Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The story of a wheel-turning emperor who gained dominion over gods and humans from offering five beans to the Buddha makes Geshe Pema Tsering’s central point vivid: even tiny acts yield enormous karmic fruit. In this 105-minute Lamrim session, he first completes the refuge section — why giving up the Three Jewels even as a joke incurs great harm, which precepts have genuine scriptural sources, and how degenerating differs from fully relinquishing refuge. He then opens the karma chapter: virtue yields only happiness, non-virtue only suffering; small causes produce disproportionately large results; you cannot encounter what you have not created; and actions do not fade over time. Student questions address whether purification contradicts karma’s certainty (it does not — the four opponent powers can stop results from ripening), and whether compassion-driven sadness at others’ suffering counts as personal suffering (it does not).
File metadata (for organising)
File: 35 2008 10 02 BP.mp3
UUID: a5c5722b-04a1-4f46-a173-d4d321b5216e
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2008-10-02
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 105.5 minutes
Words: ~6,839
Two, isn’t it? Do not give up the Three Jewels for one’s life nor for a love, but guard against this, isn’t it? Yep. And, Geshe-la, was reading through the text for this topic. Do not give up the Three Jewels for one’s life, not for a laugh, but guard against this.
There is no doubt that we will separate from this body life and possessions. If we give up the Three Jewels for their sake, there will be continuous suffering and also adversities in lives to come. Therefore, we should vow not to abandon our refuge, come what may, not even utter words about giving up our refuge for a laugh. Not even joking. So again, it’s like just colloquially putting putting it and again we’re being certain not to give up our our refuge in the Three Jewels for the sake of not, you know, not for anything.
We should keep If we give up, again, we will experience continuous uninterrupted suffering in the future. So, again, we shouldn’t we shouldn’t in in no respects with regards to our body, possessions, our life, and so forth, we should never, in relation to any such things, we should never give up refuge. And we should not even joke about it, not even jokingly say anything about giving up the Three Jewels. So, again, determine himself not to give up the refuge because to give up having taken refuge, to to give up our refuge commitments and and so forth. Again, we incur like that a very great fault.
And this level is making reference to a verse that in we can see in the same page that verse. If if the merit of refuge were to take shape, even the three realms would be too small a container, the great oceans for most would not hold or measure it. And Geshe-la wasn’t saying so. There there is great benefit in having taken refuge to protect and to guard and to keep one’s refuge when derives a a great and immense amount of benefit as as as we explained by this verse, as is exemplified by this verse. And Geshe-la is saying, but now in the same way, there is also a very great harm by by giving up the refuge that one has already taken.
The same way so so the the the the profit and the loss, they are equally great. So if one keeps one profits greatly, if one gives them up, gives up the refuge, one has incurs a great loss. Is that okay? So, I guess, was going for the next topic, which is in eliminating inaccuracies with respect to the precepts of going for refuge. We have these four topics.
As I was reading through the the four enumerations. First, refutation of of that which is not a precept. Secondly, the sources of the specific precepts. Third, the difference between degenerating and relinquishing the precepts. And lastly, the advice not to transgress the precepts because of how great the benefits are, such as being the entrance gate to the teachings and so forth.
And, yes, I was reading through that little sentence of the first topic, the refutation of that which is not a precept. So, again, again, former master stated a precept to the effect that you should train in going for refuge to the Buddha of whatever direction you’re going. But I have not seen a source for that. The author is telling us there is no source for this precept. Okay?
So then there is this the the old masters or former masters and teachers of the past were saying again that one of the precepts of refuge would be to go for refuge to the Buddhas of each direction. So if there is a if you’re going east, then you take refuge on the Buddha of the east. If you’re going south, you take refuge on the Buddha of south, and that’s for every direction and subdirection there is. And Geshe-la was explaining. So, again, this this practice is refuge.
It does amount to taking refuge. I mean, the the every direction has its Buddha, and you you’re going for refuge of those Buddhas, and that is valid as a refuge practice. It is okay to do such. But Geshe-la is saying that, again, the the author of this text is telling us that he has not seen a a scriptural source for that for that for this precept in particular. I guess I was going for the next topic, the sources of the specific precepts.
