load has been put on the back of the donkey and they let them carry things. And some of the donkeys, it’s very heavy and they’ve been taking, the load on the both sides rubs their back and had a whole wound and so forth. But they don’t really wanted to take the load but they have no choice because of the owner they put it on and they have to go. Likewise, like in olden days, to plough the field.
Like ox, horses, cows has been used as the yoke on the top here and then pull and they do it reluctantly. So likewise, it’s same for the for the humans as well that that that we have to go have to, you know, go through the sufferings of being meeting with the unpleasant things. So therefore, the Geshe Potowa has said here, there’s nothing to be excited that that that that that something didn’t happen which is impossible. Example, like one one gets sick and one dies and there’s nothing there’s no point to be grief or or sad because these are the nature of cyclic existence. As far as one is in cyclic existence, one will go through all this suffering.
If one really do not wish those sufferings, then want to try to abandon the cyclic existence or try not to take rebirth in the cyclic existence. So in order to do so, then look for the causes. What are the causes that will lead one to to take rebirth in cyclic existence? So should examine or investigate what are the causes which bring one into cyclic existence and goes through the suffering. And by doing the investigation, then the causes of the cyclic existence are so called the karma or action and the disturbing emotions.
And so the Yep. So in order to attain arhathood or liberation, then one has to abandon those causes of cyclic existence, which are the karma, the action, and the disturbing emotions. And and by by doing so, then one one is free from the from the sufferings of the cyclic existence. And up till now, we are going through the suffering of suffering. In terms of suffering, there are main three, the suffering of suffering, suffering of change, and suffering of pervasive conditioning.
And and so as we said, these are the suffering of the sufferings. And so in order to free from the sufferings of all kind, one has one needs to attain liberation. Got it. So this one. Now and and now onto the seventh one, the suffering, which is so called the suffering of not finding what you desire even though you search for it.
And and which is which is true. For example, like like, we want to accomplish something huge task and in in to to do so, it it turns out that one has one need a help of a certain important person or hierarchy person. So so and that is a suffering, you know, taking you know, seeking help from the the important person, you know, asking him or her to help you to accomplish such mission. And and then, with the help of that, one goes through it and it turns out at the end and still couldn’t make it. So it’s a frustration.
And that is the suffering that that something one desire won’t work for it and couldn’t couldn’t get it at the end by pursuing that and still one fails. That’s the suffering. As well, even if one manages to accomplish that, one will have received a happiness, and that happiness is the happiness of cyclic existence. So therefore, because by accomplishing or being able to achieve such, one has a happiness, feels happy that one has completed what one wished for, but that happiness is also this samsaric happiness of cyclic existence. So because it’s the suffering of cyclic existence, but in nature, that happiness is also a suffering.
So yep. And for example, yeah, some people think the the farmer’s job is a very pleasant job or happy job. One feels happy. But but but if one go through it and it’s still the huge stress and and the sufferings there because, for example, they have to wake up early in the morning first and then started to think about what they’re going to grow and so forth. And then and then to cultivate the crops, you know, they go through the sun, burns and the breeze, cold winds, and then and yep.
So forth. And at the end, they sow a seed, but still the job is not done. They won’t feel relaxed or happy because worrying that, well, I’ve finished sowing the seed, will the sprout comes up properly or not and so forth. And later on sprout comes up, still not happy, have to wait for everything to be done. So until the until the end of the what I’m not good at farmers.
See, one finish the mission in mission complete, you know, or or harvest the the crops, you know, and then finally comes into one’s plate. Until then, one keep worrying step by step, you know, is it going to grow properly? It’s grown. Well, is that good enough or not? So forth.
And then goes to vice versa. The farmers think that the business is a good job and they’re very easy going people in a very easy life. They just go and travel and do business and so forth. But it is not true because the merchants, the business people, yeah, also have huge huge huge sufferings as well that, you know, first they have to probably in ancient Asian countries in the business, mainly the men, business people and the men travel, leave the family, and their kids, wife and so forth, everything down and travel for selling things, making profits and doing business from the interstate or travel one town to another town. And then they have huge worrying, you know, will they be able to make good profit or not?
And they’re taking their merchandise with them and worrying on the road, or the robbery may come, you know, or it may be stolen or thief and so forth. And then when in actual ground they’re trying to make business and then have to be worried about what’s going to happen: am I going to get a good price for it or a good deal for it or not? And then in terms to have such a profit, a huge and they have to do all sort of lines, you know? This is such and such and such and such. So these are all the sufferings they have.
And Geshe-la said that this is so true and to tell you the one true story that somebody called is the one of the name of a the Tibetan name, a person who which means the word to word translation. Pupu is his name. Right? And Jabu which means he’s he got a Geshe-la said a very good beard. Long beard.
So it’s called the pooh the beard beard one, you know. And then and he is a very great businessman. And he doesn’t he didn’t do at that time, he didn’t do business for himself. He’s doing it for the the monastery that it’s the eastern — it’s Tharje Monastery which is in the eastern part of Tibet and where Rumbuchung and Geshe-la are originally from. From there, they went to the Sera Monastery and then where they graduated.
So their very first monastery is still one of the biggest in the eastern part of Tibet. It’s now, they’re trying to rebuild these days. And so the Tharje Monastery had a few business people down there. So it’s a very risky job. So actually he’s one of the Tharje Monastery monks.