Thus, the six common precepts for all the objects of refuge are just like they appear in the commentary on the on the lamp of the path, on the path to enlightenment. In of the common and noncommon precepts, we have the six common precepts, and these are just like stated in this in this text with the commentary on the lamp of the path of enlightenment. And, again, the first three specific precepts are explained in the Sūtra collection, whereas the latter three the latter three appear in the six branches of going for refuge. So, again, I was then just saying, again, this precepts have been already explained before, and now the author is just giving us the scriptural sources of these precepts. So he’s indicating in which text and which sources we can find such precepts.
So, Geshe-la, I was I was going for the text as for the the the difference between degenerating and relinquishing the precepts. As for the way in which the transgression of this precept becomes a cause of degenerating and relinquishing them, the transgression of the precept not to give up your refuge even for the sake of your life actually constitutes relinquishing it. I was just explaining then. Saying again, of of those six common of those common and uncommon percepts of refuge, training percepts of refuge. Geshe-la was saying there are some people who say that by, how do you say, contradicting or breaking some of those precepts constitutes a complete relinquishment of the of the precepts of refuge.
And whilst just breaking some or other of those precepts constitutes only degeneration, a weakness, a weakening of the refuge precepts. Okay? And, again, Geshe-la goes on for the text. Similarly, even if you do not give up the Three Jewels, but dualistically uphold the three teachers and so forth that are incompatible with them, you transgress the precept to not advocate another refuge. And by not having confidence in the refuge, you also relinquish it.
I was asking Geshe to explain this. And I was asking Geshe-la to to explain what is what was this expression? It was translated as dualistically dualistically of all the three. So Geshe-la was then saying, if if you go for refuge to the to the Buddha, you say, I go for refuge to the Buddha, and I also go for refuge to a non-Buddhist deity. You know, I go for refuge to the Dharma.
Also go for refuge to a non-Buddhist deity and so forth. Again, if you if you hold if you take refuge in this way, then again, you in you’re also relinquishing the refuge. Is that okay? Is that making sense? Yeah?
And then again, if I think that if if these do not occur, it is then a mere transgression of the precepts, but not a cause of for relinquishing them. Again, if these two instances do not occur, again, one is not relinquishing the precepts, but one is just contradicting them. One is just transgressing them, maybe just degenerating the precepts. So, again, if if if one is not relinquishing the precepts in this way and one is just, how to say, incurring a mere transgression, then the refuge become becomes weaker, becomes less less powerful and so forth. For the next topic, again, the advice not to transgress the percepts because of how great the benefits are, such as being the entrance gate to the teachings and so forth.
Thus, going for refuge is a great entry gate to the Buddha’s teachings. And if going for refuge does not consist in mere words, you will not be thwarted thwarted by external or or internal obstacles due to your relying on a superior power. And by the distinction of the good qualities coming about easily, in case I was gonna say, grounds and the paths and the meditative realizations and so forth, and deteriorating with difficulty, they will increase more and more. Therefore, it is vital that you uphold your refuge by means of being mindful of the fear, fear of the realms and so forth, the suffering and so forth, and the positive qualities explained above. And that you put effort into not transgressing the precepts.
Okay? So again, Geshe-la is then saying, so then this is the end of the instructions on refuge on the on the in this text here. Geshe-la was then saying, so all that we’re being told then is that whatever the circumstance we are, if we are well, if we are unwell, if we are sick, if we are happy, if are rich or poor, if it is day or night, at all times we should be continually relying, taking refuge refuge in the Three Jewels and not give up this refuge in the Three Jewels. And because if we do so, if we act in this way, then we derive a great amount of benefit from that. And Geshe-la was just telling us now, there’s nothing difficult about it, right?
At all times, before you’re going to sleep, again you just you take refuge take refuge in the Three Jewels. You know? I go for refuge. When you are doing your work, you you give rise to the thought. I go for refuge in Three Jewels.
And, again, at all times, there’s there’s no there’s no difficulty in giving rise, producing this this thought of going for refuge. Know? There’s there’s no difficulty at all in this practice. We can do that. And and by doing so, we profit so much.
We derive such great benefits from such a simple and easy practice. By knowing, you know, the the qualities of the Three Jewels and the benefits of going for refuge, again, by by knowing that as we have been taught here, again, we will develop this wish to take refuge, to go for refuge with the Three Jewels. And again, by by just developing this thought of refuge, again, we we we can create so much benefit for ourselves. So again, because it is such an easy practice, again, we can recollect this practice today, can recollect the refuge today, again, we do it again tomorrow. And easily, we keep on doing that until we we we develop the experience of it.
And then it becomes becomes second nature. So, again, we move on to the next topic, again, which is generating the faith of conviction in actions and and the results. Results. So then there is three parts to this topic. First of all, considering actions and its results in general, considering karma and its results sorry, actions and and its results in particular, and then having considered them how to engage in virtuous actions and counteract the the non virtues.
Oh, yeah. As for considering karma and its actions and its results in general, again, we have two divisions, the actual way to consider actions and its results in general, and secondly, considering the specific divisions. As for the actual way to consider actions and and its results in general, we have four parts. How karma is certain, the great increase of karma. Thirdly, you do not meet with karma you have not created.
And lastly, karma or actions you have created do do not dissipate. So then as for as for the first one of those, how karma is certain, is we have two parts to that. First of all, is the actual way in which karma is certain. Geshe-la was going through the text again. Happiness having the aspect of pleasant feeling, whether in ordinary beings or aryas, even as little as that which is generated in a sentient being born in hell, in dependence on a cool a cool wind, a cool breeze springing up arises from virtuous actions accumulated previously.
Happiness arising from non virtuous actions is a known source. All suffering having the aspect of painful feelings, even as little as that which is generated in the mind of an arhat, arises from non virtuous actions accumulated previously. Suffering arising from non virtuous actions so sorry. Suffering arising from virtuous actions is a known source. This one.
Does not occur. This one. Okay. And then we have this little quote from the precious garland. From the non virtues, all suffering.
Likewise, all the bad migrations. From the virtues, all happy realms and happiness in all rebirths. This one. Okay. So I was just I was just going back to that to that that expression, which is translated here in English as known source.
And in English, it doesn’t it doesn’t it’s not very obvious. In the Tibetan, it is more clear. So so it’s just that sentence, which was translated as the suffering arising from virtuous karma is a known source. It doesn’t make much sense. Virtuous karma is not a source of suffering.
Okay? Virtuous action is not a source of suffering. So suffering cannot arise from virtuous actions because virtuous actions are not a source of suffering. Okay? It’s a bit of an obscure translation here, but it’s okay.
This one. Oh, yeah. And then Geshe-la goes on for the next topic again, second, the explanations of these as the basis of all white dharmas. Therefore, happiness and suffering do not arise without a cause or from an incongruous cause, such as a primordial principle, like Īśvara and so forth and the like. In general, happiness and suffering arise in general from virtuous and non virtuous actions, respectively.
Also, various specifics of happiness and suffering arise individually from the various specifics of the two types of actions without any error. To gain certainty with with regard to actions and their results being certain and infallible is said to be the correct view of all Buddhists and is praised as the foundation of all white dharmas of all white dharmas. English language making reference to some of the expressions that are used to describe karma or actions and the results. They’re being infallible. They’re being unmistaken.
They’re being certain. And Geshe-la was saying this is describing the fact that from whatever virtuous actions one has performed, there is no way that a suffering result can arise. And from whatever non virtuous actions one has performed, there is no way that a a a happiness a happiness result can arise. So from from actions that that that can only arise, it only comes suffering. And from virtuous causes, from virtuous actions, it only arise the only thing that arises from that is happiness.
And that is certain and and unchanging and unmistaken. Okay? So then actions or karma and this results, action the results is very, very straightforward. And and and and there’s no no deviations and no loops or anything like that. No short shortcuts or anything like that.
If I was gonna say, the way we think about it is is if I take and Geshe-la was pointing out to me as if I was a rich person. If I was gonna say, if I take money from from the rich and I give it to the poor and with the way we think is that we are doing a good a good deed. We think of that. Oh, I’m doing a good deed. I’m taking money from he has so much money, and I’m giving to to her who doesn’t have any money.
So I’m doing a good thing, but that’s not how it works. That’s not how actions and the results work. So taking what is not given, stealing or robbing from someone is a negative action, and from performing that, one will have to experience the suffering result of that. And then giving is a positive action. And from having performed that, one will have to experience the the positive result, the happy result of that.
There is no other way around it. Okay? So Geshe-la is making reference to those expressions that it it is says it is it is certain. It is unmistaken. And and in this way, infallible and unmistaken.
Okay? This one. We’ll move on to the next topic, the great increase of karma. The great increase of karma. There is nothing among external causes and results that resembles the increase of internal causes and results for even from a small virtuous karma that arises the result of enormous happiness, while even from a small non virtuous karma or action that arise the result of enormous suffering?