So during that time, they get a like a the in charge of the office people to run the monastery and they have to produce the food and shelter for the monks to survive the studies and so forth. So therefore, they have to do business for the fundraising to the monastery. And it’s huge risk because, you know, one will get the interest, no, no interest, the principal from the monastery, right? And because this staff and they do the business and they and it comes out it turns like one year, like every year they change the staff. So that what the staff has to do on in that particular year and they have the asset or a principle and make use of that principle and do the business and from the profit, they make the one-year livelihood of the monks for the whole year and the next staff comes give the principle back.
And you’ve got to be very careful because if the business goes down, he lost not only without profit, he lost the principal, the person has to replace the principal. There’s huge risk. So Pupu Jabu is the person who is said to be very good merchant. Sorry, the monk is very good at business and he worries a lot, of course, and he worries a lot and Geshe-la said that he was very good looking, you know, very strongly built and he always dressed nice and looks cool. And so it happened like and they started suffering off the business.
Love it. Love it. And so, there’s people caught him many times in the nighttime. Sometimes, does it few times in a single night. He just goes to sleep because now he’s in charge and doing the business of the fundraising thing.
And then he must he couldn’t be sleeping. He just lie down and sleep. In the middle of the night, he just goes up and turn the lamp on, you know. It’s called this calculator which is the Chinese type, you know, wooden one. He just goes up and calculates and he just goes to sleep.
He goes up and this is how he worries. Yep. So it’s a huge risk, you know, that person, you know, like, during that time and who whoever is in charge or staff, you know, they have to leave the principle because which is the future of entire monastery, you know. Future the principle never should not be lowered and always feed the people with profit so that it can continue going. If one did lose the business, then have to replace.
So therefore, it is same as far so there is no happiness in cyclic existence or in saṃsāra. Samsāra, it is same whether one has wealth or not. If one has is rich and wealthy, one’s still unhappy, still suffering about losing that wealth and being stolen and robbed and so forth. If one is not wealthy, very, very poor, and still the same, you know, have to work very hard to collect some for the living or so forth. So it is this this is how it shows that as far as one is in saṃsāra, there’s no happy happiness at all.
So this is how one’s as far as one’s suffering, sits in one’s spends one’s life, that, you know, being suffering, worrying, and pride, and attachment, angers, and so forth. And so any kind of thing, you know, it’s carpenter or tailor or or factory worker, I guess, let’s say, for for example, us, we go for a job, still there’s a suffering, you know. First one has to get into the job, and then after having found the job, have to work very hard and try very hard whether or not try to please the boss, you know. Is my employer happy or content with me or not? That is one worry.
And then if it turns out the one is doing a great job and the bosses and employers so everyone is happy, then one try to produce bit of a pride. Well, I’m the only one who can do this and that. So all this as far as one is in saṃsāra, the suffering comes. So it is same that where where which wherever one one one is or what position one is, still there is a suffering. The person who is sitting down would think, ah, up on their feet they are happy and we do all the job and so forth.
And think they are happy, we go through suffering. We are one who suffers. And whereas from upwards this thing, they are alright, they should be happy, we take all the risk and so forth. And Geshe-la said, which is so true. Now we might think people here, Geshe-la heard, think, ah, those people up there, they’re fine and they just do talking and so forth and we are the one who work.
We work so hard and we earn certain amount of money and then the tax cuts out all the tax and we do the job and money has been taken from my pay for tax and so forth. And then and then and they just sit there and they don’t have to do anything. We we the one who do and pay for them to do sit there. Whereas people out there will think, well, they’re alright just working so forth and we are the one to sort out wherever the problem comes in the country, we are the one to blame, you know, so have to sort out things. So it’s where the position whether one is up and the down position, the suffering is still the same.
So, Geshe-la said, we’ll stop it here, the suffering bit now for today, that, you know, talking about the fellow citizen thinks the king is happy and I should be alright. Yeah. And the king thinks and they’re alright. I take the risk and so forth. So that that suffering part hasn’t finished yet.
So we’ll stop here anyway. He wants to talk happier things, but not sure. He’s have to tell about the saṃsāra saṃsāra suffering at the moment. But when we come to the happy part, know, then we still go to the suffering of not understanding what they’re talking about in terms of bodhicitta and emptiness and so forth which are — and the qualities of the Buddhas, you know, like ten powers and so forth, know, sixty, eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha’s so forth. When you reach that part, which is the happy part, and we still suffers because of not understanding that.
Yeah. And when we go through the sufferings part, you know, we understand it very clearly because we go through the suffering, we know that, we have experienced it and we know the suffering, that’s how we understand it. Whereas when we talked about the good happy part or happy things, the good part, you know, there are so happy things like qualities of the Buddhas and qualities of the bodhisattvas, those are the qualities which produce happiness and which we don’t understand because we don’t possess them at the moment. Okay. You got a question?
Okay. I agree with you that we’ve suffered. I don’t see our sufferings that we go through in our life. But if we’ve had countless lifetimes, so we’ve had countless sufferings. Why has it taken us to this point before we sort of we’re prepared to investigate these sufferings and and want to find a cure for them. We’ve had the teachings we’ve had before, and and surely some of those have been in times of past.
Why now? Why not? You know? Whatever. Last last time I was here, maybe sitting for six or three aeons ago.
You know what I mean? Why now? Why after all these sufferings, after all this, we can see it in this life It happens because it’s so true in a millions of numbers, countless rebirths and the human rebirth and the Buddhist teachings have been in the past. And why it took up till now is because no matter how many Buddhas have shown teachings and so forth, but you have never had a chance to meet with the teachings which shows you this yep. This the path.
And you have met them now, but still but still not okay, you know, if one if you do not practice and so forth, and the next one, you know, you never know where you will be.