This one? And, Geshe-la was saying again, with with the external with the external causes and results, we see this increase. For so far, from one grain of rice, we get a, you know, a lot of we we we reap a great many grains of rice from one single from planting one single grain of rice, reap many grains of rice. So we see the increase from cause to results. And and and it’s not even like that when we’re talking about internal causes and results.
Again, the increase is is much greater than that. Okay? And then we have this quote from the Udānavarga, which says, even committing a small negativity will bring about great fear and great disaster in future worlds and future lives, like poison that seeps through to the core. Even committing small merit will bring about great happiness in future lives, causing greatly meaningful things like grains that ripen in the field. And, again, Geshe-la was just explaining the the meaning of that that verse, which is very literary.
Geshe-la was putting in colloquial. So again, even a small negativity is like is compared here to poison, which is just a little bit of poison is is enough to to to harm the entire body and kill and kill the person. So again, so just a great negativity can create so just a small negativity can create this great amount of suffering in the future. And, again, in the same vein, the same way, just a small little positive action, again, can create a great amount of happiness in the future. Is that okay?
This one? How does that work? I was in first making reference to the teaching on refuge that we just we just seen, we we have just seen. Saying that even giving rise to one moment of the mind of refuge, again, is if the the merit of that just that that of that mere moment of that genuine mind of refuge, if if it were to take form, again, the the entire world and all the oceans or the entire universe wouldn’t be enough to contain it. And Geshe-la is in in this so then we have the the scriptural explanation here.
And now Geshe-la is telling there’s another way of illustrate how it works for by the story of this king, which I forgot his name in Sanskrit. Okay? But there is a story of this king who who was a wheel turning emperor. Right? He was a wheel turning emperor.
So he was he could he was the ruler of the entire world and also of the heaven of the thirty three. He was sharing the throne with the gods ruler of the heaven of thirty three. That was his power. And and the the causes, the actions that developed into this result was that in a in a previous life was it previous life? Right?
In a previous life, he he offered he made a very humble offering to the Buddha. He he offered five beans. And this all that he had, he had five beans, and he he he made very faithful and wholehearted offerings, and he threw these beans on the Buddha. And four of these beans fell inside the Buddha’s begging bowl, alms bowl, and another one fell outside, but it’s still on on on on the Buddha. And that’s and and and and that this was the cause that developed into this result later on.
And he became a wheel turning emperor. So again, we can see this is a small little virtue, just five grains of beans, again developed into such a great result. And there are there are also many other ways of explaining it. He he won’t he won’t he won’t do it now. He just he wouldn’t he wouldn’t be able to do it now.
In English, let’s go for the next topic. You do not meet with karma you have not created. If you have not accumulated karma that will become the cause for experiencing happiness or suffering, you will never experience the happiness or suffering that is its result. Also, those who enjoy the effects of the teacher’s incalculable collection of merit do not need to accumulate all its causes. However, they need to accumulate a part of them.
And Geshe-la is explaining and we can see in the notes again, so also those who enjoy the effects of the teacher’s accumulation of an incalculable collection of merit do not need to accumulate all these causes. However, they need to accumulate a part of them. And Geshe-la was giving an explanation which, of course, with the note that we have here, the footnote. Saying again, the the Buddha Śākyamūni, has accumulated three countless eons of merit and has accumulated even more than that. And he has made many aspirational prayers that we enjoy the results of such merits, that we experience the results of such merits.
But, again, we want the the his followers, the followers of the teachings of the Dharma, the followers would experience the results of this merit. But, again, one does not experience these results, how can I say that, without without without also making aspirational prayers and accumulating merit oneself? Okay? It does do do not come for free, so to speak. I guess I was going through the next topic.
Karma you have created does not dissipate. The virtuous and non virtuous actions that have been done issue forth pleasant and unpleasant results. Then in the praise to the particularly noble, it says, Brahmins say that say they can transfer virtues and negativities as as though giving and taking them. You said, what is done won’t vanish. What is not will not be met.
Then from the king of concentration sutras, again, plus, you cannot but touch your deeds. What others did, you will not feel. And lastly, from the foundation of the Vinaya scriptures, again, karma’s actions do not go to waste even in hundreds of eons. When they find a host of conditions and this and the and the time, they will become effects for beings. Okay?
So, again, Geshe-la is just explaining in those verses. Again, they’re very in very literary Tibetan language. So Geshe-la is just explaining again, there are those Brahmins who say that one can give away one’s merits, and one can take negativities from others and so forth. But the Buddha was teaching that that’s not the case. One cannot transfer one’s merits, one’s virtuous to others.
One cannot do such things, and one cannot take away negativity from others. I guess that was it. We were just joking because if that was possible, then the the Buddha would have given us a lot of virtues already. And again, the next verse from the concentration sūtra, the king of concentration sūtra, again, is saying that one one can only one oneself will have to experience the results of the actions one has performed. There is no such thing as one performing the actions and somebody else experience the results of such actions.
So oneself will have to experience the results of such actions only. Okay? And, again, as I was going through through the last of those verses, karma, actions do not go to waste even in hundreds of eons. When they find a host of conditions in the time, then beings will have to experience the effects of those actions. So, again, actions do not just vanish in thin air.
When all the conditions when all the causing conditions come together, one will have to experience the results. Okay. So then we move on. We were approaching this this topic. I was just I was just review.
So we’re generating the faith of conviction in karma and its results. This topic has three parts. We we are seeing the first one considering karma and its results in general, which has two parts. So we’re just seeing the actual way to consider karma and its results in general. And now we go to next topic considering the specific divisions.
As for considering the specific divisions, have, again, we have two parts. One indicating that there are mainly ten paths of actions, and second, establishing actions and effects. So, again, Geshe-la was going through the first one of those topics and indicating that there are mainly ten paths of action. And there’s there’s some divisions to that. The first one, explanation that there are ten in the sutras and the treatises.
Thus, Thus, you should first generate certainty concerning the ways of actions and results through realizing that happiness and suffering results are certain to have their individual causes, that karma increases gradually greatly, that you do not meet with anything you have not created, and that karma does not dissipate. Now, if you ask about what actions to adopt and what ones to reject, it is as follows. So I guess I was going for the rest of the text. Again, in general, the gates for engaging in good conduct and faulty conduct, virtuous and non virtuous actions, are determined to be three, the three doors of body, speech, and mind. Although not all virtues and non virtues of the three doors are included in the ten paths of action, the more obvious or coarser virtues and non virtues are included in them.
The Bhagavan summing up the essential points stated that those that are the great foundation of misdeeds are the ten black paths of action. Having seen that when they are given up, the most significant points are also included in them, he thought them to be the ten white paths of action. And again, Geshe-la, just repeating what Geshe-la what the text was saying that in this ten non virtues, do not include every single non virtue of of the three doors of body, speech, and mind, but the general ones, the most significant ones, and the most coarse coarse ones. So in English, was reading that that verse from the the Treasury of Knowledge, again, through summarizing the most obvious among them, the virtues and non virtues were stated as ten paths of action. And then again, I should always bring the next quote from the scripture on discernment.
It says, guarding one’s speech and completely restraining one’s mind, refraining from virtuous deeds with the body. Once you have purified the three paths of action, you will attain the path that was taught by the seers. I guess I was just saying again, attain the results of enlightenment that was taught by the Buddhas. Oh, So again, was going for the the second division of the topic, explanation of cherishing the adoption and abandonment of the ten paths of action. Therefore, the meaning of the praise to the ethical discipline of abandoning the ten non virtuous paths of action from the on the ten grounds summarized in entry to the middle way, engaging in the middle way.
For certain goodness and the highest status of ordinary beings, those born from the Buddha’s speech, of those with the definite nature of self enlightenment, the Jina’s children, the cause is not other than discipline. And then again. So then, the certain goodness in high status. Okay? Happiness of future lives and so forth.
Of ordinary beings like ourselves, those of born from the Buddhist speech, which are the hearers, so called hearers, those with a definitive nature of self enlightenment, which is the solitary realizers, the Pratyekabuddha. And then the Jinas’ children, which is refers to the bodhisattvas. Again, the cause is not other than discipline. The cause of those higher status, certain goodness and higher status that they experience is not other than than discipline. English, let’s go in for the the last of of division of that topic, giving up hypocrisy.
Oh, yeah. That being so, it would be quite disgraceful if someone who does not guard even a bit of ethical discipline through relying on the mind of restraint again and again were to say, as for me, I am a Mahāyānist. And then we read that quote from the Kashyapaparivarta sūtra. By means of these ten virtuous paths of actions, you become a Buddha. On the other hand, if one who does not guard even a single virtuous path of actions throughout his life and yet says, I am a Mahāyānist.
I seek unsurpassed perfect complete enlightenment. That person is a thorough hypocrite and a great liar deceiving the world in front of all the Bhagavans and propounding nihilism. At the time of death, that person will be deluded and go to the wrong fallen, go to the lower realms of existence. And I guess that was I guess that was it. Just explaining again in more colloquial words.
There are those people who do not keep, you know, the the ethical conduct of giving up the ten non-virtues. They do not guard against the ten non-virtues very well, and they still they they they say with with certain pride and arrogance, they say, I am a Mahāyānist. And, again, this this pride, this arrogance of saying, I am a Mahāyānist is is completely meaningless. It serves no purpose whatsoever. And by by acting in this way without actually keeping properly keeping against guarding against non-virtues again, one incurs actually a great fault, great harm to oneself that propels ones to be born in the lower realms of existence.
Determination of actions. Okay. Yes, those those teachings, we have we have these these two different teachings. Right? We had the one about purification before, and we had this one today about the certainty of actions and the results and so forth.
And they seem to be contradictory, isn’t it? But they are not. So Geshe-la was explaining. So if one negative actions, those negative those negativities, they can be purified. One can stop them from from ripening from from how to say into into effect.
So if one purifies, if one engages in the practice of purification by relying, by properly relying in the four opponent powers as we have been taught before, then again one will be able to stop those negativities from producing results. Just in the same way that if we take a seed and you burn it, it won’t it won’t it will it will not sprout and will not give give fruits and so forth. So we we can do that. And on the other hand, if you do if you have engaged in negative actions, but you have not practiced any purification like that, then you will experience the full blown result of that action, only suffering at all. Now in order and and we can also completely rid ourselves of all negativities and not ever suffering, but then we need to that is done by attaining attaining enlightenment, liberation enlightenment.
Is is that okay? Does it has the the apparent contradiction, the semi contradiction been dispelled? Yeah. Yeah. So this this is talking about the results of actions, but not taking into perfect purification.
Yeah. Without taking effect of the purification. Yes. Exactly. So Geshe-la is saying exactly what you just said.
Yes. The the the results are certain to arise. And Geshe-la was then saying that’s what we have been reading. Right? Geshe-la was then saying, if you do not practice results are certain to arise.
And again, if if you do not if you do not confess, if you do not practice the purification, engage in the purification practice, then again, it doesn’t matter how long it takes. They will not be the results will not become weaker or will not dissipate, and it will not diminish in any way. One will experience the full blown results. No. They are not the same thing.
They’re very distinct. So then purifying negativities and purifying negativities, one relies on the four opponent powers. The first one being refuge, generating giving rise to refuge in bodhicitta, then generating a genuine regret, and then generating the determination not to to perform the negativity again and lastly performing a virtuous deed. And and this is what amounts to purifying the negative actions. And as for dedication of virtues, again, is dedicating whatever virtues one has performed that they become the cause of whatever goal one has in mind.
If one wishes what an enlightenment, then one dedicates those virtues as the causes of one’s enlightenment or as the causes of a future rebirth, a happy future rebirth, and so forth. So they are different things. Now we can we can relate them. If you, for example, if you are purifying a negative deed, let’s say of killing, and again, if you have killed, and then you you give rise to the mind of refuge in bodhicitta, and you generate a regret for having killed. Again, you know, you understand that killing is bad and harmful and so forth.
Then you generate the determination not to perform that action again. You perform a virtuous action. And in the end, you dedicate those virtues that you have performed, the virtues of the confession and the virtues action and everything for the enlightenment, for the benefit of all beings, for yourself and and and everybody else. And this in this in this way, you can relate these two practices. So you have both the purification and the and the dedication in in one goal.
All. Okay. Yes. Go ahead. So the again, they they seem to be contradictory, but they are not contradictory, these two statements.
So every virtue is the enlightened activity of the Buddhist, and still it is up to us to accumulate, to to perform those virtues. And the the the Buddhist cannot give those virtues to us. They cannot put us they cannot put those virtues in our pockets. So again, they are the enlightened activity of the Buddhas, the enlightened activity. Is that is that the best way to translate it?
Still, in order for those virtues to to arise in continuum, to be included in one’s continuum, again, one has to to work and engage and perform those actions. The Buddhists cannot just plant them in our minds like that. Again, so as I say, so, again, because virtues are the enlightened activities of the Buddhas, again, this is what we have to accomplish. We have to accomplish the enlightened activities of the Buddhas. We have to accomplish virtues.
We have to accumulate those enlightened activities of the Buddha. And, again, if every every virtue there is, every enlightened quality there is, every you know, the the body of the Buddha, Dharma body, and all sorts of enlightened qualities that might be again. If if if if they are to be accomplished, they are to be accomplished by us, by each one of us, that the Buddhas are not gonna give them to us. Okay? Is that is that okay?
You were going to say something else. Can’t go ahead and do that at all. Is is still is still looking contradictory to you? Yeah. Okay.
I’ll I’ll trust you on that. You want to ask something? Yeah. If if if if the only cause of of the suffering and unhappiness we experience is is our own non virtuous actions, how do we understand the suffering and unhappiness we feel because of other other the suffering and unhappiness of other sentient beings? How can how can I ask that?
I do understand your question. I’m just trying to think how to to make sense of it in Tibetan. How can I how can I ask that? It makes sense. Okay.
Look. And and and know this is gonna give room for a lot of discussion, and we are just going to be hammering words. Okay? We’re not going to be striking anything if we just insist on on on sticking to the words. So we were translating, okay, what you said.
So the the happiness and the suffering that we experience is due to the virtuous and non virtuous actions that we ourselves have accumulated or performed in the past. That’s how it goes. But there are those instances when we see the suffering, other people suffering, other beings suffering, and we have this sadness occurring to us. Usually translated as sadness. Okay?
It’s just a translation. It’s just a word, and it’s gonna give room for more debate, but let’s not stick to it. Okay? So Geshe wasn’t saying, now that sadness that you are feeling when you are seeing other people suffering, it is it that is not that that sadness itself, we wouldn’t is is insisting or not calling you suffering. And says that that sadness, which, you know, makes you cry and all that, is is actually a result of compassion.
It’s it’s a compassion feeling that you you feel you feel this, and I’m gonna say, quote, unquote, sadness driven by your compassion for the suffering that somebody else is feeling. You’re wishing them that that they wouldn’t they wouldn’t be suffering that they wouldn’t be experiencing that suffering. And that cannot be classified that is not classified as suffering itself. That feeling that you’re feeling is not suffering itself. We might associate we might call it suffering and painful and unpleasant and all that.
But here, it is being associated to compassion. And as such, it cannot it can only be something good. Instances, and we we know in the West, we have in Australia, you know, depression and all that jazz and all that. So we see, we know that people would see the bad news and would be depressed. So and this is what the the the issue with him was talking about.
So Geshe-la wasn’t saying, now if that’s what is happening to you when you are seeing that suffering, and we do not know what’s happening. Okay? You you are the judge here. If what’s happening to you is suffering, then that is the result of bad actions that you have performed in the past. Now if what’s happening to you is due to the compassion that you are feeling towards those sentient beings, then that is virtue.
It’s a result of virtue and and and is not suffering. Okay? Does that sense? That’s beautiful. Right?
Do do you get do you get the gist of it? Yeah. Yeah. I’ll get the gist of it. Yeah.
Get the gist of it. It’s interesting I’m sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.
Go ahead. It’s interesting in in the phenomenal world that we experience and see, everything dissipates. Entropy. Everyone’s now bodies do. There are stars up there.
Everything is impermanent. Everything is impermanent. And you can’t God is that? Increases. Yes.
So then also karma also, actions also, karma also also goes out of existence, ceases to be or also dissipates, you would say. It’s just when the when the results of those causes arise and the these causes are exhausted and they dissipate, it’s just not in the short amount of time that we see here. You could look from another perspective and you say also, you know, nothing actually ceases to be generally. Because, you know, as as one person dies, another is born. So there is always people around or things and so forth.
And the same, you could think you could think you could look at the same way of karma also. But then looking from any other perspective, they’re always going out of existence and ceasing to be and so forth. How do you how do you translate that? So is asking the Geshe, how is it why is it that virtues are said to be the enlightened activities of the Buddhas? He’s gonna, yeah, he’s gonna look into the text and bring us the reasoning and establishes that.